How To Use Ps4 Controller On Pc 3 Simple Steps
Have you ever thought about using your PS4 controller on your Windows PC? Perhaps youre thinking that your controller is designed specifically for Sonys PlayStation 4 console, so it may not be working on a Windows computer.
But the truth is youcan! And the process of setting it up is very easy. You dont need any advanced computer skill to accomplish this. Just follow the three simple steps below, and youll be able to use your PS4 controller to play your Windows games.
How To Fix Nfs: Unbound Controller Not Working On Pc
Need for Speed Unbound is the latest entry in the long-running NFS franchise that has released a series of racing games that many consider being some of the best ever in the video game genre. NFS Heat is highly regarded as the best NFS game, leaving Unbound with a lot to live up to if it plans on surpassing the success of Heat.
NFS Unbound is currently available to play for players who pre-ordered the Palace Edition or have an active EA Play Pro subscription. And although the game is running well, some players have reported having controller issues. So in this article, well be guiding you on how to fix NFS: Unbound controller not working on PC.
Connect The Ps4 Controller To Your Pc Via Usb
Now you’ll be able to connect your PS4 DualShock 4 controller to your PC. You can do this in two ways either via a USB cable or via Bluetooth.
To connect the PS4 DualShock controller to your PC via a USB cable you just need a regular micro USB cable the same one that comes with many modern smartphones.
Once you’ve plugged the cable into both the DualShock controller and your PC, Windows should detect it, and you’ll be ready to play PC games using the PS4 controller.
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How To Use A Ps4 Controller On Steam
Here’s how to use a PS4 controller on Steam
If you already own a PS4, it’s well worth knowing how to use a PS4 controller on Steam too.
Back in 2018, Valve officially introduced support for the PS4s DualShock 4 pad to Steam and its actually impressively customizable.
Not only will it just plug and play with gamepad supported games , but you can make it so that the touchpad controls your mouse quite a trip in Windows or that camera movements are done by tilts of the gamepad.
However, learning how to use a PS4 controller on Steam isn’t quite as simple as plugging in an Xbox One pad and jumping into your game of choice especially if you want to use it wirelessly.
But we’re here to help, so heres our guide for how to use a PS4 controller on Steam.
Customize Your Ps4 Controller For Steam
Your PS4 pad is now ready to use in Steam, but to really supercharge it, return to the previous menu and play around with both Big Picture Configuration and Desktop Configuration. This will let you customize your controller in some really interesting ways both in game and generally when using Steam.
In addition to remapping every button and adjusting the sensitivity of the thumbsticks, you can also take advantage of the controller’s unique touchpad and gyroscope in a myriad of ways.Want the DualShock 4’s touchpad to behave like a mouse? Go for it. How about controlling the in-game camera by simply moving the controller? You can make that happen. If you like tweaking every possible parameter when setting up your controls for games, Steam’s DualShock 4 features could keep you busy for hours.
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Making Your Ps4 Controller Discoverable
Pair your DualShock4 controller with your Bluetooth dongle by making your PS4 controller discoverable. To do this, press the and the PlayStation button for three seconds, or until the light bar at the top of the controller shows a double blinking pattern.
Note: if the PS4 system your controller is synced to is still plugged up, then your controller might try to connect to it if you press the PS button.
Pairing A Ps4 Controller Via Bluetooth
If you dont have a Steam link game controller and dont want to use it, you can pair the PS4 controller to Steam Link with these steps.
Now, you can use your PS4 controller to play games from the game library on Steam Link.
Suppose you have connected your PS4 controller with Steam Link using a USB cable press X to remove your device. Next, plug out the USB cable from your PS4 controller and follow the abovementioned steps to pair it with Steam Link.
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Ps4 Controller To Pc Via Ds4 Windows
Connecting your PS4 controller to your PC through DS4 Windows is the best method and worth the extra work it entails to maximize your gaming experience.
The DS4 Windows program is a third-party app that can be used with Origin games and Steam Games. Downloading this software will enhance the usability of your DualShock 4 controller on your gaming PC and will avoid the need for frequent troubleshooting.
While this process is longer than using your device with a USB connection, we make it simple enough for you without wasting too much precious game time:
- the most up-to-date version of DS4 Windows from the official website.
- Extract the file you downloaded using your preferred archive manager, like 7Zip or another similar program.
- You will have two files in the folder, DS4 Windows and DS4 update. Double-click DS4 Windows to initiate installation.
- Within the dialogue box, install the DS4 driver. You may need to restart your device or wait for 15 minutes before you notice the driver.
- If you are using Windows 7 install the 360 driver, if you are using a later version, you can skip this part.
