The Play station series has always been loved by gamers, especially if we talk about the PS4. The PS4 has managed to perform exceptionally since its release and there is no reason you can hate it. Now with the release of the PS5, the PS4 Pro users are decreasing as they are upgrading themselves to the next generation console. You would be urged to get your hands on the PS5 but there is no need to dispose of your old PS4.
In this guide, we will brief you on how you can connect and use your PS4 controller on a gaming PC. Connecting your PS4 controller to a PC does not take much time, in case you know how to connect it. There are few simple steps to get your controller configured to work on your PC, which will help you to play your favorite titles available on the PC with your PS4 controller.
Here are the steps to get connected.
How to Connect PS4 Controller to PC with wire on Windows 11?
You may be thinking that your wired PS4 controller is of no use after moving to the PS5 but this is not as it looks. Connecting a wired controller with the PC is not a difficult task and only takes a few minutes if you follow the correct ways.
- Make sure you have Windows 10 or 11 installed on your PC.
- Update your windows to the latest version.
- Plugin your PS4 controller to your PC.
- Windows 10 will automatically detect the controller and will install all the drivers.
Video Tutorial:
That’s it, there is nothing left to do after this. Your controller would be ready and you can use it to play your favorite games. If you have a wireless controller, there is no need to worry as there are many ways available to get connected which you can find through this guide.
Related: How to connect keyboard and mouse with PS4 and PS5?
How to Connect a PS4 Controller to PC without Wire?
1. Connecting PS4 Controller to PC Through Steam
The most popular gaming portal available on the PC or you can say as the marketplace for gamers as well. You can simply connect your PS4 controller through the Steam portal in a few simple steps. You can also say that this is the most easiest and reliable way of all. Almost every major PC game is available on steam and thus many gamers will find this as the best way. Below you can find the way to connect your PS4 controller with steam.
- Download the latest version of Steam. (If you already have a Steam client on your PC then update it to the latest version).
- Plugin your PS4 controller into your PC.
- Steam will automatically detect the controller and will make it ready to use.
Well, this way works in most cases, but some games might give you a tough time detecting your controller. For example, Dark Souls III will not detect your controller even if it is passed by steam. In this case, you can always move to the next possible ways like, DS4 windows or using Bluetooth.
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2. Connecting PS4 Controller to PC Using DS4 Windows
This method is best when connecting a wireless controller with your PC. Wired controllers aren’t time-consuming in connecting and so it is with the wireless controllers. DS4 windows are free to use software which helps to connect wireless or wired Dual shock 4 controllers on a PC.
For connecting a wireless controller your PC should have the Bluetooth feature, without Bluetooth you would not be able to connect. Whereas if you have Bluetooth installed in your PC or it was already integrated into your motherboard, you can read this complete guide to ultimately use your wireless dual shock 4 controllers on your PC.
DS4 windows are software that fools Windows into believing that the Dual Shock 4 controller is a Xinput controller. It takes all input of your Ps4 controller and then adds then translates them to Xinput standards. Undoubtedly this is the best solution to play modern games with a PS4 controller.
DS4 windows software not only provides you access to games that support only Xinput controllers, but also enable you to use the DS4 controller to its full potential and gives you more control over the DS4. This software also grants you the six Axis motion sensors in the Dual Shock 4 controller. Read on to know how to use DS4 windows to utilize your controller without steam.
Following are the steps:
- Step 1: Download the latest DS4 Windows version from GitHub.
- Step 2: Click the .zip file of the newest version.
- Step 3: Locate the zip file and then extract all its contents using an archive manager (7ZIP or WinRAR)
- Step 4: Open the extracted folder and then Double click on the DS4windows Executable file.
- Step 5: Click on the “Install DS4 driver” Option and wait till it completes.
- Step 6: After that Restart your system.
- Step 7: After the successful reboot plug in your Dual Shock 4 controller into your PC.
- Step 8: DS4 windows application will automatically detect your controller and will configure it on its own.
If you want to use a Wireless PS4 dual shock 4 controller, then follow these steps right after the 6th Step mentioned above.
- Step 1: Press the PS button on your controller and try to hold it for 3- 5 seconds or till the light bar on the controller starts to flash.
- Step 2: Turn on the Bluetooth and then navigate to the Bluetooth settings on your windows. (Use Windows 10 for best connectivity).
- Step 3: In the Bluetooth settings you will find the name of your controller. Click on it and then click on the “Pair” option.
- Step 4: After that move on to the DS4 application and you will see your controller fully connected and configured there.
3. Connecting PS4 Controller to PC using Wireless Sony Adapter
This is the last way that falls in this category to connect a wireless controller with your windows. We would not recommend you to use this way, as it will cost you some bucks and the most disappointing thing is that it is a discontinued item and will not work on most of the games. Still, if you want to give it a try then you can simply follow the steps mentioned below.
- Plug the Wireless Adapter in one of your USB slots on your PC.
- Plug the other end of the Cord into your PS4 controller.
- Hold the PS button and the two will automatically detect and connect with other each other.
When it was released it was a good option, but now with the availability of Bluetooth on almost every device, it would not be necessary for you to buy a device just to get the same features with lesser comfort.
After following all these steps, you will be able to use your controller on almost every latest PC title.
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Possible Errors and Fixes while using DS4 windows.
If you are facing issues while connecting the controller through the DS4 windows application, then you should follow the below-mentioned steps which can help you to overtake this situation.
1. Bluetooth device not found.
This is a major issue faced by the users while connecting a wireless dual shock 4 controller through the DS4 application. You are lucky because the below-mentioned tweaks will sort the problem away.
- If you are using a Bluetooth connector device on your PC, then plug it out and then plug it in again. After that check for the device again in the settings and hopefully, you will see your controller there.
If you are using integrated Bluetooth from the motherboard, then follow these steps.
- Update your windows to the latest version. (Sometimes a simple update can fix this type of issue, if it doesn’t work then move to the next step.
- Update the drivers manually or use a third-party application like Driver Pack Solution to update your drivers to the latest version.
- After the drivers are installed, restart your system and after that, you will be able to pair your controller with your onboard Bluetooth feature.
If all the mentioned steps don’t work for you then we would advise you to reinstall the application and as well as a new copy of windows. This can probably the best solution for you and can save you from spending some extra bucks.
That’s it for today, we hope that this guide would have helped you to connect your controller and get your hands on Big PC titles with your Dual Shock 4 controller, If you any questions regarding this guide then feel free to reach to us, by commenting in the comments section below.
