The Playstation 4's Dualshock 4 controller is the best PC controller. It's well-made, feels great in your hands, and offers superb feedback where it matters most, especially in the analogue sticks, triggers and bumpers. And while it's not quite as plug-and-play as the Xbox 360 controller, it's relatively easy to use the PS4 controller on PC thanks to an official (but optional) Bluetooth dongle.
If you're only interested in playing games on Steam, good news—thanks to native Steam support, the Dualshock 4 is completely plug-and-play!
First we'll walk you through the basics of getting your PS4 controller working on PC, either with a cable or via Bluetooth. And if you want to play games that aren't on steam with your DualShock 4, keep reading for our in-depth guide to getting your PS4 controller working with an open source tool called DS4Windows.
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What you need
Hardware
- Dualshock 4 and micro-USB cable
- Optional: Dualshock 4 USB wireless Bluetooth adapter
Software
- Xbox 360 controller driver (only needs to be installed on Windows 7)
Installation guide
1. Download the software linked above, starting with the Microsoft .NET Framework. If you're running Windows 7, install the Xbox 360 controller driver next. This driver is included with Windows 8 and 10.
2. Important step: plug your Dualshock 4 into your PC using a micro-USB cable. (If you run into any issues, try using a USB 2.0 port instead of a USB 3.0 port. Dualshock 4s are weird like that.) Now we can get DS4Windows to do its stuff.
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Bluetooth installation note: if you want to use your Dualshock 4 wirelessly, take a moment to plug in your USB wireless adapter and pair it with your controller. Simply hold the small Share button and the central circular button simultaneously until the controller's backlight starts flashing, then push on the end of the adapter until it starts flashing. Once both are flashing, they will automatically pair after a few seconds.
3. If you only want to use your Dualshock 4 to play games through Steam, congratulations, you're officially done! Steam added native Dualshock 4 support in 2016, so once you're paired or plugged in, you're good to go. Go into Steam's Settings > Controller menu to configure the controller.
Be sure to pair or plug in your controller before opening Steam or any Steam games, otherwise your controller may not be recognized. If you run into any connection issues, closing and reopening Steam should do the trick.
Read on to learn how to use DS4Windows to use your controller with games outside of Steam.
4. Download the newest DS4Windows .zip file, save it to a fresh folder, and extract its contents using 7-Zip or whatever file archiver you prefer. You'll see two applications: DS4Updater and DS4Windows. You already have the latest version, so you can ignore the updater for now.
5. Open DS4Windows and you'll see the Controllers tab. This tab displays the controllers you have connected. Since you've already plugged in your controller (or paired it via Bluetooth), it should be listed here. If it's not, close DS4Windows, reconnect your controller, then reopen DS4Windows. Don't worry about your controller's ID number; we won't be needing it.
6. Open the Settings tab in DS4Windows to configure a few things. Make sure the Hide DS4 Controller box is checked. This will prevent DS4Windows from conflicting with any game's default controller settings. For the same reason, make sure Use Xinput Ports is set to one.
Now that it's installed, DS4Windows will show up as an icon in your system tray. From the Settings tab, you can also set it to run at startup or remain active in the background. You can also update DS4Windows directly from this tab by clicking Check for Update Now at the bottom left. Above that, you'll see Controller/Driver Setup. If you run into any issues, open this setup and follow the prompts to install any missing drivers.
Using your Playstation 4 controller
DS4Windows works by reading your Dualshock 4 as though it were an Xbox 360 controller. By default, it offers a great one-size-fits-all button setup. So now that it's installed, your Dualshock 4 should behave like an Xbox 360 controller, meaning it will work with any game with Xinput support—which is to say, most every modern PC game that supports gamepads. That also means you won't get the correct Square/Cross/Triangle/Circle button icons by default in most games. Some games will give you the option, though. Look for that in settings.
You do not need to remap anything, but if you want to change some buttons or adjust sensitivity without relying on in-game options, you can. Open the Profiles tab in DS4Windows. I do not recommend making a profile from scratch, but if you really want to, click New to start one up. Otherwise, select the DualShock 4 profile and click Edit.
