DS4Windows is an open source tool for Windows that lets you use a DualShock controller on your PC, which is not possible otherwise. This makes sense, since both Xbox and Windows are owned and developed by Microsoft. In contrast, Sony is a competing company and its PlayStation console, for which the DualShock controller was developed, is a direct competitor. In this article we will show you how to Fix DS4 Windows Not Detecting Controller on Windows.
Fortunately, DS4Windows can “trick” your computer into thinking you’re plugging in an Xbox controller and not a DualShock, and that’s how the “magic” happens. This can have a few drawbacks, such as displaying the user overlay in the game as if you were playing with an Xbox controller, but it’s still much better than not being able to play with a DualShock controller at all. Below we have mentioned the steps to Fix DS4 Windows Not Detecting Controller on Windows.
Steps to Fix DS4 Windows Not Detecting Controller on Windows
Update The DS4Windows Tool
One of the most common reasons why your DS4Windows tool doesn’t recognize your DualShock controller is that it is outdated. The easiest solution to this problem is often to simply update the software to the latest version, and since this is such a quick and easy fix, we recommend trying this first before doing anything else. Here’s how:
- Open the directory where you downloaded all DS4Windows files.
- Double-click DS4Updater, an executable file that automatically starts the update process when run.
- The application searches its repository and replaces older files with newer, updated versions. Note that the application
- may not find updates if you have recently downloaded the latest version of DS4Windows.
- When the process is complete, the message “DS4Windows is up to date” is displayed.
- Close the Updater window and restart the program.
DS4Windows should now recognize your controller. This should fix the problem immediately, but if not, there are other methods you can try.
Use DS4Windows App
So, if your controller is not recognized by Windows 11 Bluetooth or the connection keeps disconnecting, you should remove the PS4 controller from your Bluetooth devices.
- First, restart your Windows 11 PC and make sure your DS4 controller is fully charged before performing the next step.
- Then open Windows Search and search for shoppingmode Control Panel and open it.
- After that, tap on the Show Devices and Printers option located under Hardware and Sound.
- Now just search for the Bluetooth PS4 controller and right-click on it.
- That’s it. Now tap on “Remove Device” and press the “Yes” button.
Once that’s done, you need to download and install DS4Windows and pair the controller. So if you don’t know how to do that, follow these steps:
- Go to the official DS4Windows website and download the software to your PC.
- After that, double-click the DS4Window installer and follow the on-screen instructions.
- Now tap on Settings and turn on Hide DS4 Controller.
- Then expand the window by dragging the corner of the screen.
- Now tap on Controller/Driver Setup.
- Then minimize the screen.
- Then go to Manage Bluetooth Devices and press and hold the Share button and PS button for 3-5 seconds.
- Finally, press the Pair button to appear in the list.
Re-Enabling DS4 Controller
It has also been reported that some users experienced this issue during gameplay, where the controller stopped working and automatically disabled itself. Re-enabling the controller device in Device Manager can fix this problem.
- Open the Run dialog box by pressing Win + R. Then type devmgmt.msc and press Enter.
- Then expand the list by moving the mouse pointer to Human Interface Devices.
- Then double-click on the HID Complaint Game Controller.
- Then enable it to fix the error.
Final Words
We hope our article on “How to Fix DS4 Windows Not Detecting Controller on Windows” will surely help you to do so. The DS4Windows software is relatively easy to use and has all the helpful features a user needs for smooth gameplay. However, it sometimes fails to recognize the controller, which can be frustrating and is a problem that needs to be solved urgently.
I hope you understand this article, How to Fix DS4 Windows Not Detecting Controller on Windows.
