Xbox Cloud Gaming gives you access to a huge game library without needing powerful hardware, but it’s built around Xbox controllers specifically. If you’d rather play with a DualSense or DualShock 4, you’ll hit an immediate wall: xCloud expects XInput signals, and PlayStation controllers speak DirectInput instead.
Connect a PS5 controller over Bluetooth without any translation layer, and xCloud will often ignore your inputs entirely or show broken button mapping. DS5Windows (DSX) fixes this by converting your controller’s signals into a virtual Xbox 360 controller that both Windows and your browser recognize properly.
Why This Happens
xCloud runs on Microsoft’s XInput architecture, and the browser-based interface doesn’t natively parse DirectInput signals the way a PlayStation controller sends them. Without emulation, you’ll typically run into buttons doing nothing at all, inputs mapping to the wrong actions, or double-input issues where the browser reads both your physical controller and a virtual one at once, usually showing up as erratic menu scrolling.
What You’ll Need
- DSX itself, current version on its official Steam page
- ViGEmBus, required for DSX to create the virtual Xbox controller
- HidHide, strongly recommended to avoid double-input issues
- A browser or app that supports cloud gaming, Microsoft Edge, Chrome, or the Xbox App for Windows all work, though Edge tends to have the best latency and streaming features for xCloud specifically
Our Drivers page covers installing ViGEmBus and HidHide if you haven’t already.
Connecting Your Controller
Over USB, just plug it in with a USB-C cable. Over Bluetooth, hold the Create button and the PS button together until the lightbar starts double-blinking, then go to Windows Settings, Bluetooth & Devices, Add Device, and select the controller from the list once it shows up as “Wireless Controller.” Once paired, open DSX and confirm it appears under the Controllers tab with battery status and connection type showing.
Setting Up an XInput Profile
Open DSX, go to Profiles, and either edit your default profile or create a new one specifically for this. Under the emulated controller setting, choose Xbox 360, this is the part that actually matters for xCloud to work at all, since it needs to see an XInput device specifically. Save the profile, give it a name like “Xbox Cloud Gaming,” and make sure it’s assigned to your controller.
Stopping Double Inputs
The double-input issue shows up often enough in cloud gaming specifically that it’s worth setting up HidHide before you even try launching a game.
- Open the HidHide Configuration Client.
- Under Devices, find your DualSense or DualShock controller and check the box to hide it.
- Under Applications, whitelist DSX so it can still read the physical device.
- Enable hiding at the bottom.
From here, your browser should only ever see the virtual Xbox 360 controller DSX creates.
Launching a Game
With DSX running and your profile active, open your browser, go to xbox.com/play, and sign in with your Game Pass Ultimate account. Pick any game, and once it loads, pressing a button on your DualSense should show Xbox-style prompts (A, B, X, Y) on screen, confirming the emulation is working correctly.
Settings Worth Adjusting for Cloud Gaming
Cloud gaming already introduces some streaming latency on its own, so it’s worth trimming input lag anywhere you reasonably can:
- A small stick deadzone helps prevent drift without dulling responsiveness, though there’s no single correct value, it depends on your specific controller
- A low trigger deadzone keeps acceleration or aiming inputs registering quickly
- Dimming or disabling the lightbar can help conserve battery during longer sessions, since cloud gaming sessions tend to run long
One thing worth knowing: some older guides suggest manually setting a Bluetooth polling rate inside DSX to reduce lag. That setting doesn’t actually exist, DSX’s developer has confirmed the app reads controller input as fast as the connection allows, without a manual override. If Bluetooth latency is genuinely a problem for you, especially layered on top of cloud streaming latency, a wired USB connection is the more reliable fix.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
“Controller Not Detected” in Game Pass: Close your browser completely, open DSX first and confirm your controller shows as connected, then reopen the browser and go back to xCloud.
Double scrolling in xCloud menus: This means HidHide isn’t hiding your physical controller correctly. Double-check it’s actively hiding your DualSense specifically and that DSX is whitelisted.
High input lag: Switch to a wired connection if you can, cloud streaming latency is unavoidable to some degree, but you don’t want to add Bluetooth-specific lag on top of it. If you’re stuck on Bluetooth, plugging your Bluetooth adapter into a USB 2.0 port rather than USB 3.0 can sometimes help, USB 3.0 ports are a known source of 2.4GHz interference for some wireless peripherals.
If you’re still running into trouble, our Troubleshooting guide covers broader DSX connection issues that might be the actual root cause here.