One of the most frustrating things while playing a game is finding that your controller has become disconnected or won’t respond to your inputs. While PS4 doesn’t have major issues with the DualShock 4 like the Nintendo Switch reportedly does with disconnecting Joy-con, this week’s PSLS Help Desk is going to jump into troubleshooting input lag issues that you may have with your DualShock 4 controller.
Please note that this troubleshooting guide is in no way meant to be exhaustive and if you continue to experience issues after going through the steps outlines below, you ought to contact Sony support for additional help.
What is Input Lag?
The first step to solving input lag and disconnect issues is to identify what input lag is. Input lag is when inputs on the controller either fail to register or register later than they should on the game or application. For example, in a shooter, pulling the trigger should immediately fire your weapon. If there’s a delayed response, or if the every input doesn’t have a corresponding action on screen, you may be having lag issues. Input lag is generally easy to notice, so if inputs start behaving differently than you are used to, continue on to figure out how to resolve the issue.
How to Fix DualShock 4 Input Lag
First troubleshooting step is simple:
- Charge your controller. As the DualShock 4 loses charge, it can lose its connectivity strength, causing some input issues.
- Sometimes just reconnecting the DualShock 4 to the PS4 via USB briefly will be enough to re-sync the connection. If issues do persist when using wireless, you can play while it’s connected, though that solution may not be feasible for everyone.
Most often when not a charge issue, I’ve encountered input lag when surrounded by wireless devices that can interfere with the Bluetooth connection between the DualShock 4 and the PS4.
- Try moving or shutting down any nearby wireless devices like laptops and cell phones. Make sure that the DualShock 4 has line of sight to the PS4 to ensure the strongest connection.
If the above fails, you may need to do a restart.
- Restart the PS4 with a full power down, not just Rest Mode.
- Reset the DualShock 4 by pressing the small, recessed reset button on the back near the L2 shoulder button with a paper clip or similar item.
- You will need to re-pair the controller with your PS4 by connecting it with a USB cable. Turn on the PS4 and press the PS button on the DualShock 4 to re-sync.
Things to Note
Lag issues are not necessarily always controller issues. Be sure to check your controller with multiple games or applications to ensure that the problem is indeed with the physical peripheral and not with the game you are playing.
As mentioned earlier, if you continue to have problems, you may have a problem with your DualShock 4 that cannot be fixed. In this case you should contact Sony support to inquire about the warranty on your DualShock 4.
