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Someone built the PlayStation controller PC dongle that Sony refuses to make
(www.xda-developers.com)
this post was submitted on 30 Apr 2026
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It adds the haptics and adaptive triggers functionality, I don't know how well that works on other systems without a dongle though.
Adaptive triggers, if it is what I think it is, sounds like a game changer. Introduced with the DualShock 4 (PS4) IIRC, it means that if you only apply half pressure to the triggers (L2, R2), the game can see how much pressure you are applying and translate that in the game. The best example would be a racing game where you might not want to "put the pedal to the metal" all the time and only push halfway down. When you're coming into a tight bend, you're expected to drift — to pull the handbrake (I think? I suck at these games and especially at drifting) and pull the wheel the other way so you slide. But a normal driver would just ease up on the gas.
Haptics is vibration and I get vibration in my Xbox controllers on my Mac when playing games on Steam. Weird that you wouldn't get it on a PlayStation.
I have a PS3, but I don't think the DS3 is PC/Mac compatible. I think it was either the DS4 or DS5 onward. I know the DS5 is because that's what they show, but I feel like, since the Xbox One controller is PC/Mac compatible, the DS4 should be as well (same gen).
You are thinking of analog triggers, which work fine over Bluetooth. Adaptive triggers is game-controlled resistance and feedback within the trigger. A rifle trigger, for example, is light at first, then when you get close to the firing point it gets heavy for a moment and then 'breaks', suddenly going all the way.
This works on PC if you plug in via USB, but very few games support it on PC and Stam Input breaks it.
Haptics are high-quality rumble. Rumble is basically just turning a motor on and off, often in a high and a low mode. Modern controllers drive vibration motors at varying levels using a sound signal, giving far more nuanced control. They often also have more motors that are independently controlled. This also works when plugged in via USB.
Thanks for explaining. I'm pretty sure Xbox doesn't have any of that. I knew the DS4 had something with the touch pad, and I heard there were some new things with the DS5, but I never upgraded my PlayStation past PS3 (which I think is still a great system, definitely better than the 360, though you really couldn't go wrong that gen, except one had Blu-ray).
PS5 HapticTriggers do only work on supported games like DeathStranding on MacOS. Don’t know if it also works on Windows and Linux
Works on Linux wirelessly, at least on the steam deck.
Also with HapticTriggers? That would be cool.