Home PS5 PS5 Controller Keeps Disconnecting PC

[Fixed] PS5 Controller Keeps Disconnecting PC

December 8, 2021

Yoodley is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

PlayStation 5 has emerged with the best controller in the world after PlayStation 4. Although PS4 used to be our favorite console, PS5 took over its position in 2020, being the best next-generation console. However, technical issues are generic to all gaming devices.

But it can be annoying and frustrating when playing on Steam or DS4, and abruptly your PS5 controller gets disconnected from the PC. Such occurrences are not very common but still demand attention. And it can be fixed by relaunching the game, resetting the Bluetooth settings, restarting the controller, and more such counteracting methods.

On this page, we will talk about why a PS5 controller may keep disconnecting from the PC and how to fix those issues to resume your game.

How to Correctly Connect PS5 Controller to PC

Before we learn the causes of the PS5 controller disconnecting from the PC, here is how to connect the PS5 controller to a PC.

USB-connection

Typically, you should use the USB cable that the PS5 comes equipped with. However, other data or power transferring USB cables also work. Here’s how to properly connect the controller to the PC using a USB cable.

Start the game on your PC.
Connect one end of the cable to the PC and the other to the USB-C port of the controller.
Wait till the PC installs the required drivers.
Once the drivers are installed, the PC will prompt the adaptive controller triggers, implying you can start your game.

Bluetooth Connection

Follow these steps to connect your DualSense PS5 using a Bluetooth connection.

Launch the Bluetooth on your device and search for available devices to connect.
Press the PS and Share button on your controller simultaneously to pair with the PC.
Once the LEDs around the controller start flashing, you will see the pairing alert on your screen.
Click on it to pair the controller to your PC, and you can start playing.

What Causes the PS5 Controller to Keep Disconnecting?

After extensive research and troubleshooting, the reasons behind the PS5 controller disconnecting issue, here are the most probable ones:

Faulty Controller: Sometimes, a defective controller can prevent the user from connecting properly to the PC or PS5. Therefore, you should check if the controller is flawed and causing the connectivity disruption.
Bluetooth Configurations: It can so happen that the Bluetooth configurations aren’t correctly set. This causes such errors of disconnection. Therefore, try to troubleshoot them to detect the cause of the issue.
Connections List: The modern controllers can store lists of connected devices, a confusion within which can cause the issue. Therefore, you should reset the list of connections and check if the problem still persists.
PS5 Controller Configurations: Some PS5 configurations are stored in the controller even after disconnection, and they can be carried along to the PC. Resetting the controller can help troubleshoot the issue of getting rid of these configurations and ensuring the disconnecting issue gets fixed.
Bluetooth Drivers: Sometimes, the Bluetooth drivers installed in the PC might be outdated or installed improperly. This can be the probable cause of the issue. Therefore, keep the Bluetooth drivers updated and uninstall and re-install them occasionally.
Missing Software: Typically, PS5 controllers are meant to be connected or used on PCs and therefore, need a bit of work to make them work appropriately with it. So, DS4 software will make it easier for these controllers to work seamlessly on your PCs.

How to Fix PS5 Controller Disconnecting from PC Issues?

There are several possible causes for this issue, that prevent the PS5 controller from working seamlessly. Several solutions on this list can come in handy. Here are the different solutions you can use according to the cause of the problem responsible.

Here are two ways to go about it.

Restart the PS5 Controller

Restarting your PS5 controller is similar to resetting it. However, it takes a relatively long time to restart the controller. Follow these steps to restart the PS5 controller.

Turn the PS5 Controller off.
Press and hold its power button until you hear two beeps.
Unplug the console from the power source.
Let it stay unplugged, cool off, and reset itself.
After a few seconds, plug the power cable and the controller into the console with the help of a USB cable.
Turn on the console and restart the PS5.

Reset Your PS5 Controller

If restarting the PS5 controller doesn’t solve the issue, turn it off and unplug the power cable. And reset the PS5 controller. Follow these steps to do the same.

Use a paper clip to poke the Reset button next to the L2 button on the rear of the console.
Plug the controller into the console with the help of a USB cable.
There won’t be any resynchronization with the console, and you can go for it.

Change Steam Settings

It may so happen that the Steam settings cause the PS5 controller to keep disconnecting. Here are the steps to change the settings of Steam.

Launch Steam.
Open Settings.
Click on Controller.
Select the General Controller Settings option.

Select the controller you use from the list of controllers. Here, change the shutdown time, which will be 15 minutes by default. Let it be ‘Never.’ Additionally, review the separate posts on PS5 use of mouse and keyboard.

