The breaking of controllers

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So, I'm curious, how often do some of you have controllers break/die on you? Or just get destroyed by you out of anger or clumsiness?

I've gone though.... so many, myself. Nearly all of them are PS3 controllers, which I consider to be well designed but unfathomably terribly made. Went through the accursed things like candy. Never hit or threw them, either; they just kept dying, over and over and over and over and over and over and over through normal play.

Now, the PS4 controller, I see, is starting to live up to that tradition. I'd hoped I wouldnt have to, but I indeed will be replacing it soon; left analog stick (I seriously hate all analog sticks, and this ISNT helping) is dying, so it'll need to be replaced with a new controller. Probably for the first time out of about a bazillion. Seriously, I hate these things. Utter junk.


The worst though happened waaaayyyyyy back when, not long after Super Smash Melee came out. I was playing it at a friend's house, and I hadnt thought to bring my own controller. So, I used one of his extra ones, which happened to be a 3rd party Madcatz controller. It seemed okay, for a Madcatz device. How wrong that turned out to be! About an hour into it, things are progressing like normal, everything is hilarious, I go to move the analog stick to the left.... and the controller COMPLETELY shatters. It's like, just.... what. Naturally it was assumed to be entirely my fault; I must have breathed on it the wrong way or something.

As opposed to things like old NES controllers, which seem indestructible.


Any of you have your own stories/experiences to share?

^^My experience with X360 controllers is similar to yours with the PS3. Not really a bad controller (except for that unforgivable D-pad, and costing $50 each), but fragile, and I'm kind of a slob with at best a casual approach to maintenance. The button under the right analog stick seems to fail quickly, allowing itself to be "clicked" with tiny amounts of pressure.
In the FPS Metro: Last Light, this sometimes results in putting your gun away at the moment the fire button is pressed.
I've never targeted a controller for retaliation, though.

All my PS3 controllers work great but I had THREE PS2 controllers die immediately after I got a static shock from them. In my teenage years, I launched my SNES controllers against a brick wall numerous times but they all still work even if they rattle. Go figure!

Probably due to the fact that when I get angry I hit myself, not my controllers, I never had problems with this.
Actually, one of my PS3 controllers I have for almost 4 years and is still in pretty good shape considering that I used it intensively during a good part of this time.
The only thing that I broke while playing was my 3DS analog stick, but I knew that was going to happen as soon as I bought it and saw how bad the design of that thing is.

never had to replace ps3 controller, I bought a new xbox 360 one cause my friends swapped mine with one of their well worn ones. ps4 is seeming ok. I bought another just so i can play one while other charges.
my ps2 controller works great, the one my friend used, the stick covers came off. ps1 controllers though had probme with cord becomign torn at joing on the controller.

I must be considerably nicer to my things then most other people. my friends went through 5 controllers while i still have the same one that is 6 years old. same with the stock headset from the 360. they also went through 4 360s.

only real time in recent that i've had a problem is the ps4 analog stick grip started to wear and I'd seen what comes of others so i put grip covers on it.

Three controllers, though it may only count as two do due to how cheap those N64 analog sticks were.


I broke A Gamecube controller from heavy use and it was dropped a few times, the analog stick wouldn't work right.
I also broke a Wavebird Gamecube Controller from heavy use and traveling.

I have never destroyed a controller in anger, but once a friend broke my PS2 controller for a rather petty reason.

The closest that comes to controller breaking for me is when i die as the super mega ultra secret character in The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth when i'm doing good i tend to slam my fist into one of my chairs's armrests.

My 3DS circle pad is freakishly stiff presumably due to gunk buildup, so no Smash for me until i get my new model on the 7th

it does seem however that they(companies) perhaps want controllers to be disposables, like magazines for guns. but at $60 it doesn't feel cheap enough for that. But' Mine have lasted long times. I'm supprised I haven't needed to replace the ps3 controller since batteries have a limited lifetime.

now the wii u controller and psvita, or 3ds i'd expect to last lifetime because well they expensive and you can't just replace them while keeping the game system.

Yyyyyyeah, I think alot of people get pretty much that same sort of reaction or worse when they lose a good run with THAT character. You have good self control compared to most if you DONT smash something after having THAT happen! I know it'll end up driving me up the wall. I havent had the patience to actually use that character much yet myself though. The unlocking was annoying enough.

Why I get angry, I don't take it out on the controller. I take it out on a mouse, because a computer mouse is inexpensive.

PS4 controllers: I love the part where they DONT COME WITH A CABLE.

I mean, I still have the other cable, but it just... seems so stupid that they dont come with another one.

Whatever, at least this one should WORK properly.

I think they assume everyone has billions of micro usb cables. I personally don't need anymore of those cables.

1 with each past android phone, one with table, one with vita, one with ps4. you can buy them for like $5 or less.

did the ps3s come with a cable?

now what's stupid is the new 3ds doesn't include a charging cable. it'd be like buying a ps4 and it has no power cable and sony says well we figured everyone had a ps3 and they use the same cable.

Actually, I'd never even seen a cable of that type until I got the PS4. And my room is just covered in cables everywhere. The PS4 controller though is the only device I've got that uses that type of thing despite all the electronic gizmos in my room; particularly since phones/tablets for me are iOS devices which dont use those.

The PS3 ones I dont remember if they came with one or not; it's been a few months since I had to buy one of the stupid things.

The 3DS bit sounds.... stupid, yes. Why in the world would it not come with that?

interesting. my phone is iphone but tablet is android. micro usb is standard even for apple products in EU I hear.
they'll cheap its used for anything not made by apple. so like most everything. hopefull the next iphone will use usbc then everything will be one in the same.

Ive never had to buy ps3 controller. from googling it appears they didn't come with cables though.

really though in a world where companies won't include cheap hdmi cables with devices that require it to work or batteries in a expensive tv remote, it doesn't shock me they don't include charging cables.

Aye, a good point.

I remember a time when stuff actually came with all the little bits that you needed to use it, but... sadly it seems those times are long over.


On another note, it occurs to me that I dont entirely know just how every part of the PS4 controller works.

For example, I dont know WHY the thing lights up and blazes with the power of a thousand stars in seemingly random colors.... and more specifically, why it does this ALL FREAKING NIGHT. Seriously, I have to cover the thing up with something or it lights up half the room and prevents sleep.

ps4 is off no? if so and controller plugged in its cause it glows orange when charging.
i charge one when playing and other is unplugged so by time asleep one pluged is full charged so no glow.

I do wish I could turn the light off but then since it doesn't have any other way of telling you it's on you'd never know.