How to Connect PS5 DualSense Controller to Steam

Introduction

The PlayStation 5 DualSense controller is a slick piece of hardware. If you’re also a Windows PC gamer who plays a lot of games on Steam, you’re in luck, because Steam supports using your PS5 DualSense controller with controller-friendly games on the platform. Setting up your PS5 DualSense controller on Steam only takes a few minutes. And while it is possible to do this through Bluetooth, there are some hardware dependencies that may not make it possible for some people. As a result, I’ll just show how to do this using a USB C cable. Examples of all instructions in the steps can be seen in the YouTube video below.

Steps to Connect PS5 DualSense Controller to Steam

1. Connect your Steam controller to your Windows PC using a USB C cable, and then navigate to your Windows home screen and check the audio output source for your computer. You can do this by clicking the “Speakers” icon in your notification tray. You’ll likely now see that the speaker your computer’s audio is being played through is your connected PS5 DualSense wireless controller. Click to expand your available speakers and change where your audio is output to, otherwise you may not hear any audio when playing your Steam games, or doing anything else on your computer.
2. Launch Steam. You’ll land on your Steam Store screen.
3. Click “View” in the menu along the top of the screen to open a drop-down menu, and then click “Big Picture Mode” in the menu. The Steam Big Picture Mode interface will be displayed.
4. Click “Settings.” The Settings screen is shown.
5. Click “Controller Settings” in the Controller section. The Controller Settings screen is displayed.
6. You should see “PlayStation 5 Controller” shown in the Detected Controllers section. Finally, click to place a check mark next to “PlayStation Configuration Support.” Making this selection ensures you can customize your controller’s layout in specific games. You can now navigate the Steam Big Picture Mode interface and play controller-friendly games on Steam using your PS5 DualSense controller on your Windows computer.