Connect PS5 DualSense to PC (Windows)
To start pairing, hold both the PS button and the Share button together until the lightbar blinks. Bluetooth (legacy gamepad) or USB pairing in a few steps.
Step-by-step
Put the PS5 DualSense into pairing mode by hold both the PS button and the Share button together until the lightbar blinks, then follow the platform steps below.
DualSense uses Bluetooth with a proprietary "Wireless Controller" profile. Use the same pairing method every time; Windows sometimes lists two discovered devices — pair the one without "LE" in the name.
The DualSense is the pickiest of the five to pair on PC because Windows can show it as both a Bluetooth device and a separate Low Energy (LE) endpoint — pairing the LE entry gives you a connection that works for battery reporting but may never expose gamepad input. When that happens, forget both entries, re-pair the non-LE device, and then check that the controller's lightbar settles to a steady color rather than pulsing, which indicates the legacy-gamepad profile is active. On Steam, the DualSense also triggers Steam Input by default, which can mask raw gamepad input from other apps; if your tester shows no input but Steam is open, close Steam or disable the PlayStation configuration support for that device.
Press and hold the controller's pair button until its LED starts blinking.
Open Windows Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Add device → Bluetooth, and select the controller from the list.
On first connect, the OS may install generic HID drivers; game-launcher input layers (Steam Input, Windows Game Bar) usually pick it up automatically.
Verify the connection: open a browser gamepad tester and confirm the controller reports buttons and sticks. If the trigger only registers on the "wrong" axis, use the tester to confirm which input the game will see.
Official reference: PlayStation Official ↗
Quick answers
How do I connect the PS5 DualSense to PC (Windows)?
Put the PS5 DualSense in pairing mode (hold the pairing button until the LED flashes), then pair it from PC (Windows)'s Bluetooth settings. For a stable wired connection, connect the controller by USB instead.
Why isn't my PS5 DualSense being detected by PC (Windows)?
Most detection failures are one of: Bluetooth batteries draining, a stale pairing entry, or the pad connected to another device. Remove the old pairing, re-pair, and confirm with a browser tester before blaming the controller.
Does the PS5 DualSense work with a drifting stick on PC (Windows)?
It connects the same way — drift is a sensor issue reported by the gamepad, not a platform issue. Run our Stick Drift Detector after pairing to confirm the measurement.