How to connect a playstation controller to a pc

Using the DualShock 4 on PC isn’t the most modern option, but if you don’t have an Xbox controller handy or a fancy new console, the PS4 controller is a perfect backup—or even better, depending. where are you from just like your analog sticks.

For years, the PS4 controller was one of our favorite PC gaming controllers (opens in new tab), and it still feels great in your hand. The design maintains the classic DualShock shape and feel, but with updated joysticks and triggers that are better suited for modern shooters and action games than older models. It’s a reliable gamepad, though not nearly as exciting as the PS5’s DualSense controller (opens in a new tab).

Unfortunately, the DualShock 4’s use of generic DirectInput controllers, as opposed to XInput used by the Xbox controllers, it means using a PS4 controller on PC isn’t as easy as plugging in an Xbox gamepad and pressing start. But it’s really not that much more complicated.

Getting the DualShock 4 to work on PC is fairly trivial thanks to Steam, the PC gaming community, and an official (optional) Bluetooth dongle. If Steam is where you play all your games, its native DualShock 4 support makes it just as plug-and-play as an Xbox gamepad. Thanks Valve!

To get started, we’ll walk you through getting your PS4 controller working with Steam, which only takes a few seconds. If you want to play non-Steam games with your DualShock 4, DS4Windows is the tool for you and we’ll help you get set up.

Settings

What you need

Hardware

• Dualshock 4 PS4 controller
• A micro-USB cable
• (Optional) Dualshock 4 Wireless Bluetooth Adapter USB or other Bluetooth media

Software

• Steam
• OR Microsoft .NET Framework 4.5 (available opens in a new tab)
• DS4Windows (opens in a new tab)

Working with Steam

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Using a PS4 controller in Steam

1. Open Steam
2. Go to Settings in the top left dropdown menu
3. Open the Driver tab
4. Click General Driver Settings
5. Register the device to your account
6. Change r preferences
7. Calibrate joysticks
8. Mark PlayStation Settings n Support
9. Remap from Settings Tab Controller/In-Game

Thanks to the official Steam Support, there is almost no setup involved in getting your PS4 controller working on Steam . Just make sure to pair or connect your controller before opening Steam or any Steam game, otherwise your controller may not be recognized (click the link to go to the Bluetooth section of this guide).

If you run into any connection issues, closing and reopening Steam should do the trick. Otherwise, try using a USB 2.0 port instead of a USB 3.0 port. DualShock 4s are just that weird.

Once connected, navigate to Steam’s settings menu under the top left dropdown menu to get things running smoothly. On the Driver tab, open General Driver Settings; You should see your driver listed under Detected Drivers. From here you can sign it into your account, so it will remember your settings on any PC you sign in to.

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Click Preferences to rename or change lighting and vibration settings. You can also click Calibrate to adjust the joysticks and gyro if you need. One top tip: click the checkbox next to PlayStation Configuration Support if you want to be able to do additional controller configuration on a per-game basis.

Back in the Controller tab of the Configuration menu, you can also configure your driver for Big Picture and Desktop use, and even configure guide button chord settings.

DS4Windows Installation

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How to Install DS4Windows for non-Steam games

1. Download Microsoft .NET Framework (opens in a new tab) </li
2. For Windows 7, get the Xbox 360 Controller Driver(opens in a new tab)
3. Connect the controller or Bluetooth dongle
4. Download DS4Windows (opens in a new tab) and extract
5. Open DS4Windows
6. Check the connection in the Drivers tab
7. In the Settings tab Hide DS 4 Controller
8. Set Use Xinput ports to one
9. Edit/Create a profile and reassign </li

If you’re just playing Steam games, you don’t need to install anything else!

First, download the latest version of the Microsoft .NET Framework. If you still can’t run Windows 7, please install the Xbox 360 controller driver below. This driver is included with Windows 8 and 10.

Before doing anything else, connect your PS4 controller via micro-USB directly to your PC, or pair it (opens in a new tab) via the Bluetooth menu, or with a USB wireless adapter .

Download and extract the newer DS4Windows .zip file below and open it. You can ignore the DS4Updater if you already have the latest version.

Any controllers you have connected will be displayed in the Controllers tab. If not, close DS4Windows, reconnect your controller, and then reopen the software. Don’t worry about your controller ID number, we won’t need it.

Next, open the Settings tab in DS4Windows to configure a few things. Make sure the Hide DS4 Driver box is checked. This will prevent DS4Windows from conflicting with the default driver settings of any game. For the same reason, make sure Use Xinput Ports is set to one.

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From the Settings tab, you can also set DS4Windows to run at startup or stay active in the background. You can also update DS4Windows directly from this tab by clicking Check for updates now at the bottom left. On top of that, you’ll see the driver/driver settings. If you have any problems, open this setup and follow the prompts to install the missing drivers.

DS4Windows works by reading your DualShock 4 as if it were an Xbox 360 controller. That means you won’t get the correct Square/X/Triangle/Circle button icons by default in most games. Some games will give you the option to switch, but either way, it will now work with any game that supports Xinput, ie. most modern PC games that support gamepads.

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You don’t have to remap anything, but if you want to change some buttons or adjust sensitivity outside of the in-game menus, just open the Profiles tab in DS4Windows. If you feel confident, click New to start a new profile, although that’s easier said than done. If not, select the DualShock 4 profile and click Edit.

Suppose you want to swap the bumpers and triggers. First, find L1/R1 and L2/R2 on the scroll wheel in the Controls section, or just click them on the virtual controller. You want to swap L1 with L2 and R1 with R2, so start by clicking L2.

Then just click the button you want L2 to act as, in this case, L1. Voila, your left trigger will now act as your left bumper. Repeat this process for the other triggers and bumpers to complete the change and avoid redundancy. You can save the settings for this button as a separate profile and switch between profiles in the Drivers tab.

Connect via Bluetooth

How to connect your PS4 controller via Bluetooth

1. Hold down the Share and PS button on the controller until it flashes
2. Make sure your PC’s Bluetooth is enabled
3. Add your driver in your PC’s Bluetooth menu
4. Pairing should happen automatically

To connect your PS4 controller via Bluetooth, simply press and hold the small Share button and the middle circular button simultaneously until the backlight of the controller starts blinking. If you own the now-discontinued official PlayStation adapter, press the button until it starts blinking. Once both are flashing, they will automatically pair after a few seconds.

Don’t have the official Sony adapter? It’s ok, another Bluetooth adapter should work too. For a PC with built-in Bluetooth (or if you have a generic USB dongle), simply press the Windows key and type “Bluetooth” to open the Bluetooth and device settings menu. Click “Add Device” and search for the driver. Once it’s flashing, you should see it listed here.

Fortunately, you don’t have to pair your controller every time you want to use it with the official adapter. As long as you don’t unplug the adapter, it will save your last connection, so you can just tap the center PlayStation button on your controller to reconnect it. Windows needs to remember the driver, too, so if you’re not using it on a console in the meantime, it should quickly re-pair with your PC.

The official Sony DualShock 4 USB Wireless Adapter is the fastest Bluetooth option simple. You may have to search for it or spend a little more than you would for a standard Bluetooth dongle, but it’s worth it for its out-of-the-box functionality if you can find a cheap one. Otherwise, use regular Bluetooth or choose the simplest route: a cable.

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