DS4Windows lets you remap a PlayStation controller, create profiles and present it to Windows games as a virtual Xbox 360 controller—the default mode in the Ryochan7-style build documented here. Install its prerequisites, connect the controller, then edit and assign a profile. First, make sure you have the right DS4Windows build: the project has multiple active-looking download sources with different versions and interfaces.
Choose the DS4Windows build before following setup steps
“DS4Windows” does not identify one unambiguous current download. The ds4windowsapp/DS4Windows repository identifies a v3.5 release published February 9, 2026. The DS4Windows.net homepage labels its download v3.3.0, while the separate hbashton/DS4Windows release line reports 4.x and 5.0 development. These are distinct build lines; do not assume their screens, controls or setup directions match.
The steps below describe the Ryochan7-style interface documented by the setup guide and ds4windowsapp repository, not the hbashton/VIIPER interface. Confirm the repository and version associated with the download you choose, and use that build’s instructions. The Ryochan7-style application is portable: extract it and run DS4Windows.exe rather than installing the main program into Windows. Its setup guide recommends an accessible folder such as Desktop, Documents or Downloads, not a protected folder such as Program Files or Windows. Alternatively, its ds4w.bat bootstrap script downloads the application into %LOCALAPPDATA%DS4Windows and creates a desktop shortcut.
Check requirements and install the driver components
The ds4windowsapp repository lists Windows 10 or newer, Microsoft .NET 8.0 Desktop Runtime, the Visual C++ 2015–2022 Redistributable, ViGEmBus, a supported controller and a USB, Sony Wireless Adapter or Bluetooth connection as requirements. See the repository’s requirements for the build you are using.
Recommended Free Tools
#1 Best Overall
- Precision Control: The feel, shape, and sensitivity of the DualShock 4’s analog sticks and trigger buttons have been enhanced to offer players absolute control for all games on PlayStation 4.
- Sharing at your Fingertips: The addition of the Share button makes sharing your greatest gaming moments as easy as a push of a button. Upload gameplay videos and screenshots directly from your system or live-stream your gameplay, all without disturbing the game in progress.
- New ways to Play: Revolutionary features like the touch pad, integrated light bar, and built-in speaker offer exciting new ways to experience and interact with your games and its 3.5mm audio jack offers a practical personal audio solution for gamers who want to listen to their games in private.
- Charge Efficiently: The DualShock 4 Wireless Controller can easily be recharged by plugging it into your PlayStation 4 system, even when on standby, or with any standard charger with a micro-USB port.
On first launch, run DS4Windows.exe. If prompted to choose where to store user data, select AppData for the recommended arrangement, or Program folder to keep the data beside the application. Follow the driver prompt and click Finished after selecting and installing the drivers.
- ViGEmBus: Required for the normal virtual-controller workflow. It allows DS4Windows to create virtual Xbox and DualShock controllers. The driver guide explains its role: DS4Windows driver guide.
- HidHide: Strongly recommended to prevent games from receiving input from both the physical controller and DS4Windows’ virtual controller. Install it, reboot Windows, and configure it as described below. See HidHide.
- FakerInput: Optional. It provides virtual keyboard and mouse input and may help when an elevated application, UAC, game or anti-cheat software blocks DS4Windows’ usual SendInput method. Details are in the driver guide.
Do not install old guides’ prerequisites by default: HidGuardian is obsolete, and current Ryochan7-style builds use ViGEmBus rather than ScpVBus. DS4Windows removed HidGuardian support in version 3.0.8; an existing HidGuardian installation can leave a controller hidden from both Windows and DS4Windows. The driver guide covers these components and their status.
Connect and confirm your controller
USB
Use a data-capable USB cable. A charge-only cable can power the controller but will not let DS4Windows detect it.
Bluetooth
Put the controller into pairing mode, then pair it through Windows Bluetooth settings. If Windows asks for a PIN, the setup guide says to try 0000. The ds4windowsapp README supports the Microsoft Bluetooth stack only; it reports CSR stacks as incompatible even where the adapter hardware may work through Microsoft’s stack, and lists Toshiba adapters as not working. See the repository README.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Rank #2
- The feel, shape, and sensitivity of the dual analog sticks and trigger buttons have been improved to provide a greater sense of control, no matter what you play.Motion sensors - Rock and roll as a highly sensitive built-in accelerometer and gyroscope detect the motion, tilt and rotation of your DUALSHOCK 4 wireless controllerDualShock 4 Wireless Controller PS4 and PC compatible. Item PS5 compatible only when playing PS4 games.
