is DS4Windows Not Working? Don't Worry, You Can Fix it Now!

Whenever you notice that DS4Windows is not working on your pc, you don’t need to dishearten yourself. Instead, try to think what is the reason behind the issue and try to fix it. Actually, there could be a couple of reasons for it and you may not be able to fix it on your own. Worry not, we are here to help you fix the issue on your own. All you have to do is to follow the guidelines shared on this page and apply them carefully.

Make sure to read this guide till the end and scroll to respective section where your issue is explained in detail. Just follow the tips and we are pretty sure that you will be able to troubleshoot it and fix it very easily. Okay, without wasting your time any more, let’s start going forward with the contents of this troubleshooting guide.

Most Common Issues & Solutions

There is no single issue to talk about on this guide and the issue may vary from a person to person and a computer to computer. Scroll down to where your issue is addressed and follow the exact steps that we have asked you to follow, in order to fix it.

DS4Windows Doesn't Open / Crashes / Fails To Start

Sometimes you may notice that the tool doesn’t open when you try to launch it. In some other cases, it may get crashed soon after you launch it. On the other hand, it fails to start completely. If you are facing these kind of issues, follow the steps shared below.

Fix 1 - Check With The Prerequisites:

  • Make sure that all the below mentioned prerequisites are installed and correctly configured.
  • Check if you have installed Microsoft .Net 6.0 Runtime or not. The console version and server version will not work. So, download and install the desktop version (x64 or x86 bit) based on your system architecture.
  • Visual C++ 2015-2019 Redistributable is required. Download x64 Bit version or x86 (32 Bit) version.
  • ViGEmBus Driver is another must have requirement. If you haven’t installed it the tool finds it difficult to detect the installed driver, you may see an error message “ViGEmBus Is Not Installed”. In case if you’ve installed it but still getting the log message, uninstall it first and restart your pc before you re-install it. If the ViGEmBus driver ask you to install Visual C++ 2017 runtime libraries, you will have to install it.
  • Microsoft 360 Driver is yet another must have driver for DualShock 3/4 and DualSense as well. If you have already installed it for using the 360 controller, you don’t have to install it again.
  • The operating system on your pc must be either Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 or Windows 11. DS4Win may not work on older operating systems.

Fix 2 - Make Sure That The DS4Windows Folder Is Not Write Protected:

  • Extract the zip file of the software either on the Documents Folder or Downloads Folder or any other built in storage driver (C Drive is not recommended).
  • If the main folder is in the program files or on the dekstop where everything is write protected, you require higher credentials and authentication to launch the program and perform actions.
  • If you are an administration, that’s fine. Otherwise, consider moving the folder to either Documents or Downloads or Pictures, etc.

Fix 3 - Make Sure That The User Data Is Not Corrupted:

  • The tool won’t work properly when a portion or a whole of the user data is corrupted.
  • To confirm and fix the issue, close the software if it is running and take a backup of the user data first.
  • Delete the user data files from your pc and re-launch the software.
  • Now, try to restore the user data files one by one and see which file is not getting restored to the tool.
  • When you find a specific file is causing the issue, delete it and you are done.

Fix 4 - Inspect DS4Windows's Log and Windows's Event Viewer:

  • DS4Win’s log will show you the warnings whenever there is an issue that prevents the tool to work normally.
  • Inspecting the log files will give you clear idea about what causing it and how you can handle it.
  • You can find the logs in two different places such as 1. Main Folder and 2. App Data.
  • Main folder can be found where you have saved it.
  • App data folder can be opened with a run command. Hit Windows Key + R, type %appdata% and hit enter.
  • Launch the log file and see if you can find something about the issue.
  • In case if you find “Attempting to start the service winmgmt failed” or “Windows Management Interface not found” in the app’s log file or windows’s event view. Then, try to repair windows installation fix by using the microsoft windows installation media.
  • That will definitely solve the issue if carried properly.
  • Otherwise, you can run windows os’s WMI Repository Repair Commands. To do that, press Windows Key + R, type cmd and hit enter to launch the command prompt on your pc.
  • Type net stop winmgmt in the command prompt and hit enter.
  • If you wish to continue, type Y and hit enter.
  • Type winmgmt /resetrepository into the command prompt and hit enter.
  • Restart your personal computer to apply the changes and you are done.

