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Featured Guide

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

24

Time Required

                          30 minutes - 1 hour

Sections

6

  • Middle Trim
  • 5 steps
  • L1 and R1 Buttons
  • 2 steps
  • Rear Case
  • 4 steps
  • Battery
  • 2 steps
  • Motherboard Removal
  • 10 steps
  • Joystick Cover
  • 1 step

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Introduction

Note: This guide is for DualSense controllers with an FCC ID ending in 1. Check the back of your controller to verify your model. If yours ends in A, there will be differences in the internal design, but you can still use this guide.

What you need

Step 1

              Unclip the right end of the middle trim
  • Disconnect and power down your controller before you begin.
  • Insert an opening pick underneath the middle trim at the bottom-right corner of the controller to release the clips securing it to the case.

Disconnect and power down your controller before you begin.

Insert an opening pick underneath the middle trim at the bottom-right corner of the controller to release the clips securing it to the case.

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Step 2

              Unclip the lower-right edge of the middle trim
  • Slide the opening pick along the lower-right edge of the middle trim to release the clips securing it to the case.

Slide the opening pick along the lower-right edge of the middle trim to release the clips securing it to the case.

Step 3

              Unclip the left end of the middle trim
  • Insert an opening pick underneath the middle trim at the bottom-left corner of the controller to release the clips securing it to the case.

Insert an opening pick underneath the middle trim at the bottom-left corner of the controller to release the clips securing it to the case.

Step 4

              Unclip the lower-left edge of the middle trim
  • Slide the opening pick along the lower-left edge of the middle trim to release the clips securing it to the case.

Slide the opening pick along the lower-left edge of the middle trim to release the clips securing it to the case.

Step 5

              Remove the middle trim
  • Use your fingers to lift up the bottom edge of the middle trim to release the remaining clips.
  • Lift the middle trim over the joysticks to remove it.

Use your fingers to lift up the bottom edge of the middle trim to release the remaining clips.

Lift the middle trim over the joysticks to remove it.

Step 6

              Remove the L1 button
  • Insert the flat end of a spudger into the gap above the L1 button.
  • Cover the button with your thumb to prevent it from ejecting across the room.
  • Pry upward to remove the L1 button.

Insert the flat end of a spudger into the gap above the L1 button.

Cover the button with your thumb to prevent it from ejecting across the room.

Pry upward to remove the L1 button.

Step 7

              Remove the R1 button
  • Insert the flat end of a spudger into the gap above the R1 button.
  • Cover the button with your thumb to prevent it from ejecting across the room.
  • Pry upward to remove the R1 button.

Insert the flat end of a spudger into the gap above the R1 button.

Pry upward to remove the R1 button.

Step 8

              Remove the rear case
  • Use a Phillips screwdriver to remove the two 6.4 mm screws securing the bottom corners of the lower case.

Use a Phillips screwdriver to remove the two 6.4 mm screws securing the bottom corners of the lower case.

Step 9

  • Use a Phillips screwdriver to remove the two 6.4 mm screws behind the L1 and R1 buttons.

Use a Phillips screwdriver to remove the two 6.4 mm screws behind the L1 and R1 buttons.

Step 10

  • Use the pointed edge of a spudger to unclip the two clips on either side of the headset jack.

Use the pointed edge of a spudger to unclip the two clips on either side of the headset jack.

Step 11

  • Remove the rear case.

Remove the rear case.

Step 12

              Disconnect the battery
  • Use a pair of tweezers or your fingers to disconnect the battery from the motherboard.
  • Grip the connector, not the wires, when disconnecting.

Use a pair of tweezers or your fingers to disconnect the battery from the motherboard.

Grip the connector, not the wires, when disconnecting.

Step 13

              Remove the battery
  • Lift the battery straight out of the battery bracket.

Lift the battery straight out of the battery bracket.

Step 14

              Remove the lower microphone
  • Grab the lower microphone ribbon cable pull tab with your fingers or a pair of tweezers and disconnect it from the motherboard.

Grab the lower microphone ribbon cable pull tab with your fingers or a pair of tweezers and disconnect it from the motherboard.

Step 15

              Remove the battery bracket
  • Use a Phillips screwdriver to remove the 6.4 mm screw securing the battery bracket.

