I bought 9 PS3 controllers for $40... how bad could they be?

[@DrPepperone]

The dualshock 3 situation is so tragic. It’s really hard to find genuine ones that aren’t in poor conditions. I wish somebody like 8bitdo would come up with a suitable replacement

[@Ren722]

I'd buy an 8bitdo clone in a heartbeat :0, Retro Fighters is making PS3 controllers that also work with PS1 and 2, as well as one that has Sixaxis but I hope 8bitdo could try to make a replica of the original with improvements.

[@dankolord]

You could connect a ps4 controller to the ps3 using a mayflash adapter, but the availability of genuine ps4 controllers is almost as questionable as that of dualshock 3's :(

[@xXblazmodzXx]

For real. From what I've heard, they're also not in production anymore. Incredibly frustrating. I wish there would be a replacement too, my controllers are Really on their way out..

[@SultanOfAwesome]

I've found that the best way to get good ones is to buy a used ps3 with controllers included. I got a transparent blue and pink one for $40. And that's with a ps3

[@jamescruz8678]

IIRC Mayflash makes an adapter for PS3 so you can connect other controllers to it

[@rebindfpv800]

The replacement thumb stick that was crazy sensitive may have different max resistance values on its pots. Resulting in hitting the max value the controller expects before hitting the physical limits

[@SouthBridgeGaming]

It's fake alps thumbstick. They purposely design it with big deadzone to prevent future analog drifting. Unlike the genuine ones, the fake plastic materials easily worn out. Then, analog point movement looks like snapping and skipping, shorter range to max limit caused by physical deadzone from stripped carbon printed on pots.

[@ErimlRGG]

Doubt it since I'm pretty sure thumbstick position is based on voltage reading because the sticks are just potentiometers. So the position is determined by dividing the whole resistor evenly, doesn't matter if it's a 5 ohms potentiometer or 20k ohm potentiometer

[@JoQeZzZ]

No, the thumbsticks are wired as potentiometers, not rheostats. It is possible the pots have some weird taper though, like a logit or sigmoid shape function where the center is still at 50% voltage, but the taper higher and lower is way off

[@elissy1016]

as other have said it works on voltage. However I wouldn't rule it out completely as it could still some how affect the read values. For example maybe there is an internal resistor elsewhere in the circuit affecting said voltage.

[@firstsurname9893]

@@JoQeZzZ You are 100% correct. The genuine ALPS ThumbPointer™ in PS3 controllers has a B taper (linear) on both pots. Third party versions almost always use cheap inverse log pots which have poor response close to their centre position.

[@LucaBlightOfHighland]

Actually with the dualshock 1, 2 and 3 the thumbsticks become sticky and oily by themselves due to the chemical deterioration of the rubber, usually after a light cleaning and a few minutes of use they turn out ok again, but if you leave them for months in a drawer they come back sticky again.

[@SilverEye91]

Yup. I believe it's a softner used in the plastic to make them feel comfortable, it can happen with many different similar products. And it's not exactly great for a health standpoint either.

[@blackhawk65589]

Had this happen to mine back in the day too

[@MarcosGarcia-kx4rb]

Yes but also no. People is REALLY REALLY dirty or oily by nature. My brother was like that. He left the controllers all sticky

[@hydro5168]

@@MarcosGarcia-kx4rb obv this can also be the case but judging by the fact that they're conches sold as untested/for parts it's probably more likely that the sticks were just deteriorating as they do

[@startedtech]

I bought a dualshock 3 about six months ago from a thrift shop, mint condition but was dirty and the thumb sticks were a little funky like that. Hasn't returned since then, though I also haven't really used it.

[@Fail2Fail-twitch-streams]

Keep in mind if you will have problems with any ps3 controllers that randomly starts sending random inputs to your ps3 is because the sponge that holds the circuit foil lost it's "spongeness". You can fix that with a piece of paper under the sponge. Just in case you encounter this problem.

[@Daniel-nb3kk]

Did that 2 years ago after I received my used controller - worked like a charm!

[@Bud55]

can I eat the sponge?

[@polorchen1592]

​@@Bud55why not?

[@bonemarrow286]

​@@Bud55yes it'll give you super powers if you do

[@Bud55]

​@@bonemarrow286 That is great to hear! I can finally have super powers!

