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Consoles and handhelds · Sony PlayStation

Sony PlayStation PS4 controller

11owners with an opinion
56%of verdicts positive
2/2positive/negative since 2024
0happy after 3+ years

Praised for reliability and comfort; criticized for build quality.

What people wrote

Likes itOwned 4 yearsStill going
> All mainstream console controllers experience more or less stick drift Yet my two xbox controllers that I've had for 5 years have not experienced this, and nor have my PS4 controller (4 years old at this point). I've had to replace the joycon twice. And the third one still has drift. I gave up and just use a Nintendo Switch Pro controller with it now.
Neutral
No, but I'm using a PS4 controller with my Linux PC. Really comfy controller, I just had to replace the original charging port since it stopped working with usb-c and also I had to replace the rubber pads inside. Very cheaply made given the price, but it's one of the few controllers with a touch pad that works on Linux. The touch pad is nice to get the mouse cursor out of the way.
Doesn’t like it
Back when I actually had a gaming PC, I loved using my Steam Link. I used powerline Ethernet to get a decent connection from my bedroom to the basement and it worked well, rarely stuttering. I could never get the D-pad working on my PS4 controller with the Link, no idea what went wrong but my wired 360 controller was perfect. I would use a handheld wireless keyboard/touchpad for any kb/mouse input. It was great.
Neutral
Nowadays you can mix&match however you like. I have one game that is available on PS, PC and mobile. You can use keyboard, mouse and PS controllers in this game on all of the platforms and it works the same. For now, I mainly play it on linux (it's not linux native game, heh) with ps4 controller.
Doesn’t like it
Which one? I have several of them. I can try one of those. It’s not just the Xbox controller I’ve had issues with. PS4 controller and even wireless headphones have failed too. What I suspect is happening is that the devices are changing their names between versions of SteamOS/Linux Bluetooth stack. Once I remove and reconnect the devices they work again for a short while. I also have had a number of issues with the wifi connection on the device just being slow so I liked the idea of running it on a dock so I can use Ethernet.
Likes it
YMMV, but I'm not finding any of those to be problems with my Deck. Reboots take a noticeable length of time and could certainly be faster but they're almost entirely "oh there's a new version of the OS" for me. I haven't had any problem with games crashing either. Its native controllers largely Just Work, and it's easy to turn on turbofire or rearrange buttons to work better with Steam Input. When I connect it to the projector and pick up the PS4 controller I have attached to the dock that works fine too, someday I should really try to properly pair it so I can use it wirelessly, but I mostly just play it handheld. I basically spend zero time futzing around with Proton unless I am trying to get some old PC game to run. I spent a while fooling around with installing emulators when I first got it, but I never actually touch them in practice, that's the only time I've ever been outside of the Steam UI.
Likes it
I can't stand the offset sticks on the Xbox controller - feels much more natural to me to have both thumbs in the same position. I massively prefer the shape of the PS4 controller to everything else, including PS5 though. My ideal controller would be the PS4 shape and layout, but with the dpad and triggers from the Xbox one/series controller (the PS5 trigger feedback is nice, but hardly any games actually use it effectively, and I like the shape of the Xbox triggers more).
Likes it
I'm pretty sure all the manufacturers have this problem pretty much equally, at least on their "normal" controllers. Nintendo worse probably just due to the very constrained available size. You see users of all the consoles anecdotally reporting drift problems. I haven't experienced personally any drift on my PS4 or PS5 controllers, nor an Xbox controller used for a PC. I did have it happen pretty significantly on a Switch Lite. I also think there's probably an aspect of personal usage patterns: maybe if you're just going through sticks constantly, you apply more pressure, or just use them more, or have something like a dusty environment wearing them out faster.
Doesn’t like it
The ps5 controller, just like the PS4 controller, are succumbed to the dreaded stick drifting issue. I play Call of Duty and this stick drifting issue has made me own more than 4-5 controllers for each generation. At this point I have a conspiracy theory that Sony intentionally not fixing this. My friends in the Xbox camp say they never experienced this issue.
Likes itDoesn’t say they own it
I think it costs less too, whereas a new or used PS5 costs more but doesn't add a lot of value -- there are roughly 15 exclusive games for the PS5 so it's not compelling if you have a gaming PC, but it is a nice package to sit next to your TV that does a lot and can stream games from the gaming PC. Personally I like a PS4 controller better than the Apple TV thing.