Anyone Use a DS4 Controller on PC?

[Average]

I'm getting sick and tired of my Logitech F710 dropping connection and leaving me stuck or spinning around in the middle of a fire fight and the rumble feature only working intermittently. So, now I'm looking around for a new high quality controller (preferably wireless).

Having spent a bit of time on Google and Youtube there's actually fairly little definitive info regarding comparisons of PC controllers and they're a bit too expensive to just buy on a whim.

So far, it looks like the Dualshock 4 seems to be a pretty good bet. The 360 controller has a crappy d-pad, the previous Playstation controllers have rubbish (IMHO) analogue sticks and mushy face buttons, The Razer Sabertooth is expensive and wired (with no spare cables available... feckin' Razer!) and the Madcatz Pro Controller seems to be no where in terms of reviews or, indeed, stock...

The DS4 seems to have amazing PC support through the DS4Windows software. It looks like I could even set up the controller as an emulated Wii Remote for Wii games through Dolphin...

My concern is that it seems a little too good to be true. And usually if it seems that way it's because it is!

So, I'm asking you good geeky folk: Is the DS4 as good on the PC as it seems? Does it have full x input support, is it easy to set up or do I have to keep tweaking the software or reconnecting the controller? Is there any lag through Bluetooth? Can I really set it up for Wiimote emulation? Is the touchpad any good to use for Windows navigation from the sofa? Can I use the audio out jack for chat or SFX output? Does the speaker have any real world use on the PC?!?

As you can see I have a lot of questions!!

Anyone with any experience of the DS4?

[wildweasel]

The DualShock 4 is one of my favorite PC controllers. The price is rather steep, true, but there are a number of features that you are probably not going to actually use on a PC. The "light bar" becomes purely decorative, because you won't be using a Playstation 4 camera to detect its presence. DS4Windows will let you set up the light bar to display different colors based on how charged it is, or in my case, I just leave it at blue all the time. The controller does have a touchpad on it (it also clicks when pressed); the default controller profile makes this act as a two-button mouse with multitouch, where a tap acts as the left mouse button and a click acts as the right mouse button. I have this disabled, because I found it too much trouble, but if you're sitting a fair distance away from your computer, it may be useful. I have not found a single use for the speaker; I'm unsure if DS4Windows knows how to work it. I don't own a headset that plugs into it, either, so I can't say for sure that it works, but if it's anything like the MS 360 controllers, it should work.

As for the actual controller itself, the mushiness of the buttons is gone, because Sony finally did away with the analog button support that nobody used. Buttons - and the D-pad - are nice and responsive, easy to press, have good action to them, and can be rapid-fired without much trouble. The two analog triggers, previously a source of headache on the older PS3 controllers, are now concave in shape instead of convex, meaning your fingers will not slip from them if you have to hold them down for any length of time. The sticks are much less slippery as well, since they, too, are concaved like the XBox controllers. About the only thing that really threw me off was the locations of the "Share" and "Options" buttons (more than likely you'll be using those as "Select" and "Start"), which are very close to the D-pad and face buttons, respectively. It is different enough from a typical controller that I found myself looking for the buttons in those locations when I finally went back to a DS3. And yes, there is support to mess with the motion sensor; I personally turned it off, as I have no use for it, but it seems accurate enough.

Personally, I use my DS4 through USB, but only because my computer does not have native Bluetooth support (I need a USB dongle), so I can't speak to the lag or connectivity through Bluetooth. I have it permanently set up to emulate an XBox 360 controller, since so many games these days support those out of the box. I beat MGS: Ground Zeroes with it. It's my weapon of choice on Final Fantasy XIV, and I'd dare say I'm getting half-decent with it on first-person shooters as well.

[scalliano]

I seriously need to look into this ...

[YukiHerz]

Being a fan of the Sony controllers, i'd say you should try it, heard good things from my friends in both feeling and response.

But you shouldn't take me into account for this since i only use Generic USB joysticks for my pc that happen to have the Sony layout.

[Average]

Thanks for the detailed reply WW. So, there really isn't a downside to using a DS4 compared to standard x-input devices then? I was really concerned about that. My biggest fear was that it would be great for, say, 75% of games but then there would be the inevitable hiccup that often comes with PC gaming...incompatibility.

[wildweasel]

Thanks for the detailed reply WW. So, there really isn't a downside to using a DS4 compared to standard x-input devices then? I was really concerned about that. My biggest fear was that it would be great for, say, 75% of games but then there would be the inevitable hiccup that often comes with PC gaming...incompatibility.

Surprisingly, I've not yet had any problems using the DS4 with any game that uses Xinput. About the only thing you'd need to keep in mind is that the DS4Tool - the program that assigns controller profiles - must be running in the background. It displays ad banners, but I've scanned it with several programs and it does nothing malicious...which is already several steps up from the MotionInJoy drivers that you'd need for a DS3.

[Average]

I presume DS4Tool is a variant of the other DS4 software packages? I see at least two different versions of DS4Windows. This is the one I've been looking at:

http://ds4windows.com/

Perhaps the others don't have ad banners.

Just another quick question. What's the rumble support like? Have you ever tried it out in Doomretro?

[XanderK9]

Alternatively, that's what I'm using: http://forums.pcsx2.net/Thread-XInput-W ... Controller

I didn't have trouble with a DS3 controller and should work for DS4, but I don't have a DS4 yet.

[xenoxols]

Huh, I always thought that the DS4 was the same as the DS2/3. Maybe I'll actually like this one. I also need a new gamepad for my computer, XBOX 360 ones have terrible D-pads.

[Kinsie]

I'm getting sick and tired of my Logitech F710 dropping connection and leaving me stuck or spinning around in the middle of a fire fight and the rumble feature only working intermittently. So, now I'm looking around for a new high quality controller (preferably wireless).

...

Anyone with any experience of the DS4?

I was in your exact same position a couple of weeks ago.

Get a DS4, this and a MicroUSB cable (and a Bluetooth dongle if your machine doesn't support it). Once you follow the simple instructions provided, it'll work as good as anything. Rumble is fully supported, the touchpad functions as a mouse... Use the cable to either play without bluetooth (my dongle is broken (ouch!) and keeps disconnecting ) or to play-and-recharge.

Yes, there are multiple versions of DS4Windows by different authors. Jays2King's (the one at ds4windows.com) is lightweight, open-source and ad-free so you don't really need to stress yourself any further.

[Medicris]

It displays ad banners, but I've scanned it with several programs and it does nothing malicious...which is already several steps up from the MotionInJoy drivers that you'd need for a DS3.

If you see anyone using that, do 'em a favour and direct them to BetterDS3. Dropped that bloated MotionInJoy tool for that and never ever looked back.

I'd also be a bit concerned of the MotionInJoy tool constantly calling home, talking to China and being basically adware and a trojan horse.

[Kostov]

XBOX 360 ones have terrible D-pads.

If it matters to you, the D-pad on the Xbone controller is improved by miles.

[Kinsie]

If it matters to you, the D-pad on the Xbone controller is improved by miles.

It also doesn't have any wireless support on PC. At all.

[Kostov]

It also doesn't have any wireless support on PC. At all.

That is true.