Have you ever thought about using your PS4 controller on your Windows PC? You may be thinking that your controller is designed specifically for Sony’s PlayStation 4 console, so it may not work on a Windows computer.
But the truth is you > power! And the setup process is very easy. You don’t need any advanced computer skills to achieve this. Just follow the three easy steps below, and you’ll be able to use your PS4 controller to play your Windows games.
Step 1: Connect your PS4 controller via USB or Bluetooth
To use your PS4 controller on your PC, the first step you need to take is to physically connect it to your computer. There are two ways to connect your controller to your computer.
Method 1: Connect your PS4 controller via USB
The easiest way to connecting the controller to your Windows computer is to use a micro-USB cable. There are advantages to doing this. Once you connect it to your controller and your computer, no further configuration is required. And the cable is easy to find: a regular micro-USB cable like the ones used for modern smartphones will do the trick.
To use a micro-USB cable to connect your controller and PC:
1) Plug the smaller end of your micro-USB cable into the port on the front side of your controller (underneath the lightbar).
2) Connect the larger end of your micro-USB cable into a USB port on your computer.
3) Cable connection is complete. You can go to the next step. (If you’re on Windows 10, skip directly to Step 3.)
Method 2: Connect your PS4 controller via Bluetooth
You may not like cables. The cables are easily knotted. They tend to create confusion. And you may be wondering if you can connect it without a cable.
Yes, you can connect your controller using Bluetooth.
If your computer has a Bluetooth feature, you can pair your controller with your computer directly. But if not, you’ll need an external Bluetooth adapter to allow your computer to communicate with your controller.
There are two options you can try:
- Sony DualShock 4 Wireless USB Adapter. This is the official PlayStation Bluetooth adapter that is fully compatible with your PS4 controller.
- A third-party Bluetooth USB adapter. We recommend using Kinivo BTD-400. This is a cheaper option, but it can still recognize your PS4 controller. alt=”” />
To ensure that your Bluetooth adapter works perfectly, you must install the latest Bluetooth adapter driver on your computer. If you don’t know how to do it manually, you can do it automatically with Driver Easy.
Driver Easy will automatically recognize your system and find the correct drivers for it. You don’t need to know exactly what system your computer is running, you don’t need to risk downloading and installing the wrong driver, and you don’t need to worry about making a mistake when installing.
You can download and install your drivers using the free version or Pro from Driver Easy. But with the Pro version it only takes 2 clicks (and you get full support and a 30-day money-back guarantee): p >
1) Download and install Driver Easy.
2) Run Driver Easy and press the Scan Now button. Driver Easy will then scan your computer and detect any problematic drivers.
3) Click the Update button next to the Bluetooth adapter to download the latest and correct driver for it. You can also press the Update All button at the bottom right to automatically update all outdated or missing drivers on your computer (this requires the Pro version, you will be prompted to update when you click Update All).
Once your Bluetooth adapter is ready, it’s time to connect your devices.To do this:
1) Press and hold the Share button and the PS button on your controller until the light turns on. bar starts flashing.
2) Pair your PS4 controller with your computer. Note that the steps to do this on Windows 10 are different than on Windows 7. The following will show you how to pair your controller on these different systems.
If you are using a Windows computer 10:
i. Click the Start button, and then click Settings.
ii. Select Devices.
iii. Select Bluetooth and other devices.
iv. Select Wireless Controller, and then click Pair. The system will then pair your PS4 controller.
* If prompted for the pairing code, enter “0000“.
v. The wireless connection is complete. You can go to Step 3.
If you are using Windows 7, pair your driver with the following steps:
i. Click the Start button, and then click Devices and Printers.
ii. Click Add a device .
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iii. Select your controller and add it as a device on your computer.
* If prompted for a pair code, enter “0000“.
iv. You have set up your Bluetooth connection. Go to the next step.
Step 2: Install an Xbox 360 controller driver (if you’re on Windows 7 or earlier)
NOTE: This step is only for users on Windows 7 or lower . If you are using Windows 10, please skip this step and go directly to Step 3.
You cannot use your PS4 controller on PC if you only physically connect it to your computer. Games on Windows cannot recognize your PS4 controller directly. You need a third-party app to emulate an Xbox 360 controller (which is fully compatible with Windows) with your PS4 controller. For these applications to work properly, you must install an Xbox 360 controller software on your computer.
If you have not installed the software on your computer (you have never used an Xbox 360 controller on your computer), you need to go to Microsoft to download the software:
1) Go to the Xbox 360 Controller for Windows page.
2) Click Downloads. Then select your operating system and language. After that, click on the file below to download it.
3) Open the file you just downloaded and install it on your computer.
4) Restart your computer. Then go to Step 3.
If you have used an Xbox 360 controller or installed its controller on your computer before, you may still need to update the driver as it may be out of date. of service. of the date. You can still do this automatically with Driver Easy:
1) Run Driver Easy and press Scan Now button.
2) Click the Update button next to the driver to download the latest and correct driver.
3) Restart your computer.
The latest driver is installed. Now you can move on to the next step.
Step 3: Use a third-party Xbox controller emulator
As mentioned above, you need a third-party controller program to let your computer take your PS4 controller for an Xbox controller. This will allow you to use your PS4 controller on your PC. Here are two applications that can do this: Steam and DS4Windows.
If you’re a Steam user, you’re in luck: Your Steam client can help your computer recognize your controller. Steam has already rolled out its native support for DualShock 4.
To set up your PS4 controller in Steam:
1) Disconnect your PS4 controller. (For the wired controller, disconnect the micro-USB cable from your computer. For the wireless, go to the Bluetooth settings and unpair your controller)
2) Open your Steam client and log in to your Steam account.
3) Click on Log Mode large image (the gamepad icon) in the upper right corner of the Steam client.
4) In large image mode, click Settings in the right corner top right.
5) Select Driver Settings.
6) Check PS4 Setup Support.
7) Connect your controller to your computer. Steam will detect the controller shortly.
8) Launch a game that is compatible with the game controller in your game library. Then press the PS button on your PS4 controller. After that, select Driver Settings.
9) Modify your controller’s button settings in Controller Settings.
10) Exit Settings on the controller and enjoy your games with your controller on Steam!
If you don’t use Steam, or the game you play is not compatible with Steam settings, there are alternatives for you. Some controller emulators, such as DS4Windows, can map your PS4 controller to your Xbox controller controller.
The steps below show you how to use your controller with DS4Windows.
1) Go to the DS4Windows website. Then download and install the program.
2) Extract all files from the zipped folder you downloaded.
3) Start DS4Windows.exe in the extracted folder.
4) Choose where you want to save your settings and profiles. (Program Folder is easier to find, but requires administrator privileges to save files, while Appdata, sometimes hidden by the system, allows restricted users to access itself. Make your choice based on your own needs.)
5) Click the Step 1: Install the DS4 Driver button. It will download the driver specifically for this program.
6) Click the Install button to install this driver.
7) If you see “Installation Complete” appears on the button you clicked, the driver installation is complete. Click Finish to close the Welcome to DS4Windows window.
8) In the DS4Windows window, click the Drivers tab. Your PS4 controller will show up in the list of connected controllers.
(If not, please restart your computer. Your computer will discover the controller and your controller. After that, open DS4Windows again and you should see your controller on the list).
Now you can use your PS4 controller on your PC computer to play games. Enjoy!
- PlayStation 4 (PS4)
- Windows
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