How do Video Game Controllers Work? || Exploring a PS4 Game Controller
How do Video Game Controllers Work? || Exploring a PS4 Game Controller
Almost all the console video games you play use this small metal disk. But where is it located and what does it do? In this video, we will open a PlayStation 4 Dualshock video game controller and see how the buttons and analog sticks work! This controller is similar to a PlayStation 5 [PS5], a Nintendo Switch Joy Con, or an Xbox X Series video game controller.
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Timestamps:
00:00 – Intro
01:10 – Parts of a PS4/PS5 Video Game Controller
03:08 – How do Buttons Work?
04:51 – How do Analog Sticks Work?
08:08 – Outro
You can find additional Creator’s Comments in the English (Canada) Subtitles
You can find an additional puzzle in the English (Ireland) Subtitles. Prizes will be awarded to those who successfully submit their solution of this additional puzzle to brancheducatepuzzle@gmail.com
If you’re interested in modeling, making animated videos, or playing around with this PS4 video game controller model, you can purchase the models here: https://blendermarket.com/products/ps4-controller-teardown
To use the models you will also have to install Blender, a free animation software which you can find here:
https://www.blender.org/ Animation built using Blender 2.82a
Website: www.branch.education
Written, animated, and edited- Teddy Tablante
Twitter: @teddytablante
Voice Over- Phil Lee
Controller Modelling – Victor Duarte https://www.artstation.com/victorvdr9
https://www.youtube.com/user/victormen9
Key Branches from this video are: PCBs, Electronics, Resistors, Potentiometers, Push Buttons
Erratum:
Housing is misspelled as Houseing 5min 10sec in.
Work Cited:
Eleccelerator Wiki. “DualShock4”. http://eleccelerator.com/wiki/index.php?title=DualShock_4#Flexible_Film_Pin_Mapping
PS4’s DualShock 4 Controller Teardown. https://imgur.com/a/ytRW5
PSDevWiki. “DualShock 4” https://www.psdevwiki.com/ps4/DualShock_4
Active-High Vs Active-Low Button. Vinctronics http://vinduino.blogspot.com/2013/07/active-high-vs-active-low-button.html
Wikipedia contributors. “Dual Shock.” “Potentiometer.” “Push Button.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, Visited August, 2020
#PlayStation #Controller #Engineering
Joystick drift.
Thank you so much
nice video, just one consideration: it would be better if you explained how the antena and electromagnetic signals of the controller works
Realy real great…
Analog stick contact. 1:06
figured it out when you said there were 4 at 3:02
5:46 Was making a sandwich while listening to this, and I thought this copyright-free music coming on was a funny animals tik tok ad I’d need to skip or something, LOL! Very, very educational videos on this channel though, coming from the mouse episode. I am definitely staying subscribed! 😀
When I graduate college ~20yrs ago, making these kinds of 3d models was an entire career. Visualizing component layout was quintessential for designing the housing, peripherals, etc. Now, a full 3d model can be made in a free tool from the internet, along with hundreds of tutorials on how to build such things. And the end result can be sold online, license-free, for only 25 bucks. It’s a humbling reminder of how fast technology changes, and how channels like this are paramount for us aging nerds that are just trying to keep up =]
I figured out the moment you showed this disk, this little sucker is very annoying once it deforms, your game camera will go bonkers without it 😂😂
1:00 is the wiper of a potenciometer on the joysticks or maybe in the triggers
EDIT: just realised that triggers uses presure sensitive buttons
21 seconds the disc goes in the analog. It is what makes the joystick drift when it goes bad
controller lore
This was insanely educational. Loved the description of how the circuit board uses resistance calculation for the analog sticks ‘ acceleration
0:25 I’ve taken my pad apart wayyy to many times to try to ‘troubleshoot’ my analog issues
Sadly i know how it works after broken and repaired so many controllers bcs of fifa
Brilliant
Just brilliant keep it up
Visual education for the win!!
1:56 the object is located under the analog sticks?
I already know since I disassembled it, I wont write a timestamp / participate so I wont influence any results.
I figured from the start that the metal disc is the wiper contact for the analog joysticks. Did you know that the reason why Switch joysticks drift is that the backplate which holds the joysticks together buckles, breaking the contact between the wiper disc and the track? The fixes only work temporarily because the backplate will eventually buckle again. A permanent fix is to put something in between the joystick housing and the joycon shell. It presses the joystick housing back together.
you are really amazing even I cant get this subject in college also
I love kind of these videos! There are so many coolest thing in the world!! And I really hope to know how VR controllor works!
Sir your Graphics and representation is very nice 👍🙏
3:04 It is located inside the potentiometer of the joysticks, one per each axis across the two joysticks, thus total four. I suddenly remembered I saw something similar while I was disassembling old game controllers.
I don’t know how but somehow I actually guessed what that ring was. I said it looks like it has something to do with rotation, but it probably measures resistance. Something about the rings made me think that and I was BLOWN AWAY at how the entire assembly came together!
As soon as the mystery component was shown I guessed joysticks
1:22 i think its a roller part mechanism in joystick🕹
Yay
It is known as wiper 😎
2 on each analog (5:03)
Flexible contact board → Flex PCB is what we called our flexible PCBs on the Google Pixel. But we’d usually say something like "USB flex PCB" for the board that has the USB connector
Rubber gaskets
Wow these visuals are incredible. I wish i had this when i started IT back in the day!
Wow, amazing video
hope you’re having a good day!😄
Such a beautiful educational Video straight forward
I found the mysterious part at 5:56 🙃
I had guessed immediately that those metal components were involved in detecting the x and y axes on the control sticks and the fact that there are 4 in the controller confirmed it for me!
I broke open the analog controller out of an aeroplane remote control but never quite understood it. Thank you very much, without you I could have never understood this amazing thing.
Does the microcontroller measure the voltage or current in the potentiometer?
glad i found this… the ABSOLUTE POOR QUALITY of genuine PS controllers has rendered my PS4 to the shelf…. Absolutely shambolic… I was spending as much money on replacement controllers as I was on new games…. Absolute shame on you Platstation,,, you used to be my favorite since the PS1,, now I never will buy anything Playstation. REALLY POOR,,, CONSUMERS TAKE NOTE!
Now i can DIY fix my controller
0:00 i already knew where it was
So what causes analog stick drift? And buttons to start sticking?
Thank you
Another fantastic video. You never cease to amaze me 🙌
who all have already broken apart a ps2 remote for experimental purposes 🤣
great video. square, triangle, circle, x buttons are pressure sensitive too. How is it working?
So the metal plate may be broken and that’s what’s causing joy con drift.
4:50
analog stcks should be designed to be replaced easily, they’re cheap but if you do not have the tools it’s imposibble to change them and you must pay someone to do that.