Dualsense on PC: This $16 Raspberry Pi Adds Wireless Adaptive Triggers and Haptic Feedback To The PS5 Controller
PC gamers using Sony’s DualSense controller have long faced a frustrating limitation: connecting wirelessly via Bluetooth sacrifices the controller’s signature adaptive triggers and haptic feedback, which only work through a wired USB connection. Developer awalol has created an elegant solution with the DS5Dongle project, an open-source firmware that transforms an inexpensive Raspberry Pi Pico 2W into a wireless dongle for the DualSense.
Costing just $7–16, the device acts as a bridge between the DualSense and PC, connecting to the controller via Bluetooth while presenting itself to the computer as a wired input device. This clever approach preserves the low-latency wireless connection while enabling full access to the controller’s advanced haptic features—adaptive triggers, haptic feedback, and other capabilities that define the DualSense experience.
The project has gained significant traction within the PC gaming community, particularly on platforms like Reddit’s r/pcmasterrace, where users have demonstrated the dongle working across various games including Days Gone. The solution directly addresses a gap left by Sony, which has not released an official PC dongle for the DualSense, forcing players to choose between wireless convenience and feature-rich wired connectivity.
For PC gamers invested in the DualSense controller, the DS5Dongle represents a practical workaround that combines the best of both worlds: the freedom of wireless gaming with access to the hardware’s full feature set.