The DualShock 4 is the primary controller for the PlayStation 4 console, and you can use it to play games on your PC. The PS4 controller has a 3.5 mm stereo jack connector for audio output but you can also use wireless headsets. If there is no audio when you are playing games using your PS4 controller on your PC, you may be wondering what the issue could be.
So, why is there no sound when using a PS4 controller for a PC? One of the common reasons why there is no sound when gaming on your PC using a PS4 controller is your PC identifying the controller as an audio device. Since the PS4 controller is not a sound device, you will not hear any sound from your game through your primary audio device.
You have to change the settings on your PC to play audio through the correct device. Some of the other reasons you do not have audio when gaming on your PC using a PS4 controller include a poor connection, incompatible games or applications, out-of-date audio drivers, blocked signals, and faulty audio devices.
When gaming on a PC, you have the option of using a keyboard and mouse or a console controller to play games. Sometimes, a console controller can affect your PC gaming experience. Finding out more on why there is no audio when playing games on your PC using a PS4 controller and how to get audio through a PS4 controller on your PC is important.
Sound is very important in gaming, and it is one way you can receive in-game instructions or communicate to other gamers, especially for online multiplayer gamers. When you are gaming on your PC using the DualShock 4 controllers and keep losing audio, you might be looking for reasons why it keeps happening.
One of the reasons why there is no sound when you are using a PS4 controller on your PS4 is your PC connecting with your controller as an audio device. Since your computer has identified the PS4 controller as an audio device, it will channel audio to your controller rather than your desired audio device.
In addition to that, a poor connection can also affect audio delivery, especially if you are using a wired PS4 controller. Playing incompatible games or using incompatible applications on your PC using a PS4 controller can also be the cause of your audio problems. Other plausible reasons might include a damaged controller, damaged audio devices, and blocked Bluetooth signals.
Most PC gamers prefer to use a keyboard and mouse to play games, but others prefer console controllers. You can connect a PS4 controller to your PC the wired or the wireless way. When you connect your PS4 controller using a Micro-USB cable, sometimes, your PC may interpret your controller as an audio device.
If you are using a wired connection and there is no audio, click on the speaker icon on your PC and you will see various audio devices connected to your PC. If your PS4 is identified as “Speaker (USB Audio Device),” you will have to change it. Click on your preferred audio device; for example, if you are using headsets, you should select “Headsets (Via HD Audio).” You will now receive sound through your headsets connected to the PC.
Also, you may have no sound when using a PS4 controller on your PC because of a poor connection. If your Micro-USB cable is damaged, your PS4 controller might not function properly and might affect your game’s sound quality.
When you are using a wired PS4 controller, always check the status of the Micro-USB cable before you start playing. Also, ensure that the Micro-USB cable is firmly attached to your PC and controller; a loose cable might also affect audio quality when playing games on your PC.
Not all games available on gaming PCs are compatible with the DualShock 4. Before you decide to use a PS4 controller to play PC games, ensure it is compatible with all the games you intend to install on your PC.
When you try to play an incompatible game with a PS4, you might not get the sound from the game. If you want to play many PC games using a PS4 controller, install the DS4 Windows Utility program, which will make your PC read the PS4 controller as an Xbox control.
Using the most recent drivers on your PC ensures that you can play games without any issues. If your PC does not have recent drivers, you might experience audio quality issues when playing games using a PS4 controller. If you do not have audio when gaming on your PC, try checking if drivers need updating.
Go to your PC’s settings and search for driver updates, and if there are updates, select Updates, and your PC will automatically install them. If you do not want the hassle of checking for driver updates every time, you can change the settings on your PC to allow it to check and install updates whenever you connect it to the internet.
Suppose you are using a wireless PS4 controller to play games on your PC together with a wireless headset. In that case, the signals from the two devices could interfere, leading to poor audio quality. You can connect your PS4 controller using Bluetooth, but, sometimes, other devices might block the Bluetooth signals.
Connecting more than one Bluetooth device on your PC might affect the performance of one or all the devices. If you want to use your PS4 controller wirelessly, you should connect your headset or speakers through the wired method.
You should also check if your audio device is in good condition if you notice that there is no sound when you start gaming on your PC with a PS4 controller. Sometimes, the issue could be in your headset or speakers and not your PS4 controller.
You should disconnect the PS4 controller and try playing a game using the keyboard and mouse. If you still do not have any sound, there could be a problem with your audio device. You can change your audio device or the method of connection; for example, if you were using Bluetooth speakers, try connecting them directly to your PC using the 3.5 mm cable.
If none of the above issues is causing audio issues when you are gaming on your PC with your PS4 controller, contact Sony and report your issue. Sony usually repairs or replaces PlayStation accessories.
