When playing with the DualSense controller on your PlayStation 5 or PlayStation 5 Digital Edition, you may have noticed that the gamepad may randomly disconnect from the system.
If your controller is disconnecting, then you can check out this troubleshooting tutorial from Seeking Tech.
Make Sure Your DualSense Battery is Charged
The first step we recommend taking is to make sure that your DualSense battery is charged.
If your controller is running low on battery, your PS5 will give you a pop-up notification on the screen.
You can also tell how much battery life you have left be pressing the PS button to bring up the quick menu. On the bottom row of options, you will see the controller symbol with a battery symbol located underneath it. If your DualSense in running low on battery charge, the battery symbol will be empty and start flashing.
If you are having issues with recharging your DualSense, then you can check out this tutorial.
Remove Bluetooth Interference
If your controller has plenty of battery life and is still disconnecting, the next step we recommend taking is to remove any potential Bluetooth interference.
To make sure that you have a strong Bluetooth communication between your DualSense and PS5, you can do the following:
1. Make sure that the DualSense and PS5 is within close proximity to each other.
2. Make sure that there are no solid walls or other objects between the controller and console.
3. Make sure that the controller and/or system isn’t close to a Wi-Fi router or satellite.
4. If you have other Bluetooth connections active, try to disable them.
How to reset your DualSense to factory settings
To get rid of the disconnects, you can also try resetting and then resyncing your DualSense controller.
To do so, you need to do the following:
1. Press and hold the reset button on the DualSense for at least five second. The button is located in a small hole on the back of the controller.
You will need to use a pin of something similar to push down on the reset button in the hole.
2. After resetting your controller, you need to pair it again with your PlayStation 5. To do so, you can use the USB Type-A to USB Type-C cable that came with the system to connect the DualSense to the PS5.
3. Press the power button on your PlayStation 5 system to turn it on.
4. Press the PS button on your DualSense to re-sync the controller to the PS5 console.
How to restore default settings
If resetting the DualSense does not work with eliminating the disconnections, you can try restoring the default settings of your PlayStation 5.
To do so, you can take the following steps:
1. Make sure your PlayStation 5 is turned off.
2. Press and hold the power button on PS5 system until you hear a second beep. This should launch you into the Safe Mode.
3. Connect your DualSense to your PlayStation 5 console via an USB cable and then press the PS button.
4. In the Safe Mode menu, select the “4. Restore Default Settings” option.
5. In the next screen, select the “Yes” option.
How to use DualSense as a wired controller on PS5
In none of the aforementioned fixes work with the disconnects, you can try using your DualSense as a wired controller on the PlayStation 5.
To do so, you need to do the following:
1. First, you need to connect your DualSense to the PlayStation 5 using an USB cable.
2. Turn on your PS5 system and then select your user profile. You should be in the home screen menu where you can select which game to play.
3. From the home screen, go to “Settings.” You will find this option on the upper right corner of the screen.
4. In the “Settings” menu, you need to go to “Accessories.”
5. In the Accessories” menu, you need to select “Controllers” on the left tab and then “Communication Method” on the same side of the screen.
6. In the “Communication Method” menu, select “Use USB Cable.”
Keep in mind that your DualSense needs to be connected to your PlayStation 5 system via an USB cable at all times if you want to use your gamepad as a wired controller.
If none of methods resolve the disconnection issues, it is very likely that you may have to send in your DualSense controller to PlayStation for repair.