What Should You Do if All Four Lights Flash on a PS3 Controller?

Pair Controller

• If your controller just continues to blink, or does not connect to the PlayStation when it stops blinking, then you may need to pair your controller with your console. Plug you controller in using a compatible USB cable; this pairs it automatically. You can also press the PS button after the console has been turned off to pair wirelessly. If you ever pair your controller with another device or console, you will need to re-pair it with your own console again.

Charge Controller

• If you connect a controller to the PS3 via USB while the controller is turned off, all four lights will begin to blink. This is a good thing -- it indicates that your battery is charging. Your controller will continue to blink while it charges, which can take a couple of hours if your battery was particularly low. You can use the controller to play while connected. Once you disconnect the controller, the blinking will stop.

Reset Controller

• If nothing is helping your controller cycle past the rapid blinking phase, you can try resetting the controller to the default settings. On the back of the controller on the left side is a small hole; use a long thing object to click the button inside the hole. After this, pair your controller to your console again.

Default Behavior

• The four port indicator lights will begin to blink rapidly when you first press the PS button on your controller; if the PlayStation 3 was turned off, pressing the PS button will turn it on. After a couple seconds, the port indicator will switch to your controller assignment, typically first player if no other controllers are active. When the controller starts to run low on battery, your player indicator will begin to blink, but only with the one light.

Port Indicators

• When they're not blinking little alert messages at you, the port indicators on the top of the controller are designed to tell you which player that controller is assigned to. The PS3 supports up to seven players. The first four players are assigned regular spots with one light, while the other three will have to add the sum of the two lit up port indicators together to figure out their player number.