How to Play Elden Ring on PC with a PS5 Controller (DS5Windows Guide)

Conquering the Lands Between in Elden Ring requires split-second reactions. Whether dodging a boss’s combo or executing a jump attack, having zero input delay and precise stick controls is essential. While the PlayStation 5 DualSense controller offers fantastic ergonomics, playing Elden Ring on PC with a PS5 controller frequently presents technical hurdles.

From Software’s PC port relies heavily on Microsoft’s XInput API, meaning that a native Bluetooth PS5 controller often fails to register, suffers from broken button layouts, or experiences input lag.

By setting up DS5Windows, you can emulate a native Xbox 360 or DualShock 4 controller, eliminate input latency, customize stick deadzones, and guarantee flawless controller recognition. Here is the complete step-by-step guide to configuring DS5Windows for Elden Ring.

Why Elden Ring PC Has Controller Issues

PC gamers running Elden Ring through Steam or offline mod loaders (such as the Seamless Co-op mod) frequently face three frustrating issues:

1. Unresponsive Gamepad: The controller works fine in Steam’s Big Picture overlay, but the game completely ignores inputs.
2. Device Priority Conflicts: Elden Ring prioritizes the first XInput device it detects. If virtual drivers (like vJoy), flight sticks, or secondary gamepads are installed, the game ignores your PS5 controller.
3. Double Input Glitches: The game reads both the physical DualSense controller and the emulated virtual controller at the same time, causing menu selections to jump two steps at once.

DS5Windows—paired with the HidHide utility—resolves all of these issues by routing your DualSense hardware through a single virtual Xbox 360 or DualShock 4 interface.

Step 1: Install Prerequisites

Before configuring your profile, ensure you have the required companion drivers installed on your PC:

• DS5Windows: Download and extract the latest official release.
• ViGEmBus Driver: Creates the virtual controller signal needed by Elden Ring.
• HidHide Driver: Essential for Elden Ring—cloaks the physical PS5 controller from Windows so the game only sees the virtual gamepad.

Step 2: Create an Elden Ring DS5Windows Profile

Launch DS5Windows, click the Profiles tab, and select New to build a profile named Elden Ring Comp.

1. Navigate to the Other tab on the right side.
2. Set Emulated Controller to Xbox 360 (Recommended).

Why Xbox 360 Emulation? Elden Ring natively expects XInput controller signals. While DualShock 4 emulation works over a wired USB cable, emulating an Xbox 360 controller guarantees 100% wireless Bluetooth stability across both standard Steam play and modded launch environments.

3. Click Save at the top and select this profile on the main Controllers tab.

Step 3: Prevent Double Inputs with HidHide

Because Elden Ring scans for connected hardware on launch, running DS5Windows without hiding your physical pad can trigger duplicate input conflicts.

Follow these steps to lock out physical inputs:

1.Open HidHide Configuration:Initial Launch.

Launch the HidHide Configuration Client from your Windows Start Menu.

2.Select Physical PS5 Controller:Devices Tab.

Under the Devices tab, find Sony Interactive Entertainment Wireless Controller (your DualSense) and check the box next to it.

3.Whitelist DS5Windows:Applications Tab.

Navigate to the Applications tab, click Add, and select DS5Windows.exe. This allows DS5Windows to read your physical controller while hiding it from Elden Ring.

4.Enable Hide Mode:Activation.

Check Enable hiding at the bottom. A red lock icon will confirm that your native controller is invisible to games.

Step 4: Fine-Tuning Deadzones and Latency for Boss Fights

In Elden Ring, dodging a boss attack depends on instant roll activation. Tuning your deadzones and connection polling rate in DS5Windows reduces reaction delays.

Analog Stick Deadzone Adjustments

Navigate to the LS (Left Stick) and RS (Right Stick) tabs:

Setting	Recommended Value	Purpose
LS Dead Zone	0.02 – 0.04	Instant movement translation when dodging or changing direction.
RS Dead Zone	0.03 – 0.05	Prevents camera drift while keeping target lock-on flicking responsive.
Output Curve	Linear	Ensures raw 1:1 camera movement.

Hair-Trigger Roll / Attack Setup

Because roll/sprint is assigned to Circle/B and light attacks are on R1/RB (or R2/RT for heavy attacks), setting trigger deadzones in DS5Windows ensures fast weapon swings.

• R2 (Heavy Attack / Skill): Set Dead Zone to 0.00 and Max Threshold to 0.10. Heavy attacks and Ash of War skills will fire instantly upon pulling the trigger down 10%.
• L2 (Parry / Ash of War): Set Dead Zone to 0.00 for immediate parry frame activation.

Overclocking Bluetooth Polling Rate

1. Go to Device Options on the right sidebar of DS5Windows.
2. Set BT Poll Rate to 1 ms (1000 Hz).
3. This reduces wireless signal latency to less than 1 millisecond.

Step 5: Steam Input Configuration (Avoiding Conflicts)

If you play Elden Ring on Steam, Steam Input can sometimes battle with DS5Windows over control access.

Option A: Disable Steam Input (Recommended)

1. Open Steam and right-click Elden Ring in your Library > Properties.
2. Click the Controller tab.
3. In the override dropdown, choose Disable Steam Input.

Result: Steam passes control duties directly to DS5Windows, eliminating double inputs and saving system resources.

Option B: Using DS5Windows with Seamless Co-op Mod

If you run the Seamless Co-op mod (or launch via ersc_launcher.exe), Steam Input often fails to hook into the custom launcher. Running DS5Windows in Xbox 360 emulation mode bypasses Steam entirely, ensuring your PS5 controller works automatically without needing Steam overlays active.

Troubleshooting Checklist

Issue	Root Cause	Fix
Controller stops working after alt-tabbing	Focus loss on virtual device.	In DS5Windows settings, check Keep Controllers Connected on Unfocus.
Menu jumps two options per click	Double Input bug.	Verify HidHide is active and DS5Windows.exe is whitelisted.
Xbox prompts show up in-game	Expected behavior under XInput.	Standard when emulating Xbox 360. UI mods are available on NexusMods to swap prompts to PS icons if desired.
Unresponsive triggers	Native trigger deadzones too high.	Lower L2/R2 Max Threshold in DS5Windows to 0.10.

Final Thoughts

Setting up your PS5 DualSense controller with DS5Windows delivers the ultimate Elden Ring PC experience. By combining Xbox 360 emulation, 1 ms polling rates, and HidHide protection, you eliminate input lag and control dropouts—giving you complete precision to defeat any boss in the Lands Between.

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