Fix 5 - Check With The Incompatible Applications:

  • The usage of some incompatible applications along with DS4Win might prevent you from using the tool normally.
  • Some of them are MSI Afterburner and MSI RTSS RivaTuner which are not compatible with the WPF Versions of the DS4W (Since v2.0).
  • RTSS RivaTuner prevents DS4Windows to Startup and may also close it suddently after the launch.
  • To solve the issue, you need to either uninstall RTSS application or make changes to the application detection level.

application detection level to none

  • Launch RTSS Tool, go to RivaTuner Statistics Server settings.
  • Select “None” under the “Application detection level” and hit save. If that doesn’t solve your issue, check out our next fix in this list.

Fix 6 - Uninstall Legacy ScpVBus Driver (If Installed):

  • Scp Virtual Bus Driver is a legacy driver which is used to spawn the virtual xbox controllers back in the days. Later ViGEmBus took over it’s place and ScpVBus is no more required now.
  • Actually, DS4W will ignore (if installed) because it doesn’t need it anymore.
  • But, using it along with the ViGEmBus driver may lead to various infamouse issues.

uninstall scpvbus driver

  • So, it’s better to uninstall ScpVBus Driver (ScpToolkit) completely from your personal computer.

Fix 7 - Update Windows Operating System:

  • Outdated / old version of the windows operating system may be a reason for ds4windows not working issue.
  • Find out if there is an update available. Make sure to update it to the available version.
  • You can try this after you are done with all the above methods.
  • If it is still not working, you can comment below this page for the solution.

DS4Windows Not Detecting Controllers

Is DS4Windows not detecting your real controllers? check out the best methods to fix it. Not only that, you can try out the below ways to fix if games are not detecting your virtual gamepads for whatever reasons. Check if your controller is in the List Of Supported Controllers or not.

Fix 1 - Check With The DS4Windows's Version:

  • The very first thing is to check the version of the tool that you are currently using.
  • It is a clear cut fact that the old version / outdated version will not be able to detect the real controllers no matter if everything else is well and good.
  • Go to this link and download the latest version and follow the instructions to install it on your windows pcs.

Fix 2 - Check If DS4Windows Is Stopped:

Whenever the tool is not turned on, it will open up but can’t detect the real controllers. To solve this, you will have to launch the tool and hit the “Start” button which is there at the bottom right corner of the window.

DS4windows stopped working

Hit the button and you are good to go. If it still can’t detect the real controllers, you can try out the other methods to fix it.

Fix 3 - Check If The Controller Is Not Connected Properly:

If your controller is connected to your pc properly, you will be able to see it in the Windows’s Devices and Printers section. In case if there is any problem with the connection (USB Cable or Bluetooth connection), you will not be able to see it there.

devices and printers on windows

Don’t worry, you can fix it by following the below tips if you can’t see your controller like in the above image.

  • Remove the USB cable from the PC and from the controller (if you’ve connected via usb connection).
  • Disconnect your controller from your personal computer (if you’ve connected via bluetooth connection).
  • Check the USB Cable once before you connect the controller to your pc again now.
  • Make sure to also check the USB Port of your pc. In case if there is a problem with the USB Port, change the port and connect it again.
  • You should also check the port of your controller before you connect it again.
  • If evveyrthing is fine, connect it now and go to Devices and Printers section by following the path Control Panel > All Control Panel Items > Devices and Printers.
  • If you can see the controller under devices section, you are good to go. Otherwise, you may try to connect your controller via bluetooth.
  • Press the controller buttons to put it into the Pairing Mode.
  • Turn on Bluetooth on your Windows pc and hit “Add Device” or “Search For A Device” option.
  • Select the controller and enter the pin “0000” if asked for a pin.
  • If the connected controller is active for more than 5 to 10 seconds, we can treat that the connection is stable and you don’t need to worry about it.
  • In case if the controller is disconnected and your pc is still showing the Add Device option, you will have to restart your pc and try to establish a wireless connection again.

