Recently, I stumbled upon my long-lost PlayStation 3, triggering a wave of nostalgia. While the console itself was in decent condition, the controllers were in a deplorable state.

There were numerous games I had never been able to play on this gaming system. Motivated by this, I set out to revive it.

Primarily, among the two controllers, one failed to turn on, while the other exhibited inconsistent behavior (it turned on, but the input was erratic, functioning solely via cable).

I embarked on a mission to acquire replacement parts, specifically batteries, a cable, and new thumbsticks.

I replaced the thumbsticks and the battery of the seemingly functional controller. However, upon closing and testing it, I was surprised when the system recognized it, yet no input was registered. Even after attempting to connect it to the console, the problem persisted. Suspecting the new battery as the issue, I reverted to the old one, but it didn’t resolve the problem.

After an unintentional “gentle” shake (read: the controller fell off the table), signs of life emerged. This incident made me suspect a potential membrane or PCB contact problem, yet it was too late to delve into it further that day.

The next day, the controller worked with the console, albeit with some buttons unresponsive, reinforcing the suspicion of poor contact. Nevertheless, it was usable in some games.

The biggest frustration with this controller lies in its directional controls. They exhibit some drift, a common issue with this particular controller featuring the more exotic four-terminal analog stick. Finding a replacement for it is nearly impossible.Furthermore, there’s a technical challenge in replacing them, which involves what I believe to be 16 soldering points of varying sizes.

Ultimately, considering it’s a controller with over a decade of use, the outcomes were encouraging.

Hope remains alive to play Metal Gear and God of War, maybe even this year…

Update (Dec 2, 2023)

I took extra time to investigate the suspected poor contact issues by disassembling it once more—this time, entirely. I cleaned all the membranes and internal contacts, which had visible dust/gunk in certain areas.

There was also an almost imperceptible looseness in the primary contact between the membrane connecting the front buttons and the PCB (which was remediated). After drying and reassembly, the buttons now function much better. Additionally, the controller also works wirelessly (although I’m unsure if the two situations are related).

Consequently, the only lingering frustration remains with the analog directional controls. Nevertheless, the controller is now fully functional. After a few minutes of use, the drift becomes negligible.

Despite the laborious process, it was worthwhile.