[@AbdAbdAbdAbd]

2:12 the person who tested that controller probably tried using a wall charger (which the official dualshock 3 controllers do not support charging from) and that's why they thought it was not turning on

[@tposman1547]

But why would you use a charger that is not supported to test if it works? Well we never know why from the original user

[@Kcii-99]

@@tposman1547 because its stolen normally

[@detecta]

@@tposman1547 he probably lost the charger

[@tposman1547]

@@detecta yeah that makes sense but his only option for checking the controllers is buying working ones

[@tposman1547]

Or maybe he broke the charger that usually works and just doesn't know the charger itself is broken

[@RichHomieBodhi]

I noticed from the used ds3s I've refurbished, a lot of them have this ghost button press issue and that is because the foam used to add pressure to the contacts deteriorates. Adding a layer of tape or paper fixes that issue. It's crazy how hard it is these days to find genuine ds3s.

[@Delcaek]

It's amazing how I always read that but at least here in Europe, ebay is full of genuine DS3s and Sixaxiseseses. Is that an American thing maybe (I think Matt also moved to the US in the last year IIRC)? I mean we also get the 15 bucks oRiGiNaL new in box controllers from China that say Sony, but out of the maybe 30 DS3 I bought used or faulty in 2022 I got two fakes.

[@handlesrtwitterdontbelivethem]

wtf is a ds3

[@Redemption_882]

@@handlesrtwitterdontbelivethem DS3 stands for DualShock 3

[@bulutcagdas1071]

@@handlesrtwitterdontbelivethem Demon's Souls 3

[@whiterabbit8243]

@@handlesrtwitterdontbelivethem doubleshock 3

[@CyanDumBell_MC]

you always need to do some re-calibration after a joystick swap since every joystick made differently

[@GenesHand]

How do you do that?

[@atsurokihara5525]

Wouldn’t calibration be on a hardware level for the replacement parts? I would like to hear how you can do it.

[@CyanDumBell_MC]

@@atsurokihara5525 Most devices should have built game controller calibration on software side. Like in windows, if you type in "Set up USB game controllers" double click on connected controller to pull up the properties and go in settings tab, calibrate button is there. Do note that this is just software side. It's a temporary solution and not a permanent solution, you still need to swap the joystick to near original hardware for permanent fix.

[@dotnask0001]

Are they? Potentiometers are pretty dam standard

[@Zack-xu2zw]

@@CyanDumBell_MC But the question was, how does that work for PS3

[@polarsbear668]

Challenge: Play something with the DoubleShock 3's wrongly mapped controls

[@ThatRandomFastingGuy]

I would love to take on that challenge.

[@memesthatmakemelaughforhou476]

I second this notion

[@acidiclight]

I actually reached out to Matt and joked about buying the DoubleShock 3 to give to someone as a gag gift lol

[@polarsbear668]

@@acidiclight lol. Did Matt accept? Or even reply?

[@acidiclight]

@@polarsbear668 He did respond. And we are in fact working out me buying one of the controllers. I could have chosen the double shock but opted for the one with the cracked USB port

[@72a-k]

6:06 F is a Shanwan controller which I believe requires custom builds of drivers for both Windows and Linux for BT and proper mapping. LED 3 also works but just doesn’t light up while pairing. Suddenly got PTSD from the hassle on making those work on pc

[@Drflash55Official]

My gosh... I wouldn't even know what I would do with myself if I was stuck having to try to use one of these for playing games on my PC.

[@DDMultitracks]

I had one that looked similar. Mine used a usb dongle.

[@lookitskazzy]

The 2.4 GHz controller probably doesn't use BT to avoid license fees, but 2.4 GHz is in many cases more performant than a BT controller (less input lag).

[@dieSpinnt]

First 2.45 GHz is the Bluetooth Frequency. Then the BT-Receiver and the proprietary 2.4GHz dongle each have to be connected to the system via a BUS. - Usual input lag of PS3 Dual Shock Controllers: Around 20 to 25ms. - Usual USB input lag (protocol overhead) for our 2.4GHz/USB combo: 10 to 20ms + the unknown protocol lag (typically 10-30ms for example for an 8BitDo 2.4G controller). So you are right, if you just ignore the USB bottleneck of 2.4GHz input devices. But what does it matter anyway? Do you know a superhuman that has that kind of reaction time or sensibilities? And when someone says he will "feel" a difference, then you know for sure he is pretending that, lying to himself or has the brain of a housefly(yeah, their brain work in that territory:) )[1]. Also: Faster speeds aren't necessary at all. Bad experience may come from broken or glitchy devices, bad game loop design or your one coffee too much:) Have fun gaming! [1] We are on the internet. I can bet that the first superhuman is not far away. But I give a s! Science and Measurements beat Feelings. Period! For further study: "RL input lag retested 1.44 - Rocket Science #15" by Rocket Science, kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y52piX-Bq5h3nq8 ; "Controller Lag" at inputlag science; "THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN REACTION TIME AND GAMING TIME IN E-SPORTS PLAYERS", Aybuke Ersin et. al., 2022.

