PS3 Controller
Sony

Controller support is express on Windows PCs. While the latest generation of panel controllers volition work out of the box with Windows, fifty-fifty last-generation gamepads like the PlayStation 3's DualShock iii require custom drivers.

A previous version of this article detailed the use of MotioninJoy to use your Sony PS3 controller every bit a joystick on your Windows PC. Unfortunately, MotioninJoy was a proprietary piece of software that turned into malware over the years.  Luckily, you don't have to infect your computer, equally there is an open-source alternative in ScpToolkit. Don't employ MotioninJoy.

How to Install ScpToolkit

ScpToolkit has to modify some system drivers to make the controller piece of work, so it's not the safest install process. Proceed with caution, follow our instructions, and don't click anything you don't understand.

Download the latest release of ScpToolkit from the project's Github page, open up the setup program, and agree to the Terms and Conditions—if yous read them, of class. You'll be shown a dialog with a listing of install options:

ScpToolkit install screen

You probably don't need the Gamepad Analyzer and Debug Info Collector, but you lot should install everything else.

The installation process will have a few minutes. Y'all should take this time to find your PS3 controller and plug it in with a USB cablevision. Later the utility is done installing the toolkit, it will enquire y'all to run the driver installer. Click "Run," and you'll be shown a listing which should now include your controller.

Initialize Controllers

Click the "Initialize All Continued Devices" button (don't skip through with next button), let it install, andthen click "Next." This will configure the controller to be recognized as a PS3 controller, and install some drivers.

The next screen is for Bluetooth support, which you lot may not want considering it requires a dedicated Bluetooth dongle to be "sacrificed." Rightly so, there's a huge "Warning" label on this screen, considering installing it to a wireless mouse dongle on accident will cause you to have a very bad time.

ScpToolkit Bluetooth support

If you really want wireless support, you'll need to plug in the sacrificial dongle,make certain it's the Merely device in the list, and then click "Initialize All Continued Devices."

Otherwise, experience free to striking "Next" and skip this process.

The next step is installing a virtual Xbox 360 Controller driver, which volition fox Windows into thinking your PS3 controller is an Xbox 360 controller. This will make it piece of work for more games.

Install virtual 360 controller driver

To install the driver, click "Install virtual Xbox 360 Controller driver" and click "Next."

After that, ScpToolkit will want to install a Windows Service to handle communication with the controller.

Install Windows Service

Click "Install Windows Service" and click "Next." You're at present washed, and you should be able to utilize your PS3 controller in any game that supports Xbox 360 controllers. That'south practically every game that supports a controller, and then get nuts. You can also remap the controller's buttons to arrive piece of work in other games.

RELATED: How to Remap any Controller to Keyboard Keys on Windows and MacOS