DS4Windows lets your gaming console’s controller connect to your Windows PC with the help of a simple user interface. Using controllers of PlayStation or Xbox on your Windows PC gets more accessible with the virtual emulator, DS4Windows.
However, users have reported that they have come across ‘No controllers connected (Max 4)’, DS4Windows not working, or ‘DS4 not detected’ warnings even though they have connected the controller.
It can be a compatibility error. Hence, you should check system requirements before connecting the gaming console’s controller to your PC. Apart from this, outdated drivers, corrupted software, issues with Windows 10 updates, etc., can trigger the issue.
Let’s check all the possible fixes to enable the DS4Windows Controller.
1. Take a Look at System Requirements
Windows 11 and Windows 10 support DS4Windows. However, make sure that your PC contains all the requirements to run the DS4Windows controller and connect to the gaming console’s controller.
Here are the system requirements that your PC must satisfy:
- Compatible Bluetooth connectivity or Micro USB cable connection.
- Microsoft .NET 5.0 Runtime or higher.
- DualShock 4, Xbox, PS5 or other compatible Controllers.
- Virtual GamepadEmulation Framework (ViGEmBsuv.1.17.333.0 or above).
- Visual C++ 2015-2019 Redistributable.
- Additionally, disable PlayStation Configuration Support on Steam.
If your system complies with each of these requirements and still DS4Windows not working, then continue with the following solutions.
2. Update DS4Windows
The next fix should be updating DS4Windows on your PC. You have to navigate to the DS4Windows directory and update the DS4Updater application.
Here’s what you need to do:
- Navigate to the location where you had installed DS4Windows and explore that folder.
- Next, find the DS4Updater app and double-click on it to open up.
- It will soon start updating after you open it. In case it doesn’t, follow the on-screen guidelines to update the application.
- Restart your PC and try connecting the controller.
Check if the DS4Windows not working issue disappears.
3. Update Bluetooth Drivers
Outdated Bluetooth drivers might be responsible for the mess of DS4Windows not working. Therefore, it’s utterly important to update Bluetooth drivers on your Windows PC.
Follow the guidelines below to successfully update your Windows CP’s Bluetooth drivers:
- Press the Win+R key combination to bring up the Run dialog box. Type in ‘devmgmt.msc’ and hit the Enter key.
- You will now be viewing the Device Manager window. Locate the Bluetooth category and click to expand Bluetooth devices.
- Right-click the Bluetooth device from the expanded list and select the Update Driver option.
- Opt for the ‘Search automatically for drivers’ option and this will update the Bluetooth driver.
Test whether the DS4Windows not working issue has been resolved after updating the Bluetooth driver.
4. Reinstall DS4Windows
In case the updated DS4Windows version doesn’t work for you, then it’s probably corrupted. It requires a reinstallation followed by uninstallation.
Go through the following instructions to uninstall the DS4Windows tool:
- Hit the Windows button and look for the Control Panel. Type ‘control panel’ and press the Enter key to open up the Control Panel.
- Head towards Programs and Features and click on it. Next, search for Nefarius Virtual Gamepad Emulation Bus Driver.
- Double-click on that driver and click the Yes button to initiate the uninstallation process.
- After that, you need to navigate to the folder where you had unzipped and installed the DS4Windows tool. Delete all those folders from your PC and empty the Recycle Bin.
- On File Explorer, search for ‘%AppData%’ and press the Enter key. It will take you to the Roaming directory. Find DS4Windows and delete it from there.
This completes the uninstallation process of the DS4Windows tool.
How to Reinstall DS4Windows?
You must download DS4Windows from GitHub. Next, you need to extract the downloaded Zip file. Explore the extracted file and double-click on the file named DS4Windows.exe. Select the Appdata option from the dialog box.
Meanwhile, you might encounter a Runtime error if your computer lacks the correct Runtime version. Otherwise, you can carry on with the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.
Enter the Settings tab to check the ‘Hide DS4 Controller’ option. This will restrict your computer from getting confused between two controllers’ detection. Now, notice if the DS4Windows not working issue appears again or not.
5. Enable the Controller again
Are you sure that your DS4 Controller is enabled? If it goes disabled by mistake, then the DS4Windows not working issue won’t be resolved. Check out the steps below to make sure that the controller is active:
- Right-click the Start menu on your PC. Choose the Device Manager option from the Context menu.
- Locate Human Interface Devices on the Device Manager and click on it to expand.
- Next, right-click the HID-compliant game controller. Choose the Enable Device option.
- If you have connected the controller via Bluetooth, you need to enable the Bluetooth-HID-device option.
- In case the device is already connected and enabled, then you have to disable and enable it again.
- After that, disconnect the gaming controller and reboot your computer.
- You need to close the Steam or other gaming platform that you’re using.
- Explore DS4Windows and land on the Settings tab. Check the box next to the ‘Hide DS4 Controller’ option.
Attempt connecting the controller and check if the connected controller shows up.
6. Discard the Latest Windows Update
If you’re still encountering the DS4Windows not working issue, then you might need to uninstall the last Windows update.
Here’s what you need to do:
- Launch a Run dialog box with the Win+R shortcut.
- Type ‘appwiz.cpl’ in the Run box and click the OK button.
- Next, you need to choose the View Installed Updates option from the left panel.
- Locate the problematic Windows update and right-click on it.
- Click the Uninstall option to initiate the uninstallation process.
Go through the on-screen guidelines to uninstall the Windows update manually. Test if the DS4Windows not working issue still remains on your PC.
Finally, Try System Restore
If you think that your PC has been showing the DS4Windows not working for a while after making certain changes, then you can restore the previous Windows version along with settings.
Run a system restore operation and restore that timeline when the controller happened to be working fine. Hopefully, the guide helped you to deal with the DS4Windows emulator issues.
