You may be a part of the PC Master Race. You may have built a high-end gaming PC and may have even invested in a good gaming keyboard and mouse. But like it or not, there are some games that are just meant to be played with a controller. And one of the best controllers out there is the Sony’s Dualshock 4 controller that comes bundled with the PlayStation 4.
In this article we’ll be looking at how you can connect Sony’s Dualshock 4 controller to your PC.
Let’s get started!
Table of Contents:
- Downloading DS4Windows
- Installing DS4Windows
- Setting Up DS4Windows
- Connecting the PS4 controller to your PC via USB
- Connecting the PS4 controller to your PC via Bluetooth
- Personalizing your controller with DS4Windows
- Conclusion
Download DS4Windows
It would have been great if the Dualshock 4 controller were plug-and-play compatible with your PC. But unfortunately, it is not. This is why you will be needing a third-party program called DS4Windows. DS4Windows requires a bit of figuring out, but once it’s set, it makes it possible to use your PS4 controller on your PC as if it were plug-and-play. And it achieves this by tricking your computer into believing that it is an Xbox 360 controller. This trick works since an Xbox 360 controller is compatible with Windows.
To download DS4Windows, visit its GitHub page and download the latest build.
Install DS4Windows
Once you’ve downloaded the latest build of DS4Windows from GitHub, locate and extract the downloaded Zip file. Once the extraction process is complete, open the folder where you’ve extracted the files. There should be two files there: DS4Updater.exe and DS4Windows.exe.
Double click on DS4Windows.exe. The installation wizard should pop up. Follow the on-screen instructions.
DS4Updater.exe, on the other hand, will keep your DS4Windows program updated. So if you ever encounter problems with DS4Windows in the future, the first thing to try should be running this file.
Setting Up DS4Windows
The first time you launch DS4Windows, you will have to configure the settings. Under the section where it asks you the location for your settings and profiles, select ‘Appdata’.
Click on ‘Install the DS4 Driver’ to setup DS4Windows. If you’re on a Windows 8, Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 PC, this is all you need to do to set up DS4Windows.
If instead, you are on a Windows 7 PC you will have to click on ‘Install 360 Driver’ after you install the DS4 driver.
Connect the PS4 controller to your PC via USB
Now that DS4Windows has been installed on your computer, you are ready to start using your PS4 controller on your PC. There are two ways to connect a Dualshock 4 controller. It can either be connected wirelessly via Bluetooth, or it can be connected with a USB cable.
If you decide to go with the wired option, get a micro USB cable (like the one that charges your smartphone). Now at this point, with DS4Windows installed, your PS4 controller is pretty much plug-and-play compatible. All you have to do is connect the USB cable to your computer and windows will automatically detect it.
If this does not work, the problem could be in the USB cable. Try using a different cable. If all else fails, try a hand at connecting the controller via Bluetooth (instructions in the next step).
Connect the PS4 controller to your PC via Bluetooth
The Dualshock 4 controller was by default meant to be used as a purely wireless controller. We believe you can get the most of it only if you’re using it wirelessly. Let’s look at how you can achieve this on your PC.
First open the DS4Windows application that you installed earlier. If you’re on Windows 10, click on Start and then type “Bluetooth and other devices settings”. Click and open the search result. Now click on the ‘+’ button in front of Add Bluetooth or other device. Now click on “Bluetooth”.
If you’re on an older device, you should find the Bluetooth option in the system tray below. Right-click on the Bluetooth icon and select Add a Bluetooth device.
Make sure your PS4 controller is turned on. Make it discoverable by pressing the PlayStation button and the Share button simultaneously for 3 seconds. The light at the top of the controller should light up with a double blink. Now your DualShock 4 controller should be detected by Windows as “Wireless Controller”. Click on it.
And voila! Your PS4 controller is now connected to your PC via Bluetooth.
Personalize your controller with DS4Windows
We’ve successfully connected a DualShock 4 controller to a PC. And now, we’ll be looking at how you can personalize your controller via DS4Windows.
To do this, open the DS4Windows application and click on the Profiles tab. You can now do all kinds of things such as giving your controller a name or adjusting the colors of the controller light. Play around with the options and have fun.
Conclusion
This concludes our tutorial on how to connect a PS4 controller to PC. We used an application called DS4Windows and we discussed both wired and wireless methods of connecting the Dualshock controller to a PC. Hope you found this article useful.
