How to play PS4 games on a PC (with a DualShock 4 controller, too!)

If you’re a PC gamer with your heart set on playing a PlayStation 4 game, Sony has some good news for you. The company’s PlayStation Now game service just added PS4 titles, expanding its library to more than 500 game titles. While PS Now was originally only available for the PlayStation console, Sony added support for Windows PCs in the relatively recent past. What is PlayStation Now? Think of it as Netflix for video games.

What is PlayStation Now?

PlayStation Now is something like an alternative to Microsoft’s Xbox One backward compatibility. While Microsoft’s latest-gen console allows gamers to play Xbox 360 discs, Sony utilizes Internet streaming and a monthly subscription to give PS4 owners access to a massive load of PS3 (and now PS4!) games. You choose a game from the library and, assuming your Internet connection is fast enough, you play the game from the cloud, no downloads or installation necessary.

There are upsides and downsides to this method. The best ‘upside’ is that you get access to hundreds of games for a flat fee, removing the need to individually purchase downloads or discs. The downside, of course, is that you lose access to all of those games if you stop paying the monthly subscription; you also can’t play any of those games if your Internet goes down or is temporarily slow.

How to Play PS4 Games on PC

If you’ve never used PlayStation Now, Sony has a deal for you that is running through September 22, 2017: you can get your first month for $9.99/month (versus the regular $19.99/month) and if you really like what you experience, you can buy a full year’s subscription for $99.99. Anyone who has already had a PS Now subscription isn’t eligible for this deal, though.

Requirements:

– A PC running Windows
– Absolute minimum Internet speed of 5Mbps
– A PlayStation Network account if you don’t have one. You can create one here.

Once you have all three of those things, you’ll need to download Sony’s PlayStation Now app for PC — the direct download link is here. Install the app and then fire it up. Finally, log into your PS account.

Use DualShock 4 with PC

If you’re playing PS3 and PS4 games on PC, you probably want to use a PS4 controller to do this. The DualShock 4 is a great controller, one that is easier than ever to use with a PC thanks to Sony’s DualShock 4 USB Wireless Adapter. Plug the USB dongle into a USB port, then head into the Bluetooth settings and choose your DS4 controller. All the functions will be supported, including the touch pad and the light bar. Price is around $20 depending on where you buy it (available through Amazon, Best Buy, Newegg, and GameStop).

Wrap-up

Playing PlayStation exclusives on your Windows PC is now possible and it is just about as simple as could be. There’s no special system tweaks necessary, no cumbersome controller connection procedures or installations. The entire process from start to finish takes about ten minutes. The PlayStation Now subscription can be cancelled at any time.