Using a PlayStation 4 Controller with Your PC

Microsoft's Xbox controller has been the default gamepad for PC gamers for some time now, just y'all may prefer Sony's competing — and as well quite skilful — DualShock 4 controller. The good news is, you can easily configure it to work on Windows or macOS.

Besides read: The Most Memorable Game Controllers from the Final 40 Years

The PlayStation iv gamepad's ergonomic and efficient blueprint cannot be denied. Whether you lot play kickoff-person shooters, roleplaying games, or any other genre, the DS4 is crafted to feel comfy in button placement, weight, and grip. Long-time PlayStation gamers may wish to utilise it on their PC games because of its familiarity. Others opt for it instead of spending money on a new controller. And, of course, the DualShock 4 controller is perfect for playing games with the Remote Play app on your computer.

Whatever the case may exist, it is relatively simple to connect and employ the DualShock four with your computer. There are a few quirks, though, which is why nosotros thought a primer on setting upwards and using them would exist prudent.

TL;DR

First: Unpair the PS4 controller from your console. Then connect it to your PC or Mac using the original cable (or buy a longer one) or use Bluetooth. More instructions on how to use Bluetooth can be read beneath.
On Windows: Download DS4Windows and apply this to map the DualShock 4 controller and emulate an Xbox controller, so you gain native-like Os support. Steam Large Screen style also has support for the PS4 controller.
On Mac: Using the most contempo release of macOS Catalina 10.15 is highly encouraged equally that will provide with the easiest integration. Steam for Mac and few other apps provide native controller support. More particular on that below.
PS4 Remote Play: Using the DualShock four with PlayStation'southward Remote Play app is relatively painless since both PC and Mac accept built-in support.

The DualShock iv is more or less plug-and-play. It can be connected to both PCs and Macs via a compatible micro USB cable. The one that comes with the controller is fine just is a tad brusk and may not suit your computer set. Y'all can purchase a 20-human foot cable that should exist more than enough for anyone's needs.

Yet, who needs a cable when the controller is equipped with Bluetooth? Therefore this article will mostly focus on pairing it wirelessly.

Unpairing from PS4 and Pairing Mode

Whether you are planning to use your DualShock 4 with PC or Mac, you will first have to unpair it from the PlayStation, unless yous bought it new, and information technology has never been paired. If that'southward the case you may skip this step.

To unpair it, plow on your PS4 and get into the Settings bill of fare. Scroll down and open up the Devices sub-carte du jour. Select Bluetooth Devices and so DualShock four, and click on Disconnect. With your DS4 at present unpaired, y'all are set to connect it with your PC via Bluetooth, just first, you need to get the controller into pairing mode.

To initiate pairing, simultaneously press and agree the PS and the Share buttons on the DS4 for near three seconds. You will know information technology is in pairing mode when the light on the front of the controller begins blinking white in a double wink pattern (above).

Connecting the controller to PC and Mac is a similar process as explained below.

Connecting the DS4 in Windows

With the controller in pairing mode, go into Windows Bluetooth settings. Click on "Add together Bluetooth or other device." A window will pop up with the acme pick to connect to a BT device. Click information technology, and on the next screen you should see an entry for "wireless controller." Click that, and it will pair the controller.

Once the DS4 is connected, you would call up that you are set to go. Later on all, it volition clearly show that the reckoner is connected and receiving a signal from the controller — information technology may have even run some driver installs. Nonetheless, the DualShock will be useless when trying to run native games.

Since Windows does not have native support for the DS4, yous will have to trick it into thinking you are using an Xbox 360 controller, which it does support. You tin can do this by downloading and installing an open-source program called DS4Windows. You tin can download information technology from TechSpot Downloads. You won't demand this app if you lot plan to play only Steam games, which we will get to in a minute.

DS4Windows comes in a zipped file. Extract it and you volition come across ii .exe files. DS4Updater.exe only downloads the latest drivers. For now, you should be practiced, but keep this in heed if you accept bug downwards the route. The principal program is DS4Windows.exe. Run this, and your DualShock will immediately have functionality in Windows. You tin can even use the DS4's touchpad as a mini trackpad to move the cursor around. Pushing in on the pad emulates left-clicking.

With DS4Windows running in the groundwork, you should not have any trouble playing games natively on your PC using the DualShock 4. However, you may wish to customize settings in-game to suit your button preferences.

Connecting the DS4 in macOS

With the controller in pairing mode, go to your Mac's settings and open up Bluetooth Preferences. It might accept a few seconds or more than while the Mac searches for the signal, so be patient. Eventually, a listing for information technology volition appear.

We have seen various labels show up hither — "wireless controller," "DualShock four wireless controller," even the raw MAC address has shown upwards earlier. Regardless of how information technology is listed, it volition exist obvious which device is the controller.

Next to the listing, click the Connect push. After a few seconds, the wireless controller will motion to connected status. Also, the low-cal on the front of the DS4 will be a steady light blue. Now you are expert to go — well, almost. Skip to the Quirks and Game Support department to see what caveats we encountered.

Quirks and Game Support

At present for the "bad" news. Using a DualShock four on your computer can be a scrap tricky at times. A lot of it depends on your system setup and what yous are trying to practise with the controller.

Windows users relying on DS4Windows should exist good to become as long as the game y'all are playing has controller back up. DS4Windows transforms the signals from the DS4 into Xbox 360 code, so it's effectively remapped across the Bone.

We as well tested the DualShock 4 with Steam on PC, and it works great in "Large Screen" mode after a scrap of tinkering. After starting the Steam launcher in Big Screen mode, you want to click on the Settings icon (the gear in the upper correct). Click the Controller Settings tab and check the "PlayStation Configuration Support" box.

Using the DualShock 4 with PlayStation's Remote Play app is relatively painless since the apps for both PC and Mac accept congenital-in support. Nonetheless, if you lot are running a version of macOS earlier than Catalina 10.15, you volition need Sony's DS4 Bluetooth dongle. This is unfortunate because the officially supported adapter goes for most $65 on Amazon, although you lot can find them for less on eBay.

Some Redditors have reported that you tin can use any Bluetooth adapter, and this may be true, just nosotros have non tested to confirm this. We have tested the official dongle, and it solves Remote Play compatibility issues on older iterations of macOS.

With the Mac version of Steam, we encountered a few more issues and the solutions can vary a lot. The safest bet here is to run the latest macOS and Steam's 64-bit launcher which are both new and are still catching upward on receiving full support. For games that we could start, the DualShock worked fine. Big Screen manner gives you lot a very console-like experience with the benefit of PC-powered graphics, and whatever game y'all tin can launch in that mode will recognize the controller. Running Steam games outside of Large Screen fashion, the DS4 didn't work at all. It would seem that Large Screen works similarly to the PC'southward DS4Windows app, translating controller input to the game.

All-in-all, the DualShock 4 is a groovy controller for your PC with merely a few caveats. It would appear that Windows users have it easier than Mac gamers, merely that is somewhat to be expected. With that said, Apple is making strides as of late and fifty-fifty native Xbox controller support recently was fabricated available for its desktop OS.