Fix 4 - The Controller Has Been Disconnected Accidentally:

Sometimes, the controller will get disconnected automatically after a while. The reason coudn’t be due to faulty bluetooth/usb cable but because of the Hide DS4 Controllers option. If you have enabled this option for whatever reasons, you may face the controller connectivity issues. Don’t worry, you can solve the issue by following the step by step instructions shared below.

  • Go to Control Panel > All Control Panel Items > Devices and Printers section your windows pc. Otherwise, you may go to devices and printers by using the run command method. Hit Windows Key + R and type control printers and hit enter.

printers and controllers

  • Now, you will need to locate your controller on the list of devices that you see on the screen.
  • Right click on it and tap “Properties” and then go to “Hardware” section.
  • Click on “HID-compliant game controller” under the Device Functions section.

enable the controller

  • Click on “Properties” button now and tap “Enable Device” option to turn it on.

Fix 5 - Check If The Controller Is Enabled But Hidden:

In case if your device is connected properly (as shown in the below image) but hidden, HidGuaridan and HidHide could be the reason for it. In such a situation, your pc and DS4W won’t be able to detect the connected controller until and unless you resolve the issue. Need a hand? follow the below instructions and tips.

controller is enabled but hidden issue

  • HidGuaridan is one of the legacy drivers which is not required now. So, you will have to remove it from your pc in order to unhide your controller.
  • Follow the path Windows Start Menu > Control Panel > Programs > Uninstall A Program.

uninstall hidguardian to unhide the controller

  • Select the “HidGuardian” app from the list of installed apps and hit “Uninstall” when prompted.
  • Since you have uninstalled it, restart your pc and install the hidhide driver (only if not installed already). Because the hidhide driver is very helpful in avoiding the double input issues.
  • In case if you haven’t actally installed HidGuardian but still the controller is hidden, HidHide could be a potential culprit behind this issue.
  • To test things with the HidHide driver, Open HidHide Configuration Client.
  • Untick the Enable Device Hiding check box under Devices section.
  • See if your controller is visible now and not hidden.
  • If the issue is not yet solved, Uninstall HidHide from your pc to test things.
  • If the issue is still not yet solved, you need to uninstall ds4w from your pc and do things from the beginning and make sure to check your controller as well.

Fix 6 - Enable Support For Your Type Of Controller In DS4W Settings:

Are you using Switch Pro or Joycon controller? check if your type of controller is enabled or not. You can check that in the settings of the DS4Win.

  • Launch the DS4Win tool on your personal computer.
  • Go to Settings tab and then go to Device section.

DS4W Device Options

  • Make sure to Turn On All Controller Types. You can also see the list of connected controllers there.
  • Hit “Stop” button and “Start” button again once and restart your pc to apply the changes.

Fix 7 - Make Sure That Your Controller Is Not A Replica:

If the controller is a copycat or a replica of the original dualshock 3 or dualshock 4 or dualsense, you may have to try out the below instructions.

  • Some replicas and copycat controllers are supported by the ds4w but not all of them.
  • So, you have to try reconnecting your controller to the pc via bluetooth or an USB connection.
  • If your pc detects the controller, you are lucky and if not, we can’t do anything about it.

High Latency / Input Delay Issues Over Bluetooth

Latency is nothing but the delay in communication between two devices. On other words, it is the time taken for a device to respond to the command from the other device and vice versa. In our case, it’s the time taken for DS4Windows to respond to the commands from the controller.

 If the latecy is high, your in-game experience will be horrible for sure. In case if you are facing input delays issues as such, continue reading the below recommended methods but before that, check out the important information shared below.

