There are many processor chips on PCs and game consoles that vary from each other. Each has its clock speed that plays a significant role in determining the overall speed of your device. Clock speed means running multiple tasks in a second, ultimately affecting the speed and processing of your PC and consoles. Studies have shown that overclocking your PS5 controller can decrease the wired latency. This might be a game-changer for some of the PS5 owners out there.

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In this article, we explore the steps to overclock a PS5 controller. In addition, we’ll discuss the pros and cons of the process and other terminologies.

What is Overclocking?

Overclocking is the process of increasing the speed of your PC, console, or controller to meet its processing threshold. In doing so, your device’s processor is pushed to its maximum clock speed. Overclocking the CPU, graphics, or controller, in the case of PS devices, forces the clock rate beyond the standard set by the manufacturer.

Overclocking has extended to being performed on console gamepads as well. Upon executing the process, it can drop the latency of PS5 from an 11.1-millisecond average to a whopping 3.7 millisecond. In our preliminary test, we found that the controller of PS5 can be overclocked to an 8000 polling rate. The initial rate for a PS5 controller is 250. The effects of overclocking the PS5 controller were visible when gaming. All the controls felt much smoother and the feedback was very accurate. The controller after overclocking could be compared to a high-end gaming mouse with the standard polling rate of 1000.

In the controller’s case, the polling rate is the same as 1000, however, each feedback is received 8 times. In addition to the in-game performance, the menus also felt a lot smoother when the controller was overclocked.

How to Overclock a PS5 controller?

Overclocking your Playstation 5 controller is relatively simple, just follow the steps listed below:

Download WinRAR. (https://www.win-rar.com/download.html?&L=0)
Download the Overclocking Driver/ software for the PS5 controller. (https://github.com/LordOfMice/hidusbf)
Use a USB-C cable to connect the PS5 controller through any PC.
Extract all downloaded files.
Open the ‘Driver’ file from the list of extracted files.
Set up the file and allow all changes requested.
A new tab appears. Go to the top left, and search for ‘Devices.’ Click on the drop-down, and choose ‘All.’
Change to ‘1000’ on the right of ‘Filter on Device.’ Check ‘Filter on Device.’
Click on Install Service.
Disconnect the controller and reconnect (Unplug the controller and plug it in again).
With the ‘Rate’ column at 1000, the controller’s latency can be as low as 1 ms.

Using Screen Panels

The above-mentioned overclocking process works well with a compatible monitor with the least response time. If you want a monitor to help experience the overclocked performance, recommend using a TN (Twisted Nematic) or VA (Vertical Alignment) screen panel. There are no noticeable impacts on the hardware after overclocking the gamepads. However, users should carefully select their devices to prevent other devices from disabling them. There are instances of users disabling stereo during the process. In such a case, reverting the entire process could keep those problems at bay.

Additionally, repeating the same process can restore the overclocked controller. All we need is to uncheck ‘Filter on Device’ and select ‘Default’ by clicking the dropdown button. The users should deactivate and reactivate the controller to experience the change.

Pros and Cons of Overclocking Your Controller

The main reason for overclocking a controller or a device, in general, is for improvement in speed or processing. The application of overclocking is useful, and it brings along some problems as well. Let’s discuss the merits and demerits of overclocking below:

Pros

There is no better way to boost your device’s performance than overclocking. There is an increase in graphics performance from the processing power of your device and gamepads.

The benchmark scores will hit new scores than your device ever could. There is also a significant decrease in input lag due to increased processing providing a better gaming experience and control.

In addition to that, you can save a lot by overclocking an existing device than getting a new one. Most of the Chips go through the same assembly line with the same computing power.

The chips with problems are taken out and ‘throttled down, and set at a lower processing speed to ensure durability and quality. In this way, the chips that we use can have more processing power than industry-set standards.

Cons

First of all, overclocking your PS5 controller will tamper with its programmed software. Thus, it voids the warranty that comes with the purchase. Even though there aren’t known proofs of malfunctioning, it might occur in rare cases. In any case, you should be prepared for the risk factor before you decide to overclock your PS5 controller.

Overclocking sends more power through the processor and increases the device’s temperature. The process requires an additional cooling mechanism to mitigate the increasing temperature. The user can add thermal paste between the cooler and CPU to conveniently dissipate heat.

The warranty might be void since you’re tampering with the predefined clocking standards. Although some manufacturers still accept guarantees after overclocking, there is a chance that you might lose your warranty on the other manufacturers.

Moreover, unlocking the clocking standard previously set by the manufacturers increases the risk of overclocking. It can lead to frequent glitches frustrating the user and sometimes frying the processor due to extensive heat leading to permanent loss of files and work. Overclocking can decrease the functional lifespan of the CPU. Further, the need for increased power increases the electricity bill as well.

Conclusion

The process of overclocking your PS5 controller is relatively simple and can do wonders with your device. However, your controller might heat up due to boosts in clock speed. Performance-craving gamers can make the most out of their controllers by overclocking them. This not also boosts performance but also makes the overall gaming experience better. Like every other equipment hack, it does have its drawbacks. But the odds of the malfunction are very less and should not stop you from getting the most out of your PS5 controller.