How to Take Apart a Ps4 Controller (Step by Step)

In general, the PlayStation 4 is quite robust, and there are not too many reasons you should fix it. However, if you want to make cosmetic changes or fix something broken inside, you must learn how to take apart a Ps4 Controller by following this article.

How to Take Apart a Ps4 Controller

Step 1: Remove the plate from behind

In the back of the controller are 4 screws. Remove them all to loosen the backplate. Squeeze the two controller handle sections, and they pop out. 

It would help if you used some force below the home button, as 2 clips hold the controller together. Once the bottom is loose, you may pull off the backplate carefully. 

Read Also: How Many Watts Does a Ps4 Use?

There will be many cracking sounds, but these are only the plastic clips. Just do it carefully as you need to take care of some of the ribbon cables inside. 

After the plastic section gets out of the back, remove the ribbon cable from the central controller linking the light bar to the mainboard. The backplate is now taken from the PlayStation 4.

Step 2: Divide the main board

Disconnect the battery, and you’ll discover one additional screw underneath. Remove this screw and release the mainboard. Press the buttons or analog sticks, making the board bubble up a little. 

A ribbon cable connecting the touchpad is on the top of the PlayStation 4. Remove this as the front of the controller is attached to the touchpad. Remove the mainboard smoothly, and your PlayStation 4 controller is now available in 3 pieces.

Now Start to Reassemble Ps4 Controller

  • Place the mainboard in its proper location in the case.
  • Connect the touchpad cable to the main circuit board.
  • A screw is used to hold the board in place.
  • Place the battery securing area on the mainboard at this point.
  • Connect the battery to the mainboard by placing it in the secure area.
  • Make a connection between the backlight cable and the mainboard. Pay close attention to how the cable must be attached; if the wire is connected upside down, the backlight will not function.
  • The bottom case of the gamepad must be assembled starting from the upper edge, where the left and right triggers are located.
  • Check to see if anything will prevent the bottom edge of the gamepad case from being snapped and if there isn’t, snap it.
  • When the gamepad casing is entirely closed, the gamepad is no longer usable. By pushing the PS button and glancing at the LED indication, you may determine whether or not the gamepad is operational.
  • If everything is in order, secure the case by tightening the screws.

Cleaning the Outside of Your Ps4 Controller

ps4 controller disassembly and reassembly

#1) Breakage and Dust

You will wish to remove any loose crumbs and surface dust before you get to the details of cleaning your PS4 controller. 

It is a good idea to quickly give your controller a compressed air can before and after cleaning the outside once in a while. 

However, due to all the crevices on the PS4 controller, you will want to be careful where you may point.

Read Also: How to Change Ps4 Background

The idea is to get the air stream from your controller, not to it. Crumbs that would normally break loose may be placed deeper into the controller if you ignore your compressed air. 

Although this stage might be easily overlooked, it is crucial in this procedure. The aim is to remove smaller and smaller particles from the controller as the process continues so that you can clean out something significant at first.

#2) Wipe it Down

Now that your controller has accumulated crumbs and dust, it’s time to sterilize. Baby wipes are the most excellent tool for work, but a microfiber cloth will work if you don’t have them. 

Mix equal quantities of water and isopropyl alcohol and moisten the cloth lightly. Make sure you also use a microfiber cloth or something like that. 

Cleaning your controller using paper towels and the like can leave it looking even dirtier than it was before you began cleaning it.

Workaround the controller with your baby wipe or microfiber cloth in hand and pay care to the trigger section. 

The primary objective of this step is to clean the controller’s surface and not to go between nooks and crevices. 

For generally clean controllers, all that is needed is a compressed air can and a wash down. However, larger jobs demand a little more information.

#3) Address the details

After the controller’s general sweep, it is time to deal with the dirty details. You want to say the water and make sure you use isopropyl alcohol, cotton swabs, and toothpicks. 

Unlike the water, it is not electrically conducive to isopropyl alcohol, so if you slip a little into the control bodies, you’re all right.

