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How to Use a PS3 Controller on a PC

Written by Jack Lloyd

Technology Writer & Editor
June 18, 2020 Tested

This wikiHow teaches you how to connect a PS3 controller to a Windows PC with the help of the
SCP toolkit program.

Steps

1 Turn on your controller. To do so, press the stylized "PS" button in the middle of
your controller.
If your PS3 controller is paired with your PS3, first unplug the PS3 from its power
source.

2 Connect your controller to your PC. Plug the narrow end of the controller's USB
charging cable into the controller and the large end of the USB cable into one of
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your computer's USB ports.
 USB port locations vary depending on the type of computer you're using. If you can't
locate the USB ports, check the sides or the back of your computer's CPU (desktop)
or the back of the casing (laptop).
If you're connecting your controller via wireless dongle, you may need to first install
the dongle's drivers. Make sure you follow the on-screen prompts to do so after
plugging in the dongle.

3 Navigate to the SCP Toolkit website. SCP Toolkit provides a PC-friendly interface
to which your PS3 controller can connect, which will in turn allow you to use your
PS3 controller with PC game services like Steam.

4 Click the "ScpToolkit_Setup.exe" link. It's the first link beneath the "Downloads"
heading on this page. Doing so will prompt the toolkit to download to your PC's
default downloads folder (e.g., the desktop).
Make sure you're downloading the most recent version of the software. If you're on
an out-of-date version's page, you won't see the green "Latest Release" sticker on
the left side of the page.

5 Double-click the toolkit setup file. Its icon resembles a black PS3 controller.

6 Follow the on-screen setup instructions. In most cases, this process will entail
clicking Install after reading through the terms of use. You may need to install
several components of the toolkit separately of one another, so you may have to click
Install multiple times.
If the toolkit mentions that you're missing "prerequisites" needed to run the
program, click Next until the prerequisites begin installing. Otherwise, just click
Finish on the first window.
You may need to click Yes on a pop-up window asking whether or not your
computer can trust the setup file.

7 Double-click the "ScpToolkit Driver Installer" program. It's in the file in which you
installed SCP Toolkit.

8 Uncheck the "Install DualShock 4 Controller" box. This option is on the left side of
the driver installer window. Since you're installing a PS3 controller (e.g., a
DualShock 3 controller), you don't want to install PS4 drivers.
Also uncheck the box next to "Bluetooth" if your controllers are wired (e.g., you
aren't using a dongle).
A good rule of thumb here is to uncheck a box next to anything you aren't using.
If you're using Windows Vista, you'll need to check the box next to "Force Driver
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window.
 9 Click the box under "Choose DualShock 3 Controllers to Install". This option is on
the right side of the window. You'll select your controller from here.

10 Check the "Wireless Controller" option. You'll see a list of all devices attached to
your computer (e.g., keyboards, mouses, webcams, etc.). Your PS3 controller is
the option marked "Wireless Controller (Interface [number])" where the number pertains
to the USB port to which the controller is attached.
If you're using a non-wired controller, you'll need to select the USB device you're
using to facilitate the connection under the "Bluetooth" section above the
"DualShock 3 Controllers" drop-down box.

11 Click Install . It's on the right side of the driver installer window. Doing so will
prompt SCP Toolkit to begin installing your controller's drivers, which should take
less than five minutes on any compatible PC.
Once the installation is complete, you'll hear a confirmation noise.
At this point, your controller's drivers have been installed and you are ready to begin
using your controller with PC games.

Community Q&A
Question

I did everything as instructed. But at the final step on Better DS3, it did not give me the
opportunity to click the Apply button. What can I do?

Community Answer

You have to select both profile and controller to have the ability to click Apply.

Question

What do I do if it doesn't have a "save profile" message at the bottom of the window and
I am on Windows 7?

Community
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to make Okay
 Control Panel>Appearance and Personalization>Display>Make Text and other items
Larger or Smaller. Set the size to "smaller" and you'll get logged out. Log back in, and
you'll find the "Save" button.

Question

Can I connect two controllers at the same time?

Community Answer

Yes, if you have Bluetooth support. They both need the drivers. You can run both by
usb or Bluetooth.

Question

How do I connect a PS3 controller to my PC without any special software?

Community Answer

It depends on your controller. The stock wireless controllers require special software. I
have an unofficial controller and I can just plug and play.

Question

My laptop doesn't support Bluetooth. I can't do this unless I buy a dongle, right?

Community Answer

It depends on your operating system. If you have Windows 10 it will most likely work
with a USB charger.

Question

Are you sure I can trust this website? I downloaded it, but still feel uneasy.

Community Answer

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 When it's open source and has gotten this much attention, it's usually safe.

Question

Where is the installation file?

Community Answer

The setup shows you where to download the file before downloading it. Search that
place. Most probably it will be in the C: drive in Program Files. The folder will be named
something like "Nefarius Software Solutions."

Question

What do I do if my PS3 controller is only recognized by Bluetooth and not by USB?

Community Answer

In that case, you'll need a different USB cable that supports data transfer. Most cables
are data transfer compatible, but some cheaper ones are simply for charging.

Question

Is a PS4 controller backwards compatible?

Community Answer

Dualshock 4 controllers are not backwards-compatible with Dualshock 3 controllers;

you'll need to download the drivers specific to those controllers.

Question

Can I continue to use Bluetooth with other devices when the PS3 controller is in use?

Community Answer

No, you can't use the Bluetooth with other devices after installing every necessary
drivers
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 uninstall the SCP toolkit driver or any other drivers that works with the pad.

Tips
This process will also work for a PS4 controller, though you'll need to first unpair the
controller from within your PS4's Settings. You'll also need to install DualShock 4
drivers and select a DualShock 4 controller instead of a DualShock 3.

If you run into any errors, try uninstalling and then reinstalling the SCP toolkit. When you
reinstall, make sure you install any prerequisites (regardless of whether or not you think
you need them), and be sure to check the "Force Driver Installation" box when installing
the drivers regardless of your operating system.

When you open the "Devices" manager on your PC (accessed by typing "joy.cpl" into the
"Run" application), your PS3 controller will show up as an Xbox 360 controller. This is
because the Xbox 360 controller is natively supported by Windows, while the PS3
controller is not.

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