If you’re a console player as well as a PC gamer, you may have used the PS4’s controller on your PC from time to time. The DualShock 4 is a lovely bit of kit, with neat little triggers and lightweight design. You don’t have to have a PS4 to use one, though; you can use them with Steam, too.
For more guides, tips and tricks, head over to our Steam FAQ.
To use a PS4 controller with Steam, simply use a USB cable to connect the DualShock 4 to your PC. It really is that easy. Thanks to an update to Steam in October 2016, the client now supports the PS4 controller, and games will display the correct face button icons (should developers have provided that information). Big Picture Mode can be controlled with the PS4 controller too.
You can also use the PS4 controller wirelessly if your PC has Bluetooth connectivity. To pair your devices together, press and hold the PS Button and Share button together for three seconds. The lightbar on the controller will start flashing. Then open the Bluetooth settings menu in Windows. If you use Windows 10, this can be found by clicking the notifications button on the bottom right corner of your screen, then clicking Bluetooth, and finally selecting ‘Wireless Controller’. Users of older Windows versions can find Bluetooth settings in Control Panel.
You can also configure your PS4 controller in a similar way to a Steam Controller, such as using the joysticks as a mouse and enabling use of the trackpad. To do this you need to open Steam Big Picture Mode, open the Settings menu (the cog icon in the top right of the screen) and then open Controller Settings. From here you’ll be able to configure any kind of controller, one of which is the PS4 DualShock 4.
And that’s how you get a PS4 controller working with Steam. Nothing to it! Now enjoy using the controller with the best D-pad of this console generation to play your PC games.