DS4Windows Driver Requirements
For DS4/DS5 to properly function on your Windows 10/11 PC you are required to install necessary first and third party drivers. Some of which, of course, are optional but will improve DS4windows capabilities. Here we will list and give a description of every driver needed to allow your DualShock 4 and DualSense 5 to work. Launching the DS4 app will also ask to install the drivers.
DS4 Drivers
1. Virtual Gamepad Emulation Bus - ViGEmBus (Required)
The ViGEm Bus driver is the most important driver used by DS4Windows. It can create virtual/fake/emulated controllers, which DS4Windows uses to spawn virtual Xbox and DS4 controllers.
2. HidHide (Optional)
The HidHide driver allows the user to “hide” gamepads from the system and make them detectable to only chosen programs in order to prevent the infamous double input issue.
3. FakerInput (Optional)
DS4Windows uses the FakerInput driver to expose system-wide virtual keyboard, relative mouse and absolute mouse. Allows Keyboard + Mouses events/commands to be usable in some situations where the usual way DS4Windows sends those commands (via “SendInput) fails. Examples of those situations are elevated processes and games, UAC prompts and anti-cheat systems that block SentInput events. Use of FakerInput is necessary to allow DS4Windows to work with some games with anti-cheat protection like valorant.
4. Windows Libraries & Frameworks (Required)
- Microsoft .NET 6.0.6 Runtime Desktop (Some users has reported that just installing the .NET runtime doesn’t work. If that is the case you should install .net SDK)
- Visual C++ 2015-2019 Redistributable. x64 or x86
- Operating System: Windows 10 or newer
5. DS4Windows Application (Required)
After installing the above prerequisite drivers, you can run and launch the DS4Windows program. Download the official DS4 App.
Legacy Controller Drivers
The following “old” ds4 driver are no longer required to install and only listed for documenting and usage purposes.
HidGuardian
HidGuardian is a driver that can hide controllers from the system and allow only chosen processes to detect them. It was previously used by DS4Windows to solve the double input issue, but was made obsolete by the release of its successor, HidHide, a similar driver that works better and is easier to use.
DS4Windows removed support for HidGuardian in version 3.0.8 in favor of HidHide. As such, users who used and still have HidGuardian installed can be in a state where their controllers are hidden and undetectable to Windows and DS4Windows.
Virtual Gamepad Emulation Bus (ScpVBus)
The ScpVBus driver is used to create fake/virtual/emulated Xbox 360 controllers. It was made obsolete by the release of its successor, the ViGEmBus driver.
Usually, users accidentally install this driver when they search for “DS4Windows” on google and end-up clicking on the first result that appears, which leads to the original (but now obsolete) version of DS4Windows from the developer Jays2kings which prompts the user to install it.
ScpVBus is not used anymore by Ryochan7’s DS4Windows besides for experimenting purposes on special testing builds. Therefore, this driver has no use for the average user and it’s better if it were to be uninstalled in case it’s present since it has a minor chance of causing issues/BSoD on Windows.