PS4 Controller Not Showing Up In Device Manager? – Learn How to Fix!

When the PS4 controller not showing up in Device Manager the connection is most likely interrupted or entirely not there.

Windows OS automatically attempts to download and install a Microsoft driver for any input device that you plug into your computer’s USB ports.

Sometimes, the automatic driver installation fails, or the device does not appear at all.

To bring the PS4 controller to the Device Manager you’ll need to reconnect the device using the USB cable and scan for new hardware. Then you should disconnect the controller from other devices and test with a different USB cable.

PS4 Controller Not Showing Up In Devices And Printers Fix

The guide includes a series of solutions to help you understand where the problem is coming from and how to address each possibility.

Let’s jump right in!

Solution #1 Reconnect The Controller

Since PS4 controllers can both be connected via cable and wirelessly, we suggest reconnecting the controller based on your connection preference.

The wireless way for connecting DualShocks to Windows is via Bluetooth and the wired via is via a standard USB cable.

Here’s how to reconnect your controller through the Bluetooth and the cable:

How To Reconnect DualShock Wirelessly?

1. Tap the Windows search bar.
2. Write “Bluetooth” and go to the Bluetooth settings.
3. Locate the “Other Devices” section.
4. Find your PS4 controller connecting there (should be under “DualShock”).
5. Go to the settings for the device.
6. Tap “Forget”.
7. Reconnect your controller through the same tab.

How To Reconnect DualShock With Cable?

1. Unplug the charging adapter from your controller.
2. Disconnect its USB end from your computer.
3. Reconnect the cable onto your controller and PC’s USB port.
4. Test.

Note: Your computer has to be equipped with a Bluetooth receiver (USB Dongle) for wireless connection.

Solution #2 Update Windows Bluetooth Drivers

A solution that will help to solve the wireless connectivity of your dual shock is to update the drivers.

Both laptops and desktop computers with or without a Bluetooth receiver have drivers that can be outdated.

Here’s how to update the Bluetooth drivers of your Windows device:

1. Using the Windows search bar, type “Device Manager”.
2. Press the Enter button on your keyboard.
3. Right-click the “Human Interface Device” section of the device manager.
4. Locate the “Bluetooth adapter (receiver)” and right-click on it.
5. Choose “Update driver” and then press “Search automatically”.
6. Wait for Windows to detect the newest drivers for your device and apply them.

Notice: For in-built Bluetooth (such as with laptops), under the “HID” section, update the “Bluetooth radio” option’s drivers.

Solution #3 Charge The PS4 Controller

If the device manager still fails to detect the dual shock controller, it’s probably because its battery has fallen.

We suggest charging the unit and then re-attempting to connect it using a USB cable to determine if the device would now show up.

To charge the PS4 controller, you will require a standard charging adapter that matches the port on the front of the dual shock.

Connect it either to one of your computer’s USB ports or use an adapter, to connect to a power source.

The yellow LED status of the controller will indicate successful charging, therefore, its connection to the computer.

Notice: If the LED of the controller doesn’t shift to yellow, it means that the device isn’t receiving a charge.

Solution #4 Disconnect Controller From Other Devices

If your controller is already connected to its original PS4 console or any other Bluetooth-supported device, it’s likely that it will not show up in the device manager.

You should disconnect the controller from all other instances and then re-attempt the connection with your PC.

Here are the instructions for disconnecting your DualShock 4 from other devices:

How To Disconnect DualShock From PS4?

If the controller is still active on your PS4, it will not connect to your PC. Un-pair the controller from the PlayStation with these instructions:

1. On your PS4, go to Settings > Devices.
2. Tap on “Bluetooth devices”.
3. Select the controller you wish to connect to Windows from the list.
4. Choose “Unpair”.

How To Disconnect DualShock 4 From A Bluetooth Device?

If you already have the controller paired to another Bluetooth device, let it be a laptop, computer, or even another console, you have to unpair it from there as well.

To disconnect the controller, go to Settings > Bluetooth > DualShock 4 > “Disconnect/Unpair” on the Bluetooth device.

Tip: Once you’ve disconnected the controller from all instances, retry the Bluetooth connection with your PC.

Solution #5 Replace The Connection Cable

If you’re connecting the DualShock 4 to your PC via cable, perhaps the unit is faulty and that’s why the controller isn’t showing up in the device manager.

Since the USB cable is easy to come across, we assume you have more than one of these in your household.

Feel free to test out the wired connection of your controller to Windows, using a different connection cable.

You will know that the DualShock 4 has successfully connected to your PC whenever the LED turns yellow.

Upon starting a game that supports controller settings, the light of your Dual Shock will turn blue.

Note: If the connection doesn’t work, try out multiple USB ports on your Windows device.

Solution #6 Scan For New Devices

Sometimes Windows won’t install the Microsoft drivers for your PS4 controller automatically, especially when your device has no internet access during the setup.

This is why you should open the Device Manager as an Administrator and scan for new devices.

Here is how to manually find new devices and install their driver:

1. In the Device Manager press Scan For New Hardware.
2. Go under the sound, video, and game controller section.
3. Identify which device is your PS4 controller.
4. Right-click and press Properties.
5. Go to the Driver Tab.
6. Press on Disable Device.
7. Click on Scan For New Hardware again.
8. Locate the controller and go into the Settings > Driver.
9. Click on Uninstall Driver.
10. Press on Update Driver.

This process should refresh the connection and manage to get your device recognized.

Note: When the device does not appear in the Device Manager, something is interrupting the connection to the computer.

Solution #7 Use DS4 App

If you’re still having issues with the PS4 controller not showing up in device manager, it’s best if you get the DS4Windows app.

Since the PS4’s controller may not function directly with Windows, this application will enable it to do so and will also show it up in your device manager.

Here’s how to acquire and how to use the DS4 app on your Windows device:

1. Go to DS4-Windows.com.
2. Download the application by pressing the blue “Download” button.
3. Unzip the program on your computer.
4. Click on DS4Windows.Exe to start installing the software.
5. Create a profile in DS4Windows by following the instructions.

The user data of the application is saved into a separate folder on your system. That’s dedicated to the Windows user running this application.

We suggest changing the directory of the saved data to your PC’s AppData folder using the settings of DS4Windows.

Note: If DS4 connects your controller successfully, the LED on the joystick should immediately turn blue.

Quick Recap:

When the PS4 controller is not showing up in the Device Manager you should test with other USB ports on your computer or with another, proven-to-work USB cable. You should then scan for new hardware and if DualShock still doesn’t appear, download and use the DS4 compatibility tool.

Read Next: PS4 Cannot Connect To WiFi Within Time Limit?

Bottom Line:

Now when you know why the PS4 controller not showing up in Device Manager and how to fix the problem you should already be able to use the DualShock and play games on your PC.

For more similar how-to guides, make sure to check our technical blog.