[@Coomway]

@@dieSpinnt 🤓

[@handlesrtwitterdontbelivethem]

@@Coomway agreeed

[@3of12]

This is correct. Its in the 2.4GHz spectrum but its not wifi either, in case anyone was wondering. If it was, you'd have enormous interference from various wireless keyboards and mice and whatnot.

[@blarghblargh]

on 3d consoles, games often have an input design that hides latency. lumbering acceleration, turn around animations, etc. on retro 2d games that ran at a pretty solid 60fps, with a CRT or low latency LCD, you WILL notice the difference in latency. it doesn't require you to be superhuman. it just requires you to be familiar with the game, using a low latency controller.

[@nessiscool1236]

Really cool how you got 3 ps3’s for 50 and now 9 ps3 controllers for 40. Nice vid

[@tposman1547]

90 dollar wombo combo package for Christmas. What a present

[@HearMeLearn]

@@tposman1547 now he just needs a huge ps3 game lot with cheap scratched discs, fix them up and boom, ps3 gaming on original hardware on a budget

[@chinossynthesizer705]

@@HearMeLearn you can just jail break a ps3 and get free games lol

[@chinossynthesizer705]

@@cinder3150 but you can't play ps3 games online with it. if you emulate

[@namesurname4666]

@@HearMeLearn can you fix scratched discs?

[@JohnGotts]

I taught myself how to fix PS3 controllers and I learned a lot in the process. Initially it would appear that there are two controller types, with and without vibration. The reality is that there are at least 5 variants that I found, and they don't interchange parts, even with identical model numbers. Not even the battery interchanges perfectly.

[@winlover37]

That sounds like a nightmare. I hate non interchangable parts.

[@noahboat580]

So you would need the same variant of controller to interchange the parts, regardless of them being near-identical? I had that samr problem when i tried changing a fan in my gaming laptop, the one i needed to replace was fine but the other fan's outer plastics that you have to skrew in, one of them wasnt made correctly. It was already hard enough not being familiar replacing pc parts (especially one in an MSI laptop, but that took a good minute realising lol

[@Blazestar2000]

Today I have learned not to solder ribbon cables :) lol This channel always gives me a renewed confidence to get out there are start repairing any old tech I've got! Matt's channel is what made me decide to give repairing N64 cartridges a shot and, sure enough, I got my first one working again on my first try :D Thanks for the videos and being an inspiration to get in and tinker with our own hardware! :)

[@-Hazard-]

All pots have different readings, so you have to closely match it as best as you can since the pots that were on there is what they used to calibrate it at the factory

[@FlipaClipDudegoofyahhskibidi]

Vat ny

[@nukelauncher95]

They made some very convincing knock off DualShock 3s. I have a knockoff that is a nearly perfect copy inside and out, and the plastic casting and silkscreening is flawless, however it doesn't work in the PS3's safe mode. I've actually never come across any counterfeit DS3 that works in safe mode, so maybe you can test the supposedly genuine controllers to see if they're actually legit.

[@Səv]

Double shock 3

[@TiwidTV]

the weird thumbprint on the joystick on the 1st controller is 100% certain from someone stepping on it. been there done that!

[@simtitan1]

You have to be careful, some of the controllers that look official may not be. They sell third party controllers that look genuine, but use knock off parts. Also, a little trick I learned with the sticky thumb sticks is to clean them with a q tip dipped in goo gone, it makes them feel so much better.

[@Ren722]

PS3 controllers are so complicated in getting nowadays, I went from thinking my PS3 controller couldn't connect wirelessly on any console, to having to find used genuine controllers in great condition since Ebay is bombarded with knockoffs that look exactly like an official controller, thankfully I'm near a Book-Off in the states and was able to snatch any PS3 controllers they sold, also with verifying myself if it's genuine and in great condition while buying extra brand new PS4 controllers so I don't make that mistake again lol.

[@KacKLaPPeN23]

They have Book-Offs in the states? I loved browsing through those stores in Japan.

[@LLInnovA]

I drove by one in San Diego on vacation a few days ago. I was just as shocked as you were

[@Ren722]

@@LLInnovA NO JOKE THAT'S ACTUALLY MY LOCAL BOOK-OFF 😂😂

[@xbox21player]

The clear ps3 controller has no issues. It's actually comes with a separate USB dongle, without it it just a paperweight. I have that same controller

[@GrumpyWolfTech]

I came to the comments just to say the same thing. Lots of after market controllers are like that, especially from that era.

