Interfacing broken PS4 controllers with a replacement PCB

[Becky] had PS4 controllers that were unfortunately no longer functional. However, most buttons and joysticks still appeared to be in good condition. So, she set about designing a replacement PCB to breathe new life into those once bricked-up gamepads.

In the case of the PS4 controller, most buttons are membrane type, which communicate with the main board inside via a series of contacts on a flexible cable. So [Becky] designed his PCB to interface with it to read most of the buttons. A breadboard and LED proved useful in determining which pads corresponded to which buttons on the controller. Replacement joysticks are sourced from Amazon to be soldered directly onto the replacement PCB.

[Becky] also took advantage of Fusion 360's design tools to 3D print a mock of the final design. This helped to fit snugly inside the gamepad shell.

The replacement circuit board itself acts as a breakout so that gamepad controls can be wired to a microcontroller. In this case, the controller was repurposed to work with an RP2040 microcontroller running a looping audio project. The various knobs and controls trigger samples to enable simple performances.

Those who want to replace the guts of their own controllers can make their own, as [Becky] has shared the design files online. If you just want to interface a PS4 controller in a less invasive way, consider this alternative technique. Video after the break.