Steam Will Soon Natively Support PS4 Controllers

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Valve's Jeff Bellinghausen says that Steam will soon natively support PlayStation 4 controllers. I'm not a big fan of using controllers to play games but, if I had to, it would be with an Xbox One controller, I just like the feel better. Any of you use a DualShock 4 to play PC games?

"Believe it or not, when you use the PS4 Controller through the Steam API, it's exactly the same as a Steam Controller. Not only is it a really nice, high quality controller, but it's also got a gyro and a touchpad." says Bellinghausen. "Existing native support for the PS4 controller on the PC is a bit weak; in this case Steam itself is communicating directly with the device so everything that's nice and reliable."
 
I only use one for Rocket League. Everything else is Keyboard + Mouse.
 
I use XBox One S controller with Bluetooth for Forza Horizon 3.

Figure I would pay the extra for the brand new one with Bluetooth instead of paying less and also having to buy a wireless dongle, which ends up costing more.
 
I much prefer PS4's controller design as opposed to Xbone. Logitech also mimics their design and it just sits in my hands better. None the less this is cool news! A controller/joystick is a must for fighting games which I play occasionally.
 
I use/have both. PS4 controllers are easier to use for longer gaming. I find that Xbox controllers are bulkier in the middle and is a bit more unnatural to hold.
 
I like the PS4 (and previous PS) controller for anything that uses a d-pad. They're especially nice for fighting games. I prefer the Xbox pads for anything that uses the analog. Not a fan of the PS4 controllers sharp edges around the shoulder buttons, though.
After using the screwy bluetooth support for a few years, the new PS wireless adapter is terrific.
 
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I've never been a fan of the Playstation controller at all. I hate the placement of the thumbsticks because my thumbs always collide in the middle (I have big hands and tend to use the center of my thumb on the sticks, not the tip of my thumb), the R/L1 buttons are too close to the triggers and it just feels like an overly cramped controller for me. The only redeeming quality of the controller is the nice squishy D-Pad.

The Xbox One controller is way better in my opinion and I use it to play Project Cars, Forza, the Tomb Raider games, and GTA 5. Everything else is keyboard and mouse for me.

EDIT: I'd like to add that I really do prefer larger controllers and I was even a fan of the original oversized Xbox controller. I hated the S variant for a while when it came out.
 
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I won a PS4 controller at this year's PAX West, but I sold it on eBay. I guess I should have kept it, but prefer my Xbox One Elite anyway.
 
I'm not sure sony is thrilled about the idea. 3rs party hacking support is one thing but this screams conflict of interests.

Anyway I think that if something is not properly playable with a mouse+kb then it isn't worth playing in the first place. I've tried MKX with the ps3 controller but it was just as terrible to me.
 
I may be a person on the outs on this but my biggest gripe over the PS4 controller is the battery life with no way to plug in normal batteries, I get 4-5 hours at best on my PS4 controller. I know I have to pay more for batteries but I enjoy being able to use my controller for weeks before having to change batteries. The Xbox One Elite controller is by far my favorite controller for the PC. Loving Forza Horizon 3 at the moment.
 
I use it to avoid RSI alone..... plus your face isn't so close to the screen to make your eyes bleed. You can't get away with using a controller for top down point and click games.
 
Comixbooks said:
I use it to avoid RSI alone..... plus your face isn't so close to the screen to make your eyes bleed. You can't get away with using a controller for top down point and click games.
Click to expand...

Wrong, you absolutely can get away with using a controller with a point and click game such as Xcom on PS3. You don't know what your talking about.
 
To be honest, something I'd find more helpful is native Xinput support. I know there are 3rd party solutions, but it's a little clunky. They also don't always jive if you have an existing Xbox controller you also use.
 
Domingo said:
To be honest, something I'd find more helpful is native Xinput support. I know there are 3rd party solutions, but it's a little clunky. They also don't always jive if you have an existing Xbox controller you also use.
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yeah I don't get that myself
 
I own a X-box one controller because of this cause it's a hasle to start up input mapper every time.
 
Sonicks said:
I'd like to add that I really do prefer larger controllers and I was even a fan of the original oversized Xbox controller. I hated the S variant for a while when it came out.
Click to expand...
We're in the same boat. Playstation controllers are just uncomfortable with my large hands, and cause cramping within minutes. I refused to get any of the type S controllers for my original Xbox. They just seemed silly.
 
I have all of these. Fit wise, my small Asian hands like PS4 the most, Xbone second, Steam last.
Steam feels a bit cheap, while Xbone elite controller is the one that I use the most.
The S controller has clearer audio than the Elite.

Overall winner for me is the Elite.
 
