Game controller stands: designing adjustable cradles

Start from the published envelope, not a dimensioned drawing

PlayStation identifies the DUALSHOCK 4 wireless controller as model CUH-ZCT2 and lists an approximate external envelope of 161 × 57 × 100 mm (width × height × depth), maximum projections excluded, plus an approximate mass of 210 g. The page also lists the controls and ports for this controller. These data identify a model and give an envelope reference, not a dimensioned drawing of contact zones.

The note ‘maximum projections excluded’ means the dimensions do not fully describe every protruding feature. The sheet does not establish which points extend beyond the envelope or the shape of the grip underside. Check contact areas, controls and ports on the exact revision you will use; do not automatically transfer the envelope to another revision or a controller with accessories.

Keep the official sheet as an envelope reference. Record the controller model and the local dimensions you measure for your design; the useful things to 3D print hub is another entry point to the site’s projects.

Measure the contact zones before you model anything

Identify the surfaces that will actually support the controller in your proposed design. You can record their width and position with a ruler, calipers on accessible areas or a paper template; also note surfaces the cradle should avoid pressing. These suggested measurements are design inputs, not dimensions published by PlayStation.

The CUH-ZCT2 sheet lists the sticks, triggers, touch pad, light bar, Micro B USB port, headset jack and extension port. Use that list to inspect your own controller and check that controls or connections needed for your use remain clear. The page does not give their coordinates relative to the outer envelope.

Measure without actuating controls or deforming the grips. Calipers can help with accessible dimensions; a template or direct visual check can complement curved areas. Record the values with the accessories actually fitted so they can become model parameters.

Making the cradle adjustable: clearances and parameters

Prusa says there is no universal tolerance: size, orientation, geometry, calibration, settings and material affect fit. The page gives at least 0.2 mm as the stated accuracy for an Original Prusa and at least 0.3 mm as an initial value for moving parts. That latter value does not automatically become the clearance for a controller that is placed in and removed from a cradle. Use a test piece to tune the cradle for your printer and measured controller.

If your software supports it, turn measurements into named parameters such as contact width, resting depth, chosen tilt and clearances. Prusa says a parametric approach helps iteration; it does not qualify a particular program here or specify how quickly it regenerates a model. Adjust parameters after checking a test piece.

Prusa’s 0.3 mm reference is for moving parts, not a general value for a stand’s contact areas. Choose a starting clearance for your design, then check placement and removal on a test piece. Elephant-foot compensation can improve tolerances in some areas according to Prusa; check whether that effect appears on your first layer instead of assuming it caused a tight fit.

Choosing and inspecting contact areas

Prusa explains that a bed-facing fillet creates a steep overhang and recommends a chamfer when finish matters; a chamfer can also ease assembly of two slotting parts. Adding one to a cradle edge is a design choice to check against the controller shape, not proof of comfortable or mark-free contact.

Splitting a model into parts can help choose each piece’s orientation; Prusa also describes gluing and optional alignment pegs. Separate pads in a flexible material are another design idea, but no supplied source specifies a material, press-fit or behavior against a controller shell. If you use this option, check retention and contact on your own assembly.

The sources provide no result about marks from a printed cradle or pad. Keep contact points clear of controls and inspect your case after the normal handling you intend. A spot check is not a long-term behavior guarantee.

Orientation, overhangs and wall thickness for the stand

Prusa says an overhang between 45 and 60° may print cleanly depending on nozzle and settings; its page gives up to 75° without supports for MK4S, CORE One/+ and CORE One L with Nextruder and 360° cooling. These are conditional references, not a maximum arm angle for every printer. Review your geometry in the slicer, then compare an orientation or split-part option if needed.

Prusa compares a surface printed directly on the bed with surfaces above supports; orientation can therefore be chosen based on which face’s appearance matters. For a cradle, decide which face is visible or in contact, then inspect the chosen print’s finish. This does not guarantee a defect-free surface on every printer.

For a 0.4 mm nozzle, Prusa’s guide gives a 0.45 mm extrusion width and approximate wall thicknesses of 0.9 mm for two perimeters and 1.8 mm for four; slicer settings can change them. The guide says a wall thinner than one perimeter is not printable, but these figures do not qualify a cradle arm’s load. Choose geometry and check a prototype without inferring a capacity.

Iterate with prototypes before calling it final

Prusa recommends test prints and adjustments before considering a design final, as well as saving successive versions. To isolate contact areas, you can make a short jig containing part of the cradle. The source does not say it prints in minutes or that a partial jig qualifies the whole stand.

On a jig, check whether the controller can be placed and removed in the intended setup without pressing controls you need to preserve, and whether required ports remain accessible. After assembly, separately observe whether it rests as intended and whether the stand tips in its use location. These are suggested checks for your prototype, not a manufacturer protocol or result.

Prusa calls for checking manifold/solid geometry before slicing and recommends test prints. Once geometric interfaces are tuned, record the final print settings separately and keep the design file; a profile or material change calls for another fit check. These steps do not demonstrate any particular strength or service life.

Sources and limits

• Caractéristiques techniques (France) Sony Interactive Entertainment
• Modeling with 3D printing in mind — Prusa Knowledge Base

We organize manufacturer and community documentation; we have not measured these products ourselves. The manual for your exact model takes precedence over general guidance.