The PS3 controller primarily helps you play video games on the PC. The article below will give you some information about the PS3 controller on PC.
If you would like to use your PS3 controller on PC like a gamepad, then you must know that there is a simple method to achieve this. The controller is simply an external device, and there are ways to program it to work on your PC, thus enabling you to play many video games on the computer. The benefits of using this controller on the PC are that it provides one with a lot more movement options and lets one perform various additional activities, which would not be possible with a regular gamepad. You can now make use of the advanced features and motion sensors on the PS3 controller for playing a variety of games on your PC.
Moreover, if you are playing a PlayStation game on the PC through various emulators, you can use the controller to get a feel of the real thing. People who do not use the controller will have to resort to simply using the keyboard. Though this is not a bad option, you can enjoy the game so much more by connecting the controller.
How to Connect PS3 Controller to PC
- To begin with, download a filter driver (it is available online) that will enable your controller to work on the PC.
- Unpack this zipped file, and then install it on your machine. Doing so will allow you to play some good PS3 games on your PC.
- Next, simply plug in your controller to the PC (using a mini USB cable), and then run the filter driver that you have installed.
- The driver will detect the controller, and after a few seconds it will detect it and be able to function with it.
- To check if the controller is connected properly, you can go to the Control Panel on your PC, and then go to the Hardware section.
- Go to the PS3 Controller option, and move the analog sticks and press the digital buttons on your controller to check if it is working properly.
- The output will be displayed on the screen, and you will know that the controller is ready to be used.
- You can even charge the controller by connecting it this way, before you use the wireless bluetooth for using the controller with your Sony PlayStation 3 console.
Possible Complications
- If you are facing trouble connecting the controller, you need to follow a sequential checklist of items.
- You can reinstall the filter driver that you had downloaded, or you can disconnect the controller and then reconnect it again and run the driver once more.
- Also, note that this driver can only be used on Microsoft Windows; Linux and Mac users cannot make use of this feature.
- Sooner or later, a filter driver for these computer operating systems will be developed, and then you will be able to use the controller on these platforms.
- If the PC is not detecting the controller, try pressing the PS Home button several times. The system may need to reboot sometimes in order to recognize this connection, and this is a common way to fix this problem.
- Also, remember to give the system some time to recognize the controller after you plug it in.
- If you are facing the problem of the motion sensor and vibrations on your PS3 controller not working on PC, then you will need to download a different version of the filter driver. Older versions of the driver do not enable this feature, but newer versions do.
There are many PS3 game titles that you can play on the PC by connecting the controller. The experience will not be as enjoyable as playing it properly on the console, but this is the closest you can get to that experience.