This screen looks complicated, but it's actually pretty simple. Let's say you want to swap your bumpers and triggers. First, find L1/R1 and L2/R2 in 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.
This opens another intimidating but simple page. 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 with the other triggers and bumpers to complete the change and prevent redundancy. You can save this button setup as a separate profile and swap between profiles in the Controllers tab.
How to connect your PS4 controller via Bluetooth
Pc Game Controller Xbox
If you followed the Bluetooth installation steps above, you should be able to use your controller wirelessly. Luckily, you don't have to pair your controller every time you want to use it. As long as you don't unplug the adapter, it will save its last connection, so you can just tap your controller's central Playstation button to reconnect it.
The official Sony Dualshock 4 USB wireless adapter is far and away the best Bluetooth option. You may have to hunt for it or spend a little more than you would on a standard Bluetooth dongle, but it's worth it for its out-of-the-box functionality.
Not a controller person? Here's a round-up of the best gaming keyboards, and best gaming mouse.
Controller games that we liked to play on PC.
We decided it was time to break off a section for all of the controller games that you can play with your Xbox controller. In particular we will be focusing on controller games which allow for couch/party mode. This is the mode that is most highlighted with games such as Smash Brothers on nintendo consoles where a bunch of people all gather around one unit with a large TV instead of the more traditional LAN party environment where everyone is networked on their own individual PC. Any game that allows for more then one person to play on a single PC and preferably multiple people would qualify as a couch and/or party game.
So to anyone reading this you are welcome to throw suggestions into the comments below. As we are not as synced with the gaming community as we once were we may miss some gems from the indie game scene which would be awesome to play.
Read on if you want to know more.
What blog posts that started the controller games suggestion catagory.
There is two blogs that people tend to really like on my site dealing with gaming and in particular setting up controllers for the PC for couch/party gaming.
Adapter Cost: $5-$9(USD)*
Controller Cost: $12-$45(USD)*
This is the one that started it all. China is making receivers by the thousands which is really good because there is hundreds of thousands fo Xbox 360 Controllers out there in the wild. With a little bit of driver manipulation your old Xbox 360 controllers hooked up wireless for some professional couch/party action.
Adapter Cost: $1-$7(USD)*
Controller Cost: $1-$20(USD)*
The original controller which came with the 1st generation Xbox can still be used to this very day! Often times you will find controllers like the Original Xbox at places like thrift stores and used video game stores for ultra cheap as no one wants them anymore. There is a handful of wireless classic Xbox controllers but the wired ones are the cheapest of them all. With a little bit of splicing of USB cables to fit a regular PC port you too can use these blast from the past controllers on all of your modern games.
Logitech Pc Game Controller Driver
Other methods not mentioned in blog postings.
Adapter Cost: $7-$12(USD)*
Controller Cost: $5-$15(USD)*
There’s also many Playstation 2 to USB adapters. But as mentioned in a blog involving StepMania. There is some known latency depending on what kind of USB chipset these adapters are hooked to. I should note that you can get wireless PlayStation 2 controllers but you will be paying more for those.
This is a cheap and quick alternative for those looking for couch gaming action with their friends.
Adapter Cost: $15-$25(USD)*
Controller Cost: $25-$60(USD)*
If you are starting from ground zero when it comes to controllers for your PC and you’re willing to spend the cash then an Xbox One Controller paired with a Xbox One Wireless Adapter may be the way for you as well. The latest gen Xbox One Controller corrects the terrible D-Pad issue while also offering a better interface for USB charging. Although it’s not necessary to have the wireless Adapter to actually USE the Xbox Controller. It makes the gaming experience that much more enjoyable.
Controllers you will want to avoid.
Controller Cost: $7-$20(USD)*
If there is one word of caution I will give to anyone reading this is to stay far away from both the wired Chinese controller as well as the wireless Chinese controllers. Although the wireless adapters they make for the OEM Xbox Controllers are good enough these controllers are not to the same level of quality as what you would find on a OEM Xbox controller.
