PS4’s DualShock 4 is a great controller, and if you are wondering how to use the PS4 controller on a PC, then you are at the right place. You will get to know the step-by-step process to enjoy games on your PC via your favorite PS4 DualShock 4 controller.
You can use the PS4 controller on a PC in the following way:
- First, connect the PS4 controller to the PC using a USB cable or Bluetooth connection.
- Then, use software such as DS4Windows or Steam to map the PS4 controller functions to the PC.
As we said above, using the PS4 controller on a PC contains two significant steps. The first is to connect the controller to the PC and then map the controller’s button to the PC. The mapping is necessary as the DualShock 4 is primarily made for the PlayStation 4 and not for PC. But by using the software we mentioned below, you can easily enable the PS4 controller to be used on your PC.
How To Use PS4 Controller On PC? Connecting and mapping the controller.
We have divided the rest of the articles into two sections. The first section talks about connecting the controller to your PC. The second section talks about mapping the controller functions so that they can be used on a PC by emulating an Xbox controller.
Let’s see in detail how to go about using the PS4 controller on a PC.
Section 1: Connecting the PS4 DualShock 4 controller to PC.
How to connect the PS4 DualShock 4 controller to your PC?
There are two ways to connect the PS4 DualShock 4 controller to your PC:
- Wired Connection Method
- Wireless Connection Method
Depending on your preferences, you can use either of the ways to connect your DualShock 4 controller to a PC. Suppose you are connecting your PS4 controller for the very first time with your PC. In that case, we recommend that you first connect it via USB cable and, when the mapping is complete using the recommended software(as described in later steps), then only connect it via Bluetooth and enjoy your games wirelessly. Connecting through a USB cable first is optional and is suggested to eliminate any chances of wireless connection issues.
How to connect your PS4 DualShock 4 controller to PC via USB cable?
The Wired Connection Method is to connect the PS4 controller to the PC via a USB cable. You can do this by the following method:
- Grab a USB to micro-USB cable.
- Connect the USB type-A side of the cable to a USB Type-A port on your PC.
- Then connect the micro USB side of the cable to a micro USB port on your DualShock 4 controller.
- You have successfully connected DS4 controller to your PC.
If you prefer not to use a wired controller and want to use it wirelessly, then read on. We will get your DS4 controller connected wirelessly and that too effortlessly.
How to connect your PS4 DualShock 4 controller to your PC wirelessly?
You will need a laptop or desktop with Bluetooth functionality to follow the below steps.
You can connect the PS4 controller to your PC wirelessly via Bluetooth by following the steps below:
- Open Bluetooth settings on your Windows PC.
- Then, click on” Add a Device” and choose” Bluetooth” to search for your device.
- After that, pick up your PS4 DualShock 4 controller and hold down the PlayStation button and the Share buttons together for three seconds to get your controller in pairing mode until the light bar starts double blinking. Pro Tip: If you happen to have your PS4 nearby, you can unplug it from the power outlet so that you don’t turn it on unintentionally.
- Now Dualshock 4 controller should be visible on your PC. Select Wireless Controller from the list of Bluetooth devices to complete the pairing process.
- After the controller has been paired successfully with your PC, you will receive a message on your computer that your device is ready to go.
Congratulations! You have successfully connected the controller with your PC, which completes the first section of the guide. The Bluetooth pairing needs to be done only once. In the future, you only need to press the ‘PS’ button on your wireless controller to connect it to your PC(with Bluetooth ‘turned on’ at your PC).
You have won half the battle. The next step is to make the PS4 controller usable on a PC.
Section 2: Mapping the PS4 controller inputs to PC.
After connecting the PS4 controller to your computer, the next step is to map its input controls to your PC with the help of software application. This will allow you to play all kinds of games using the PS4 controller on a PC. You can map the controller inputs to PC by using any of the following applications:
- DS4Windows
- Steam
How to use DualShock 4 controller with PC via DS4Windows application?
Windows do not natively support DualShock 4 controller wirelessly, so we have to use the DS4Windows application to counter this. By emulating the Xbox controller, DS4Windows allows you to use DualShock 4 on your PC. You can also map the DS4 buttons inside the software.
You can use DualShock 4 controller with PC via DS4Windows application by following the below steps:
- First, download the latest software package from Github by following this download link.
- After downloading the zip file, extract the package contents to a folder.
- Double-Click the DS4Windows application to begin the setup process.
- If you don’t have .NET Runtime installed on your PC, you might also get a windows popup asking to install .NET Runtime. Click on ‘Yes’ to go to Microsoft’s website, download the ‘Run Desktop Apps’ installer, and then install the .NET Runtime.
- Next, choose ‘Appdata‘ on the installer windows. This selects the regular install path for saving profiles and settings.
- Click on” Install ViGEmBus Driver” to install the DS4 drivers on your PC; once you have successfully installed the application, you can proceed to the next step.
- If you are on Windows 7 or lower or haven’t used Xbox 360 controller on your PC before, click on install 360 driver.
- If you had connected the DualShock 4 controller to your PC as suggested via Bluetooth or USB cable, you should see your DS4 in the list of connected controllers.
- Congratulations! You have successfully set up your PS4 controller with your PC. You can map the controller buttons as per your liking and save different profiles as well. You can even set the color of the light bar according to your choice. You can do all this and much more by going to the Profile tab in DS4Windows.
How to use DualShock 4 controller with PC via the Steam application?
You can use DualShock 4 controller with PC via the Steam application by following the below steps:
- Download the latest version of Steam from here.
- Open up the downloaded file and run the executable and follow the on screen instructions. You can select your language from the list of languages that appear on the installer.
- Log in to your Steam account or Sign Up if you don’t have an account with Steam.
- Now, Click on the Steam menu button displayed on the menu.
- Click on Settings Menu from the options.
- Go to the Controller menu.
- Select General Controller Settings.
- Enable the checkbox for PlayStation Configuration Support.
- If you had connected the DualShock 4 controller to your PC as suggested via Bluetooth or USB cable, you will see PlayStation 4 controller below the ‘Detected Controller’ tab.
- Congratulations, you can now play games available on Steam with your PlayStation 4 controller.
- You can set the controller preferences such as controller light bar color by clicking on the PlayStation 4 Controller, i.e., the name of your controller.
- Please note that you can play steam-only games by using the steam client with your DualShock 4 controller. So if you want to play a non-steam game, we recommend that you use DS4Windows as described above.
- Run the Big Picture mode to start using your controller with Steam.
- You can also map the DS4 controller input to different actions for the Big Picture mode.
Summing this up, we hope that you can successfully use your PS4 DualShock 4 controller with your PC after reading this guide. Enjoy your games with your favorite PS4 controller in your hand!
You can also connect your PS5 DualSense controller to your PC, follow our complete guide at How To Use PS5 Controller On PC? With Steam or DS4Windows.
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