The DualShock 4 has become a pretty great PC controller

"The DualShock 4 has one advantage that I didn't anticipate: The controller's built-in trackpad. (I know! The trackpad!) I play a lot of games with my PC plugged into the TV in my living room, especially around this time of year. While I can navigate some things using Steam's big picture mode, I still need to do a fair amount of mouse-clicking in between games: Checking for new graphics drivers, switching my sound output options, tweaking something in Nvidia control panel, etc. Fortunately, most of those things are single-mouse-click operations, and I can take care of them without putting down my controller."

[choujij]

Aside from my PS4, I also use my DS4's to game on my PC which I have connected to my TV. Works flawlessly.

[Jaqen_Hghar]

Do you need to pay for anything to make it work? And does it work on Mac?

[FriedGoat]

Well, it's too brittle for a controller. My R2 trigger broke from using the variable rifle in MP on last of us. If it was just a little more well built it would be almost perfect.

[choujij]

On Windows you can just plug it in, and it will be recognized as a standard PC gamepad with generic direct input.

If you want to use it wirelessly, or have it register as an Xbox360 controller (so games with native 360 gamepad support are all preconfigured) there are some options for that as well.

And yes, the DS4 can too be used on a Mac.

Edit: lol @ the disagrees. Everything I said is 100% factual. Silly fanboys. XD

[1nsomniac]

Completely agree @FriedGoat. The DS4 is an awesome pad but quality is terrible!

Gone through 4 in 10 months. 3 worn thumbsticks & 1 had faulty L1 button. All have been replaced free of charge but it's still annoying as hell!

[lonelyplayer]

I can confirm it works on both Mac and Linux. No additional software/drivers required.

EDIT: what's with the disagrees?

[RedDevils]

download the ds4 driver from DS4Windows and it play flawlessly

[HiddenMission]

@FriedGoat @1nsomniac

I have 6 DS4's 2 that came with my PS4's and 4 I bought 2 of which are used for my son's PS3.

None have stick issues so either I'm extremely lucky or you guys full of it and continuing the BS from launch. Oh and nobody I know who has a PS4 has had the stick problem.

As for the triggers all are perfect here and I've heard nothing about an issue like this so I'm thinking you just got one with a defect...stuff like that happens when your manufacturing 10's of millions of something.

Anyone who says the build is terrible is trolling hard and failing hard. I have all but an XB1 and a few of my friends have those and the DS4 is comparable if not better than the XB1 controller in my opinion.

[trenso1]

no i use mine to play awsomenauts all the time just plug and play and it works great

[FriedGoat]

@hiddenmission

http://community.us.playsta...

http://www.reddit.com/r/PS4...

http://www.reddit.com/r/PS4...

http://www.playstationtroph...

It's a very common issue and fault with the quality of the controller.
If a controller cannot withstand me pressing it normally then it is clearly not made well enough.

I never broke a ps3 controller, I never broke a dreamcast controller, I never broke an Xbox controller.....

Disagree all you want.

[matt139]

xb1 controller is better.

[Funantic1]

I agree. Plus Alienware Alpha comes with a Xbox 360 controller. They chose wisely.

[choujij]

If you prefer to throw symmetry out the window, omit a touch-pad and prefer lower-bit precision analog sticks, sure. But even then, it's purely subjective.

[RedDevils]

ALienware alpha is just another overprice garbage

[MasterCornholio]

That's just your opinion.

I actually think the PS4 controller is better.

What does your comment have to do with the article?

[tlougotg]

You wish it was lol Go check the consensus Ps4 even trumps Xbone in that sense.

I love the Ps4 controller and i often forget i even have one in my hand when playing, it feels so natural in my hand and even playing my old ps3 games with it feels leaps and bounds better than the ps3 original controller.

Matt139...

Your response was the lamest ive ever heard, congratulations salty lol

[matt139]

That's by far the stupidest reply I have ever had, congratulations.

[JEECE]

My thumbs are in the same place on both of my hands, so I prefer the DS4.

[ainTgoTTime2bleed]

Smh....Speak for yourself, we, the aliens xenobones have different and more advanced hands, especially used for more sophisticated games like COD etc, etc...lol

[DevilOgreFish]

i've gotten use to xbox's controller, i have one XB1 and one x360 controller. would i get a dualshock 4 controller? i have no objections to it, but after when mine have outlived their purposes. my xbox 360 controller is 5 years old and i still use it more than my xb1 controller.

[StormLegend]

It's the best controller I ever touched! Everything about that controller is amazing!

[MasterCornholio]

Launch PS4 owner here.

Are the thumbsticks better now? Because I had a slight peeling issue with mine and I'm just wondering if they improved the material because I'm planning on buying a second one for coop.

[esemce]

I've used the orb PS4 thumb grips from day one, they add extra grip and prevent the degrading of the original rubber.

[choujij]

Yes, they fixed the rubber peel, but I don't believe all launch DS4s had that issue (both my launch DS4s are still fine).