Inquire if your warranty covers the issues you are having before sending your DualShock 4. If your warranty does not cover the issue raised in your report, you will have to pay a certain amount to get a new PS4 controller or repair your old controller.
How To Get Audio through PS4 Controller on PC
The DualShock 4 is a fantastic controller popular among PlayStation console gamers, but you can also use it to play games on your PC. If you want to use a PS4 controller to play games on your PC, you might be wondering how you will make your controller the default output audio device.
To get audio on your gaming PC through the PS4 controller, you first need to connect it to the PC. You can connect your PS4 controller to the PC using either a wired or wireless connection. If you use a wired connection, you will need a Micro-USB cable. When you use the Micro-USB cable, your PC will identify your PS4 controller as an audio device.
You can easily change your audio device by clicking on the speaker icon at the bottom right side of your screen and selecting the correct audio device. If you do not like the wired connection, you can connect the PS4 controller to your PC using the Bluetooth feature using the DualShock 4 USB wireless adapter.
When using your PS4 controller wirelessly on your gaming PC, you can improve its performance by using the DS4 Windows Utility. The DS4 Windows Utility is a computer program that allows you to get the best experience when you use the PS4 controller to play games and access applications on your PC.
The DS4 Windows Utility emulates the Xbox 360; therefore, your PC will read your PS4 controller as if it were an Xbox 360 controller making more games compatible with your PS4 controller.
Most PC games have Xinput, an API that allows applications to receive input from Xbox controllers. If you do not have the DS4 Windows Utility, your PS4 controller will send input to your PC that it does not know how to deal with; hence, the need for the DS4 Windows Utility program.
This inability to read some commands from the PS4 controller might affect audio quality when gaming. If audio works well in some games and there is no sound in some games when you use the PS4 controller on your PC, you have to download and install the DS4 Windows Utility Program.
A third party developed and published the DS4 Windows Utility program; therefore, you cannot find it on Microsoft Store. However, you can download the DS4 Windows Utility program from its official website as a Zip file and extract the two programs (DS4Windows and DS4Updater) from the Zip file to any location on your PC.
Launch the DS4Windows program, and a window will pop up with instructions on how to install the program. Note that if you have used SCP’s tools on your PC in the past, you will have to uninstall the drivers to use the DS4 Windows Utility program.
Connect your PS4 controller to your PC and restart the DS4Windows program via Bluetooth or USB cable. Once your PS4 controller is fully connected to your PC, minimize the DS4Windows and start playing your games.
If you have trouble getting audio while playing games on your PC using a PS4 controller, you should first check your audio devices and ensure that they are fully connected to the PC. If you are using wireless headsets and you are not getting any sound. First, check if the wireless headset is still connected to your PC via Bluetooth.
If the wireless headset is not connected, restart your PC and pair your headset with the PC again. Change the PS4 controller connection from wireless to wired because the Bluetooth signal from the controller and headset could be interfering with each other and causing audio issues.
Before you blame your controller and audio devices for poor audio quality, ensure you check in-game sound settings. It is easy to forget that you changed the sound settings of a game the last time you played. If you share a gaming PC with another person, they might have disabled sound in the game.
Check the settings and make changes where necessary. At times, there could be a driver missing, and opening the in-game settings might give you information on what you require to enable sound from the game.
Another thing you can check to resolve sound issues when you try to get audio through a PS4 controller on a PC is checking and ensuring the audio service is enabled. Audio on your PC will not work if the audio service has been disabled. To check if audio is disabled, press the “Windows Key + R” on your keyboard and enter “services.msc”.
When the Service window opens, select “Windows Audio” and double click it to open its properties. Set the “Startup Type” to “Automatic” and click the “Start” button to start the service. Click on the “Apply” tab and select “OK” to save your changes.
If you only have audio issues with one game or application, try to reinstall the game or application. Sometimes, something might have gone wrong during the installation process. If your PS4 controller is working perfectly and you have installed the DS4 Windows Utility program, you should opt to uninstall and reinstall the game or application with audio issues.
Reinstalling the game or application will also include updates, especially if the game or application was an older version. Ensure you save your “Saved Game” folder and other important data before starting the reinstallation process.
Finally
Sound is a crucial part of your gaming experience, and the loss of audio during a gaming session or when you want to play a game on your PC can be disheartening. When you play games on your PC using a PS4 controller, you might experience audio issues with some games or all of them.
The main cause of audio issues when gaming on a PC using a PS4 controller might include poor connection, out-of-date drivers, blocked Bluetooth signals, damaged audio devices, and incompatible games, among others. If you are facing audio issues with your PS4 controller and PC, you can easily fix them, or, if you cannot, contact the PlayStation Support team.