Level of quality
The analog sticks are overly sensitive due to the low-to-high envelope. The analogs use cheap variable resistors which have little middle ground when moving around. The BAXY buttons lack any sort of “click” to them and the lower shoulder buttons that you would think would behave like analogs do not and sometimes the buttons even stick!
Also note that the wireless adapter given with the wireless controller may not even be 2.4Ghz! It’s proprietary and/or it could be dumbed down to radio signal quality! You will note most Chinese Xbox Controller have no “X” symbol on the middle start button. No where on these controllers will you find the word “Microsoft” anywhere on them.
Controller incompatibility issues!
To add insult to injury. Some of these controllers on Ebay don’t even sync with an actual Xbox 360 because they give out a USB manufacture ID that doesn’t match anything in the dashboard listing. This leaves you to use such controllers on the PC only.
Time to get your money back!
If you get these controllers. My advise to you is get your money back on them as often times the description they post on Ebay for controllers like the ones above is so misleading that you can easily win your money back just off of “Product not described”.
If you got one of these from North American company GameStop. It’s because the employee can’t even tell the difference. Or ,the manager at said GameStop has no soul. Either way get your money back if you can!
Other Crazy notes about these controller suggestions.
“*” – Controller cost can vary from country to country. Low-prices can be based on the used/refurbished market and prices may or may not include shipping and handling. Also note depending on the article such as original Xbox cost is reduced to $1 as often these require hardware do-it-yourself level modification which has a minimum $1 cost set.
Onward to the controller games!
Alright, now with the history out of the way lets dive right into the various games that you can play with controllers on PC. Once again please understand that this is not a complete list and there’s plenty more games still out there. We will try to provide as many links as possible to acquire the game.
- Maximum Players: 4
- Network Mode: Yes
- DRM: No
- Available on:Steam , Humble Bundle.
Description: This is a side scrolling fully destructive platformer where it can be played in single player or with a party as you run around screaming “MURRICA!”. With an almost uncomfortable amount of firepower blowing everything up in your path. Controller wise it simply works! We didn’t feel any need to re-map any of the controls for Broforce. Go get it!
- Maximum Players: 8
- Network Mode: Unknown (Currently in development)
- DRM: Unknown (Currently in development)
- Available on:Steam
Description: 45 degree 3-d fighting game. Although not too much fun in single player mode Gang Beasts has the potential of being the next Smash Brothers for the PC world. With generous abuse of the physics engine your fighters flop around an arena in order to knock each other out. Controls are easy to map but can be a little bizarre to master due to the nature of this game.
- Maximum Players: 4
- Network Mode: No.
- DRM: Unknown.
- Available on:Steam
Description: 2-d space jousting game with a lot of retro new-wave artwork. Works really well with just about every controller we hooked up to this game.
- Maximum Players: 4
- Network Mode: Yes.
- DRM: Unknown.
- Available on:Steam
Description: 2-d versus game with multiple modes and AI support. Cross-Platform multiplayer support and available for MAC for those who can get their Xbox controller working there.
- Maximum Players: 4
- Network Mode: No.
- DRM: No.
- Available on:Steam
Description: Top-Down bullet hell shooter which is fun to play in both single player and multiplayer. Controller support for virtually any controller as it only needs 3 buttons and direction pads to play.
- Maximum Players: 4
- Network Mode: No.
- DRM: No.
- Available on:Steam
Description: 45 degree 3-d game where it’s a game about avoidance while throwing your fellow woodland creatures under a bear. Automatically configured for Xbox game controllers so you are good to go.
- Maximum Players: 4 (8-player with another PC network connected)
- Network Mode: Yes.
- DRM: Unknown.
- Available on:Steam
Description: Rocket League is full 3-d with split screen mode for local player support. An additional PC is required for 8 player team-on-team support. This game works very well with the Xbox controller.
Final thoughts.
As stated in the start of this entry this is far from a complete list of PC based Couch/Party games that are available. You are welcome to leave comments below and I shall periodically update this list. I thank you for checking out our little blog and hope you have a wonderful day.
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