INFO - Usual Input Delay / Latency (Complete Details):

Controller NameNormal Input DelayMinimum Input DelayImportant Information
DualSense (DS5)3ms1ms
DualShock 4 (DS4)4ms1.5msDS4 V1 and V2 doesn’t have a big difference in latencies
DualShock 3 (DS3)5ms5msConnected through BthPS3+DSHidMini (DS4Windows Mod)
Nintendo Switch Pro Controllers16ms16ms16ms is the lowest latency that the official swith pro controllers can get
Joy-Cons Controllers16ms16ms

Input delay above 20ms is considered to be the bad latency. Anything below 10ms is suggested. Everything in between 20ms and 10 ms is treated as mediocre latency frequencies.

Latencies may vary with the kind of a bluetooth connection that you are using. It’s better to use a bluetooth adapter because the built-in bluetooth adaptors might not work properly some times.

TIPS - Monitor Input Delay (Latency):

  • In order to check the input delay of the connected controller, launch the tool and go to “Controllers” section.

Check DS4W Input Delay

  • Hover the cursor onto the controller name to know the currently latency.
  • If the latency goes over 10ms (milliseconds), then that will be displayed in the “Log” section.

DS4Win High Input Delay Log

  • Whenever the latency goes beyond 10ms, it will show you the actual/current latency (input delay) clearly.
  • You may export this data if you want or Clear it to see the fresh data from then.

CAUSES - Reasons for The High Input Delay Issues:

Make a note that DS4Windows is not responsible for the input delay becuase it has nothing to do with the transfer of data from your controller through USB connection or Bluetooth. We have listed down some most common causes right below.

  • Too many devices connected to the bluetooth adapter.
  • Low quality bluetooth adapter.
  • Outdated in-built bluetooth adapter.
  • High radio interference near the bluetooth adapter.
  • Faulty bluetooth adapter’s drivers.
  • Bluetooth and Wifi Interference.
  • DS4Win causing controller to increase the rate of data transfer (applies to DualShock 4 and DualSense only).

Below are the solutions that you can follow in order to fix the high latency issues with your bluetooth/wireless controllers.

Fix 1 - Turn OFF Wifi & Try With Bluetooth Alone:

  • This is the best method to reduce the radio signals interference from the connected wifi devices.
  • Turn Off Wifi and turn on Bluetooth.
  • Pair your controller through Bluetooth and try to measure the input delay by hovering the cursor onto the name of the connected controller. For more information, go to “Log” section as explained in the above section to view if there is still high input delay.
  • Also make sure to keep the other electronic devices away from your pc and controller.

Fix 2 - Set High Performance Power Plan on Your PC:

  • The default power plan of windows 10 computers and laptops is balanced and some other users might be using “Battery Saver” or “Power Saver” mode.
  • Switch the Battery Saver / Balanced Mode to High Performance.
  •  The second thing that you can try out is to alter the same to the bluetooth dongle as well.
  • Open Windows’s Device Manager > Select the Bluetooth Dongle > Go to Properties > Go to Power Management > Untick “Turn off this device to save power” option.

Fix 3 - Use A Dedicated Bluetooth Adapter:

Built-in bluetooth adapter in your pc might not be working properly. To overcome the issue, you may use a dedicated bluetooth adapter to establish a wireless connection between your playstation controller and pc.

  • If you have already used a separate bluetooth adapter but ended up unsolving the issue, it might be a faulty one.
  • Get a brand new bluetooth adapter and connect it to your personal computer.
  • Open Device Manager on your windows pc and disable the built-in bluetooth adapter. This will help you with a single bluetooth connection by avoiding infamouse issues with double bluetooth dongles.
  • Pair it up with your controller and establish a strong bluetooth connection with your controller.
  • If you can’t pair your controller to a new bt adapter, remove it from the pc and plug it in the other USB port.
  • If that doesn’t help you, you may use an USB extension cable to connect the bluetooth adapter to your pc.