- The new multi touch and clickable touch pad on the face of the DualShock 4 Wireless Controller opens up worlds of new gameplay possibilities for both newcomers and veteran gamers
- The DualShock 4 Wireless Controller features a built in speaker and stereo headset jack, putting several new audio options in the player's hands
- The Dualshock 4 wireless controller can be easily recharged by plugging it into your PlayStation 4 system, even when in rest mode, or with any standard charger using a USB cable (type A to micro B sold separately)
Once detected, the controller should appear on the main controllers tab with the Default profile selected. Keep DS4Windows running while you play; stopping it ends its controller handling.
Understand the default behavior
The default profile emulates an Xbox 360 controller, so most games see an Xbox controller rather than the physical PlayStation device. This is usually the compatible choice: many PC games support Xbox controllers more reliably than native DualShock 4 controllers. If a game specifically supports DS4 input, you can try DS4 emulation instead, but a game without native DS4 support may then stop detecting the controller.
By default, the DS4 or DualSense touchpad controls the mouse. Hold PS and touch the touchpad once to toggle that behavior.
Create or change a controller profile
Create a profile for DS4 emulation
- Open the profile editor and choose the
Gamepad -> DualShock 4preset. - Save the profile, then select it for the connected controller.
In the documented Ryochan7-style build, DS4 emulation disables rumble even if the physical controller is a DS4 or DualSense. Xbox emulation retains normal rumble behavior.
Rank #3
- 🎮【2 Packing】Two controllers are packaged in one box, which is less costly than buying two controllers separately. You can get two different custom designed controllers at the same time, which is very cost-effective.This will bring you a better game experience when you play with your friends, lover, family.
- 🎮【Wide Compatibility】AceGamer wireless controller compatible with PS4/Pro/Slim/Windows PC. ❗*Attention*❗: Only when connecting for the first time, you must activate the device with the USB cable for the first pairing and connection. After that, the normal wireless connection of Bluetooth can be made, and USB data cable is no longer needed. ❗*Note*❗: Connecting to PC(without Bluetooth) needs to install receiver, not included.
- 🎮【Function Highlights】360° Refined analog sticks, the new touch pad on the face of the game controller offer players precise control. Controller which built-in 6-axis gyro sensor has dual motor vibration, excellent dual shock effect design makes the tactile sense more sensitive. The optimized buttons and triggers, ergonomic design non-slip grips, which offer you fantastic gaming experience.
- 🎮【Turbo Setting】You can customize any key as a turbo key. First, hold down the 'share' key, then click the turbo key you want to set up successfully. Secondly, you can adjust the turbo frequency. First, hold down the 'share' key, then touch the joystick on the right up and down. There are three gears to adjust in total.
- 🎮【To Be AceGamer】You can get: 2x AceGamer for ps4 controllers wireless; 1x Charging Cable; 1x User Manual; Professional after-sales service. We focus on the design, production and sales of custom controllers. If you have any questions, please contact us in any time!
Change the virtual-controller type in an existing profile
- Open the profile editor for the profile you want to change.
- Select the
Othertab. - Change
Virtual controller settingsto the desired output type.
Exact labels and available controls can vary by build; the documented path above applies to the Ryochan7-style interface. Avoid relying on menu paths from instructions written for another repository’s interface.
Adjust output behavior and slots
The profile setting Enable output data can be disabled to reduce latency, but doing so also disables lightbar and rumble support. Change it only if that trade-off is acceptable.
The output slots tab controls virtual-controller assignment. Its default dynamic configuration is recommended for most users; changing it can affect fixed-slot behavior and which virtual controller a game receives.
Prevent duplicate controller input with HidHide
Without device hiding, Windows or a game may receive input from both the real HID controller and DS4Windows’ virtual controller. The result can be doubled button presses, menus that move twice or controls that are unusable. After installing HidHide and rebooting, configure it in this order:
Rank #4
- The feel, shape, and sensitivity of the dual analog sticks and trigger buttons have been improved to provide a greater sense of control, no matter what you play
- Stop or fully close DS4Windows.
