How to Connect PS3 Controller to Windows 10 PC

How to Connect PS3 Controller to Windows 10 PC

If you’ve ever tried to connect your PS3 controller to Windows PC in the past, you’ve probably been able to find a really simple guide, and everything was just perfect. However, things have changed with Windows 10. Due to the fact that the drivers we typically use to accomplish this are not compatible with Windows 10, and it doesn’t look like an update is coming anytime soon, we have to be now a little creative in our effort to get our DualShock 3 (DS3) controllers hooked up.

First, you need to download the MotioninJoy drivers from http://motioninjoy.en.uptodown.com. Once that’s done, don’t install them yet. We need to disable the driver signature verification that Windows uses temporarily in order to make it work.

While you’re at it, you should also download Better DS3 Tool from http://betterds3.ciebiera.net. It’s not necessary, but it’ll save you a lot of headaches in the long run.

Open your Settings app. You can do this by searching “Settings” in the search bar located at the bottom-left of your screen. On the screen that appears, click on Update & Security. Then, on the left-hand side of your screen, select Recovery.

How to Connect PS3 Controller to Windows 10 PC

Save everything you were working on. Your PC is going to restart now. When you’re ready, click the Restart now button.

How to Connect PS3 Controller to Windows 10 PC

When the PC boots up, you’ll be presented a blue screen. Select Troubleshoot, Advanced Options, and Startup Settings in that order. Then, click Restart on the final screen.

On the blue screen that appears, this time, just press F7. Your PC will now boot as normal with signature enforcement disabled so that we can install our drivers.

Once you’ve gotten into Windows, you need to install the MotioninJoy application you downloaded earlier. Accept any warnings that Windows may present you with due to disabling the signature enforcement. Once that’s done, put the Better DS3 Tool executable somewhere accessible, like your Desktop.

Plug in your DS3 controller via your PC’s USB port and open the DS3 tool packaged with the MotioninJoy drivers (not the Better DS3 Tool). Make sure you’re connected to the Internet. An Internet connection is required to set up the drivers.

Open the Driver Manager by clicking on it in the toolbar at the top of the DS3 tool. Next, click the checkbox next to your DS3 controller. There should be only one checkbox. If you have a compatible Bluetooth adapter, there may be two. If there is, select them both. Then, click the Load Driver button.

The app will proceed to install the drivers. Accept any installation warnings that may appear in Windows. So now, you’re ready to go. You may want to restart your computer to re-enable the driver signature enforcement for your safety.

Once you’re ready to go, note that you may have to re-launch the DS3 tool upon reboot to re-load the drivers by following the same procedure we just walked through. This is due to the strange interaction between Windows and these drivers. You do not, however, have to do the special restart this time. When that’s done, launch Better DS3 Tool.

Under the Selected Profile text, click New and select XInput. Under Auto fill, select Xbox 360. The fields will auto-populate. Give the profile any name you wish and click Save Profile at the very bottom of the window.

When you wish to set the profile, select it from the drop-down menu on the main page and click Apply to apply the settings. This will make your controller appear as a Xbox 360 controller to Windows, which should be compatible with 99% of games on Windows PCs.

Some older games may require straight up DirectInput. If that’s the case, select New. Then, choose DirectInput. You now need to populate the fields by yourself. Check out the fields in the image below to see one way to handle this.

That’s about it. You should now be able to play any gamepad-supported game on your Windows 10 machine with your DS3 controller. You won’t have to shell out the money for a new controller either.

We hope this tip helped you out, and please stay tuned for more great tips.

About the author

Nitin Agarwal

Nitin started PC-Tablet because of his keen interest in space research, technology, and gadgets. He is an avid reader, technology enthusiast, and like to explore new places. His passion for knowledge keeps him running all the time.

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