The PS4 button on the controller always turns on the PS4 when pressed. However, I understand that you may need to use your PS4 controller with another device; hence, the need to disconnect the two.
So, how do you turn on the PS4 controller without turning on PS4? You can turn on your PS4 controller without turning on your PS4 by using steam or bluetooth to connect your controller to your PC or another device. By disconnecting your controller from your PS4, it won’t turn it on when you turn on the controller. Also, ensure that your controller’s USB is not connected to the PS4 but to another power source.
If you want to use your controller with a different console, you definitely won’t want to turn on your PS4 when you turn on your controller. Therefore, read on to understand how you can turn on the PS4 controller without turning on the PS4.
You can turn on your PS4 controller and enjoy gaming via Bluetooth pairing on your phone. If you have an iPhone, navigate to the settings menu and select Bluetooth. Next, turn on your Bluetooth, and the toggle switch will turn green when Bluetooth is on. You should maintain the Bluetooth on so that you can see when your controller pops up and connect.
On your PS4 controller, press the PS and Share Tabs buttons simultaneously and hold them down until your controller lights start flashing. Click on your controller when it pops up in the Bluetooth menu to pair.
When you finish playing on your smartphone, you can disconnect your devices by pressing and holding down the Bluetooth tab. This action will populate a menu, and you should scroll to the one that says Bluetooth On. Press and hold this tab to populate the available devices. Among the devices that will populate should be your controller name.
By clicking on this name, you will receive a prompt to disconnect. Alternatively, you can navigate to the Settings then Bluetooth and follow the steps you used when pairing. You will find your controller under My Devices, and you can click on the Disconnect tab.
If you have problems connecting to your controller, check to ensure that the controller and your phone are close. You should also confirm that the controller is fully charged or plug it into a power source. Alternatively, replace the batteries with charged ones to rule out the power issue, then try again with all the above in place.
You can try troubleshooting by pairing then unpair. If this does not work, you might need to contact support as there could be an underlying issue. On the other hand, if your controller connects but sees a connection unsuccessful popup message, press the PS button and give it a few minutes to connect. You should also ensure no other devices are already connected to your devices, as there is a limitation of how many devices you can pair at once.
Another alternative you can use to turn on your PS4 controller without your PS4 is Steam. Steam offers controllers support for PS4, making it possible to use your controller on steam. All you need to do is ensure your Steam client is up to date.
You can do this by checking for any pending updates and download them. Next, you can plug in your controller and turn it on. When using steam to turn on your controller, you might experience a few hiccups with some games, in which case, you can connect through DS4 windows.
The DS4 Windows will require a few set-ups for you to connect through wired or wireless mode. This system tricks your system to believe that it is using an Xbox360 controller. You will need to download the DS4Windows from the official website to initiate this process.
After successfully turning on your controller without your console, you will eventually need to turn it off once you finish gaming. This is equally possible when using your controller on PC or another console or when your PS4 is unresponsive or stops working altogether.
In this case, you should place your controller in an open space to ensure that nothing presses the DS4 controller and PS button. This way, they will not turn on back accidentally as you continue with the following instructions. Next, locate and press the metallic circle in your DS line where all wires connect.
The easiest alternative to turn off your controller without the PS4 is to unplug your PS4 from power. Thus, if you connect through USB, you will unplug this cable, and, if powered by batteries, disconnect the controller and batteries to turn off the controller.
Many games want to know how to turn on the PS4 controller without turning on PS4, how to turn on the PS4 controller without a PS button, and how to pair a PS4 controller with a PS4. Read through the rest of the sections to find out all the answers you need.
How To Turn on PS4 Controller Without the PS Button?
One of the PS4 controller features is the ability to remap buttons, a useful feature when playing a game that does not support some button layout. But what happens if your PS button is not working and so you cannot turn it on? Read on as I explain how to turn on your PS4 controller without the PS4 button.
To turn on your PS4 controller without a PS button, go to your settings and change the Pair and Share buttons to the PS button. If the problem was using the wrong button to turn on your controller, this action would solve it. You should also note that this is the same process you will use if you have a similar problem with other buttons.
The PS button is so small that it can easily get damaged. This can happen when someone or an object bumps or presses it accidentally. Also, if you accidentally pour a liquid on your PS button and leave it for some time, it will cause rusting, affecting its functionality. A faulty button may cause your controller to turn off, resulting in frustrations when you want to play.