Fix 4 - Decrease Bluetooth Polling Rate on Profile Settings:

The other best method to solve bluetooth related issues is to decrease the bluetooth polling rate in the profile settings. Following are the steps to do it smoothly.

  • Launch the DS4Windows tool on your windows pc.
  • Go to “Profiles” section.
  • Select the profile and hit the “Profile Editor” option and tap “Other” option from the available options on the right hand side of the tool.
  • Go down to BT Poll Rate section and set the value to 10 ms.

bluetooth polling rate

  • This is a very useful feature especially when you have connected multiple controllers to your pc.

Keep an important thing in mind that this works only with the DualShock 4 (DS4) controller and DualSense (DS5) only. This method doesn’t work for DualShock 3 (DS3) controllers, Joy-Cons and Pro Controllers.

Fix 5 - Disable The "Enable Output Data To DS4" Option:

  • In case if you find that your bluetooth adapter is unable to send and receive data well, you can try this method.
  • Launch the DS4W tool > Go to Profiles > Select Profile > Click Profile Editor > Go to Other and Disable (Uncheck) Enable Output Data to DS4 option.

Disable Output Data to DS4 Option

Disabling this option will disable Rumble Effect and Lightbar Control Effect as well. If you would like to enjoy both rumble and lighbar effects, you must not disable this option.

DS4Windows Is Not Creating Virtual Controllers

Is DS4Windows not creating virtual controllers such as X Box 360 DS4 Gamepads? follow the instructions shared below and fix the issue in under 5 minutes.

  • Open DS4Win tool on your personal computer and go to “Controllers” tab.
  • Choose the profile and hit “Edit” option.
  • Go to Profile Editor and then to Other option.
  • If “Disable Virtual Controller” option is turned on, kindly disable it.
  • Save the changes, hit “Stop” and click “Start” button again and test things.

You can follow these tips in case if you have seen anything similar to a message “Associate (X360/DS4) Controller (…) Does Not appears in the Log section. 

Games Not Recognizing The Virtual Controllers

Before you search for the causes of the problem, it’s required to look for the double controller / double input issue. That could be a reason for games not recognizing the virtual gamepads and controllers. To check for that, launch the ds4windows tool on your computer and make sure to close HidHide driver (if opened).

check for the double input issue

In case if you see the “X” mark as shown in the above image, you should be very careful and fix it as soon as possible. Until and unless it is fixed, games will not be able to detect the virtual controllers. Scroll down to find out the solution to fix double input (double controller) issue.

For now, let’s assume that there is no such issue and everything is normal but still the games on your pc are unable to detect the virtual controllers. The solutions that we have mentioned below might help you most of the times.

Fix 1 - Check If The Virtual Controller Is Responding As Expected:

  • Go to Gamepad Tester Online Website on your pc (using chrome browser or opera or edge).
  • You can check a lot of parameters of a controller according to the profile that you have created.
  • If you notice that your controller is responding well to your commands and button presses, that’s well and good. We can assume that there is a problem with the profile that you have created.
  • To test with different settings, create a new profile in the ds4w tool and opt it for your controller in the Controllers tab.
  • Perform the testing now and if everything seems good, focus on building a better profile and you are done.
  • In case if the gaempad tester website is not working properly, try again after sometime. In the mean time, you may try out the other methods to fix the issue.

Fix 2 - Check For The Incorrect XInput Slot:

There may be an issue with the incorrect XInput Slot configuration. Generally, the xbox controllers are associated by windows to Xinput slots ranging from 1 to 4. Assume that windows has assigned the controller to Xinput Slot 1 intially, it has be cleared when it is disconnected.

Again when you reconnect it, if it gets associated with Xinput slot 1 but which is in reserved state, you will encounter a problem. In some other cases, some games will be keeping an open handle to the Xinput slots. When it happens, there will be a chance for the controller detection issues. 

This is a Windows process and you have nothing to do with the DS4W. Don’t worry, you can fix it by following some simple steps.