[@patg108]

@@GrumpyWolfTech its a 3rd party not technically aftermarket. Meaning it was made during the era as a cheaper alternative.

[@w0lf4llo84]

I know you’ll probably never see this and idk if you fixed it as I’m not far into the video. But for controller B nothings wrong with the actual controller itself. There’s this foam pad that puts pressure on the ribbon cable to make contact to the board. Over time the pad deteriorates and stops making contact. You just have to add more bulk to it. What I did was take this pad out and add a couple cut down to size pieces of tape and flipped it back over so the foam pad was sticking up still and the tape was on the back side. After you do that just reassemble the controller and it should work as good as new! Cant tell you how many times I had to do this fix. But hey, it works lol EDIT: nevermind, you fixed it with mounting tape.. but if you ever have a similar issue or buttons are pressing themselves on any controller try this fix as it’s most likely the issue :)

[@devan_danger]

When I go through the process of refurbishing old controllers I always disassemble and bathe all the plastic parts in a water alcohol bath while scrubbing any grime with an old toothbrush. The alcohol makes them dry quickly and they always come out squeaky clean just like new. Its a really simple process for converting old used controllers into viable refurbished ones that feel and operate like new

[@thecoldlemonade3532]

I love your content. It's super fun binging your videos and learning at the same time!

[@isaactrockman4417]

My parents bought a ps3 and two controllers new. They still use it as a Netflix/prime/Hulu machine. Everything still works. I had no idea this stuff is “vintage” or collectible, doesn’t feel that old to me. Or that so many of the ps3s and controllers don’t work anymore

[@Grandmaster-Kush]

Yeah the PS3 controllers 1st party atleast in my country are out of stock even refurbished, so only 2nd hand which means mint condition controllers are VERY hard to get your hands on, they fetch an equal price to DS4, hardware degradation is very harsh on the DS3 since it is one of the cheapest build dualshocks.

[@aquelescaraaaaaaaaaa]

18:07 The issue with the analog sticks here is that because they're Third Party replacements, the potentiometers (the green gear on the sides) is lower quality than the official Sony potentiometers The reason for that still mystifies me, as this is an issue NO ONE talks about online (outside of stick drift repair videos, I wanted to improve the analog sticks on a 3rd party bootleg controller) , and I've suffered a lot myself to solve it, and to this day I'm still not wholly sure BUT BASICALY A potentiometer has a little copper piece with a ridge that rubs against a graphite "arc" inside the green piece that increases the voltage between the pins on the left and the right, stick drift happens either because the graphite in the arc wore out, or if the voltage suddenly changed between the pins. Official controllers have a lot more material on the "arc" which makes it so they're way more precise than third party alternatives THE SOLUTION (thankfully) I've tested it myself using a bootleg PS2 controller. Basicaly, I have a bunch of dead PS2 H controllers I couldn't for the life of me fix, so what I did was quite literally desolder the analog sticks off and snap off the potentiometers and snap them in the bootleg controller, which to my amazement sealed the deal and turned a bootleg controller almost as good as an original. If you have some broken official controllers laying around and they had good sticks, I don't see no reason why you shouldn't salvage the analog potentiometers off them.

[@elbeenny]

I’m very happy seeing people repair old electronics🤗

[@AidanBenny]

The clear controller I know needs a USB receiver that you plug into the ps3. one of my once friend had the same one

[@jaykoerner]

Yep Sony didn't allow 3rd party Bluetooth controllers, anything supported that needed to be wireless had to use USB for Sony to allow it, the 3rd party Bluetooth stuff came way later against sonys wishes

[@JDHIII3]

Was about to say the same I have that controller

[@robertpucovsky]

You got lucky. That is a damn good deal. And oh yeah, I also messed up one PS3 controller by trying to solder on that membrane. Merry Christmas!

[@nikolan123]

Next up: I bought 81 broken TVs for $30… how bad could they be?

[@Saand1338]

I hope you're able to get those sixaxis controllers working again. There's something about their lighter weight that makes them feel right. The DS3 is a solid controller, but I've got a soft spot for the sixaxis.

[@sagas070707]

Me too and battery lasts longer then a DS3

[@OfAaron3]

With those film cables, I find that heating using a heat gun can sometimes repair them. A common fault in the original Gameboy (missing lines on the display) can be fixed by applying heat to the film cable connected to the screen.

[@kyleferguson9285]

The 4 pin joystick is a hall effect joystick, which uses magnets to measure stick movement. The 3 pin joysticks are standard alpine potentiometer modules.

