If you’re like most people, you probably use your computer for work and entertainment. But what if you want to use your PlayStation 3 controller with your Windows PC? There are a few ways to do this. The first way is to buy a PS3 controller adapter. These adapters are usually around $30, and they allow you to use your PS3 controller with your Windows PC. However, these adapters can be a bit tricky to set up, and they may not work with all games. The second way is to use a virtual reality headset like the Oculus Rift or the HTC Vive. These headsets allow you to experience games in a new way, and they often come with controllers that work well with them. However, these headsets can be expensive, and they may not be compatible with all games. The third way is to use an emulator like MAME or SNES9x. These emulators allow you to play older games on your computer, and they often come with controllers that work well with them. However, emulators can be difficult to set up, and they may not work with all games. ..
A previous version of this article detailed the use of MotioninJoy to use your Sony PS3 controller as a joystick on your Windows PC. Unfortunately, MotioninJoy was a proprietary piece of software that turned into malware over the years. Luckily, you don’t have to infect your computer, as there is an open-source alternative in ScpToolkit. Don’t use MotioninJoy.
How to Install ScpToolkit
ScpToolkit has to modify some system drivers to make the controller work, so it’s not the safest install process. Proceed with caution, follow our instructions, and don’t click anything you don’t understand.
Download the latest release of ScpToolkit from the project’s Github page, open up the setup program, and agree to the Terms and Conditions—if you read them, of course. You’ll be shown a dialog with a list of install options:
You probably don’t need the Gamepad Analyzer and Debug Info Collector, but you should install everything else.
The installation process will take a few minutes. You should take this time to find your PS3 controller and plug it in with a USB cable. After the utility is done installing the toolkit, it will ask you to run the driver installer. Click “Run,” and you’ll be shown a list which should now include your controller.
Click the “Initialize All Connected Devices” button (don’t skip through with next button), let it install, and then click “Next.” This will configure the controller to be recognized as a PS3 controller, and install some drivers.
The next screen is for Bluetooth support, which you may not want because it requires a dedicated Bluetooth dongle to be “sacrificed.” Rightly so, there’s a huge “WARNING” label on this screen, because installing it to a wireless mouse dongle on accident will cause you to have a very bad time.
If you really want wireless support, you’ll need to plug in the sacrificial dongle, make sure it’s the ONLY device in the list, and then click “Initialize All Connected Devices.”
Otherwise, feel free to hit “Next” and skip this process.
The next step is installing a virtual Xbox 360 Controller driver, which will trick Windows into thinking your PS3 controller is an Xbox 360 controller. This will make it work for more games.
To install the driver, click “Install virtual Xbox 360 Controller driver” and click “Next.”
After that, ScpToolkit will want to install a Windows Service to handle communication with the controller.
Click “Install Windows Service” and click “Next.” You’re now done, and you should be able to use your PS3 controller in any game that supports Xbox 360 controllers. That’s practically every game that supports a controller, so go nuts. You can also remap the controller’s buttons to make it work in other games.
RELATED: How to Remap any Controller to Keyboard Keys on Windows and MacOS
