It so often happens that you want to play a Game on your Gaming PC/Laptop, which isn’t available on Sony PS4 or that you want to truly enjoy the higher level of performance your machine offers, while still be able to play it using the PS4 Dual Shock Controller.

Yes, there would be some who will oppose the idea, but frankly speaking, there are some games which are rather meant to be played using a controller. Thus, when it comes to controllers, arguably, there isn’t one better than the PS4 Dual Shock one. Therefore, we are going to guide you on using the PS4 Controller on a Windows Machine. Though mind you, the controller’s audio jack isn’t currently supported, so for audio purposes, you would still need to rely on your machine’s audio jack.

Fortunately, there isn’t a need for a wired connection between your PC and the controller, if your PC has a Bluetooth module, which every latest PC has anyways. If it doesn’t, then you can always buy a separate Bluetooth Dongle, which supports Bluetooth 2 and above.

Using a PS4 Dual Shock Controller on Windows

Download DS4Windows

First of all, you need to download the required software, since you can’t just plug in your PS4 controller, and expect to play through it. Therefore, there is a software known as DS4Windows, which kind of acts like an interface between the controller and your machine. How it does this is by simply tricking your machine into thinking that the connected controller is actually an Xbox 360 Controller, which has native support by Windows as part of its Universal Windows Platform programme. Therefore, just head over to this website, and choose Download Now. This will download the setup on to your PC.

Installing DS4Windows

Once the file has been downloaded completely, you would need to extract its contents, since it is a zip file. To do this, go to the folder where the file was downloaded, and right click on it, and then choose Extract All. Now, you have the liberty to either extract the file’s contents in the same folder or to a location of your choice.

Whichever location you choose, just head over there and you would see two files there. One would be named the DS4Updater.exe, which updates the program with latest drivers, so if you run into any trouble regarding the controller, you can always double-click on it, and follow the instructions to save your self the hassle of finding relevant drivers manually by letting the software do its job on its own.

The other file, which is the more important one here would be dubbed as DS4Windows.exe. This is the setup file, and you would need to double-click on it to launch the setup wizard.

Setting up DS4 Windows

On its initial launch, the program will ask you where to save your settings and profiles. If you really feel to urge to change the default location, then okay, it is your call, but we would recommend sticking to the default location. Once you proceed, a new window would pop-up, which will give an option to Install the DS4 Driver. Choose that. Once, the driver is installed, you can safely PS4 controller on your machine.

In case your machine is still running on Windows 7 or earlier, then you would also need to click on Install 360 Driver as well since Windows native support for Xbox 360 Controllers came afterward with Windows 8.

Connecting the PS4 Dual Shock Controller via a USB cable

You would need a MicroUSB cable for this, which is very common these days, and you probably have one or two spare lying around. Therefore, just connect the PS4 Dual Shock Controller through this cable to your PC, and voila, you can now use your controller to play PC games, once it gets detected.

Connecting the PS4 Dual Shock Controller via Bluetooth

You can also connect the controller through Bluetooth, without any hassle of wires. Make sure that your controller’s batteries aren’t in need of replacement. Then, just press and hold the central PS and Share button on your controller for just over 3 seconds, while your PC’s Bluetooth is turned on. Then head over to Bluetooth settings, and choose to add a new device. When the Wireless Controller option comes up, just click on that, and if it asks for a pairing code, then just enter 0000. Off you go now and enjoy one of the best controller experiences on your very own PC.