I have all the major pads and I think each does one thing well.
The Xbox pads are the most versatile, but the d-pad is horrendous. Luckily very few games use it anymore. That's the case with all of them, although some models are better than others.
The Steam controller offers support for nearly every game and has great low triggers, but it's a bit cheap, troublesome, and the face buttons are awkwardly placed.
The PS4 pad has sharp triggers and the analogs are placed much lower ergonomically to favor the d-pad which fewer and fewer games use.
 
I will probably never switch from the ds3 just from a functionality standpoint it has the best battery life, pressure sensitive analog buttons, complete customization of either direct input/xinput and keyboard mouse controls with better ds3. Not much else i could ask for.
 
Native support will be nice. I don't play many games that will use it but support none the less is good.
 
Love my PS4 Controller and I would love native support in steam. I have a XB360 and a Steam controller and the XB360 is usable but terrible for the d-pad, and I just really dislike the steam controller but it has some really nice configuration options for some games. Overall though when I grab a controller I only really use the PS4 one. Wireless + bluetooth so it all just works with my system without added additional dongles to use wirelessly.
 
I have a Logitech controller that is much like a PS2 controller... has regular and Xbox(x-input) mode. For the few games where a controller works better, I use it.

A Tale Of Two Brothers is absolutely torture to try to play with a KB+Mouse. And most side scrollers are better with a controller as well.

Correct tool for the job.
 
Valve looking to contract experienced Mesa developers to work on the open source AMD driver for OpenVR. What GPU is in consoles? Easy PS4 VR ports into Vulkan?
Valve looking to contract experienced Mesa developers to work on the open source AMD driver for OpenVR

Sony was quoted as saying that their VR headset might make it to the PC. Translator needed,
ソニー「プレステＶＲ」、399ドルで試すヒットの法則

Now Steam has the PS4 controller as a native device. This is not a coincidence in my mind. :) Valve is making sure that the Windows Store isn't a monopoly for VR experiences. Plus imagine all the PS4 peripherals working native on the PC for more immersion. An VR AR15 just makes sense to me as there have been gun peripherals and other examples on consoles forever.

Maybe I'm thinking too much? OPENVR couldn't possibly work as I guessed?
 
Well finally that sony is willing to invest in a wireless connector for PC people actually care to add support for it. Looks like Sony will benefit from steam leeching their use of controller api which is strange because no one else uses it Nintendo, Microsoft, 3rd party makers use xinput because every dx game supports it.
 
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This is great news from Valve, once again dragging forward the industry in an open manner! It has always boggled the mind that Sony has been content to sit and watch the entire controller-on-PC demographic go right to Microsoft. Sure, during the previous console generation and X360 controllers etc... I could see MS starting with a lead, but it is strange that Sony, who is using standards compliant Dual Shock 3 and Dual Shock 4 controllers (ie Bluetooth wireless, USB connector etc..) didn't write up a nice open driver for PC. Likewise, they'd be even smarter to ensure it had XInput support and ideally pushed a SDK that meshed with XInput supporting games to encourage offering Playstation style (ie Cross, O, X, Triangle etc..) button legends in game. It wasn't impossible- - plenty of 3rd party devs hacked together support in various ways for DualShock 3 and DualShock 4 and even provide XInput controller emulation. Sony should have released the Dual Shock 4 with full PC compatibility and open drivers for cross-platform implementation as it would result in people who never even owned a Sony console buying the controllers, thus profiting from a whole new market. Microsoft showed it was viable, but Sony has been dragging their feet.

With luck, the DualShock4, wireless dongle, and PlaystationVR will all support PC, Steam, and generally be yet another option for players. If Valve is helping that along, so much the better!
 
I'm not a fanboy either way, but the XBone gamepad is miles better than the PS4
 
Thats cool! I have 2 DS4s and 0 xbox controllers, and yes, support for the sony controllers could be much better, so I appreciate this.

a funny thing is that I played through FH3 without running the special driver/program for the DS4 and the game just worked with the controller out of the box... a microsoft game. Doesn't work for most games (Dark souls series)
 
Term-X said:
I was never a fan of the Xbox controller designs.
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I was never a fan of the playstation controller designs.
x360 was is my favorite but i would replace it with something more precise, comfort and quality
 
I like my Xbox controllers but am all for people having the option to pick the one they like the most.
 
Exavior said:
I like my Xbox controllers but am all for people having the option to pick the one they like the most.
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yeah man im all4, id like to use my xbox1 controllers again, lol no not really, but i don't think there was anything bad about them
 
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I'm using a DS4 controller on PC to play 3rd person action games like Witcher 3
I like it better than the X360 controller.
 
I prefer the PS4 controller, but use an Xbox One controller, since I don't want to do the weird janky hack stuff to get the PS4 controller to work.
 
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