[@kyleferguson9285]

The hall effect joysticks are basically immune to joystick drift, which is caused by debris getting between the potentiometer contacts and disrupting resistance measurements. Hall effect joysticks use magnetic strength to measure joystick movement, which is unaffected by all the grime and debris as there are no required points of electrical contact

[@danoV1c]

It's still somewhat scummy that Microsoft and Sony still use potentiometer joysticks rather than hall effect ones, cause the sole reason I'd imagine they're not using hall effect is so the potentiometer joysticks would breakdown and they could sell new controllers

[@martinytcz1762]

@@danoV1c And I'd imagine that they're cheaper to manufacture too :D

[@danoV1c]

@@martinytcz1762 most definitely, but I'd gladly pay 20 dollars more for OEM controllers if they had holo joysticks, which reminds me of the fact that Xbox Elite controllers used potentiometers and drift really badly for a controller that's worth 150 bucks that's just scummy

[@nhand42]

The 4-pin thumbsticks are magnetic but they are NOT hall effect. They have a traditional resistive track and a traditional swiper but the whole mechanism is sealed behind some epoxy. There is a magnet on the outside that spins the swiper without physical contact. But the swiper still physically contacts the resistive track and they wear out just the same. The point of the magnetic mechanism is to seal the track/swiper away from dust and water. It was a dumb idea. Hall effect is superior in every way.

[@AdamBGames]

14:15 Yep, been an engineer and Hobbyist for over 10 years and even I made that mistake my first time working with one of these. Its a lesson we all learn eventually.

[@CMan-x7k]

How do you do this without messing it up?

[@sunnohh]

These things are so damn hard to work on, I did it once and promptly started squirreling away very nice ones

[@WhiskeyInspekta]

That clear controller probably needs a receiver to work with the PS3. I owned one back in the day and i feel like i remember needing one of those dongles. But i could be mistaken with a power A controller i owned.

[@deadchannel991]

Nope you’re right it’s supposed to have a usb dongle

[@RBVJnt]

love how it says untested but the controllers have notes with their faults

[@nathanlamaire]

23:00 In my complete two cents, I do find anything that use USB 2.4 GHz protocol to be much more convenient and more straightforward to use than pairing it with Bluetooth, and I also buy USB hubs to compensate cases where I need to connect more than one device in a single machine. Some people claim that they also have a lot less latency but I didn't really notice it.

[@danielyaseen]

Merry Christmas!!!!!

[@KhaiGK]

Where's my gift?

[@husseinalhaidari5414]

You too

[@tposman1547]

Gotta love the wombo combo videos of broken ps3 tech. What a Christmas present

[@tposman1547]

@@KhaiGK this video bro!

[@PlantGentlemen]

No I will not have a merry Christmas

[@TheModSmith]

There's nothing like seeing a new MattKC video pop up in my inbox!

[@K9arcade]

Felt right at home watching this since I fix DS2/DS3 controllers all the time haha. Was a nice refresher on what i'd go through fixing them and the mistakes I've made along the way. Thanks Matt for the christmas/birthday gift 📼🎄🎅🦌

[@railpao]

You just gave me the inspiration needed to reassemble a box of 3-4 dismantled dualshock 3 my brother got few years ago to fix his.

[@FliwaTV]

Super interesting Video again as always Matt! its almost like being in a room with you, trying to figure out whats wrong with the controllers. Thank you very much and have a Merry Christmas and a Happy new Year!

[@busterscrugs]

I always add a piece of paper under that little foam pad that holds the flex connector against the board. The controllers start pressing random buttons as they age due to that pad compressing over time.

[@ThePsychoticWombat]

I bought 15 controllers for about the same, 5 just worked perfectly, got another 4 working after switching parts around, 3 of them where Chinese copies, got one of them working, the remaining had problems that probably needs more in depth work, gave them away so someone else could have a shot :)

[@bettermanlamia]

I love seeing you try to fix the film. I always wondered how those could be repaired if at all but now I know you can’t soldier them lol 10/10

[@qoxx]

man i remember when these were worth $70...

[@hhwilly-ng]

I was in need of a sixaxis controller for my pc and ended up buying a used PS3 with 10 games and 3 controllers, all of which are mostly working but only one is fit for use. This video is great for getting into overhauling those controllers, and I love watching electronics repairs on youtube. Subbed!

[@HaosKitsune]

The 2,4Ghz Wireless/WiFi connection over Bluetooth makes some sense for the battery powered one as it can be designed to require lot less power, so far all gamepads I seen which offers both Bluetooth and 2.4Ghz connectivity usually had much better battery-life with the 2.4Ghz - USB remote connection.

