Installing first and third-party drivers ensures the reliability and smooth working of DS4Windows.
That said, without installing first-party drivers, you will not be able to run the software at all. Without third-party drivers, however, you can face issues like Double Controller/Double Input.
To keep you on the safe side, we have made a separate page just to mention the required drivers for DS4/DS5Windows application in 2022.
Let us start, without any further ado:
DS4Windows Driver Requirements
Starting with the most obvious ones first, we will keep on discussing other recommended drivers one by one:
1. Virtual Gamepad Emulation Bus Driver for DS4Windows (Required)
Short for ViGEmBus, the virtual gamepad emulation bus driver is a must to run the DS4Win application properly.
Without this driver, you cannot run or configure the program to set up a virtual gamepad.
You can download and install it directly from DS4Windows dashboard or Google as well.
2. HidHide Driver for DS4Win Application (Optional)
One of the best drivers out there to remove the Double Controller/Double Input problem once and for all.
By installing it, you will not face any issues about the clash of a real and virtual gamepad while playing different games.
3. FakerInput Driver (Optional)
Another optional but recommended driver to maintain the working of DS4Windows is the FakerInput.
Installing this driver allows DS4Win to expose the virtual keyboard mapper as well as the relative and absolute mouse.
Not only that, but FakerInput also allows some of the commands or events from virtual keyboard and mouse to get usable in situations where the commands will fail. DS4Win usually sends those commands via SendInput, which may fail due to third-party system apps.
Some of the examples of these system apps include the anti-cheat systems along with the UAC prompts that could block the SendInput commands of the app.
Therefore, installing FakerInput ensures that all commands given out of the virtual gamepad are executed successfully.
You should install this driver especially if you want to play games where an anti-cheat system is activated including Call of Duty Warzone, Valorant, and Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds.
4. Windows Frameworks & Libraries for Running DS4 Application (Required)
The very first framework necessary for the program to run ideally is Microsoft .NET 6.0.6 Runtime Desktop software.
If installing the runtime alone doesn’t work, make sure that you install the .NET SDK for making DS4Windows work on your PC or laptop.
Other than that, Visual C++ 2015-2019 Redistributable is also required. Install the x64 or x86 version as per the operating system of your PC or laptop.
Keep in mind that DS4Windows does not work on Windows 8.1 and lower versions. Hence, install either Windows 10 or Windows 11 to ensure a smooth working interface of the program.
5. Downloading DS4Windows Application (MUST)
What’s the point of installing all the above-mentioned drivers if you don’t have the DS4Windows application?
After you install all required and recommended drivers, simply download the zipped DS4Windows software and extract it into the destination folder.
Launch the app, connect your controller, and play different Xbox 360 compatible games on PC or laptop with your DualShock 4 or DualSenseX controller.
Old Drivers No Longer Required for Installing DS4Windows
The details of some legacy aka old drivers that are no longer required for installing DS4Windows are as follows:
HidGuardian
Used previously by DS4Windows, HidGuardian had the same function as HidHide. It worked to resolve the Double Controller or the Double Input problem.
However, the driver was made obsolete with the introduction of HidHide as the later driver provided an easy-to-use interface to hide or show controllers on DS4.
All in all, DS4Windows thus discontinued the 3.0.8 version of HidGuardian and replaced it with a newer HidHide driver. The community recommends installing HidHide to hide the real controller and let the virtual gamepad takeover while you play different games on a PC.
ScpVBus Virtual Gamepad Emulation Bus
You can call it a predecessor of the latest ViGEmBus driver as it had the same function of creating a virtual or emulated Xbox 360 controller on DS4Windows application.
After the release of ViGEmBus, there was no need for ScpVBus and it’s now no longer utilized while installing and configuring DS4 Windows software.
Users who are new to DS4 software could accidentally download this driver after typing the “DS4Windows drivers download” query on Google. It may lead gamers to download the original DS4Windows software developed by the Jays2kings.
However, as we talk about the updated DS4Win by Ryochan7, it no longer requires the older ScpVBus driver. Instead, the software now works on ViGEmBus, which is far better and improved.
Final Takeaways:
All the drivers except the old ones that we have mentioned here are a must for users who want to configure DS4Windows without facing any errors, lags, or problems.
Although the dashboard of DS4Windows will help you download and install all required drivers, you can install the recommended drivers directly from Google or from the links we have mentioned above.
Happy Gaming!!