DS4Windows 2.0 release makes pairing a DualShock 4 to your PC easier than ever

(Image credit: PlayStation)

Most PC games that support controllers are designed to work with the XInput Windows API, which is perfect for Xbox controllers, but not so much for the Sony DualShock 4. The DS4Windows utility fixes this by emulating an Xbox controller when a DualShock is connected, and now the incredibly-useful program has received a major update.

DS4Windows 2.0 was released yesterday, and as you might guess from the major version change, this is a big update. The interface is improved, the macro editor has been overhauled, and the entire program promises to be "snappier."

Here's the full changelog:

Re-wrote GUI classes to use Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) instead of Windows Forms
More utilization of data binding in application. More use of custom events for ControlService
Added application file logger
Refactored macro editor
Changed Run as Task routine. Old routine will be replaced, if it exists, upon the first run of version 2.0.0
New translation system is in place. Currently, only English and Japanese language packs are available. Looking for volunteers to provide updated translations for other language packs
Re-written auto profile routine
Snappier program and mapper routine
Many other changes

This looks like a nice upgrade, and for people who prefer the feel of the DualShock 4, it potentially puts it in contention as the best PC controller.

If you already have DS4Windows installed, just run the built-in updater to get this latest version. However, if you are on a version older than 1.7.28, you'll have to manually download the installer from the link below.

You can download DS4Windows 2.0 from the release page here. The original site for the project, ds4windows.com, still points to an outdated release.

Corbin is a tech journalist, software developer, and longtime PC Gamer freelance writer, currently based in North Carolina. He now focuses on the world of Android as a full-time writer at XDA-Developers. He plays a lot of Planet Coaster and Fallout and hosts a podcast all about forgotten stories from tech history.