[@resneptacle]

But both use the same frequency (2.4GHz) and pretty much the same radio, Bluetooth can be adjusted in transmission power as well

[@HaosKitsune]

@@resneptacle Bluetooth is pretty much just a 2.4Ghz technology standard, so they can even use the same radio module in the controller both for Bluetooth and 2.4Ghz, without using Bluetooth they can just use another transmission algorithm which may (or may not) be more power efficient, another possible way is having the USB dongle have a more powerful receiver&transmitter so the controller could use lower power to communicate. I don't have an exact idea why/how N2.4Ghz in many controller are more power efficient than Bluetooth, it's something which I observed myself with my gamepads and also what is written on some gamepad's official manuals. (The ones with multiple modes and battery-life comparison)

[@SilverEye91]

The sticky sticks is not an issue with soda or anything like that, it's just the fact that the plastic covering the sticks to make the comfortable does become sticky after a while as some of the softeners literally leak out of the plastic. If you leave a PS3 controller in a box for a long while and then take them out? Yeah, that's what you'll most likely find. It's probably terrible from a health standpoint as well.

[@jimeththemelancollie351]

The condescending controller told you to hold the button, and you never once held it...

[@SolidSonicTH]

These PS3 videos were timed well since I've taken an interest in my own PS3s as of late (after picking up a CECHB a couple of weeks ago). I've got some hybrid drives on order to upgrade all of them.

[@sebasvegab3720]

Next video: i bought 20 power supplies for 3 dollars

[@aprilnya]

NO NO NO NO BAD IDEA BAD IDEA

[@tposman1547]

That video would be a big explosion

[@nxx99]

hehehe, but it's hard to repair them without putting yourself in danger

[@SwapPartLLC]

I just bought 2 genuine SixAxis Dualshock 3 controllers on eBay. Probably paid too much at $30 each. One was pretty good, the other had the issue where the it makes the screen all jumpy. I had every intention of doing a full teardown and thorough cleaning. I cleaned all the plastic parts with dish soap, and the electronics with 91% isopropyl alcohol. Put in new batteries, and new thumbsticks. The jittering issue is often caused by the sponge rubber that is used to press the ribbon connector to the pcb being old and compressed too much. I fixed mine by taking a piece of a business card and attaching it to the back of the rubber with double sided tape. That was all it needed to make the contact better. The final thing I did was I used some fine sandpaper to smooth out the thumbstick holes, because they had some wear which made the sticks not rotate smoothly, and also the button holes. Both controllers work like brand new now.

[@undefined06855]

Matt saying "You sussy baka" is very cursed. Please carry on saying sussy sundae instead.

[@tybread2997]

When replacing the conductive film, you want to match the part number. For one of my controllers, I ended up having to order a replacement from France because they were the only seller that had it. After repairing a fair amount of the PS3 controllers, I noticed that there are so many different revisions. Trying to match even the shell doesn't always work. Most of the time cleaning them resolved the issues, but there was a good amount that just needed the foam replaced for the back pressure for the film to come in contact with the PCB.

[@lexisgonnakhs]

god i love the PlayStation 3

[@aprilnya]

of course you have menhera-chan profile picture and love the playstation 3

[@lexisgonnakhs]

@@aprilnya imma be real my username is lexisgonnakhs and soon as I saw this image I had to

[@elliottucker3867]

G is an 'afterglow wirelesa ps3 controller.' i had one in the past and the way it connects was via usb. On the shell theres a small rectangular cavity between the thumbsticks for where you would find the usb it came with.

[@vitor900000]

18:20 Different consoles / controller revisions/generations uses different potentiometer resistances. You have to buy the stick with the right potentiometer resistances for it to work properly. 10k and 2.3k are the most common but there is 5k ones. There is also the range of motion of the potentiometer. 45° and 60° are the most common but there is 90° ones. And there is also the tipe of the potentiometer. A for taper and B for linear.

[@sulliops]

Matt has become my favorite KZbinr by far, his videos are always so interesting and I end up learning something every time. Keep it up!

[@beerskiproductions3868]

6:35 I have a very similar controller and the reason it's not working is because there's usually a USB wireless plug-in for it, looks like you didn't get the one thing that made it functional

[@bama95]

Controller A has the same problem I had with my ps2 controller ✌️ basically the thumbstick has widened the round hole on the plastic front panel over the years. The thumbstick has literally dug in the plastic and there is no real solution other than changing the front panel. You can see the difference in widthness between the two sides in the round black profile around the hole. Great video as usual 😉

[@ratedRblazin420]

I loved these controllers for one reason and one game only, NBA 2K18 (or any NBA 2K game on PS3). I loved the free-throw mechanic that those six-axis controllers had. It made competitive local games so much better.

