PS4 Controller Flashing White: Why & How to Fix It? (2024)

Is your PS4 controller flashing white every time you sit down for a gaming session? Don’t worry – you’re not the only gamer facing this problem. Several people on the Internet have complained about how their PS4 light is white instead of blue.

The color of the LED light on top of your PS4 controller can reveal a lot about its condition. So let’s try to understand what your gaming console is trying to tell you when your PS4 controller keeps blinking white.

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Why Is My PS4 Controller Flashing White?

Three things can happen once the PS4 white light of death appears on your controller.

• In the first scenario, the controller will flash white & then turn off.
• In the second scenario, the PS4 controller will blink white but not turn off. It will simply not connect to the console.
• In the third scenario, the PS4 controller will first flash a white light & then the light will slowly turn orange.

Here’s what’s actually happening to your controller when these things happen:

PS4 Controller Blinking White & Then Turning Off

If you see your PlayStation controller flashing white & then switching off, it’s because the controller’s battery is dying/dead. To fix this problem, plug your controller into the console & let it charge for 3 hours.

Once the battery is charged completely, the blinking will stop. Suppose your controller won’t charge & it keeps blinking white. In that case, there’s probably an issue with the battery, the charging port, or the charging cable.

Why is My PS4 Controller Blinking White and Not Connecting to the Console?

It’s pretty common for a PS4 controller that’s blinking white lights to not connect to the console. If that’s your problem, check the USB/Bluetooth connection. If there’s nothing wrong with the connections, reset your controller by power cycling it.

• Turn off the console by pressing down on the power button
• Remove all the power cables
• Let your console sit idle for 20-30 minutes
• While the console is still unplugged, press down and hold its power button again
• Plug in the console back

This simple power cycle will hopefully stop your PS4 controller from blinking white.

PS4 Controller Flashing White Light, Then Orange

PS4 controller flashing white light & then flashing orange light is another common occurrence that several people have complained about. This can happen as a game-specific function. Some games can automatically make your controller flash an orange light.

But, if that’s not the case, you can fix the orange light issue by:

• Power Cycle: Power cycle your PS4 by following the instructions mentioned above.
• Test the Controller: Test the controller by connecting it to another console. For instance, you can connect your controller to your friend’s PS4 console. If the real issue is with your controller, the orange PS4 controller blink will appear again. If the orange light doesn’t blink when the controller is connected to another console, there’s probably something wrong with your console.
• Reset the Controller: If none of these solutions work, you’ll have to give your controller a hard factory reset. To do so, turn on your PS4. Connect the controller to the console with a USB. Find the small reset button on the back of your controller. Press this button down with a thin paperclip for 15-20 seconds.

These are the simplest things you can do to fix the blinking white light problem. But before you perform any of these troubleshooting techniques listed above, restart your PS4 a few times. By doing so, you’ll be refreshing its operating system.

That’s all it takes to remove any glitch or corrupted data from the console. Restarting your PS4 a few times can fix the white light blinking issue. If these simple solutions don’t work, try the slightly more complicated solutions.

How to Fix PS4 Controller White Light?

Solution #1: Hardware Fixes

Your PS4 controller white light blinking issue could be down to hardware problems. So, let’s address them first:

• Use a Different USB Cable: Replace the old USB cable with a new one. Check whether the white light is still blinking.
• Use a Different Controller: If the white light is still blinking, try to connect a different controller to your console with the brand-new USB cable.
• Reset the Controller: If the issue still persists, reset the new controller using the method mentioned above.

Solution #2: Update Your PS4 Controller’s Driver

You can fix the white blinking issue by updating your controller’s firmware. To do so, you’ll need a Windows PC (must be Windows 10/11, 64-bit) and the DualSense wireless controller app. Use this link to find this app. Install the app on your PC & then update your controller’s firmware by:

• Launch the Firmware updater app on your PC
• With a USB cable, connect your controller to your PC
• Follow the instructions that appear on the screen to launch the updating process
• Don’t turn off your PC during the update.

When the update is 100% complete, a notification will appear. Select “OK” on that notification to finish the updating process. Use this method to update the firmware of each of your controllers individually. Hopefully, the firmware update will fix all issues.

Solution #3: Activate Safe Mode

Did you know that your PS4 has a “Safe Mode“? You can use this mode to perform a variety of troubleshooting steps & fix any white/orange light blinking issues. Here’s how you can activate the Safe Mode & then troubleshoot your PS4:

• Press & hold the Power Button on the front panel of your PS4 to switch it off
• Once the console is off, hold down the Power Button again; keep pressing until you hear two beep noises
• Connect your controller to the console with a USB cable
• Press & hold the main PlayStation button on the controller
• You’re now in Safe Mode

Here’s a video guide on what Safe Mode looks like:

As you can see, you’ll receive 8 options on your screen once you enter Safe Mode. Select option number five, titled “Rebuild Database.” By selecting this option, you’ll erase all pre-saved data & configurations on your PlayStation 4.

Once complete, you can create a fresh content database on your console. Hopefully, the PS4 controller flashing white issue disappears once you rebuild your console’s database & use it as a brand-new device.

PS4 controllers flashing white is a relatively common occurrence. So, don’t panic if this happens to your controller. Resolve the situation by trying out some of the easiest fixes mentioned in this article. Then, move on to more complicated fixes like factory resetting the console or enabling safe mode, only if the simpler solutions don’t work.

Credits: Thanks for the photo to Canva.

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