- This last part is easy, attach the DualShock 4 to your computer with the micro USB cord that came with your controller.
Even if you are using your PS4 controller to play on one of our favorite gaming laptops, this twenty-minute installation process is well worth the added steps to ensure less time figuring out why your controller isnt working.
How To Connect Ps4 Controller To Steam
Before you start using your PS4 controller with Steam, there are some preliminary actions you should take, including making sure you have the latest version of the Steam client. Follow these steps:
Make sure any nearby PlayStation 4 consoles are unplugged. Otherwise, the controller might try to sync with the console instead of your computer.
Launch Steam on your PC.
Select Steam in the top-left corner of the window to open a dropdown menu, then select Check for Steam Client Updates.
When Steam relaunches, plug your PS4 controller into a USB port on your PC.
In the Steam client window, select View > Settings > Controller > General Controller Settings.
You should see your controller under Detected Controllers. Select the box beside PS4 Configuration Support. From this screen, you can give your controller a name, change the light’s color atop the controller, and toggle the rumble feature on or off.
If Steam isn’t detecting your controller, double-check the USB cable connection. Unplugging the controller and plugging it back in sometimes fixes the problem.
Select Submit to save your changes.
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How To Connect Ps4 Dualshock Controller To Pc
Steam fully supports PS4 DualShock 4 controller. To use the PS4 controller on Steam, you should know first how to connect the PS4 controller to PC.
To connect the PS4 controller to PC, you can use the following ways:
- Using a USB to Micro USB cable. This method allows for audio passthrough via the 3.5mm headphone port on the bottom of the controller.
- Using generic Bluetooth. This allows you to connect up to 4 controllers wirelessly to a single Bluetooth receiver. But this method does not support audio passthrough via the 3.5mm headphone port.
- Using the official receiver. Sony has created an official wireless adapter for PC. This is the most expensive method but is the only way to achieve audio passthrough via a wireless connection. This receiver is only compatible with Windows and Mac, and it only allows a single controller to be connected to it at one time.
If you want to play game with friends, the second method is suitable for you. But to use this method, you should make sure your PC supports Bluetooth. Otherwise, you need to install a Bluetooth adapter. Here is the guide on how to connect the PS4 DualShock 4 controller to Windows 10 PC via Bluetooth:
Note:
How To Navigate Steam With A Ps4 Controller
In addition to playing games, you can use your PS4 controller to navigate the Steam platform. For example, you can use the joysticks as a mouse and even enable the controller’s trackpad.
Open Steam in Big Picture Mode. You can select the Big Picture icon in the top right corner of the Steam client, or you can simply press the PS button.
Select the settings icon in the top right corner.
Select Base Configurations > Big Picture Mode Configuration.
From here, you can configure the control for navigating Steam in both Desktop and Big Picture mode.
Enjoy navigating Steam using your wireless PS4 controller.
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How To Connect Your Dualshock To Your Pc Without Bluetooth Via Bluetooth
If you’re interested in connecting your DUALSHOCK to a PC that isn’t Bluetooth capable, there is one workaround. It involves a third-party device known as a wireless adapter.
As the name suggests, a wireless adapter allows you to input Bluetooth capabilities on your PC temporarily. For example, you can use an adapter like the AKNES USB Wireless Controller Adapter, which is a less expensive but still effective option to the Sony brand adapter, to connect your DUALSHOCK to, say, your Nintendo Switch.
If you’re interested in more Switch content, check out our Switch interest!
Once you have your adapter, you’re ready to connect your controller.
Fix : Reconnect The Controller
Unplugging and re-plugging the cable you use for your PS4 controller is one of the easiest fixes for the Steam Not Detecting PS4 Controller problem.
This solution takes the least of your time, and if it ends up working, you save a lot of time, so why not give it a try as a start?
Take the cable out of the controller, wait about ten seconds, and then plug it in once more. Try using some of its functions as a test.
You can also repeat this process one or two more times, but if it doesnt work, simply move on to the other solutions below.
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Using Your Ps4 Controller With Your Pc
Image via Steam
Now that its connected, its time to set it up for use. As mentioned, it really all depends on what youre trying to play and how youre trying to play it.
If the games you want to play are on Steam, its a pretty quick setup overall:
Of course, even though youll be good to for the most part, there may still be some hiccups or intermittent connection issues. Thats why option two, despite it taking a bit more time, is the recommended setup for most.
How To Connect A Ps4 Controller To Steam Using Bluetooth
If you prefer a wireless experience, you can connect your PS4 controller to Steam via Bluetooth. But before you start the connection process, ensure that any nearby PlayStation consoles are unplugged. This will eliminate the chance of the controller attempting to sync with these consoles.