[@eenayeah]

I just watched the PS3 one yesterday and now you put this one out today. Such comfort videos! MattKC videos are so cozy!

[@JayM1989]

Retro defender aftermarket controller has siaxis and pressure sensitivity buttons! It's $40 but was a life saver after failing to find any real DS3 controllers. Saved me while I'm replaying MGS2/3 HD

[@Mrduck319]

the generic one that lights up/is see through needs a dongle to work.

[@retractingblinds]

Here's how to fix the conductive films: Using a slightly abrasive material like brasso on a q-tip, you can clean the contact point. This will wear away the contact a tiny but, but in the process restore the circuit. That's the major problem with all Playstation controllers and it is either going to cost you about $00.40 to replace, or a tiny dab of brasso on a q-tip to fix up provided the rest of the sheet is healthy. For the record I've done this on literally *thousands* of controllers because it's my job.

[@CokeMilkYT]

20:45 Oh, I have one of those controllers! It uses a proprietary USB dongle to connect to the PS3 instead of good ol’ Bluetooth. That’s probably where your issue lies.

[@chowder-hf8xm]

As for the last knockoff, yes, 2.4ghz is much faster and more reliable than bluetooth on top of not requiring any licensing

[@shadedisplayed]

It’s always a good day when mattkc uploads

[@yyoshman]

i love how he didnt see the 5th genuine controller in the beggining thought the seller thought the impostor was real and just didnt edit that out or mention it at all

[@ItsaShower]

The clear one I assume would need a wireless receiver. I bought an afterglow wireless that came with a wireless dongle. So it could be that

[@mazda9624]

Fun fact: the see-through generic controller requires a separate 2.4Ghz USB adapter to work. I used to have one of these and it's the only PS3 controller I ever had that functioned this way. It's from the popular Afterglow brand and this one lights up in blue.

[@M4TTYN]

keep popping up in my side bar and your content is pretty cool lots of wacky fun, surprises and see you tinker on retro consoles!

[@Kylefassbinderful]

New *MattKC* _AND_ *Technology* *Connections* videos today? A great Christmas indeed!

[@sleepyancient6655]

One controller I fixed was the thumb stick having slid off its post... with no damage to any other part of the controller. It's like the plastic casing around the opening flexed over 1/4" (or however long the post is) without cracking or plastic deformation (permanent deformation).

[@andresbravo2003]

Man I still have one DualShock 3 controller that I used for a long time, plus PlayStation Move stuff that I would experiment soon. Merry Christmas MattKC.

[@Krivulda]

14:00 Repairing the foil is not easy BUT there is an easy fix which 9/10 times work. Clean the pad with SOFT eraser (don't use the eraser with sand) and then clean it off with alcohol. Most of the times the problem is just oxidized pad

[@guitarhero918]

This guy is a hilarious console repair KZbinr. Coming from Tronicsfix serious tone to this lighthearted humor is undeniably amazing

[@Flegz1]

Merry Christmas, Matt!

[@coolest10293]

This is a great Christmas present!! Thanks Matt!

[@shayes.x]

5:50 While this is possibly/likely a mapping issue (I'm not expert), it brings to mind an issue I had with my main DualShock 4. Eventually, whenever the left trigger was pulled, the left joystick would also send signals as if it was pushed forward. Cleaning the joystick's conductive axis pads fixed it for me, not sure why that was linked to the trigger though.

[@xoeleox2079]

Those plastic frames on the buttons are super easy to break on accident, they're so thin. The PS2 controllers are like this too -- but some PS1 controllers have separate, tiny boards for the shoulder buttons! Hilarious!

[@counterhit148]

4 pin potentiometers are actually magnetic, so they probably work fine. You should try using those potentiometers with another stick module

[@SummonerArthur]

I have a doubleshock 3. Has the same behaviour on pc after I made a thumb stick swap/repair and forgot to solder L3, but it works fine on a ps3 somehow.

