How to Use the PS4 Controller Touchpad on PC with DS4Windows?.
I play Windows games to relax, and after a long day at the computer, keyboard and mouse games just don’t work for me. Instead, I want to use the DualShock4 with games from my Steam library, but the DS4 doesn’t work natively. A quick workaround that allows us to use the DualShock4 touchpad on Windows makes a lot of sense. Let’s take a look at how to use the DS4 controller touchpad in Windows.
The touchpad gestures in PS4 games have never caught up and I hardly ever use them, if ever. However, it makes sense to use it with Windows, as I could easily switch between gaming and navigation on Windows. Jays2Kings has developed a DS4Windows utility to remap controller keys for Windows, but I just want to use the touchpad to control the cursor.
Pair your PS4 controller with Windows
First, we will pair and connect the DS4 controller to the Windows computer. Go to Settings by clicking the Settings button in the lower left corner of the Start menu.
Also read: How to Connect and Connect PS4 Controller to Android TV?
Click “Devices” to open the device settings, here we can manage all devices and add a DS4 controller via Bluetooth.
Press the + button to add a Bluetooth device, your computer will start searching for Bluetooth devices ready to pair. Now is the time to put your DS4 controller into pairing mode. Press and hold the PS + SHARE button at the same time. When the indicator on the controller starts flashing white, it means the controller is in pairing mode.
Read: How to Connect AirPods to PS4 (or Any Bluetooth Headphones)
It will appear in the list on your computer. Click “Wireless Controller” to start the pairing process.
The light on your controller turns solid and stops pulsing or blinking. This means your controller is paired and you can use it with supported apps, but if you try to use the touchpad it won’t do anything.
Must Read: How To Play PS4 On Laptop Without Remote Play
Install DS4Windows
Then we will download the DS4Windows utility to the computer. Start by downloading the program from the Github page by following this link.
Install the utility on your computer. The setup is pretty simple and shouldn’t take more than a few minutes. After that, just start DS4Windows and you should see controller information on the screen.
To add touchpad support, we will edit the DS4 controller profile, click the edit button to open the profile options.
Check the “Use as mouse” option under the DS4 controller image. You can now control the cursor on your Windows computer using the DS4 touchpad. Easy, right? Just save your settings by clicking the “Save” button at the top.
You can control the mouse cursor by swiping across the touchpad with one finger. Right-clicking can be simulated by pressing the touchpad with two fingers. The cursor moves pretty quickly through the default settings, but you can adjust the sensitivity of the cursor movement by adjusting the slide parameter.
DS4Windows can customize everything on the controller, from the color of the LED to the intensity of the rumble. You can even remap PS4 keys to execute macros. If you would like to further customize the controller keys, simply click the desired DS4 key in the DS4Window application. It will show you all the keys and buttons that can be mapped to it.
For example, I wanted the SHARE key on the DS4 to simulate a Windows button press. I can just select this from the list of options and DS4 will simulate the Windows key every time I press the SHARE button. Carefully.
That’s all you need to do to use the DS4 touchpad in Windows. DS4Windows is a powerful utility designed for gamers who want to maximize the functionality of DS4, but it serves my purpose well. If you also want to use the touchpad to control the cursor in Windows, this is the easiest way. What do you think? Does it make sense to use a DS4 controller to navigate my computer? Let me know in the comments or start a conversation with me on Twitter.
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