Topic: PS4 Controllers are nowhere to be found

It's been over a year now where I live & PS4 Controllers are still scarce ; I ordered an ''off-brand'' PS4 Controller off Amazon , and it felt like a quality controller but , it was garbage with its bad input delay. That was the first PS4 Controller I ever ordered off Amazon , now i'm skeptical . I got an ''off-brand'' Switch Pro Controller and it works good so I thought I could get a PS4 Controller. Are there any recommendations you have for PS4 Controllers on Amazon that work like an official PS4 Controller ??

A guy here recommended to me nacon but they're too expensive.

@nomither6 what country/continent are you in? Are you not looking to get an official controller at all?

Personally I think the official controller is best for 90% of games. There is an adapter you can get made by Mayflash called the Magic S Pro that lets you use controllers from other consoles on your PS4. I believe it has limited compatibility with "off-brand" controllers as you put it, so it's a bit of a punt as to whether it would work with your unofficial Switch controller.

There are other licensed but unofficial controllers knocking about made by companies like Hori. I've got a Hori MiniPad (looks cool but is actually quite uncomfortable to use) and a MadCatz Fightpad (though I think MadCatz is now defunct and this controller has become somewhat rare/valuable since). Both controllers cost me about £10 when I bought them, both are wired too so latency is at a minimum.

But yeah, if available, I believe Hori make serviceable licensed controllers at a reasonable price. There is a premium brand called 8bitdo that do well reviewed pads (would need an adapter for PS4) but I haven't tried them out. Retro-bit is another brand that make controllers in the style of old consoles (would need an adapter) but my opinion is that the quality of them is low for the price you pay.

@ralphdibny I am pretty sure the OP said that controllers are scarce where they are at. I have not tried to get any new ones for my PS4 but seeing how the PS5 is now out the official ones for the PS4 are becoming harder and harder to find. Sort of like How the PS3 controllers were when the PS4 came out.

@XrazgarX I asked where they were based because I was going to suggest checking websites like Amazon from neighboring countries to see if they have any available. Failing that I offered a few suggestions. They are a bit off the wall but I can only recommend what I have experience with.

They still seem to be available at stores in the UK but they are national stores like Currys, Argos and Smyth's so I don't think they do international shipping. Could be wrong though 🤷‍♂️

Perhaps the OP lives in a more rural area, doesn't want to buy online, or maybe doesn't have any major chain stores. If you're area doesn't have a Target, GameStop, Best Buy, Walmart, or a video game store, that could be an issue.

Every time I've been to my Best Buy in the past year, they've always had ps4 controllers. Their website has them too. Granted I live in suburbs of major city.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/dualshock-4-wireless-controller-...

See this explanation make more sense to me. Some people are afraid of having their ids stolen online or do not have a debt/credit card. I live near a big city (Dallas/Ft Worth Metro area) and most of the PS4 controllers I am able to find are used. I do shop online from time to time. have not needed to replace a ps4 controller in over 2 years. I use to go thru them when I played Destiny 1 almost non stop. the L3 buttons would always go out on me preventing me from sprinting. But I moved over to mostly PC gaming only using my Launch PS4 sparingly now. And with the COVID pandemic going on a bunch of the stores near me hardly restock and when they do they sell out of items fast. The Best Buy near me looks like the day after a Black Friday sale.

i live in houston , so you definitely get it. this post is old though and i just went ahead and dropped nearly $90 on amazon for a new PS4 controller.

@OliviaParcker21 unreliable and flimsy if you play multiplayer video-games (especially FPS) a lot. i give this controller 6 months before a problem happens with it. its not made to be used in high demand. this is either my 5th or 6th official PS4 controller im using because of the same issues that always happen .

Unless you want to drop a lot of money on a Nacon brand controller , this is the only way to go. other off-brand controllers that can be bought on amazon are shoddy with input-delays , sensitivity problems , and poor/bad battery issues.

Just like with the PS3, I've found that the official controllers I've bought towards the end of the PS4's lifecycle are far worse than the ones from at the start. My original ones lasted five and six years with minimal issues until the buttons basically wore out. But the last two each crapped out after just a year with drift issues with the L stick and the R2 button breaking.

I bought an off brand one from Amazon and its clearly not as well made. It feels like it weighs about half of what the regular ones do, and there can be some lag with the input. But if they're all going to break in a year, then I figure why put $60 into it?

@Unlucky13 The OG PS4 controllers felt more sturdy , yeah . it was around when the PS4 Slim dropped that they released remodels of the PS4 Controller that felt like cheaper plastic and thats when the problems came .

putting $60 into ps4 controllers is unfortunately worth it in these times because , what else is there ? we both know the controllers on amazon are trash.

@nomither6 Out of curiosity, I pulled up my Amazon order to see which off-brand one I bought in March, and the listing is completely gone! The company isn't even listed anymore, lol.

It looks and feels exactly like a Sony one, except for feeling lighter and less sturdy. It works fine for playing RPGs and golf, but I don't use it for MLB The Show.

Update : Welp , the controller only lasted (almost) 3 months , and now it has the same problem that my last controller did - and the controller before that one , etc .

About 7 PS4 controllers in a row now , & now I have to get ANOTHER ONE ; Im about to be on my eight controller because the PS4 controllers are cheaply made trash .

Maybe if people were no to put so much jam on their controllers, they would last a lot longer lol.

@JohnnyShoulder Maybe if controllers didn't break from being used the way they were meant to be used and not manufactured from crap .

@nomither6 None of mine broke in the seven or so years I had my PS4. The worst that happened was that the battery would hold very little charge, but they still worked.

I still have a Dual Shock 4 which I can use when playing ps4 games on my ps5, but that is only a couple of years old at least.

@lolwhatno I'm sorry

btw, the only problem I ever had with a DS4 was stick tearing on the launch model (very common, they revised the materials after launch and it wasn't happening in newer ones)

@lolwhatno I've no idea what you're talking about but you come across as a genuinely nice person.
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Well I thought i was weird talking about putting jam on controllers, but i see this thread went in another direction i didn't expect! 😂

@Voltan Brilliant, I think I'll be singing that all day! 😆