  • Make sure that you have connected at least one real controller to your pc.
  • Open DS4Win on your pc and go to Settings. Launch the XInputChecker tool now.
  • Check all the slots to know which slots are connected. You also need to check which slot is associated with your connected controller. In order to check this, you can press the buttons of your controller and see if the tool is responding to yoour presses or not.
  • On the other thand, download the process explorer archive and extract it.
  • Run the procexp64.exe file to open process explorer.
  • Go to Find option from all the menu options that are available on top of the tool bar.
  • Tap Find Handle or DLL…
  • Or, you can alternatively use the keyboard shortcut (Ctrl+Shift+F) to open the Find Handle or DLL… options.

Check Process Explorer for XInput

  • Type Xinput in the search bar and hit Search.
  • It will show you all the dll files that comes under XInput slots.
  • By doing this, you will be able to understand which XInput Slots are associated with which programs and processes.
  • Later, you can kill those processes or programs. Check out the below section for more information about it.

Fix 3 - Terminate Offending Processes / Programs / Apps / Games:

This is a simple thing to do but all you need is the awareness about the offending programs / apps or games. To find them out, you can follow the above method and understand what’s happening with your applications and XInput slots.

  • Close the application / program or game if that is open and utilizing the system resources.
  • In case if you don’t require the application or game, uninstall it.
  • Restart your pc and launch the DS4W and make sure that XInput slots are not associated with the other apps now.
  • A better fix is mentioned below, check it out now.

Fix 4 - Set A Permanent Output Slot:

When you have issues with the output slots, it’s better to set a permanent output slot. So that you make the games to pick other available slots leaving the one that you have pre-occupied for your controller. Here is how you can do that very easily.

  • Open the DS4Win tool on your pc and go to Output Slots section.
  • Now you will see a list of all the available output slots. Choose the very first one in the list.
  • If you can closely observe the X360 controller, it will be Dynamic.
  • Change it from the Dynamic to Permanent and hit “Accept” and you are done.

Permanent X360 Output Slot Method

  • Now, you may go to the gaempad tester website and test your controller.

You can test the controller by disconnecting and reconnecting it for several times. In case if everything works well, you are good to go.

Note: You should be very careful when emulating DualShock 4 Controller because you’ve set a permanent output slot to x box 360 controller. So, it’s recommended to unplug the permanent xbox when you are doing the DualShock 4 emulation.

Fix 5 - Check If The Game Supports Only XBox Controllers:

Most of the games supports the use of XBox Controllers for obvious reasons. It is very important to add support the xbox controllers and that’s the reason behind this. On the other hand, some playstation games supports only the use of XBox Controllers. In such as case, you need to switch to the XBox Controller Emulation because that’s the only solution that we have currently. Check out the following points before you come to a conclusion.

  • Visit the PC Gaming Wiki Website to check if the chosen game supports native DS4 or not.
  • Also, look for the Input Settings, Lightbar Support and Impulse Trigger Vibration Support, etc.

pc gaming wiki details for games supporting controllers

  • One important fact is that the games that have native DS4 support will not have Rumble Support.
  • Look  for the additional information such as Controller hotplugging, haptic feedback, simultaneous controller+KB/M as well.

Fix 6 - Check If Games Steam Input To Support DS4 Controllers:

It is seen in many games that they require steam input along with your DS4 controller. If you start playing such games without the steam input, you can’t go further in the process. Don’t worry, you can enable it by following a set of simple instructions shared below.

  • Launch Steam Client on your personal computer and go to it’s Settings.
  • Head over to Controller Settings and enable Playstation Configuration Support.

playstation configuration support

  • This thing will help you get Rumble effect and lightbar features as well.
  • In order to be able to play games with the playstation configuration support, you will have to run ds4windows under a custom name (we have shared this method on our Getting Started Guide)

Fix 7 - Check If The Games Are Intentionally Ignoring The Virtual Controllers:

It is seen in couple of games that they ignore the ds4 controllers intentionally. Whenever a game detects that you are using a ds4 controller, it will ignore it automatically. You have no choice other than using the x box controllers. So, using the xbox controllers when games don’t allow ds4 controllers is the only solution.

