Turn Your PS4 Controller Into a Powerful Vibrator
The DualShock 4 packs two classic rumble motors, and there's a good chance one is already sitting in a drawer. Massage Controller connects over Bluetooth and puts them under your control.
The DualShock 4 packs two classic rumble motors, and there's a good chance one is already sitting in a drawer. Massage Controller connects over Bluetooth and puts them under your control.
A quick look at Massage Controller driving a DualShock 4.
It uses the classic rumble design: weighted motors that spin to produce a deep, solid vibration, much stronger than the small motor inside a phone.
One in each grip. The left one runs heavier and lower, the right one lighter and faster, so you can mix them for very different sensations.
You may already own one. If not, DualShock 4 pads are easy and inexpensive to find second-hand.
Set intensity and frequency independently. Slow and deep, or fast and sharp, and anything in between.
The controller does the vibrating, not your phone. Your battery stays where it is, and nothing gets warm in your pocket.
Every DualShock 4 has Bluetooth, so any PS4 pad will do. Older PlayStation controllers are a different story.
| Controller | iPhone | Android |
|---|---|---|
| DualShock 4, newer model (2016 and later) | Yes | Yes |
| DualShock 4, original model (2013–2016) | Yes | Yes |
| PS5 DualSense (see the PS5 guide) | Yes | Yes |
| PS3 DualShock 3 | No | No |
The PS4's settings let you turn vibration on or off, but it only ever fires when a game asks for it. Massage Controller pairs with the pad directly and hands the controls to you.
Free to start, on iOS and Android.
With the controller off, press and hold the PS button and the Share button (top left of the touchpad) for about five seconds. The light bar starts flashing white in quick double bursts.
Open Bluetooth settings and tap DUALSHOCK 4 Wireless Controller when it appears. The light bar stops flashing once connected.
Open the pattern list, choose Continuous or any of the other 20+ patterns, set your force and speed, and hit play. It keeps running until you stop it, including in the background. There's more on sustained vibration in our guide to making a controller vibrate constantly.
Create a session, share the link, and whoever opens it controls your DualShock 4's vibrations in real time from their own phone, anywhere in the world. No account, no name, no profile, and you can stop the session instantly.
Pair it with Massage Controller, choose the Continuous pattern, set your force and speed, and press play. It keeps running until you stop it, even in the background. The PS4's own settings can't do this. There's more detail in our guide to making a controller vibrate constantly.
No. The app supports the DualShock 4 and the PS5 DualSense, but not the PS3's DualShock 3, which can't pair with a phone like a normal Bluetooth controller.
That message is Android-specific. It means the pad paired correctly, but your Android version or your manufacturer's software layer doesn't expose controller vibration to apps. It isn't something the app can work around. In the meantime it falls back to your phone's own motor, and a future system update may add support. iOS isn't affected.
Yes. Plug it into the console with a micro-USB cable and press the PS button. It pairs back with the PS4 and works as normal.
Not as long as you keep using it with your phone: turn on Bluetooth, press the PS button and it reconnects on its own. If you pair it back to your PS4 in between, just repeat the pairing steps above.
The app also works with the PS5 DualSense, Xbox controllers and, on iPhone, Nintendo Switch controllers. With no controller connected at all it falls back to your phone's built-in motor, which is noticeably weaker.