Your controller may get stuck with the posts for the screws in the handles.

Do this for a good minute or two on each.Upon doing this, turn on your PS4 and give the controller a try. You may require a little force here.Once removed you will be able to replace the analog sticks with your replacements. This is important so as not to lead to any accidental damage, as well as to avoid doing anything on your system by mistake when fixing the analog stick drift issue.Now that the controller’s off, all you want to do is use your pressurized air duster (or your breath), and begin blowing around the bottom of the analog sticks, where they slot into the controller. I find a spudger can help here to pry open the seam between the top and the bottom parts of the controller but is non-essential.The best areas to start are either the divide at the bottom of the controller handles or near the headphone jack.Slowly work your way around the controller until it separates. Now, be careful with these screws, they are made from quite a soft metal. This can be bought from If you’re unable to get your hands on one, or you need an immediate fix without having to wait for this to arrive, then you can just use your own breath and blow strongly, but more on that in a moment.With the correct equipment now in hand, you’ll want to first ensure that your PS4 controller is turned off. I’ve recently been playing Monster Hunter World, but I know if I was to use this controller as is, my thumb would be slipping off the stick all the time.In this guide, I will show you how to open, disassemble the PS4 controller and replace the analog sticks.Turn your DualShock 4 over and we will need to remove the four Philips head screws. If you’re noticing First things first, we recommend picking up a pressurized air duster. Now to try and finally dislodge any remaining debris, begin repeatedly clicking in the analog sticks (L3 and R3) while moving them around the furthest they’ll go in all directions. To remove the old sticks, you simply pull up on them.

This is in an attempt to remove any bits of debris that might be disrupting the internal workings of the controller, and ensure that there should be a smooth movement whatever direction you move the stick in.If you’re using pressurized air, at this point be careful not to blast it inside the controller. You should be able to push it down and feel a tactile response.Next up is the L2 button and spring.

With that, everything should be able to clip back together.Finally, you can put back the four screws into the back of the controller making sure not to over tighten.Replacing the analog sticks in the PS4’s DualShock 4 controller is quite straightforward, will save you having to buy a new controller and doesn’t take much time at all. If not check the ribbon cable and make sure nothing is damaged.Thanks, I realized it was turned the wrong way. Is there anything that I can do?The cable should just fit back in.

The first is to take apart your PS4 controller and clean it, removing any bits of debris while you’re at it. Push the replacements back into place where the originals were. You will then be able to remove the battery from the battery housing and set aside.With the battery removed, we can now remove that ribbon cable!

To remove the housing we will need to insert a screwdriver carefully into the little hole and gently push outwards.

You will now be able to lift out the PCB.

The hardest part is actually getting the shell open and it took me a couple of minutes to get the back part of the shell off from the shoulder buttons.While researching how to take apart my DS4 controller, I found out that the analog sticks can be switched out with replacement Xbox One sticks if you prefer. You can test out that L3 & R3 click in at this point. This happens because the hard plastic of the analog sticks pushes upwards into the rubber while your thumbs are busy pushing down, this creates some really horrible tearing of the rubber.Most people will tend to notice the tearing on the left stick as that is usually the one doing the hard work. If the problem persists, try repeating the process, and be a tiny bit more generous with the amount of pressurized air you use.There are a few options you can use if this method doesn’t work. Now might be a good time to clean the controller with some isopropyl alcohol.Before we go any further we will want to disconnect the battery from the main board. Remove that and set aside. Use the blue tab to get a firm grip on the cable and wiggle it back into place.Close the case back together starting by lining up the shoulder buttons and push back together.

The DualShock 4 is a fantastic reimagining of the classic PlayStation controller and feels great in the hand, however, it has one really annoying design flaw. To remove the ribbon cable, you can gently pull up on the blue tab. If they do then congratulations, you have successfully replaced your analog sticks.Put everything back together. The rubberized tops of the analog sticks tend to tear themselves apart, especially with prolonged use. This can get a little bit fiddly, though, but if you’re wanting to save yourself from buying a new controller, it might be worth a try.

Just gently push them inwards. I tried to reset the controller also, but that didn’t help.Cheaper Gamer is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.If you want to support Cheaper Gamer you can donate via PayPal Any donations will go back into making more guides and reviews.

Once that is removed you can set the back side of the controller aside.Next, we move onto the battery housing. The spring should naturally sit in a small well in the controller like below.Next, we reinstall the battery by putting it back into the housing and connecting it back to the DualShock 4’s main board.Grab the other half of the controller and plug the ribbon cable back into the main board. This is kind of hard to explain so, here we go! Lift the underside of the controller prying back towards the shoulder buttons like below. These are the only screws holding the two halves of the controller together. Once the screws are out you can carefully ‘split’ open the two halves. However, PS4 controllers don’t come cheap.