- Open the HidHide Configuration Client. With DS4Windows stopped, the physical controllers should be the devices shown for this setup.
- Whitelist DS4Windows so it can still access the physical controller.
- Mark the physical controller to be hidden from other applications.
- Close the HidHide Configuration Client before reopening DS4Windows.
With HidHide configured, leave DS4Windows’ Hide DS4 controllers option disabled; the built-in option is redundant in this setup.
The built-in hiding option relies on Windows exclusive access and can fail if another process already has the controller open. The setup guide names running games, Google Chrome, Opera and NVIDIA GeForce Experience as examples. It can also fail to reacquire exclusive access after a controller disconnects and reconnects. HidHide’s configuration steps are in the setup guide and at hidhide.net.
Configure Steam to avoid overlapping controller handling
For the Ryochan7-style setup, the ds4windowsapp README instructs users to disable Steam’s PlayStation Configuration Support and Xbox Configuration Support. Steam Input may otherwise ignore or conflict with DS4Windows’ handling. Advice to enable Steam PlayStation Configuration Support specifically for this DS4Windows setup is outdated. See the repository README.
Find and back up your profiles and settings
DS4Windows user data includes Actions.xml, Auto Profiles.xml, ControllerConfigs.xml, LinkedProfiles.xml, OutputSlots.xml, Profiles.xml and the Profiles folder. To locate the active data folder, open the Settings tab and click Profile Folder. You can also inspect the folder containing DS4Windows.exe; if both locations contain data, the location containing Profiles.xml is the active source.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsBest Value
- Wireless Connectivity: The DualShock 4 controller uses Bluetooth technology for wireless gameplay.
- PlayStation Compatibility: This controller is specifically designed for use with the PlayStation 4 console.
- Vibration Feedback: The controller's built-in rumble feature provides tactile feedback during gameplay.
- Adjustable Controls: The controller has customizable button layouts and analog sticks to suit your preferences.
- Long Battery Life: The controller is battery-powered and can provide up to 10 hours of gameplay on a single charge.
If both the application folder and profile folder contain user data, DS4Windows may prompt you to choose a location and delete most data in the unused one. Back up both locations before switching. To inspect roaming data, press Win+R, enter %appdata% and select OK; the documented roaming folder is %APPDATA%DS4Windows. These location details are in the setup guide.
Optional: give the executable a custom name
A custom process name can be useful when an application needs to recognize DS4Windows under a different executable name. In the documented interface:
- Open the
Settingstab and temporarily disablerun at Startup. - Enter the desired value in
Custom Exe namewithout the.exeextension; the setup guide usesDS4Winas its example. - Stop and restart DS4Windows, then fully close it.
- Run the newly created executable from the DS4Windows folder.
- To verify the process name, open Task Manager with
Ctrl+Shift+Escand selectDetails.
The renamed executable may need to be recreated after an update. Its filename must exactly match the value in Custom Exe name, without the .exe suffix. Steps are documented in the setup guide.
Troubleshoot common setup problems
- DS4Windows does not detect a wired controller: Try a data-capable cable; charging alone does not establish the data connection.
- A game receives doubled input: Configure HidHide to hide the physical controller while whitelisting DS4Windows, then leave the built-in
Hide DS4 controllersoption off. - Bluetooth pairing works inconsistently: Check whether the adapter is using the Microsoft Bluetooth stack. The documented build does not support CSR stacks and lists Toshiba adapters as not working.
- A game stops recognizing the controller after changing profiles: Switch back to Xbox 360 emulation unless the game supports native DS4 input.
- The controller remains hidden after removing or changing drivers: Check for an old HidGuardian installation; it is obsolete and can hide the device from both Windows and DS4Windows.
- Changing latency settings removes rumble or lighting: Re-enable
Enable output data; disabling it reduces output data support, including lightbar and rumble.
Uninstall DS4Windows and decide which drivers to keep
The main application is portable. Close DS4Windows and delete its application folder to remove it. To remove roaming user data as well, press Win+R, enter %appdata%, select OK, then delete the DS4Windows folder if present.
Uninstall HidHide or FakerInput from Windows Apps & Features; reboot after removing HidHide. Do not assume ViGEmBus is safe to remove just because DS4Windows is gone: other applications, including Parsec, may use it. The setup guide documents these removal steps.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
