How to use the PS4 controller on your Android Phone

If you have a video game console, you probably already have a usable Bluetooth joystick for your Android phone. This is because most state-of-the-art console controllers use Bluetooth as a standard; or include it for use on other platforms. Which means yes, it's possible to use a PS4 joystick on your Android, be it a phone, tablet or Android TV device. We are here to show you how.

What you will need

First you want a DualShock 4 joystick. Unlike the Xbox One joystick, all DualShock 4 joysticks have built-in Bluetooth; No matter when and where you got it, because the PlayStation 4 uses Bluetooth as its standard wireless connection protocol.

If you already have a PS4, congratulations, you have everything you need. And if you do not have a PS4 joystick, you can always buy one at Amazon.

How to use a PS4 on your Android

With the controller and the phone in hand, the pairing process is simple. We will guide you step by step:

1. On your Android device, make sure your Bluetooth radio is activated by opening the settings and going to the Bluetooth menu. Make sure the phone is in scan mode.

2. With the controller, simultaneously press and hold the PlayStation button and the Share button for a few seconds. The controller light will begin to flash to indicate that it is in torque mode.

3. Back on the phone, look for a device called Wireless Controller in the list of nearby Bluetooth devices. Touch that device to begin the pairing process.

4. The controller light should stop blinking and you should get confirmation on your phone that the connection was successful.

If all goes well, you will be connected and the driver can be used to navigate the Android UI.

Potential problems

In the tests, I discovered that it does not behave as well as a dedicated mobile joystick or even the controller of the Xbox One. For example, although I could move my character and rotate the camera using the analog sticks in Modern Combat 5, the aim buttons and shoot were relegated to the Share and Option buttons, respectively. This resulted in a rather uncomfortable and uncomfortable control scheme with which I certainly could not play the game in the long run.

Your mileage may vary in this respect. Test your favorite controller games and see if they have any problems. Ideally, a game would simply let you remap all the buttons like an emulator would; but that is not the case with most games.

One possible route you can take is to root your device to customize the HID profile and make the design of your joystick more standardized for the games it plays; although we would not recommend this option for the inexperienced. In fact, you should try to stay away from rooting your device in general, since you can open the nasty security problems and strange behavior of the device that would not be worth it.