How To Connect a PS4 Controller To a PC.how to connect ps4 controller to pc.ps4 controller on pc.ds4windows.
PC games have many strengths, one of which is that you can use almost any peripheral device you like with your computer. However, when it comes to gamepads, it seems like the Xbox controller has become the de facto standard.
Games natively have supported Xbox controllers for years, and in most cases, it’s just a matter of connecting and playing. Does this mean that there is no way to connect a PS4 controller to a PC and use it? Not at all! There are ways to make this work, and in some cases this is even the controller of choice. Let’s see what’s the matter.
PS4 Remote Play and PS Now
One of the main reasons a PC gamer might want to connect a PS4 controller to a PC is to play PS4 games on that computer. This could of course apply to emulating older PlayStation games for PS1, PS2, and PS3. All major emulators for these systems will work fine with an unmodified PS4 controller connected to a PC.
If you want to use the Remote Play app on your PC that lets you stream games from your own PS4, you can also use your PS4 controller directly. You can either use a Bluetooth wireless connection or simply connect the controller directly to your computer using a micro USB cable.
PS Now is Sony’s cloud-based game streaming service that, unsurprisingly, also supports a PS4 controller connected to a PC. It supports PS4 controller via Bluetooth or direct USB connection.
Since the Sony Playstation and Microsoft Xbox are direct competitors, you can expect Microsoft (or Sony for that matter) to go out of their way to integrate DS4 support into Windows. This is true, mainly because the PS4 controller does not support something known as “Xinput”.
The Problem of Xinput
While Windows 10 supports the PS4 controller as a standard Bluetooth device, for games to work with it, you need to do more than just plug it in. The problem comes down to Xinput and Dinput.
Xinput is the controller standard used by all Xbox controllers. Any game that supports Xinput will work with any official Xbox controller and third party controllers that support Xinput.
Other controllers must rely on Dinput, which is the common input standard used by DirectX. Dinput is deprecated but still works fine. The problem is, most games released after Microsoft integrated Xbox controller support into Windows only support Xinput. Alternatively, they can support Dinput, but did so later.
Any gamer who has tried playing Windows games with the Dinput controller will attest that this is endlessly frustrating. As you probably guessed, the PS4 controller does not support Xinput, so even after connecting to a PC, it is still difficult to use. However, there is a workaround in the form of DS4Windows.
Using DS4Windows To Emulate Xinput
DS4Windows is a third-party utility that tricks Windows into thinking that there is a real Xinput controller connected to the machine. It then takes all the inputs of your PS4 controller and translates them to the Xinput standard. This is by far the best solution for using PS4 controllers in modern games.
DS4Windows is more than just access to games that only Xinput controllers support. The software also gives you much more control over the DS4 and also allows you to take full advantage of the controller.
For example, the touchpad can be used to control the mouse pointer, which is useful in games that may not have full controller support or have some in-game actions that are easier to perform with the mouse pointer.
DS4Windows also allows SixAxis motion sensors to be used in the DS4 controller, allowing them to be mapped to game controls.
You also gain control over the lightbar, allowing you to set a color or turn it off entirely. It even has a feature where the color of the light bar can reflect the battery level. You can create multiple configuration profiles and activate them when launching certain games.
The list of features goes on, and anyone considering using their DS4 with Windows 10 should definitely use this free utility. While you can use DS4Windows via Bluetooth, a wired connection is the best solution. Bluetooth support can be quite unstable with software, and some brands of Bluetooth controllers simply won’t work as expected.
It’s worth checking if you really need wireless support, but let’s first see how to connect a PS4 controller using a cable.
How To Connect a PS4 Controller To a PC Using A Wired Connection
This is perhaps one of the simplest sets of instructions. To use a PS4 controller over USB on a Windows 10 computer, take a micro USB cable, connect the large plug to the computer’s USB port and the small plug to the PS4 controller. Congratulations, you have completed this part of the tutorial.
We’ll go over the Bluetooth method next, but keep in mind that your mileage may vary. Especially if you plan to use DS4Windows this way.
How To Connect a PS4 Controller To a PC Using Bluetooth
Connecting a PS4 controller via Bluetooth is a bit tricky.
The first thing you need to do is put your PS4 controller into pairing mode. With your controller turned off, press and hold the round PlayStation button and the Share button together until the light flashes bright white.
Now open the Start menu and search for Bluetooth, then click on Bluetooth & Other Devices Settings.
Now click on the big plus sign next to Add Bluetooth or Other Device.
Then select Bluetooth
You will see a list of available devices. The PS4 controller should show up as a wireless controller.
Click on it to complete pairing. The controller should now work with your PC.
A Second-class Citizen?
Let’s face it, if you don’t want to play games that were specifically designed for DS4 on Windows 10 or don’t have built-in support, it’s hard to recommend using them. Xinput controllers on modern Windows just work. Nothing to tweak or mess around with. You also don’t need to spend money on an expensive Microsoft controller as there are both wired and wireless Xinput controllers from other manufacturers.
Utilities like DS4Windows can make most things work, but if at all possible, consider buying an Xbox controller. You will spend much less time setting parameters and more time playing games.
If, on the other hand, you have certain apps that still fully support Dinput, or you don’t mind not having PS4 prompts and a few additional configuration levels to go through, you can use your existing PS4 controller on your computer and still have a good time. The beauty of all this is that the choice is yours!
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How To Connect a PS4 Controller To a PC
How To Connect a PS4 Controller To a PC
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how to connect ps4 controller to pc