The DualSense controller can connect to your PC through wired and wireless connections, and doing so with either of these methods is relatively easy. Read on to find out how you can connect your PS5 controller to your PC.
Connecting the PS5 Controller to Your PC With USB
The easiest way to connect your PS5 controller to your PC is with a USB cable. Thankfully, Windows is capable of automatically detecting your controller, so you won’t have to deal with manually installing drivers for it.
You will need a USB-C to USB-A cable since the PS5 controller has a USB-C port. Of course, if your computer has a USB-C port, you can also use a USB-C to USB-C cable.
Connect the USB-C end of the cable to your PS5 controller. Connect the USB-A end of the cable to your PC. Windows will now notify you that it has detected the controller and your controller will light up.
That’s about it! Your controller is now usable, and you can go ahead and play your games. Although you can use the PS5 controller as it is now, it’s a good idea to update your PS5 controller through your PC since you’ve already hooked them up. Updating your PS5 controller’s firmware ensures that all the features are functional and up to date.
An outdated controller will still maintain its basic functions, but the immersive features of the PS5 controller require the latest firmware updates to work properly.
Connecting the PS5 Controller to Your PC With Bluetooth
If you don’t want to deal with wires and play from a distance, you can connect your PS5 controller to your PC through Bluetooth as well.
To do this, your PC must be equipped with Bluetooth. If your PC doesn’t have built-in Bluetooth, you can add Bluetooth to your PC with the help of a Bluetooth adapter.
Here’s how you can connect your PS5 controller to your PC through Bluetooth:
In Windows 10 or Windows 11, go to Settings. Click on Add a device. Select Bluetooth. On your PS5 controller, hold the PS and Create buttons for three seconds until the controller starts flashing in blue. The Create button is the same as the Share button in DualShock 4 controllers. On your PC, in the Add a device window, select your controller. Your controller will likely be under the name Wireless Controller. Once you select your controller, it will stop flashing and emit a steady blue light. Click Done.
Note that your PS5 controller will consume battery when you use it wirelessly, and you’ll have to occasionally charge it to keep playing. Conversely, playing with a wired connection will charge your controller as you’re playing.
Using and Customizing Your PS5 Controller With Steam
Steam is an icon of PC gaming, but that doesn’t mean that Steam is all about keyboards and mice. In fact, Steam natively adds controller support for all video games played on it. You can use this feature to calibrate and customize your PS5 controller for games that you play on Steam.
This means that even if you’re playing a non-Steam game, you can easily add the non-Steam game to your Steam library and enjoy the controller support provided by Steam. Here’s how you can connect your PS5 controller to Steam:
Connect your PS5 controller to your PC. Launch Steam. Inside Steam, go to the Steam menu. Click on Settings. The Settings window will open. In the Settings window, select Controller. Click on General Controller Settings. Navigate with your controller and enable PlayStation Configuration Support.
You should be able to see your controller’s name under Detected Controllers as PlayStation 5 Controller.
With Steam, you have access to many settings for your PS5 controller. You can set a shutdown timer so that the controller turns off after a period of inactivity, you can disable force feedback, and of course, you can change your PS5 controller’s light color. Here’s how you can set a shutdown timer:
Go to Controller Settings in Steam. Select 15 Minutes under Controller shutdown time. This is the default value. Select the time that suits you best.
As mentioned before, you can also disable controller vibrations entirely through Steam:
Hover on PlayStation 5 Controller in Detected Controllers. On the right, select Preferences. Change Rumble Preference. Changing this to Off will disable controller vibrations.
Typically, the light emitted by the PS5 controller is perceived as a signal, but you can turn it into an aesthetic feature by changing the color to what you like. Here’s how you can do that through Steam:
Hover on PlayStation 5 Controller in the Controller Settings page. Select Preferences. Change Player Slot LED to On. Adjust the Controller Light Color to your preferred color. Your controller’s color should change in real-time. Select Submit.
Setting up your controller for use on Steam will ensure that your controller is compatible with all Steam games. Once you’ve set up your controller, you can use Steam’s Big Picture mode to smoothly navigate through the Steam interface with your PS5 controller.
Play on Your PC With the PlayStation 5 Controller
The popular PlayStation 5 controller is not a piece of hardware exclusive to the PS5 console, and you can use it to game on your PC as well.
Fortunately, connecting the PS5 controller to a PC is relatively easy, and having read this article, now you know how to connect your controller to your PC with a USB cable or wirelessly through Bluetooth.
If you’re looking to customize and calibrate your PS5 controller on PC, then it’s a good idea to hook it up with Steam. Steam allows you to connect and calibrate different controllers, including your PS5 controller, on PC. With all that being said, now’s the time to connect your PS5 controller to your PC and enjoy gaming!
