Use a PS3 Controller on a PC
This article teaches you how to connect a PS3 controller to a Windows PC with the help of the SCP toolkit program.
Steps
- Turn on your controller. To do so, press the stylized "PS" button in the middle of your controller.
- If your PS3 controller is paired with your PS3, first unplug the PS3 from its power source.
- Connect your controller to your PC. Plug the narrow end of the controller's USB charging cable into the controller and the large end of the USB cable into one of your computer's USB ports.
- USB port locations vary depending on the type of computer you're using. If you can't locate the USB ports, check the sides or the back of your computer's CPU (desktop) or the back of the casing (laptop).
- If you're connecting your controller via wireless dongle, you may need to first install the dongle's drivers. Make sure you follow the on-screen prompts to do so after plugging in the dongle.
- Navigate to the SCP Toolkit website. SCP Toolkit provides a PC-friendly interface to which your PS3 controller can connect, which will in turn allow you to use your PS3 controller with PC game services like Steam.
- Click the "ScpToolkit_Setup.exe" link. It's the first link beneath the "Downloads" heading on this page. Doing so will prompt the toolkit to download to your PC's default downloads folder (e.g., the desktop).
- Make sure you're downloading the most recent version of the software. If you're on an out-of-date version's page, you won't see the green "Latest Release" sticker on the left side of the page.
- Double-click the toolkit setup file. Its icon resembles a black PS3 controller.
- Follow the on-screen setup instructions. In most cases, this process will entail clicking Install after reading through the terms of use. You may need to install several components of the toolkit separately of one another, so you may have to click Install multiple times.
- If the toolkit mentions that you're missing "prerequisites" needed to run the program, click Next until the prerequisites begin installing. Otherwise, just click Finish on the first window.
- You may need to click Yes on a pop-up window asking whether or not your computer can trust the setup file.
- Double-click the "ScpToolkit Driver Installer" program. It's in the file in which you installed SCP Toolkit.
- Uncheck the "Install DualShock 4 Controller" box. This option is on the left side of the driver installer window. Since you're installing a PS3 controller (e.g., a DualShock 3 controller), you don't want to install PS4 drivers.
- Also uncheck the box next to "Bluetooth" if your controllers are wired (e.g., you aren't using a dongle).
- A good rule of thumb here is to uncheck a box next to anything you aren't using.
- If you're using Windows Vista, you'll need to check the box next to "Force Driver Installation" in the middle-left side of the window.
- Click the box under "Choose DualShock 3 Controllers to Install". This option is on the right side of the window. You'll select your controller from here.
- Check the "Wireless Controller" option. You'll see a list of all devices attached to your computer (e.g., keyboards, mouses, webcams, etc.). Your PS3 controller is the option marked "Wireless Controller (Interface [number])" where the number pertains to the USB port to which the controller is attached.
- If you're using a non-wired controller, you'll need to select the USB device you're using to facilitate the connection under the "Bluetooth" section above the "DualShock 3 Controllers" drop-down box.
- Click Install. It's on the right side of the driver installer window. Doing so will prompt SCP Toolkit to begin installing your controller's drivers, which should take less than five minutes on any compatible PC.
- Once the installation is complete, you'll hear a confirmation noise.
- At this point, your controller's drivers have been installed and you are ready to begin using your controller with PC games.
Tips
- This process will also work for a PS4 controller, though you'll need to first unpair the controller from within your PS4's Settings. You'll also need to install DualShock 4 drivers and select a DualShock 4 controller instead of a DualShock 3.
- If you run into any errors, try uninstalling and then reinstalling the SCP toolkit. When you reinstall, make sure you install any prerequisites (regardless of whether or not you think you need them), and be sure to check the "Force Driver Installation" box when installing the drivers regardless of your operating system.
- When you open the "Devices" manager on your PC (accessed by typing "joy.cpl" into the "Run" application), your PS3 controller will show up as an Xbox 360 controller. This is because the Xbox 360 controller is natively supported by Windows, while the PS3 controller is not.
