I have a confession to make.. I hate the PlayStation 3 controller. and not only that, but it kept me from playing games I would otherwise really have liked. Enter; the PlayStation 4, and more specifically, it’s controller: The DualShock 4. From the very first moment I held it, it made my top 3 list of prefered controllers ever.
But what does that have to do with the PlayStation 3 you’d say? Well, I found out it is very easy to pair the DualShock 4 to your PlayStation 3.
How to pair your DualShock 4 to your PlayStation 3:
If you want to use the DualShock 4 wireless, the process is a little more cumbersome then one would expect. By following a few simple steps however, everybody can do it. All you need is a Micro-USB cable and you’re set. You should have said cable, as it is the one you use to charge your DualShock 4 with on your PlayStation 4.
The simple steps:
Following these simple steps should let you pair your PlayStation 3 Controller to your PlayStation 4.
1.- Connect the DualShock 4 to the PlayStation 3 using the Micro-USB cable.
2.- Turn on the DualShock 4. From this moment on, you should be able to control the PlayStation 3 menu using the DualShock 4.
3.- On your PlayStation 3, go to the Accessory Settings, go to ‘Manage Bluetooth Devices’ and start scanning.
4.- Unplug your DualShock 4 and while still scanning press and hold the PS and Share buttons on your DualShock 4.
When the lightbar on your DualShock 4 starts to rapidly blink, you know the controller is paired.
5.- Plug your DualShock 4 back in the PlayStation 3 and select the Wireless Controller on your PlayStation 3.
You are now free to unplug the DualShock 4 again and start enjoying your PlayStation 3 games with one of the best controllers out there!
Note: Please remember that in order to use your DualShock 4 for your PlayStation 4 again, you need to connect it using the USB cable to your PlayStation 4. (easy enough)
In one of our older posts “On a Budget“we look into some budget options for amazing games.
All those games still hold up great and are playable on the PlayStation 3.
Drawback
Not all is good an nice though. Apart from the rather cumbersome pairing of the DualShock 4 to the PlayStation 3 console, there are some small drawbacks. The most notible is that the PlayStation button on the DualShock 4 does not work on your PlayStation 3. So in order to enter the PlayStation 3 menu during gameplay, or in order to turn off your console, you would need a regular PlayStation 3 controller. This isn’t all to bad if you just use the DualShock 4 to replace the DualShock 3 to enhance your controls, it is however difficult if your DualShock 3 died or is lost and you want to use your DualShock 4 as your main controller for your PlayStation 3. You can just ignore this by turning off the console oldskool style (on the console itself), but it does remain a hussle.
Not all games are compatible
Or so I’m told. I played quite a few PlayStation 3 games using the DualShock 4 without a problem. There are however supposedly a PlayStation 3 games that do not work with the DualShock 4. This may be caused due to the six-axis controls in the DualShock 3, but of this I’m not sure either.
If you do manage to come across a game not compatible with the DualShock 4, please let us and other readers know by posting below or letting us know on Twitter. We’ll update this article with your information.
And that’s it, you are now able to enjoy your PlayStation 3 games with one of the best controllers out there.