[@MatthewGAlfaro]

Merry Christmas Matt! I guess this is the MattKChristmas special! (my puns are terrible)

[@fusionsct3999]

I have fixed a hundred or more of these controllers. Normally what causes the stick to ride too high is the shroud that holds the analog's button press plastic comes off (like the modules controller C uses) but controller A doesn't use them. Something may have broken internally or something as simple as the stick top is just not wanting to seat down all the way. Seen it plenty of times. Also note that not all of the stick tops work for all revisions of the controllers. Open enough of them up and you realize just how much they can vary in height due to the plastic part on the analog stick being shorter or taller or the center molding in the stick top being a different depth due to different board designs inside. Thanks Sony. The analog modules we buy online have huge amounts of variation in resistance values in the potentiometers (Xbox One is different than PS4, or PS3 etc.) and even some are designed to lock to the cardinal directions for a moment before moving in analog values again. As you noticed, it will fit, but has an undesirable response. I bet if you took a potentiometer off of one of them and looked at the conductive material you will see small dark patches in the ring that correspond with the N, E, W , S directions. This is what causes them to lock at those locations momentarily. I have some here and they are supremely annoying. Who would want that on purpose? But sellers don't know what modules they have so it's a total crap shoot when buying new ones. Controller C that fixed itself did so because the carbon dust or debris that is in the track just pushed itself out of the way. It still needs to be opened and cleaned by removing small boxes from the sides of the metal part. The cleaning you did, effectively did nothing for the jittering issue. I use Deoxit on the carbon tracks in the potentiometers. So far it has worked wonders as long as the carbon track isn't worn all the way through, which absolutely happens and there is nothing that can be done outside of replacement when it does. For those having issues with ghost presses, it's oxidation that causes it, NOT just the sponge pad itself. Use some Deoxit on the contacts and you will notice quite a bit of dark stuff coming off. If you try to just use the "press harder" method using layers of paper or tape, you will find that you can twist the controller when it is back together and get the ghost presses. Deoxit has been the ONLY thing I have found that easily and maybe permanently solves that issue. I can torque on the controller all I want and zero ghost presses.

[@TWG_03-21]

19:38 that controller is the one I have. Plus it’s needs a specific flash drive to make it work which is why it didn’t connect

[@mileskosik472]

If the potentiometers work, but the stick box is bad, you can pop the potentiometers off and just use the old ones with a new stick box, and then you don't have to worry about the incorrect sensitivity.

[@feonjun]

For those who doesn't know about the *_'non connecting'_* and/or *_'random button triggering'_* issues, 99% of the time, the rubber-cushion-pad under the multiple-connection-point-ribbon has flatten out, and it's not pushing up on the strips to make proper contact(s) between the contact points on the strip and the controller board. I fixed about 10 controllers by simply replacing the pads. The cushion pad is 1.5 mm thick. I bought a sheet of rubber cushion and cut them to size.

[@Electrolux219]

YOOOO I had that exact same blue clear one!! It actually felt pretty good to use as I remember. In fact the triggers where more comfortable than the official controller

[@let_me_explain8572]

I just realized that most of my favourite KZbin channels are from Australia (MattKC, Cold Ones, i did a thing, Fairbarn Films, Michael Cusack, HowToBasic, papa franku rip.), it's like you guys fill this weird yet exciting nieche that other channels are afraid of getting into due to how uncertain the ending result can be.

[@marksanchez7575]

It brings me instant satisfaction when I always see MattKC upload a cold one 😎

[@mrunderscorecool]

Yeah I'd recommend not touching those flat flex type circuits with anything hotter than a hair dryer. Even if you don't burn them sometimes the substrate is not very happy with large temp changes and will shrink, causing breaks in your traces. Bit of trivia: the reason they use silver-based repair materials is because silver is more conductive than copper, and the way those ecas/ inks are formed make them VERY resistive compared to straight copper traces

[@Sevapcici]

Cool video. It's normal for soft plastic to get sticky with time, and the hard kind gets brittle. That's just how it is.

[@retepclips]

i have stopped using so many controllers because of it having the joystick problem. i had no clue it was this easy to fix.

[@datriaxsondor590]

6:08 It lives up to its name, bud. You sounded double shocked to see how it behaved. Product approved.

[@vintageshed965]

The membrane was a problem on all previous Dualshock controllers. They are prone to "rotting". The conductive film just oxidize and break the connection.

[@johnnydjiurkopff]

That blue lighted transparent controller needs a receiver dongle to function, like the AA operated controller at the end of the video. It's probably not even actually damaged at all. Had a pair of the exact same one in both blue and green in middle school.

[@UmbraAtrox_]

You Can solder ribbon cables, but you need a little iron for that. A pinecil with a fine tip already would do the trick

[@RealStudioworks]

The clear controller is supposed to connect wirelessly via a clear usb stick the port on the controller is only there to charge it.

[@Micr0.]

I cannot express how I felt when I saw you touching these grimy, oily controllers without putting gloves on!!