PS4 Controller Keeps Disconnecting from PC (Solved)

You bought a new PS4 DualShock4(DS4) controller to play games on your PC with a Steam subscription but as you’re ready to play a game the DS4 controller disconnects from your PC.

A lot of PC gamers both with wired USB controllers and wireless Bluetooth controllers have been facing this issue. Some gamers said that their DS4 controller disconnects within a few seconds after connecting while some others have complained that their controller disconnects randomly.

In this article, we’ll tell you the exact reason why your PS4 Controller keeps disconnecting from your PC and how to solve this issue.

Why Does Your PS4 Controller Keeps Disconnecting From PC?

There are several reasons why your PS4 controller could disconnect from the PC and all of these reasons are mentioned below:

• Bluetooth Drivers on the PC are outdated. If you haven’t download and installed the new updated Bluetooth drivers for your PC then you could face issues while connecting your controller.

• The USB Port on your PC is damaged or malfunctioning. A PC has around 1-3 USB ports so there is a possiblity that the port where you are connecting your controller is faulty.

• Bluetooth Signal Interference or Router Signal Interference. When unwanted signals comes in the path of a useful signal then the zone where both signals overlap causes a disruption in signals which is called Interference. This interference prevents the bluetooth signal to reach from controller to PC.

• DS4 Controller Support issues. In some cases, the DS4 Controller but might not support the game you’re playing. For example, Epic games had this problem where gamers couldn’t play an Epic Games title with the controller because it had controller support issues.

• DS4 Controller Firmware issues. If your Sony Dualshock4 controller is using outdated or bad firmware then you will also see disconnecting issues.

• The Windows Operating System is causing issues. Sometimes, it could just be a problem with your Windows PC OS. It might happen when you don’t download updates for your Windows OS.

Wireless Bluetooth PS4 Controller Disconnecting From PC

This issue happens with gamers who use the Wireless Bluetooth DS4 controller to play games on the PC. The biggest reason why Bluetooth DS4 controllers disconnect from the PC is due to outdated or faulty Bluetooth drivers.

You will find the solutions to fix this issue in the next section. The first solution works most of the time but if it doesn’t work for you then don’t worry because we’ll list some other solutions too.

Solutions to Fix Bluetooth DS4 Controller Disconnecting From PC

When you connect your Wireless DS4 controller to the PC for the first time, it might connect successfully but if the Bluetooth drivers are not installed properly or outdated then the controller will disconnect suddenly.

So, the solution to fix this issue is to correctly install the updated Bluetooth drivers on your PC and then connect the Controller to check if it’s working properly. We have mentioned how to do this below and we are assuming that you have Windows 10.

1. If the controller is connected to the PC, Open the Start Menu and click on “Settings.” Inside the “Settings” click on the “Devices” option. Inside “Devices,” you’ll find your Controller listed. Right-click on your PS4 controller and click “Remove Device.”

2. If the controller is not connected to the PC, open “Settings“, then “Devices,” click on “Bluetooth & other devices” and click on “More Bluetooth options.” Now, click on “Add Bluetooth Device,” then press the “PlayStation” button and the “Share” button together on your controller for a few seconds to switch on the Bluetooth Pairing mode. You’ll notice a light flashing on the controller which is when your PC will detect the controller. Don’t click on the Next button on your PC.

3. When the PC detects your controller, you’ll find it listed in the Devices section. Right-click on the controller and then click on “Properties.” A dialog box will pop up. Select the checkbox “Drivers for keyboard, mice, controller,” then click on “Apply” and finally click on “OK.“

4. Once the drivers are installed, Right-click on the Bluetooth icon in the system tray at the bottom, then click on “Allow a device to connect” and complete the process by following the on-screen instructions.

That’s it. Your wireless controller is connected successfully and it should remain connected while gaming till you don’t disconnect it manually.

In case this method doesn’t solve the problem, you should check for Bluetooth driver updates and make sure you’re using the most updated drivers. If you still get issues then instead of Window’s Bluetooth drivers, download the drivers from the manufacturer’s website and then follow the steps mentioned above.

Wired USB PS4 Controller Keeps Disconnecting From PC

This connectivity issue is faced by gamers using the wired USB DS4 controller while playing games on their PC. Before solving the issue, you’ll have to find out the exact reason why you’re getting this issue from the ones mentioned below.

