PS3 Controller on PC

For a quick resumé of this guide go to the bottom of the page.
I would recommend reading the full guide if you aren't experienced with emulators and 3rd party programs.

An introduction

This article will explain how to use a regular Dualshock 3 (PS3) controller on a PC running windows 7.

When you play games like Dark Souls on the PC you miss one crucial thing to get that great gaming experience: A joystick!

I bought Dark Souls for PC not only because it was cheap, but also because the PC-version (Prepare to Die edition) comes with the DLC Artorias of the Abyss built in. This means more content, for a much lower price. Another benefit from playing the game on a PC is the much smoother gameplay and the fast loading screens. This is only true if you have a PC of certain caliber of course. But the requirements for Dark Souls on PC are very low when compared to other games from 2012.

But as I played the game on my laptop I discovered one thing. The controls haven't been optimized to PC use. This means very weird and sensitive mouse controls.

The solution to this problem is simple. Connect your PS3 (or Xbox) controller to the PC and play the game like it is meant to be played!

Software & Hardware

To use your PS3 Controller on your PC you need: A PS3 Dualshock 3 controller and its usb cable.
Plug the usb cable in any usb port on your PC while the controller is connected. A window telling you windows is installing the device will pop up. Let windows install the device, and make sure it is installed correctly. If windows tells you it can't install the device try again.
Now that windows has recognized your controller you have to download some drivers.
I recommend Motionjoy's Dualshock 3 drivers since they work for me. Some people complain about this program, but I find it easy to
use and it works just fine.
The drivers can be found here: http://www.motioninjoy.com/download

DS3 Tool Icon

When downloaded run the file and install the program.
Run the DS3 Tool you just installed. When the menu pops up check if your controller is connected.




It should look like this if you have a Dualshock 3 controller connected (click for larger picture):













Now go to the Driver Manager tab












Install and load the drivers

Go back to the Profiles tab and choose what kind of controller you want so simulate.

It depends on what kind of game you are going to run. If it is a PS2 game run through an emulator, you will need to choose the PS2 configuration. I mostly use the Xbox 360 configuration (Xinput) since I am playing Dark Souls. The Dark Souls game for PC is a modified version of the Xbox 360 game, therefore it works well with the Xbox 360 configuration. So does most PC games. This setting is recommended but you can try others if the Xinput doesn't work with the game you want to play.

Now that you have chosen the kind of controller you want to emulate you can configure the controls by pressing the options button. This step is not needed since the default settings are the most commonly used.

When you are done configuring press the enable button:

The LED on you controller should change to whatever setting you have enabled on your profile (The default enables the LED in slot 1).

The drivers are now installed and in use.
NB: You have to enable the drivers every time you have unplugged your controller or upon shut down! EDIT: When using better DS3, this shouldn't be necessary! Just run Better DS3 instead.

With the drivers installed you now need a program to put those drivers to use.

Using Better DS3

I recommend Better DS3 as it is simple and works just fine. Get it here: http://betterds3.ciebiera.net/
When downloaded run the file, install and run the program.
The menu should look like this if you installed the drivers correctly with motionjoy:

To the left on the picture you can see the connected Dualshock 3 controller. If the drivers aren't installed correctly, or if they aren't enabled, the program won't be able to see the Dualshock 3. If this happens try installing the drivers again with motionjoy.
The only thing left to do is configuring the buttons. Press the New button as shown below, and choose what kind of configuration you want to use.

I use the Xinput since I'm emulating an Xbox 360 controller. Use the DirectInput if you don't know what else to choose. The PCSX2 setting is for the PS2 emulator with the same name.Now configure the buttons, choose a profile name and save profile in the buttom right corner. You can easily configure the buttons by pressing the default Xbox layout button if you don't want to do it manually.
Select your profile as shown below and press apply.

Let's sum things up:
1. Connect controller using USB cable, and let windows install device.
2. Install motionjoy DS3 Tool: http://www.motioninjoy.com/download
3. Install drivers and enable a configuration (Xinput recommended), using the DS3 Tool.
4. Install Better DS3 program: http://betterds3.ciebiera.net/
5. Make a new profile, map the buttons to your liking, and apply the new profile.
6. ?
7. Profit

Congratulations! You can now play games using your Dualshock 3 controller!
If you have any problems don't hesitate to leave a comment. I will reply asap.

- Dreez