Use a Phillips screwdriver to remove the 6.4 mm screw securing the battery bracket.

Step 16

  • Lift the battery bracket out of the motherboard.

Lift the battery bracket out of the motherboard.

Step 17

              Disconnect the right trigger assembly
  • Grip the right trigger assembly ribbon cable pull tab with a pair of tweezers or your fingers and pull up to disconnect it from the motherboard.
  • Do not completely remove the ribbon cable yet.

Grip the right trigger assembly ribbon cable pull tab with a pair of tweezers or your fingers and pull up to disconnect it from the motherboard.

Do not completely remove the ribbon cable yet.

Step 18

  • Grip the right trigger assembly ribbon cable pull tab with a pair of tweezers or your fingers, and pull up to disconnect it from the trigger assembly.
  • Remove the ribbon cable.

Grip the right trigger assembly ribbon cable pull tab with a pair of tweezers or your fingers, and pull up to disconnect it from the trigger assembly.

Remove the ribbon cable.

Step 19

              Disconnect the left trigger assembly
  • Grip the left trigger assembly ribbon cable pull tab with a pair of tweezers or your fingers and pull up to disconnect it from the motherboard.
  • Do not completely remove the ribbon cable yet.

Grip the left trigger assembly ribbon cable pull tab with a pair of tweezers or your fingers and pull up to disconnect it from the motherboard.

Step 20

  • Grip the left trigger assembly ribbon cable pull tab with a pair of tweezers or your fingers, and pull up to disconnect it from the trigger assembly.
  • Remove the ribbon cable.

Grip the left trigger assembly ribbon cable pull tab with a pair of tweezers or your fingers, and pull up to disconnect it from the trigger assembly.

Step 21

              Disconnect the upper microphone
  • Use a pair of tweezers or your fingers to grip the upper microphone ribbon cable pull tab, and pull up to disconnect it from the motherboard.

Use a pair of tweezers or your fingers to grip the upper microphone ribbon cable pull tab, and pull up to disconnect it from the motherboard.

Step 22

              Disconnect the touchpad
  • Use a pair of tweezers or your fingers to grip the touchpad ribbon cable pull tab, and pull it straight out of the motherboard connector.

Use a pair of tweezers or your fingers to grip the touchpad ribbon cable pull tab, and pull it straight out of the motherboard connector.

Step 23

              Lift out the motherboard
  • Carefully guide the joysticks through the front case and lift the motherboard out.
  • Do not completely remove the motherboard. There are four soldered wires tethering the motherboard to the vibrator motors.

Carefully guide the joysticks through the front case and lift the motherboard out.

Do not completely remove the motherboard. There are four soldered wires tethering the motherboard to the vibrator motors.

Step 24

              Remove the joystick covers
  • Use your fingers to pull the joystick covers straight up and off of their modules.

Use your fingers to pull the joystick covers straight up and off of their modules.

To reassemble your device, follow the above steps in reverse order.

Take your e-waste to an R2 or e-Stewards certified recycler.

Repair didn’t go as planned? Try some basic troubleshooting, or ask our Answers community for help.

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                                                                                      19 other people completed this guide.

Author

                    Sam Omiotek

Member since: 02/25/2019

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Nicholin V - Apr 20, 2022

Reply

Sony did ever came up with a modular design on their PSP-1000 (Joystick Replacement) which does not require soldering only contact pins such like Xbox Series X headphone output

rinie ramli - Sep 21, 2022

Reply

This was really good i manage to fix my controller on my own for the first time. Thanks!

asaf.weiss - Jan 5, 2023

Reply

  1. When removing the R1/L1 buttons - do it gently, otherwise they could fly off around the room. Lucky for me my R1 hit the bookshelf behind me and then landed right next to my hand, but usually that’s not the case.

  2. DO NOT turn the device upside down while the motherboard is disconnected. There’s a small rectangular piece that’s not connected to anything and might move around and prevent reassembly or worse - you could lose it and not even know about it. I have no idea what that piece is but I’m sure I want it in my controller.

  3. When putting back the motherboard be sure to place the microphone first and make sure the flat cable is accessible to you once the mother board is in place.