How to Connect PS3 Controller to PC

Though there are many gaming consoles available on the market The PlayStation 3 controller is still special with its unique feature of pressure-sensitive analog face buttons. It is the best choice to play PC games than the mouse and keyboard. When you prefer the controller to play games you can sit comfortably and play your favorite games. Though connecting the PS3 controller to the PC is a little difficult if you spend some time you can easily connect the PlayStation 3controller to the PC. So we have listed the steps to connect the PS3 controller to the PC in this guide.

What you need

Before you start connecting the PlayStation 3 controller to the PC make sure you have all the required things listed below.

• Dualshock PS3 controller
• Mini USB cable
• Bluetooth dongle(optional)
• SCPToolkit
• Microsoft .NET Framework 4.5
• Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable package
• Microsoft Visual C++ 2013 Redistributable package
• Xbox 360 controller driver(for Windows 7 only)
• Microsoft DirectX End(User runtime web installer)

Steps to Connect PS3 Controller to PC

Make sure you download and install all the four Microsoft software on your PC then start connecting the PlayStation 3 controller to the PC.

1. First, unplug the PS3 controller and turn off your PS3 to avoid the paring issues.

2. Connect the PS3 controller to the PC with the mini USB cable that you have.

3. Install the SCPToolkit on your PC, as you install it will automatically download the required files for the process.

4. If you are a user of Windows 7 install the Xbox 360 controller driver, in windows 8 and 10 it is built in already.

5. Open the SCPToolkit and click the Next button at the bottom of the screen.

6. Once the SCPToolkit setup process is over a pop-up screen will appear on the windows.

7. Click the green Run Driver Installer button from the pop-up screen.

7. From the SCPToolkit Driver Installer click the box near the Install DualShock 3 driver.

8. Next, uncheck the DualShock 4 controller.

9. If you have plugged in the Bluetooth dongle click the box near Install Bluetooth driver, otherwise leave it unchecked.

10. Click the arrow near Choose DualShock 3 controllers to install and select your controller from the drop-down menu.

11. If you are connected Bluetooth dongle on the PC, click the arrow near Choose Bluetooth dongles to install and select your Bluetooth device from the drop-down menu.

12. Then click the install button.

13. Once the process is over click the Exit button.

14. The SCPToolkit settings manager will appear in the Start menu of your PC.

15. Finally, you can play the PC games with your PlayStation 3 controller.

PC recognizes your PlayStation 3 controller as the Xbox 360 controller so you won’t get the square, circle, triangle, cross button by default. Not all PC games support a gamepad so you can select a PC game that supports the controller and start playing the game with your PlayStation 3 controller.

Frequently Asked Questions