Whether you own a PS5 or an older PS4, you get a pretty brilliant controller with either console - the DualSense or DualShock 4 are both great gamepads.

Either one can thankfully very easily be connected to your PC, too, if you like to game that way too, opening up a new way of controlling things compared to the standard mouse and keyboard. If that's of interest, then, how do you connect controllers intended for a PlayStation to your computer? We've got the steps you need to follow, right here.

How to connect your PS5 DualSense controller to PC

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Pocket-lint

Connecting your PS5 DualSense controller to a PC is fairly straightforward. The first option is to use a USB-C cable to connect it and play with a wired connection, which is ideal if you don't have Bluetooth on your computer. If you do have Bluetooth, though, follow these steps:

  1. Put your DualSense in Bluetooth mode by holding down the PlayStation button and the Create button for three seconds until the lightbar starts flashing.
  2. On your PC, get your Bluetooth settings menu up.
  3. From the new connections list, select Wireless Controller.
  4. If you are asked for a pairing code, enter 0000.

This should be it, and your controller should be paired and working wirelessly. While most games on PC haven't been updated to let you take advantage of the pad's adaptive triggers, it's still a brilliant controller.

PlayStation has recently released an app for Windows which allows users to update DualSense controller's firmware without the need for a console. Now you can do it directly from your PC. Download this app, connect via a cable to your PC and you can update the controller.

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How to connect your PS4 DualShock 4 controller to PC

If you're using a DualShock 4 controller, the steps are really similar to connect it to your PC. This time, the cabled option will require a MicroUSB cable, since the controller doesn't have a USB-C port.

It's worth clarifying that the controller works really well with games on Steam, but can be a lot more patchy if you're not using Valve's platform - for other games you might need to download a program called DS4Windows, which is free but takes a little setup.

To connect the controller by Bluetooth, follow the below instructions:

  1. Put your DualShock 4 in pairing mode by holding down the PlayStation and Share buttons for three seconds until the lightbar flashes.
  2. On your PC, get your Bluetooth settings menu ready.
  3. From the new connections list, select Wireless Controller.

Once you've connected it this way, you can head to Steam and add the controller through the settings menus, which will also let you calibrate its joysticks. It should work perfectly with Steam games from that point onward.

What PC games work with PS5 or PS4 controllers?

The short answer to this question is that absolutely thousands of PC games have controller support - it's something that is listed on their store pages and boxes so that you know if you can connect a controller natively.

Even games that don't officially support controllers often have user-created mods that you can install to fix that problem if you're dedicated.

How to find Steam games that work with a controller

However, if you're hoping to see games that work with PS5 and PS4 controllers specifically, then the PC games marketplace Steam has a new filter that can help.

Its new Controller hub lets you filter the many, many games available on its store by the official controller support they offer, and both the DualSense and DualShock 4 are included in that list.

Steam Controller filter

This is a simple way to filter games down to just the ones that will support your controller fully - and in the case of the DualSense that often means way more intense and immersive haptics, since its new vibration system is so much more precise and unique than any other mainstream controller right now.