• Damaged Cable, Faulty USB Port on PC or Damaged Port on the Controller. First, connect your Controller to a USB port on the PC and wait without touching anything. If the controller disconnects automatically then the issue could be related to the ports or the USB cable. You can try plugging the controller in a different USB port, change the USB cable or use a different controller on the same USB port. Don’t use a Passthrough port, instead connect the controller directly to the USB port of PC.

• Install Latest Version of DS4 Windows portable program. If you’re using the DS4 Windows program to connect your Controller to the PC to enjoy the haptic feedback, you should make sure that the DS4 Windows program is updated to the latest version by checking GitHub. Before installing the latest version, delete the old Windows DS4 program and then download the latest version of the program.

• Turn Off DS4 Windows Program and Connect via USB. If you’re facing connectivity issues while using the Windows DS4 program, turn off the DS4 program and connect it via USB like a regular wired controller.

• Don’t plug-in controller while playing a game. Sometimes when you connect the controller mid-game then you can face connectivity issues. In that case, exit the game first, plug-in the controller and then start the game.

PS4 Controller Keeps Disconnecting While Playing Games on Steam

A lot of gamers have encountered controller connectivity issues while playing games on Steam. If you are also facing the same issue then follow the steps below to fix this issue.

1. Open Steam on your PC, click on Settings(gear icon on the upper right corner), and then click on the Controller Settings option under the Controller section.

2. If you’re using a PS4 controller, first check if the controller is detected and then enable PlayStation Configuration Support by clicking on the checkbox next to it.

3. Change the Controller shutdown time from “15 Minutes” to “Never.” By default, this time is set to 15 minutes which means if you keep the controller unused for 15 minutes then it will shut down by itself. Change this to Never.

If this didn’t solve the problem then there could be an issue with Human Interface Device settings. You can fix this by going to Settings, Device Manager, Human Interface Devices, and then disable the HiD-Compliant Game Controller.

Other Solutions

If the above solutions couldn’t fix the problem and you’re still facing connectivity issues don’t worry because we have listed out some other solutions that will definitely fix the problem.

• People using Wireless Bluetooth Controllers should make sure their controller is charged.
• If the connectivity issues are caused by a Windows OS problem then you should try reinstalling your Windows OS and then check if the controller is connecting properly.
• The issue could happen if your controller is damaged. Try checking with a different PS4 controller. You can also try with an Xbox One or Xbox 360 controller. If you own a Steam controller then try plugging it and then check if it’s working.
• If you are plugging the controller in a USB 2.0 port then make sure you plug the controller in a USB 3.0 port.
• Use the original Sony Wireless adapter instead of a generic USB adapter.
• Check if the controller connectivity issue is happening while playing other games on your PC or just on Steam. If the controller is disconnecting only on Steam then there is a controller issue with Steam.
• Sometimes you’ll see the red light flashing on the controller which alerts about high controller lag. You can solve this by long pressing the PlayStation button for a few seconds and then pairing the controller after 10-15 minutes.
• People who are facing connectivity issues while using the Windows DS4 program should turn on “Hide DS4 Controller” inside the Settings section of the program and connect the controller before starting a game, not while playing a game.

DS4 Windows No Controllers Connected?

Some gamers who are using the DS4 Windows software have complained about another connectivity issue known as the “No Controllers Connected (Max 4)” error. In this error, the PC cannot detect your DS4 controller even after you connect it via Bluetooth or USB.

To fix the No Controllers Connected error, uninstall the controller drivers from your PC by going to Settings > Devices > PS4 Controller > Remove Device and then connect the controller and reinstall the drivers.

If you still face connectivity issues, delete the DS4 Windows program update which is causing the issue and download the last working version of the DS4 Windows program.

You can also check this article to fix issues related to the controllers using Windows DS4 program.

Xbox Controller Keeps Disconnecting From PC

If your Xbox One controller is disconnecting from the PC, uninstall the controller drivers by removing them and reinstall the drivers.

Also, make sure to use updated drivers for your Xbox One controller. This issue can also happen if your Windows OS is not updated. So, make sure your PC is updated to the latest Windows version.

If you’re still facing issues, then check out the Xbox support article here.