So you recently bought a PS5 controller, and you’re wondering if the adaptive triggers can work on a PC. I’ve been playing around with the PS5 controller on PC for a while now and wanted to share what I found with you.
The PS5 DualSense controller includes all kinds of new features, the most important are adaptive triggers and haptic feedback, a major improvement on the older version. But do those features on PC? Let’s take a look.
Can You Use PS5 Controller Adaptive Triggers on PC?
You can only use the PS5 DualSense controller’s adaptive triggers on PC games that natively support them. You can also use DualSenseX to create custom adaptive trigger settings for the PS5 controller on a PC.
Currently, there are only a handful of PC games that fully support the PS5 adaptive triggers on PC, such as Metro Exodus, Deathloop, Call of Duty Cold War, F1 2021, and more to come.
What that means is if you connect a PS5 controller to your PC, either through Bluetooth or cable, the game should recognize that controller and the adaptive triggers will work as the developers planned. No third-party tools are needed, it’s all plug-and-play.
Don’t worry, even the PS5 console doesn’t have many titles that support adaptive triggers at the moment. The most notable title that uses haptic feedback and adaptive triggers is a platform game called Astro’s Playroom.
Note: Be careful buying controllers online, there are lots of fake controllers out there. Read my guide on how to spot a fake controller for more info.
To be safe, only buy a PS5 controller from the official online store.
Also, the PS5 is one of my favourite controllers. I added it to my list of recommended gear.
Read This Before Buying a PS5 Controller for PC:
So if you buy a PS5 controller for a PC, the bad news is most of your games won’t support the new controller’s features.
In fact, most games don’t even support the PS5 controller in general. It won’t be recognized.
Thankfully Steam recently added support for the PS5 controller.
If you launch the game through Big Picture mode, it should detect the PS5 controller. I can confirm the PS5 controller does work with Rocket League through Steam. Granted, none of the new features will work, unless the specific game supports them. Steam detects it as a generic controller.
PC Games that Natively Support PS5 Adaptive Triggers:
- Assassins Creed Valhala
- Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War
- Call of Duty Vanguard
- F1 2021
- Death Loop
- Far Cry 6
- Genshin Impact
- Rainbow Six Siege
- Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition
- Control
While there are only a few games that support adaptive triggers and haptic feedback on PC, more should arrive in the near future. However, if you don’t want to wait and you need a controller now, I recommend the Xbox Core controller.
Xbox controllers are pretty much compatible with every game.
Add PS5 Controller Support to Non-Supported Game
Steam already recognizes the PS5 controller and registers it as a generic controller, so almost any game on Steam will work with the PS5 controller.
But what if you want to play a game that’s not on Steam? For example, one of the many games that are on the Xbox Game Pass for PC.
Windows do not fully support the PS5 controller because Sony is a competitor. The PS5 controller won’t natively work with games on Xbox Game Pass or games directly downloaded or installed.
To use a PS5 controller on a game that does not support it, you will need to either use DS4 Windows or Dual Sense X and emulate the PS5 controller as an Xbox controller. You will need to open the program, connect the controller, and then open a game. The button layout will use the Xbox controller layout but it’s fairly easy to remember.
DS4 Windows is what you need to play Halo Infinite with a PS5 controller on a PC.
How to Create Custom Adaptive Triggers for the PS5 Controller on PC:
So we know the PS5’s adaptive triggers don’t work on most games. But did you know you can create custom adaptive triggers? It’s really cool and I’ll show you how to do it in a second.
First, download a program called DualSenseX from GitHub. It’s also available on Steam. Install the program and launch it, make sure your PS5 controller is connected.
Once connected, the UI should look like this:
There are a lot of settings that you can play around with, but the most interesting is the adaptive trigger settings on the right side.
On the right side, under Controller Mode, you can select a variety of adaptive trigger presets. Once you select one, hit apply, and test the triggers.
The most noticeable would be the Hardest Trigger, which requires a lot of pressure to pull down. The GameCube trigger is pretty much the same as a regular one, but halfway through, it has a satisfying click.
If you want to really see what the adaptive triggers can do, select Vibrate Trigger 10 Intensity. When you hold down the trigger, it will vibrate up and down, making it feel like you’re really shooting a weapon.
Warning:
Be careful not to set the custom settings too high because it can damage the triggers. You can also test these triggers out with the DualSense X Game Demo.
DualSenseX will automatically emulate the PS5 controller, similar to DS4 Windows, so all you need to do is launch a game, and use the new trigger profile. Pretty cool, huh? The downside you can only use one adaptive trigger profile at a time.
You can create custom profiles for your games, but the adaptive triggers won’t match each game. It’s a universal configuration, so the trigger profile will work the same across all games, regardless of what’s happening in the game. For example, you can’t change the adaptive triggers to match each gun in a first-person shooter game.
The Game Cube trigger is satisfying though.
PS5 Haptic Feedback on PC:
While PS5 haptic feedback is not fully supported on PC, DualSense X offers support to simulate it. The way it works is your PC’s audio will be redirected to the PS5 controller’s motors or internal speaker. It’s a little weird.
Here’s what you need to do:
Make sure your controller is connected via USB-C or the haptic audio won’t work. Open DualSense X, click on the Settings tab, and select Controller. You’ll see an option to enable audio haptics, and toggle it on. Play a video that has sound and see how the controller reacts.
I need to explain how this works.
If you don’t change any of the settings, the audio from your computer will be sent to both the motors and speaker on your controller. What will happen is the controller will vibrate while also having sound come from the internal speaker.
I recommend disabling the internal speaker by setting Headset Left and Headset Right to zero while leaving the motors at 100.
With those settings, the controller will vibrate when loud noises are detected. It’s not exactly the same as the intended haptics, but it’s pretty similar.
To play games, set the Default Audio to your headphones, and open the game. The vibrations from the controller should match the same level as the audio in the game, a pretty cool feature.
It might get a little annoying to have your controller vibrating all the time though.
Conclusion:
The PS5 adaptive triggers are a new technology, so it will take some time to see them in games. When it is implemented, the game world feels way more immersive.
Instead of the basic vibration settings, you can actually feel like your shooting a gun or interacting with an object. I can’t wait to see where technology will go in the future.
Have you tried PS5 adaptive triggers on PC? Leave a comment below with your favorite settings!