To wirelessly connect your PS4 controller to Steam, follow these steps:
Your PS4 controller is now wirelessly connected to Steam. If possible, dont unplug the dongle for the controller once youve finished playing. Youll lose the paring and will need to set it up again the next time you want to play.
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Play With A Wired Connection
Despite the flexibility and comfort that comes with playing with a wireless controller, some games, especially new titles on PC require wired controllers, especially on PC. And although you might end up not getting the in-game prompts, itll most likely work and you can play the game.
Also, do try playing the game with only a single connected controller. Some PCs have faulty thunderbolt ports that become buggy when more than one controller is connected, so we recommend using just one controller and really just unplugging everything else thats occupying your USB ports.
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How To Get A Ps4 Controller To Work On Pc
Getting your PS4 controller to work directly on your PC is slightly more difficult than getting it to work on Steam.
You will need to install a software called DS4Windows and make minor adjustments to trick your Windows PC into thinking that youre connecting an Xbox 360 controller.
What youll need:
- DS4Windows application download the zip file here.
- Bluetooth USB dongle
Note: Make sure you download and install a file archiver utility for Windows software like WinRAR if you dont have one yet. Youll need this to extract the DS4Windows zip file.
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Create A Configuration For Your Playstation Controller
Once your controller is plugged in, you can create a layout for your controller. Steam will start you off with a default configuration.
On this menu, you can select a section, then select a button, and assign it a key on your keyboard to map it too.
This is the layout recommended to me by player Nicolai that seems to work really well.
LINL: steam://controllerconfig/1286830/2560003873
Make sure to add these additional settings as well:
- D-pad, set it to 4 Way
- Left analog stick, set it to Directional Pad though it should be by default
- Right analog stick, set it to Joystick Mouse, and turn down the Mouse sensitivity
- Left and Right trigger, set the soft pull and hard pull to the same key on the keyboard
Heres what it will look like on your controller.
In addition, you can use the touchpad as another way to move the mouse cursor around if youre doing this through Steam.
*** This is the point where I ran into a lot of trouble / bugs, when I went to then launch the game through Big Picture. Big Picture was recognizing my controller just fine, but the game was not, even though I had followed all the steps. One of these fixed it, but Im not sure which: Exit game, go back to Steam Big Pictures homepage, and go back to the Controller support, and try this:
How To Wireless Connect A Ps4 Controller To Steam
If you hold down the PS and buttons simultaneously on your controller, your PC might automatically detect it via Bluetooth. If it doesn’t, you might need a PS4 DualShock 4 wireless dongle to play wirelessly. Official ones can be purchased from Sony, or you can find one made by another manufacturer.
To wirelessly pair the PS4 controller with Steam:
Plug the PS4 Bluetooth dongle into your computer’s USB port.
Simultaneously hold the PS and buttons on the controller until the light on top starts flashing.
When the controller appears in the device list, press the X button on the controller to activate it.
Press the button on the end of the dongle. It should also start flashing.
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How To Connect Your Ps4 Controller To Your Pc
Obviously, the first thing youll want to do is connect the PS4 controller to your PC. For this, there are a couple different ways to do so.
You can either connect it directly to your machine via a USB micro to USB-A cable. Or, if you have a Bluetooth enabled computer, you can connect that way via your computers built-in Bluetooth or the official PlayStation Bluetooth adapter.
To pair the controller via Bluetooth, press and hold the Share and PlayStation buttons on the controller for three seconds until the light bar starts double flashing. When it begins flashing, you can access your Bluetooth menu from your system tray and select Add a Bluetooth device. Youll see your controller pop up on the list, letting you select and connect.
How To Use Ps4 Controller On Steam
How to use PS4 controller on Steam? If you want to use a PS4 controller to play Steam games, you should know how to connect the PS4 controller to PC and how to set up Steam. In this post, MiniTool Partition Wizard gives you a step-by step guide.
Do you need a controller when you play games on PC? It depends on what kind of games you are playing. If you games like RPG games, shooting games, strategy chess games, real-time strategy games, and simulation business games, keyboard and mouse is more convenient for you.
But if you play games like sports games, car racing games, adventure puzzle games, fighting games, and flying games, a game controller is more convenient for you. In addition, the game controller allows you to sit or lie down and play games. Although it can’t make your game operation better, it can make you feel more comfortable.
If you like to play Steam games, you can try using a controller. Steam supports Steam controller, Xbox controller, and PS4 controller. In the following content, I will show you how to use PS4 controller on Steam.
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