Controller Not Behaving Correctly While Playing Games

You might have gone through misbehaviour issues with your controller. Sometimes, it may not respond to your commands and other times, it may execute wrong tasks for your commands while playing the games. That leads to unsatisfying gaming experience which needs to be fixed without a miss.

Fix 1 - Character / Camera Moves Automatically:

Stick Drifting issue is the reason for your character or camera to move by themselves. The issue is caused by a couple of hardware related problems and a glitch with the controller stick position which is not perfectly centered when it is not moving. The other reasons are as follows,

  • When the stick (LS and RS) is not getting back to it’s center correctly and precisely.
  • If there is any issue with the stick’s position sensors.
  • To avoid drift issue when using preset xbox profile, make sure that the movement range is less than 8% (+/- 0.08) for the stick’s resting position.
  • If it is above 8% (+/- 0.08), then the stick position will be out of the default dead zone. In such a case, the DS4W will assume that the user is actually and intentionally moving the stick.
  • So, while using the default preset profile, make sure that there are no (Anti) deadzones in use. Then, DS4W will repass the real position of the stick to the virtual dualshock 4 controller.

Pro Tip: Create a new profile for testing and name it anything you want. For example, “test profile for stick position” is your new profile. Set the Dead Zone and Anti Dead Zone to 0.00 for both the LS and RS sticks and hit save. Choose this profile and head to the https://gamepad-tester.com/ website and test it now.

If the drift is minor, you can try out the above method. In case if the drift is major, consider cleaning the stick’s resistor meters. Do it on your own or take it to concerned person and explain him/her the problem. If they insist you to change the sticks in case of any physical damage, you should do it and try out with the new sticks in your controller.

Fix 2 - Adjust The Dead Zone Values:

It’s time to handle some technical stuff like adjusting the values of a deadzone based the fluctuations of both the x and y axis of the individual sticks. Below table will help you give you a clear idea about it.

Fix 3 - Controller Stops Responding All Of A Sudden:

If you notice that the controller stops working / responding to your commands suddenly, the following steps should be followed.

  • Check the USB Cable that you have used to connect the controller to your pc (In case of an USB connection).
  • If the cable is working properly, make sure to check the USB port adjustments to the connected cable.
  • Clean the USB port of your personal computer with cotton (don’t use any liquids to clean it).
  • In case if you have used a bluetooth connection, it could be due to high latency.
  • Avoid radio intereference near the controller and pc and test things again.
  • For more information, check the Log section of the DS4Win application on your personal computer.

Fix 4 - Game Responds Very Slow To Commands:

If the game is responding very slow to yoour commands, the issues is may be with the game itself. If the issue is with your real or virtual controller then, every game responds very slow to your commands. Observe the issue and its nature first and then you can follow the below instructions to fix it in under 2 minutes.

  • If you’ve connected your real controller through a Bluetooth connection then, the issue is may be due to High Latency or Random Latency Spikes.
  • To solve the latency related issues, scroll to top follow the instructions or simply switch to the USB connection.
  • In case if the issue is raised when you’ve connected your controller through an USB connection then, you must check the cable first.
  • Change the cable and try again and also make sure to keep the electronic devices little far away from your system.

If the game responds very slow to your commands especially when you have used a virtual ds4 controller, you should note that the issue is due to the outdated hidhide drivers. Make sure to update the HidHide driver to the new version to fix the game’s slow response issue. If that doesn’t solve your issue, you need to look for the changes to the game settings. Refer to the Help / Support section of the forums and make changes accordingly.

