DS4Windows vs JoyShockMapper

DS4Windows is a free, open-source Windows application that maps gamepad input and emulates controllers so compatible games can use PlayStation controllers on Windows 10 or 11 PCs. It can present input as an Xbox 360 or DualShock 4 controller. Supported devices include DualShock 3 and 4, DualSense and DualSense Edge, Nintendo Switch Pro controllers, Switch Joy-Con, and various third-party PS4 controllers. Users can remap inputs to keyboard, mouse, joystick, touchpad, lightbar, rumble, and motion-sensor controls, and create profiles that switch when different programs are in focus. Connections include Micro USB, Sony Wireless Adapter, and Bluetooth 4.0 with the Microsoft Bluetooth stack. ViGEmBus is required to create virtual controllers; HidHide and FakerInput are optional drivers. The official build also has experimental Moonlight/Sunshine support. Requirements include Windows 10 or newer, .NET 8.0 Desktop Runtime, Visual C++ Redistributable, and ViGEmBus. Steam's PlayStation and Xbox Configuration Support should be disabled when using DS4Windows. Virtual DS4 rumble is disabled, and DualSense adaptive-trigger support is limited.

JoyShockMapper maps game controller input to keyboard, mouse, or virtual controller events for PC games. It supports gyro controls and flick stick for aiming and turning. Buttons can map to keyboard or mouse inputs with tap-and-hold, chorded, and simultaneous-press options; stick modes can control the mouse or trigger keys, including scroll-wheel and flick-stick modes. The project describes support for DualSense, DualShock 4, paired JoyCons, and Nintendo Switch Pro Controller. It loads commands from text configuration files, and its download includes example gyro configurations. JoyShockMapper is free, with a Windows release and Linux builds available from source. Development primarily targets Windows, and Linux builds may not always work. Linux use requires read and write access to /dev/uinput and the relevant /dev/hidraw device; focused-window detection works only on X11. Virtual Xbox or DS4 output requires separate ViGEm bus software. The releases page lists v3.6.1 as the latest release.