PS4 Controller Won’t Connect To PS4 With USB After Reset [Fixed]
Many users have reported that they couldn’t connect their PS4 controller to PS4 with a USB cable after performing a hard reset. This is one of the most common problems with PS4 controllers and usually, the fix is easy and doesn’t require much effort.
Why The PS4 Controller Won’t Connect To PS4 With USB After Reset
So, what are the reasons for this problem? In most cases, the PS4 controller won’t connect to the PS4 console with USB after a hard reset due to firmware driver issues, but that’s not always the case.
You’ll need to try every suggestion in this article in order to resolve this issue.
Reason #1: Outdated/Corrupted PS4 Controller Firmware
When you hard reset the PS4 controller, you’re restoring the controller’s hardware to the factory settings. That means the original OUTDATED driver’s version of your PS4 controller will be restored. Now, if your PS4 is up to date, or at least its version is years newer than your controller’s driver, somewhat a compatibility issue will occur that will prevent the controller to work properly on your PS4 even via USB.
Reason #2: Data Corruption In the PS4 System
You may have reset the PS4 controller while it’s on and already connected to the PS4. This is indeed a big mistake that you shouldn’t have done. Such an action may result in data corruption in the PS4 driver library and some of the PS4 controller’s driver files might get damaged. If this is the case, the PS4 system won’t recognize your controller again unless you reset the PS4 to factory settings.
Reason #3: Unsuccessful Hard Reset
For some reason, the hard reset you performed on your PS4 controller wasn’t successful and consequently caused a sort of damage to your controller.
Reason #4: An Issue In The USB Connection Or Cable
There might not be any problem with the controller or the PS4 system, but there’s an issue with your PS4 USB connectivity that the controller cannot pair to the console via a USB cable.
The USB cable might be frayed or worn out and is no longer working. Also, the USB port to which you connect your controller might have stopped working for some reason [Read: PS4 USB Not Working]. You have to test all that before troubleshooting the issue addressed here.
On the other hand, you may have changed your controller’s USB cable and used a power USB cable instead of a data cable.
Eventually, just make sure there’s no problem with the USB connection with the PS4. You can try connecting your PS4 controller to another device with a USB to check that there’s no problem with the controller’s USB connectivity and that everything works fine in this regard.
How To Fix A PS4 Controller That Won’t Connect To PS4 With USB After Reset?
So, here are a few tips and suggested solutions to fixing this issue.
Fix #1: Power Cycle Your Console And Controller
When you try to fix any technical problem with an electronic device, the very first step you have to make is to power cycle it. This will drain the static electricity in the hardware components and give a chance for the device to “rest” and have a new fresh start.
So, all you have to do here is to turn off your PS4, unplug any connected peripheral to it, and unplug it from the power outlet. Now, leave it unplugged from power for about 5 minutes.
As for the controller, you need to open it up and disconnect its battery and leave it like this for 5 minutes too.
After the 5-minute period is over, connect the battery of the controller and fix its screws.
Plug the PS4 power cord into the power outlet, and turn it on without anything connected to it yet. Once it asks you to connect your controller via USB, do that and see whether it approves it or not.
Fix #2: Hard Reset Your PS4 Controller Again
When something goes wrong during the hard reset process of your PS4 controller, a sort of damage will occur to your controller. You’ll be lucky if this damage is not hardware-related, because if it is, then your controller needs a technician to fix it.
It’s recommended that you reset your PS4 controller after you power-cycled it.
Once done, power-cycle it again, restart your PS4, then try connecting your controller again to the PS4 with USB.
Fix #3: Fully Charge Your PS4 Controller
A Ps4 controller might not function properly if it’s not fully charged after a hard reset. Connect your controller to your PC or use an external USB charger in order to fulfill this task. Once done, try connecting your controller to PS4 with USB and check if it works or not.
Fix #4: Use The Right USB Cable
You may not be aware that not all USB cables will work on your controller, especially after you reset it. You have to either use the original cable or get a cable that offers the same specifications.
We recommend Mastercables PS4 Controller Charger Cable
Hold down the share button first then PS button. Keep holding them for about 5 seconds. This will put the PS4 controller into pairing mode. Once the controller’s light blinks rapidly, plug your USB cable into PS4 while it’s turned on.
Fix #6: Factory Reset Your PS4 Console
If you have the chance to confirm that your PS4 controller is actually working fine with no issue on other devices, then make up your mind to factory reset your PS4. The device driver library might be corrupted for some reason, and the only way to fix that is to either restore the default factory settings (soft reset) or initialize it and reinstall the PS4 system software from scratch (hard reset).
Fix #7: Connect Your PS4 Controller To Another PS4
This is a nice solution to this problem. If you can connect your PS4 controller to another PS4 and it works there, it will help the controller in one way or another to work on your PS4 and connect to it with USB again.
Conclusion
That is all you can do when your PS4 controller fails to connect to the PS4 console with USB after resetting. If nothing has worked for you, and you make sure that it’s your controller that’s not working, then you need to take it to a repair shop or seek the help of a specialist.
If you have fixed this issue yourself, please comment below in order to enrich this topic and help other readers.