Other reasons that may cause your PS button to stop working include using the Share button rather than the PS button, in which case you can change this on the settings window. Also, if your battery does not have enough charge, this battery may not work correctly.
In this case, you can plug your controller into the USB port to your PC, PS, or TV US port. Finally, the PS button may not work if the controller is off. Turning on the controller by pressing the PS button may become an issue if this button sticks in the gamepad case.
If you try out the above solutions and they fail, you are probably thinking of replacing your controller. Before then, you can try out the final step, resetting your controller. A reset fixes most of the issues relating to your PS4 controller functionality.
You will know it is time to reset your controller if it degrades in performance. A degraded PS4 controller will behave weirdly and not as it should. Also, if the game you are playing runs fine, but the PS4 controller partially or completely stops responding, then it is time to reset it. Resetting is the ultimate solution if the controller does not charge completely, or the analog sticks move things that they should not on the screen.
How To Pair a PS4 Controller With a PS4
If you just bought your PS4 controller and are now wondering how to connect it with your PS4, then worry not. I will help you know how to do this on your own in the comfort of your home.
Pairing your PS4 controller with the PS4 is a wireless connection that does not require a USB. To do this, go to your dashboard and scroll to the settings, and under devices, select Bluetooth Devices. Hold down the Share button on your PS4 and then the PS button for about five seconds. Your PS4 controller will pop on the Bluetooth Devices screen, and you can select it and enjoy gaming.
Sometimes, your PS4 controller may not connect to your PS4 even after trying the above steps. When this happens, try using a different micro USB cable. Start by switching on your PS4 and insert the cable securely at the back of the PS4 and the other end into your controller. Next, wait for about one hour for the controller to charge, then press the PS button to pair them. A beep on the controller will indicate successful pairing.
Still, if your controller does not connect, you can troubleshoot by turning off the PS4, unplugging it from the power source for three minutes, changing the USB port, removing the battery, and then putting it back or connecting your controller to a PC and diagnose its health. If none of the above steps restores your controller to full functionality, you will need to reset it.
There are two ways of resetting the PS4 controller. They include soft and hard resets. A soft reset comprises a restart or reboot of the device. It closes all the applications and clears data in the RAM.
On your PS4, a soft reset will reset the controller and console connection. To do this, you will need an extra PS4 controller. Alternatively, download the PS second screen app on your smartphone from the Google play store or Apple store.
To soft reset PS4, go to the dashboard, then under Settings, select Bluetooth Devices. You will see your PS4 controller on this list. Since you are using the working controller for navigation, select the inactive one. The inactive controller is the one without a green dot. Next, select Disconnect, press the options button on your controller, and click on Forget Device and confirm.
After forgetting the malfunctioning controller, you can now turn off the PS4. To do this, hold down the PS4 button, and, on the menu, select Turn off PS4. Next, connect your malfunctioning controller to the PS4 using a USB cable, then turn on the PS4. Press the PS button on the controller, then log in to your PS4, and they should pair successfully. If this problem persists, then a hard reset is the final resolve.
A hard reset restores your PS4 controller to its factory settings. This process erases all the data, including user profiles, apps, and settings, and for this reason, it should be the last option after trying the above troubleshooting steps.
To hard reset your controller, turn off the PS4 and unplug the Ethernet cable to disconnect the internet connection. Locate the reset button under the controller next to the L2 button, and, using a thin paperclip, press the button for five seconds.
Next, plug the controller into the PS4 using the USB cable and power on the PS4. You can then proceed with the pairing procedure, and a beep sound will indicate a successful connection. If you cannot pair your controller to your PS4 after trying the above resets, it could be a hardware issue.
You can try a different controller on your console first to see if they are working fine. If they are, you might need to buy a new one, but, if they do not, it is best to contact Sony support for assistance.
Wrap Up
The PS4 controller features the remap feature such that you do not have to worry about your PS4 button not working. This means that you can turn on your controller without the PS button. All you will do is go to the settings and alter the Pair and Share buttons, and you should be able to turn on your controller.
Connecting your controller and console can be through a wired or wireless connection. To pair your PS4 controller to your PS, go to the settings on your dashboard and select Bluetooth devices. You will see a list of devices, and by clicking on your PS, you will initiate the connection.
As easy as it looks, you might experience challenges trying to initiate a connection, in which case you might need to reset your controller. You can do a soft or hard reset, depending on the nature of the problem. A hard reset should be the final resolve, as it erases all your saved data. If all the above do not sort the issue, contact support for assistance.
