It may be possible, depending on your laptop’s specifications. In this blog post, we’ll discuss how to connect a PS4 controller to a laptop and some of the benefits of doing so. We’ll also provide a few tips for getting the most out of your gaming experience.
First, it’s important to understand why some laptop users would want to use a PS4 controller. After all, the keyboard and mouse are excellent for most types of games. However, there are situations where a dedicated gamepad can come in handy. A gamer might play through an older game that originally required a controller or they may have played certain games on consoles that just feel more intuitive with one. Whatever your reasoning is, if you’re looking to connect a controller to your laptop the task is achievable.
Cable Method
The cable method is just plug and play, no drivers or software needed. You can also use a PS4 Dualshock 4 Wireless Adapter on your Windows PC if you have one lying around from your PS3 days. If you want to bluetooth enable it, get an OTG Cable so that your PC recognizes the controller as a standard HID device through Bluetooth.
Connecting Other Types of Gamepads
The first thing you’ll need to do is follow this guide . It includes instructions for connecting most other types of controllers besides the PS4 version. Simply open up Device Manager using Windows+X hotkeys. Next, expand the options for Xbox 360 Controllers and choose Connect. This will automatically open a list of devices that support this feature. Be sure to follow the remaining steps in the guide once you’ve completed this step.
If your laptop doesn’t have an Xinput controller or DirectInput device installed, you can use MotioninJoy to emulate one . They also offer DS3 Tool , which allows users to connect their Dualshock 3 controllers with little difficulty. This process involves installing drivers on your computer. We recommend doing this only if you already have experience installing drivers and using a program like BlueSoleil.
In addition to being able to play your favorite retro games, there are a few ways that you can maximize the experience if you decide that this is something you want to do long-term. First, it’s important to be aware of the devices available on your laptop. If your device has Bluetooth capabilities, then all you need is a USB Bluetooth adapter . This allows the controller to communicate with your machine wirelessly without any additional steps or programs.
If your laptop does not have a Bluetooth option and a PS4 controller cable is out of the question, an alternative solution would be using a USB hub with 2 ports and adding a pair of wireless receivers .
Adding these pieces might cause some inconvenience, as you would need to keep them near your laptop at all times. Another option is to purchase a Bluetooth controller adapter that supports chat audio and motion controls. These are typically more expensive but they do offer some convenience if you’re looking to use the controller for other activities outside of gaming.
Some games are not compatible with controllers and will require the use of keyboard and mouse. For these cases, we recommend using third-party software like Xpadder or Joy2Key. These programs will allow you to bind specific keys on your keyboard or mouse to buttons on the controller, giving you greater flexibility when it comes to playing different types of games.
In conclusion, there are many ways that you can connect a PS4 controller to your laptop. The first step is to ensure that you can do so by following the instructions listed above. If you’re experiencing issues with connectivity, try messing around with the receiver and USB port before giving up.
