Almost all PS4 owners of any modification have a DualShock 4 controller. Most of it is used only for playing games on the PlayStation 4, but the functionality of the joystick does not end there. Did you know that this controller can be connected to any computer and used to play almost any modern video game? You can find many instructions on how to set up your DualShock 4 online, but they sound more like black magic than a setup process. In this review, we’ll cover everything you need to know to connect your DualShock 4 to your computer.
PS4 DualShock 4 controller at a glance
The original joystick for the PlayStation 4 is already a kind of benchmark in the gaming industry and a lot of games are specially developed for it. Its shape and key arrangement is convenient for almost all gamers, which is not the case with third-party gamepads. This controller can easily be used on a computer, moreover, its trackpad can replace a real mouse.
Unfortunately, when you connect the DualShock 4 to your PC, the audio jack will not work, which, however, is not a big problem, considering that you are at the computer and you can always plug headphones into its audio jack.
You don’t even need a PS4 to connect a DualShock 4 joystick. All you need is the controller itself, a Windows computer, and a USB cable. Most likely, there will be no problems with any item. In fact, before it was possible to connect a PlayStation 4 joystick to a computer, but for this it was necessary to use special programs – controller emulators. Recently Sony made it easier to sync the DualShock 4 with a computer, for which we thank them so much.
An alternative connection method is using Bluetooth wireless technology. If you have a laptop, then it probably already has a built-in Bluetooth module. In stationary PCs, there is usually no such “bells and whistles”, so you need to get a USB adapter from Sony. It simply connects to the USB connector on the system unit, after which the DualShock 4 controller is immediately synchronized with the PC. By the way, it is not necessary to buy an original adapter, any model with Bluetooth support from version 2 will do.
How to use the PS4 DualShock controller on Steam?
Steam, one of the most popular digital distribution stores, has launched an update that brings support for the PS4 gamepad on PC. Now the passage of shooters, races and other games on the PC will be available using the joystick. It can also be connected to TVs with Big Picture Steam support. In the applications themselves, all prompts for performing actions will be displayed taking into account the controller buttons.
How to set up sync:
- Launch Steam on your computer, it will automatically check for updates.
- Wait until all updates are installed.
- Connect a joystick from PS4 via USB or Bluetooth.
- Enjoy the game.
Unfortunately, this method does not work for some users or the gamepad starts to work incorrectly. But there are other ways to configure the controller, they do not need to use Steam.
How to play with PS4 controller on PC?
Currently there is no Plug & Play support. After connecting the joystick, it will not start working immediately; you will have to perform a few more preparatory steps.
Download DS4Windows
To get the controller to work on your computer, you need to install the DS4Windows software. It makes it much easier to connect the device to a PC. The program tricks Windows into thinking that an Xbox 360 controller is connected to it. The Xbox controller is known to fit into the computer, which is not surprising given that Windows and Xbox belong to Microsoft.
You can download the current assembly of the utility from GitHub, here is the link to the project page.
Installing DS4Windows
The download will result in a zip archive. Before using any files, you need to unzip them by right-clicking on the archive and selecting “Extract all …”. Next, the “Explorer” window will be displayed, in which it remains only to specify the folder to save the extracted files.
Immediately after the completion of unzipping, which takes a few seconds, 2 files will appear in the target directory:
- DS4Updater.exe is an update utility. If the controller stops working, you should run the file, after which the latest version of the program will be automatically added to the system;
- DS4Windows.exe is the software itself for installing the gamepad. You need to run it. After a few seconds, Windows will learn to recognize the DualShock 4 controller.
Setting up DS4Windows
During the first launch of the application, a window will appear asking where you need to save all the settings and control profiles of the joystick. Of course, you can set your own control scheme, but you don’t have to bother. By default, data is saved in the “appdata” folder.
In the last window, select “Install DS4 Driver”. Now the program will automatically configure the controller connection in Windows 8, 8.1 and 10. To activate joystick support on Windows 7 or older, you also need to click on “install 360 driver”.
Connecting DualShock 4 controller to PC via USB
The last point is the last one in terms of settings, but you still need to connect the gamepad itself. This can be done via USB cable or Bluetooth. All you need to do to create a cable connection is a simple USB to microUSB cable. This is the same cord that is supplied to connect your smartphone to your computer. It remains only to connect both devices with a cable. The program will automatically detect the connected device and will do whatever is necessary to make the controller usable for games.
Connecting the PS4 controller to a computer via Bluetooth
If you do not want to fool around with wires, then the PS4 controller can be connected using Bluetooth. You no longer have to be chained to a computer with a cable, but only if it has its own or a third-party Bluetooth adapter. No adapter – go straight to the electronics store. Typically, these adapters are sold for $ 5 or 300 rubles.
Once the receiver is connected, hold down the center key and the Share button on the PS4 controller. Synchronization will start after 3 seconds of holding, which will be indicated by the indicator light, which will start blinking.
On the computer, go to the Bluetooth settings, which are usually found on the taskbar in the lower right corner. In the notification panel, click on “Bluetooth” and select the type of device “wireless controller”. To connect the joystick, you may need to enter the code, if it has not changed, the standard one is 0000. That’s all, the PlayStation 4 controller is connected and ready to use.
Once the pairing process is complete, the DualShock 4 controller can be used with all controller-enabled games. Almost 90% of all games know how to work with joysticks.