Sometimes the power management feature can be the cause of the issue. Follow these steps to fix the issue in such a scenario.

Disable the Power Management for Controller.
Select Device Manager from the menu displayed by clicking on the Windows Start logo.
Locate the PS5 controller option and choose Properties.
On the Power Management tab, locate the option saying ‘Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power.’
Uncheck that option.
Click OK to save the changes.

Fixing the USB Problems

Here are the various ways to fix problems caused by the USB cable or ports.

Replace the USB-C Cable

Another reason could be the cable you use to connect the controller to your PC. Chances are, you may have to use a different or new USB-C cable. Ideally, you should use the cable that comes in the box with the PS5 controller.

If the faulty cable is the reason for a disruption caused in connection, you can fix it by replacing the cable with a new USB-C cable to transmit power and data.

Clean the USB Ports

Alternatively, you can clean the USB ports using a clean cloth to remove any debris from them. Dust, food particles, or liquid may enable the USB ports to work inconveniently. Also, you can blow compressed air to clean the ports. Once you are done, try reconnecting the controller to the PC.

Use Another USB Port

Many PS5 controller users have reported connection issues related to the USB port. A bug affects the USB port to cause such connectivity issues. You can use another USB port or a rare port to fix this issue.

Remove the USB Cable

If you figure out that damaged wiring is causing this issue, you can alternatively remove the USB cable and use a Bluetooth connection. Follow these steps for this purpose.

Turn the Bluetooth on for the PC by pressing the Bluetooth key on the keyboard.
Press and hold the PS and Share buttons simultaneously.
Press the ‘Windows + I’ keys on the keyboard to view the windows settings.
Choose the Devices option and select the Bluetooth & Other Devices option.
Click the ‘+’ icon next to Add Bluetooth or Other Device option.
Select Wireless Controllers, and you are good to go.

Change USB Cable and Monitor USB Ports

When the PS5 controller shows connectivity issues, the reason is most commonly a faulty or damaged wire. In such a scenario, you can examine the entire body of the wire. If you notice any damage, replace it with a new wire and check if you still face the issue.

It may also be the case where you used the same USB port to connect external devices. In such cases, the port might loosen or stop working. To fix this, try other USB ports for connecting the controllers and see if the problem still persists. Also, ensure that the cable is tight on both ends.

Deal with the Bluetooth-related Issues

Here are the ways to fix the Bluetooth-related connectivity issues.

Uninstall and Re-install the Bluetooth Drivers

As mentioned previously, Bluetooth Drivers can cause problems at times. Here’s how to fix this issue.

Type Device Manager in the Search bar of the Windows Taskbar and hit Enter.
Uncheck the option ‘Delete the driver software for this device.’
Click on Uninstall.
Once it is uninstalled, restart your PC, and the drivers will be re-installed automatically.

Troubleshoot Bluetooth Settings

Follow these steps to troubleshoot Bluetooth settings.

Open Windows settings by pressing the ‘Windows + I’ keys simultaneously.
Click on the Update & Security option and select the Troubleshoot icon.
Find and click on the Additional Troubleshooters options.
Locate the ‘Find and Fix Other Problems’ option and choose Bluetooth.
Click on the Run the Troubleshooter button and reconnect the controllers.

Clear Cache on PS5

Try these steps to clear the PS5 cache and see if you can reconnect the controller.

Press the PS5 button and select the Quick Menu option.
Choose the Turn off PlayStation5 option and pause till the console stops flashing the LED light.
Unplug the console from the power source.
After 3-4 minutes, reconnect the power source, controller and press on ‘ON.’

If None of the Above Solutions Work

Try the following hacks if the solutions mentioned on this page fail to solve the connectivity issues.

Switch to USB 3.0 slot.
In case of red light on the controller, turn it off and switch it on after 10-12 minutes.
If the problem is with Steam, try other platforms to see if the problem still occurs.
Try using another brand’s wireless adapter if the USB adapter causes the issue.
Re-install Windows.
Check the battery of your controller.
On DS4 Windows, try selecting the Hide DS4 controller option from the settings and connecting the controller before starting the game.

Endnotes

That is all about fixing the PS5 controller that keeps disconnecting from the PC issue. Try all the methods mentioned above. Ideally, one of the methods should do the trick. Alternatively, try the supplementary techniques mentioned on this page.

But if you find out that it is a hardware problem, it cannot be fixed. All in all, it is highly recommended to use DS4 software to use the PlayStation5 smoothly.