Fix 5 - DS4's Rumble, Motion, Gyro, Touchpad and Lightbar Are Not Working:

Becuase of the issue with the ViGEmBus driver, the support to Rumble and lightbar were disabled by the DS4Windows tool old versions. So, you won’t be able to get it by default until and unless you start using the latest version of the DS4Win tool.  Let’s check what you should do in order to fix motion, gyro, touchpad, lightbar and rumble issues in the latest version.

  • You might think that the game does actually support the rumble, gyro and other features. Are you sure about it? why don’t you check for the clear information once?. Go to www.pcgamingwiki.com website and select the game in the website from the home page or use the search bar to find it out.
  • Go to Controllers section to see the details if it has specifically mentioned that there is a support for the DS4 Controllers and the features that we are talking about.
  • The next thought is about the profile building for your controller. Did you actually enabled or allowed all the mentioned features in your profile? check it once.
  • Sometimes, you need to make sure that if the game that you want to play requires steam input or not. In case if it requires steam input, you have to make some necessary changes to Playstation Configuration Support in order to be able to use the gyro, lightbar, motion and rumble features through DS4 Controller Emulation.

Fix 6 - Rumble Doesn't Work With DS4 Controller Emulation:

Rumble support is not active for DS4 controller emulation by default. Don’t worry, you can still get it by going through a simple workaround.

  • Launch DS4Win tool on your personal computer and select the profile (it could be default profile or a specific profile).
  • Go to Settings of the profile and navigate to the “Other” section from there.
  • Check if the Rumble has 0% (if yes, rumble is not turned on).

rumble not working on ds4windows

  • Increase rumble from 0 to 100% (that gives you full potential of the rumble effect).
  • Hit “Save” button to save the changes that you have made now.
  • Once it is done, go back to the controllers section and hit “Stop” button and “Start” button again.
  • In case if the rumble effect is still not working, make sure to check with your controller’s hardware. 
  • On the other hand, also make sure to check for the steam input requirement.

Finally to solve the issue very easily, switch to Virtual X Box 360 Controller Emulation to get Rumble effect if you are not able to get with the DS4 Controller emulation.

DS4Windows Double Input / Double Controller Issue

The double input (or) double controller issue generally occurs when you are not using the HidHide’s functionalities well. In order to make use of the features of it, you must have installed it on your pc. Moreover, you should be hiding your real controller from the system and games that you play on your pc.

Fix 1 - HidHide Is Installed But Double Input Issue Is Not Solved:

Installing the hidhide software alone won’t help you in this case. You need to properly configure the settings in order to be able to hide your real controller from the game’s and pc’s detection.

  • Launch the DS4Win and stop it from running in the background. 
  • Hit “Stop” button and close the window completely and make sure that it is not running from the task bar.
  • Launch the HidHide’s configuration client and select your real controller and hide it.
  • You must also need to turn on “Enable Device Hiding” option.
  • This process is not limited to DS4 Controllers alone or the X Box Controllers. It applies to all the controllers that you may have used / willing to use further.
  • Save the changes and close the hidhide’s client now.

real controller is hidden to fix double input issue

  • Re-launch DS4Win on your pc and see if it is properly hidden or not. The “Key” logo indicates that the real controller is hidden.

Note: One more important thing is, add DS4Windows to HideHide’s applications list.

Fix 2 - Hidden The Controller But The Double Input Issue Is Not Solved:

In case the issue is not yet solved, you have a couple of things to do. Following are the steps that you should consider following.

  • Close the DS4Win and launch the HiHide’s configuration client.
  • Check if the “Enable Device Hiding” option is turned on or not.
  • If it is not yet turned on, you should enable this option.
  • Disconnect your controller from your pc and re-connect it with an alternative connection method (USB > Bluetooth or Bluetooth > USB).
  • To confirm that your real controller is hidden, head over to www.gamepad-tester.com website and check if your real controller is hidden or not yet.
  • In case if the controller is not hidden, try things from the beginning.

That is all about the troubleshooting guide. We have tried our best to discuss about all the issues that majority of the users of DS4Windows. In case if you feel that we have missed something in this guide, let us know through the comments below this page.