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

Besides read: The Most Memorable Game Controllers from the Terminal xl Years

The PlayStation 4 gamepad's ergonomic and efficient pattern cannot be denied. Whether yous play first-person shooters, roleplaying games, or whatever other genre, the DS4 is crafted to feel comfy in button placement, weight, and grip. Long-time PlayStation gamers may wish to use 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 unproblematic to connect and use the DualShock 4 with your computer. In that location are a few quirks, though, which is why we thought a primer on setting up and using them would be prudent.

TL;DR

  • Outset: 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 apply Bluetooth. More instructions on how to apply Bluetooth tin be read below.
  • On Windows: Download DS4Windows and apply this to map the DualShock iv controller and emulate an Xbox controller, so you gain native-like OS support. Steam Big Screen mode also has support for the PS4 controller.
  • On Mac: Using the well-nigh recent release of macOS Catalina x.15 is highly encouraged equally that volition provide with the easiest integration. Steam for Mac and few other apps provide native controller back up. More detail on that below.
  • PS4 Remote Play: Using the DualShock 4 with PlayStation's Remote Play app is relatively painless since both PC and Mac accept congenital-in support.

The DualShock four is more or less plug-and-play. Information technology tin can exist connected to both PCs and Macs via a compatible micro USB cable. The one that comes with the controller is fine merely is a tad short and may not suit your reckoner ready. Yous can buy a 20-human foot cable that should exist more than than plenty for anyone's needs.

All the same, who needs a cable when the controller is equipped with Bluetooth? Therefore this article volition by and large focus on pairing it wirelessly.

Unpairing from PS4 and Pairing Way

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

To unpair information technology, turn on your PS4 and become into the Settings menu. Coil downwards and open the Devices sub-menu. Select Bluetooth Devices and then DualShock 4, and click on Disconnect. With your DS4 now unpaired, you are set to connect it with your PC via Bluetooth, just first, you demand to get the controller into pairing mode.

To initiate pairing, simultaneously press and hold the PS and the Share buttons on the DS4 for about three seconds. You will know it is in pairing mode when the light on the front of the controller begins blinking white in a double flash blueprint (higher up).

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

Connecting the DS4 in Windows

With the controller in pairing style, get into Windows Bluetooth settings. Click on "Add Bluetooth or other device." A window volition pop up with the summit option to connect to a BT device. Click it, and on the next screen you should come across an entry for "wireless controller." Click that, and information technology will pair the controller.

Once the DS4 is connected, you would recollect that you lot are set up to get. Afterward all, it will conspicuously show that the figurer is continued and receiving a betoken from the controller — information technology may take even run some driver installs. All the same, the DualShock will be useless when trying to run native games.

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

DS4Windows comes in a zipped file. Extract it and yous will see two .exe files. DS4Updater.exe just downloads the latest drivers. For now, you should be good, but keep this in heed if you lot have issues down the road. The main plan is DS4Windows.exe. Run this, and your DualShock will immediately accept functionality in Windows. You can fifty-fifty use the DS4'southward touchpad as a mini trackpad to move the cursor effectually. Pushing in on the pad emulates left-clicking.

With DS4Windows running in the background, you should not have whatsoever trouble playing games natively on your PC using the DualShock 4. Even so, y'all may wish to customize settings in-game to suit your push preferences.

Connecting the DS4 in macOS

With the controller in pairing mode, get to your Mac'south settings and open up Bluetooth Preferences. It might take a few seconds or more while the Mac searches for the signal, so be patient. Eventually, a listing for it will appear.

We have seen various labels testify upwards here — "wireless controller," "DualShock four wireless controller," even the raw MAC accost has shown upwards earlier. Regardless of how it is listed, it will exist obvious which device is the controller.

Next to the listing, click the Connect button. Afterward a few seconds, the wireless controller will move to connected status. Also, the calorie-free on the front of the DS4 will be a steady light blue. Now yous are good to go — well, almost. Skip to the Quirks and Game Back up department to see what caveats we encountered.

Quirks and Game Support

At present for the "bad" news. Using a DualShock 4 on your figurer can be a bit catchy at times. A lot of it depends on your system setup and what you are trying to do with the controller.

Windows users relying on DS4Windows should be good to go every bit long equally the game you are playing has controller support. DS4Windows transforms the signals from the DS4 into Xbox 360 lawmaking, and so it'due south effectively remapped across the OS.

We also tested the DualShock iv with Steam on PC, and it works slap-up in "Big Screen" mode subsequently a fleck of tinkering. Afterward starting the Steam launcher in Big Screen mode, y'all want to click on the Settings icon (the gear in the upper right). Click the Controller Settings tab and cheque the "PlayStation Configuration Support" box.

Using the DualShock 4 with PlayStation'south Remote Play app is relatively painless since the apps for both PC and Mac take built-in support. However, if you are running a version of macOS earlier than Catalina x.15, you will need Sony's DS4 Bluetooth dongle. This is unfortunate because the officially supported adapter goes for about $65 on Amazon, although you lot tin can detect them for less on eBay.

Some Redditors accept reported that you can utilise any Bluetooth adapter, and this may be true, but we have not tested to confirm this. We accept tested the official dongle, and it solves Remote Play compatibility bug on older iterations of macOS.

With the Mac version of Steam, we encountered a few more problems and the solutions tin 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 even so catching up on receiving total support. For games that we could showtime, the DualShock worked fine. Large Screen mode gives you a very console-like feel with the benefit of PC-powered graphics, and whatsoever game you can launch in that mode will recognize the controller. Running Steam games exterior of Large Screen mode, the DS4 didn't work at all. It would seem that Big Screen works similarly to the PC'due south DS4Windows app, translating controller input to the game.

All-in-all, the DualShock iv is a great controller for your PC with simply a few caveats. It would announced that Windows users have it easier than Mac gamers, but that is somewhat to be expected. With that said, Apple is making strides as of belatedly and even native Xbox controller back up recently was made available for its desktop OS.

Further Reading
  • 25 Great Games You Can Play on Laptops and Budget PCs
  • How to Play Long Video Games When Yous Accept No Time
  • The Most Memorable Game Controllers from the Last 40 Years
  • Desktop vs. Laptop Gaming with the RTX 2070

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