[StormLegend]

Yes! it's been fixed on the new controllers

[Jaqen_Hghar]

Strange a man never had those problems. He bought one before launch and then got ps4 at launch and has never had an issue with anything faulty or wearing down

[RedDevils]

My one got torn off about a week playing fifa lol

[rainslacker]

Only some batches of the launch controllers had that problem. It was acknowledged by Sony, and they will replace the controller under warranty. Other than that, I haven't seen any people claiming there's a wear issue with the rubber.

[1nsomniac]

I've just bought an Xbone controller online for my PC about an hour ago. Managed to get a pad including play & charge kit for £32 (had to use my £12 ShopTo points before I lost them at the end of the month).

Really cant be arsed with the whole faff of using my DS4 with installing all the crap to fool drivers & programs that are needed to run in the background. Plus it gives my DS4's another excuse to tear the thumsticks & I'm waiting for a replacement for my 4th from ShopTo now so I'm trying every method possible to not use the pad if possible.

[esemce]

That's a good price, from where?

[lonelyplayer]

It also works fairly well with the ps3, even wirelessly.

[esemce]

Jaqen_Hghar, A man should google DS4windows, just that and a usb cable and the Xbox 360 PC drivers. This works with any PC game that can use the 360 controller.

It's free but you can donate if you wish.

[Jaqen_Hghar]

A man thanks you for the help. He doesn't have many games and obviously doesn't make a lot of purchases there having a Mac and all but there are a rare few and it would be nice having a DS4

[PaleMoonDeath]

One day I will witness you breaking character.. it's got to the point when it's genuinely like Jaqen's a N4G user!

Well played good sir, .. or sir's.

[Gamer4life888]

This is easily one of of the best controllers i have ever used. sony really did a great job with this one

[Gamer4life888]

what the fack is up with the disagrees?!

[SteamPowered]

I disagreed because I like a beefier controller. I have strong hands and the ds3 and 4 are too light for me. I grew up on the n64 so I'm used to a bigger controller. I like the X1, but 360 controller gets the most miles at my house.

[WeAreLegion]

It works great for PC! Best controller I've ever used on PC.

[DJ]

Wow, I totally forgot about the trackpad. Maybe I should sell my 360-style PC controller.

[Horseheadinthebed]

I use it for Elite : Dangerous , plays like a dream with the DS4 . Never had a problem with the analogue rubbers. Got it on launch day!

[MarcoGT]

Well now they fixed the bad rubber on the sticks it's all good now, I have a newer one with the tougher rubber but bought covers anyway.
Used it a few times on pc, It has a quality precision to it.
Makes the ds3 feel so shit, I see why some xbox people never liked them but because I was so used to it never noticed.

[MultiConsoleGamer]

Don't agree. Terrible battery life. Annoying light bar. Don't care for the triggers. Don't care for the playstation style d-pad. (Why they didn't use the awesome vita d-pad is beyond me.) Useless track pad. Dated, inaccurate 90's style analog layout.

[Muadiib]

Yeah it's an improvement on the DS3 but it's still a world away from the 360 pad, someone needs to make a replica of it for the PS4, I really want to play Bloodborne but the pad is putting me off.

[ATi_Elite]

I use a Magna Red DS4 for multiplats and I use the Xinput wrapper which gives the ds4 the ability to do led change and rumble and has no noticeable lag as I tested it out with Street Fighter 2 and all seemed fine.

Xinput changes the ds4 from direct input which is how the xbox controllers work but MS of course hasn't updated the drivers so ds4 can use all its functions and the pc sees the ds4 as a xbox controller.

The wrapper makes it a indirect input but with all the driver support.

Thanks to the person who made this app sorry forgot your name.

[Predaking77]

DS4 is really very good. Been using it on my PC too.

I have compared the DS4 to the X1 controller and the DS4 is more comfortable and better for the hands, the microphone, light bar and touch pad makes the controller even better.

[hennessey86]

But I have no reason to swap from my 360 pads which in my opinion are brilliant and are better than the xbox ones pads, I hate the damn shoulder buttons.

[Harmonizer]

Glad to see I'm not the only one hating on those terrible terrible shoulder buttons.

[pornflakes]

6 hours battery life.

Huge upgrade from DS3 /s

[ocelot07]

Agreed retired my 360 pad in favour of a PS4 controller for PC.

[Harmonizer]

Gave away my 360 controller in favor of XB1 controller for PC use. HUGE mistake. The XB1 controller is smaller and the shoulder buttons are beyond terrible.

Going to try and use my spare DS4 controller on PC instead.

[Masterh0ppa]

Right that plastic toy isn't coming near my uber PC. The almighty Xbox one controller does the job for me.

[oIITSBIIo]

Since I started playing with 360 controller I hated PS controller specially the analog position .
Now I'm using X1 controller it's the best controller I'v used by far .

[SpinalRemains138]

What's with some gamers going through multiple ds4s?

I have had the same one since launch and it works fine. It did have a sticky R1 at first, but I sanded it down and the whole controller is still like new.