Take it into isopropyl alcohol to saturate the tip thoroughly, starting with the cotton swab. Then work around the controller and wipe the face buttons and the thumbsticks clean. 

Leave the controller dry naturally once finished. Alcohol evaporates fast, and you don’t want lint left on your newly cleaned controller.

Sprinkle a new one with alcohol before digging your cotton swabs to purify the controller’s micro USB, headphone, and EXT ports. You want to be delicate here because if you press down too hard, you’ll leave some cotton in the harbor.

Read Also: How to Unlink Spotify From Ps4? (2 Ways)

After all, it is dry; use dry toothpicks to dig around the controller plumps. It includes rounding the touchpad, cleaning the triggers, and chicking the controller’s body. 

You can even choose a grille around the speaker on the front, but make sure you don’t bury any more crumbs inside.

With all the crap out — you’re so amazed how much grease from your hands works into the controller — it’s a good idea to go back over the body with a can of compressed air and a baby wipe. 

It is an acceptable stop for most folks. If you have some filth inside the controller, though, you must break it open.

Cleaning the Inside of Your Ps4 Controller

#1) Undo the screws

The fact that unlocking your controller will void any security you have, and you should undertake the operation at your own risk should not be mentioned. 

However, the method isn’t too hard. Remove the four screws on the back of the controller using a tiny Phillips head screwdriver. 

Like most electronics, the screws are quite sensitive, so you want to be especially careful not to peel them. They’re quite small also, so maybe you’d like to keep them in a magnetic tray.

In addition to the screws, the controller body and plastic tabs are kept together. After removing the screws, insert a plastic pry tool in the controller’s side groove and softly peel it apart from the rest of the body. 

But don’t move here too hastily. A white belt cable connects the controller’s back to the entire body, so remove that gently by using your plastic pry tool.

#2) Remove the battery

Please remove the battery inside the control, unhook the power cable and peel it gently off the adhesive strip. 

While it is easy to remove, a plastic pry tool and not a screwdriver is essential for removing the battery connector. 

Your battery probably still has juice in it, so the last thing you want to do is finish the circuit with a metal tip.

Turn the battery gently until it gets loose, and be careful not to pull too hard. Once it is released, the battery holder is held on the back of the board by a single screw. Remove this screw and place it with the battery holder in your tray. 

Read Also: How to Access Ps4 Hard Drive on Pc?

You can lift the board, analog sticks, triggers, rolling motors, and touchpads as one unit if you’ve gone. This central part is the controller fundamentally, so be very careful when laying it aside. 

Be careful also with the ribbon cable attached to the touchpad. You will need to remove it to release the middle part.

You should be left with all the buttons on the front and rear of the controller (be careful, as they will fall off when you push the front portion upside down). 

Again, use the cotton swab and isopropyl alcohol technique above, allowing everything to dry completely before reinstallation. 

You can use water to wipe the plastic shell, but sticking to isopropyl alcohol is a smart choice. Water and electronics are not playing right, and the last thing you want is rogue dampness in your controller.

FAQs – How to Take Apart a Ps4 Controller

How do you take apart a PS4 controller analog stick?

To introduce an opening, pinch the left handle of the controller. A plastic opening tool should be wedged into the opening and then moved upwards and towards the joystick. Pulling down on the plier will allow the case to be cracked open. Next, follow the same procedure for the right handle.

Why are PS4 controllers so bad?

Because of this, the ergonomics are poor. It doesn’t feel as comfortable in your hands as the Xbox controller, and the DualShock 4’s light drains its charge — which is infamously horrible. Additionally, the symmetrical thumbstick configuration doesn’t seem natural. Even the triggers are deficient in this regard.

How do you fix a glitchy PS4 controller?

On the back of the controller, near the L2 shoulder button, you’ll find a tiny reset button. To insert the button into the small hole, use a little tool to press it in. 

Keep the button depressed for approximately 3-5 seconds. Then, using a USB cord, connect your controller to your PS4 and click the PS button to begin.

Read More: