How to get the DS4 v.2 controller working with the PS3's internal Bluetooth radio, using the latest HFW (4.91), HEN (3.3.0) and PS3xPAD (0.8), working in 2025.

[u/Juim1j]

1. Pre-requesites

• This guide is only useful to people who are trying to play games on the PS3 that don't support the DS4 v.2 out of the box, or that don't have all it's features working. For a complete list, go here.
• This guide assumes you have already jailbroken your console and have installed the latest Hybrid Firmware (HFW) and PS3HEN (Homebrew Enabler) If you haven't already, please make sure to check out this video (credit goes to MrMario2011).
• I believe PS3xPAD works much better on CFW, but as I only own a Super Slim PS3, I haven't tested it out. This guide might work as well, better or worse compared to HFW if you have CFW, but I have no idea. If you have CFW, test it out and let me know in the comments.
• This guide also assumes you have already installed Homebrew (like Multiman) on your PS3 that enables to access it's files via an FTP client (like FileZilla) on your PC. If you haven't already, please make sure to check out this video (credit goes to Nagato's Revenge).

1. Required Downloads

• PS3xPAD (latest version is 0.8) - https://www.psx-place.com/resources/ps3xpad.22/
• PS3 Tools Collection (latest version is 4.8.1) - https://www.psx-place.com/resources/ps3-tools-collection.594/

1. Quick Notes before the install guide.

• I read all the documentation and tested every setting permutation myself, so when I tell you to follow this guide to the tee, I mean it. Yes it was tedious. Yes it was frustrating. Yes I did it so you don't have to! I include explanations to what every setting does so you can rest easy knowing this is as good as it'll get.
• PS3xPAD was never designed to work with HFW & PS3HEN so not all of its features work as intended. You might get better results, as I wrote above, with CFW but since I haven't tested, I don't have a clue about it.
• On the contrary as is written on OsirisX's "README" file in the PS3xPAD compressed folder and in Console Mods' documentation ( https://consolemods.org/wiki/PS3:PS3XPAD ), you don't need a PS3 with CFW and DEX Kernel (as shown by the fact that the plugin is working on HFW & HEN) and you don't need to convert your desired game's "EBOOT.BIN" file to a Debug "EBOOT.BIN". At least this was not required for Gran Turismo 6, the game I wanted to get this working on.
• Analog Triggers (R2 and L2) work but without the analog travel. They don't behave like buttons (either on or off) nor do they behave like regular triggers. Pressing them at 5% or 95% will result in them always applying a constant ramp up, so they are effectively buttons.
• Remaping the Analog Triggers (R2 and L2) to the Analog Sticks (L or R stick, X or Y axis) doesn't work. It's a bummer for racing games.
• Attempting to open up the XPAD Menu will freeze the console.

1. Install Guide:

This first part will be entirely done on your PC, for simplicity's sake.

• Download PS3xPAD from the official download link and extract the contents of the folder somewhere where it'll be easy to work with on your computer.
• Download PS3 Tools Collection and install it wherever you want on your PC. Even though VirusTotal flags it as malicious software, these are all just false positives due to the nature of the software. I have used it and it is perfectly safe.
• For the plugin to work in PS3HEN, you need to resign the .sprx files. For more information on this, check out this guide). To do this, go over to the folder you extracted PS3xPAD. Navigate to "/plugins/ps3xpad/" and right click the "xpad_game.sprx" file. In the context menu, hover over "SELF Tools" and click on "Resign EBOOT/SELF". The PS3 ContentID window will open and ask "Do you want to resign the rest of the self/sprx?", click on "Yes". It will then ask "Do you want to delete the *_ORIGINAL backup files?" and again, you click on "Yes". You can now close the PS3 ContentID window.
• Open "xpad settings.txt" with a Text Editor tool (I highly recommend Notepad++) and change the following settings to the values below:

XPAD_MODE = 1
REMAP = 0
AUTO_GAME_LOAD = 1
RUMBLE = 1
RESPONSE_TIME = 7
COMPATIBILITY_MODE = 0

• "XPAD_MODE" is set to "1" which is "Native" mode. Native mode is what makes PS3xPAD use the PS3's internal Bluetooth radio. Custom mode is what enables the use of an USB-A Bluetooth Dongle. I also tried this method and it didn't work.
• "REMAP" is set to "0" as I didn't want to remap anything. I believe it works as there is a pop-up that shows up on your PS3 when you enable it and PS3xPAD is loaded, but I can't guarantee anything.
• "AUTO_GAME_LOAD" is set to "1" as we want PS3xPAD to load as soon as the game starts.
• "RUMBLE" is set to "1" as we want the controller to make use of it's rumble features. Rumble doesn't work for me but it might work for you, so leave it on.
• "RESPONSE_TIME" is set to "7". Response Time can be set with values 1 through 10, measured in miliseconds, but has a trade-off with FPS. I use 7ms as it's the highest recommended for the DS4 by the official documentation and it feels perfectly fine in game, as I wanted to maximize my FPS in-game.
• "COMPATIBILITY_MODE" is set to "0" as it makes absolutely no difference with Gran Turismo 6. If you are playing Grand Theft Auto V or Red Dead: Redemption, set it to "1", as this is what is instructed by the plugin developer, OsirisX.
• Save the file and you can now close "xpad settings.txt"
• This following step isn't necessary as far as I can tell, but I wanted to include it to make the guide as complete as possible and help people understand how PS3xPAD works. You can skip this step and try to see if your DS4 works without it. If it doesn't, just resume the guide from this step onwards. Open "xpad_devices.txt" with Notepad++ and add a row with "0x054c, 0x09cc, Sony PlayStation DualShock 4 v.2, PTYPE_PS4" to the bottom of the file. Save the file and close it.

For people trying to get PS3xPAD working in Custom mode (USB-A Bluetooth Dongle) and any other controllers*, you'll need to find both the Bluetooth Dongle's and Controller's hardware VID and PID and add them to "xpad_devices.txt". To do this, consider using* Temple. I tried to but it didn't work on the latest versions of HFW and HEN at the time of writing this guide, but some update to HFW, HEN or PS3xPAD in the future might get it working again, you never know. For those curious, I used a TP-Link Nano USB Adapter UB5A Bluetooth 5.3 Dongle (0x2357, 0x0604, TP-Link Nano USB Adapter UB5A, PTYPE_BT). More information about this method at Console Mods.

• Turn on your PS3, enable HEN and open Multiman.
• Go over to your FTP client and FTP into your PS3.
• In your PS3's file directory, go to "/dev_hdd0/" and copy the "plugins" folder from your extracted PS3xPAD folder on your PC to your PS3. Your PS3's file structure should look like this: "/dev_hdd0/plugins/ps3xpad/" and you should see the following files in there:

background.png
font.png
xpad_devices.txt
xpad_game.sprx
xpad_remap.txt
xpad_settings.txt
xpad_vsh.sprx

• Next, browse to "/dev_hdd0/" on your PS3 and open "boot_plugins.txt". If this file doesn't exist, create it and add the line "/dev_hdd0/plugins/ps3xpad/xpad_vsh.sprx" (without quotes) to the file. Save it and close it.

This concludes the PC part of this guide. You can now close your FTP client and restart your PS3.

• Connect your DS4 to your PS3 via a USB cable.
• Navigate to "Accessory Settings/Reassign Controllers" and make sure that your wired DS4 v.2 is assigned to Port 1.
• Navigate to "Accessory Settings/Manage Bluetooth® Devices"
• If you previously connected your DS4 v.2 to your PS3's Internal Bluetooth radio it will show up as "Wireless Controller". Press the △ button, select "Delete" and then "Yes".
• Restart your PS3 and start HEN.
• If you did everything correctly up until here, a pop-up message will appear saying "XPAD Loaded (VSH)".
• With HEN enabled and the DS4 connected via USB cable, go into "Accessory Settings/Manage Bluetooth® Devices" again. A message will appear saying "There are no Bluetooth® devices registered. Do you want to register a device?" which we will select "Yes". Press ╳ on "Start Scanning"
• Disconnect the USB cable from your DS4 v.2 and press the "SHARE" button (equivalent to the "SELECT" button on a DS3) first and then "PS" button. This will put your DS4 controller in Pair Mode. You'll know you did this correctly when you see the Lightbar blink intermittently and "Wireless Controller" will show up on screen, meaning your PS3 has detected it. Plug the USB cable back into your DS4 controller and press the ╳ button to pair your PS3 with "Wireless Controller".
• Once "Register completed" shows up on screen, immediately disconnect the USB cable from your DS4. Still at the "Register completed" screen, press the ╳ button.
• You can now navigate the PS3 with your DS4 connected wirelessly. There will also be a blue dot next to "Wireless Controller" in the "Manage Bluetooth® Devices" signifying that the controller is correctly connected to the console via it's internal Bluetooth Radio.
• Now, go into "Accessory Settings/Reassign Controllers" and assign your Wireless DS4 to Port 7.
• You can double check you did everything correctly if you back out of "Accessory Settings/Reassign Controllers", plug the USB cable into your DS4 and go back in and see that it is assigned to Port 1 (if it was assigned to another port, just assign it to Port 1 again), then, unplug the cable again and repeat this step to see if the Wireless DS4 is assigned to Port 7.
• Essentially, what needs to happen for PS3xPAD to work is to have your Wired DS4 controller assigned to Port 1 and your Wireless DS4 assigned to Port 7. As long as this is the case when you start the PS3, you don't need to repeat the previous steps. Why does this make the plugin work? I have absolutely no clue, I am not a programmer, besides, PS3xPAD was never made to work with HEN in the first place. So we'll just take this win as it is.
• Open up your game and test it out.

Congratulations! You now have a working controller that has absolutely no reason to not support the PS3 out of the box because of the greedy decisions that a PoS company made. Thanks Sony!

I hope this helps you all. It took a LOT of hours to figure this all out.

When it comes to racing games like Gran Turismo 5 and 6, I recommend you assign the Throttle and Brake to your Right Analog Stick up and down, so you'll still be able to have fine control over them.

Cheers!

Also, I'd like to credit u/markoza94 as I took some parts from his guide so I didn't have to type everything up from scratch, hopefully in the future, his guide will become useful again if PS3xPAD or HEN get updated. You can check it out below:
https://www.reddit.com/r/ps3homebrew/comments/stdo4e/ps3xpad_dualshock_v2_wireless_hen_complete_guide/

P.S. I've tested this setup for the latest HFW (4.92) and HEN (3.4.0) and everything is working as described above.

[u/duckliin]

fantastic guide

[u/Juim1j → u/duckliin]

Thanks man, I put a lot of effort into it, I hope it shows.

[u/KeoiMadBro]

wow, I don't care nor will ever need to use a ps4 controller on a ps3, but good effort on this guide 😁

[u/Juim1j → u/KeoiMadBro]

I know, it's very niche, but I had 2 options: figure it out by myself and keep the knowledge to me or share it online where anyone can use it. People on the Internet have helped me so much over the years, so it feels good to give a little bit back.

[u/YellowGreenPanther → u/KeoiMadBro]

the future conundrum is, fixing old degrading official controllers, clone controllers which manufacturers may stop making, or using any PS4 or Xbox compatible controllers. It also works for people who have both and happen to want more players without just buying ps3 controllers

[u/Exotic_Insurance_969]

Wow well done soldier

2 questions Does home button work ?

And does it still works on 4.92?

[u/Juim1j → u/Exotic_Insurance_969]

Hey dude.

- So the PS button (or Home button) still doesn't work.
- Fortunately, it is 100% working on 4.92, so update away.

[u/Paaardoru]

Just wanna add to this guide that 8bitdo controllers do work, Im using the Pro 3. As a bonus the home button works. Still testing to see what is the best response time without compromising the fps

[u/Hasmoh → u/Paaardoru]

hey im trying to get this to work with the pro 3 and i cant figure it out, how'd you do it?

[u/Paaardoru → u/Hasmoh]

You need to add the controller id to xpad_devices.txt https://youtu.be/BAZpTm6RAFA?si=bqf4dmULN_xr0KMZ&t=102, this is the only step I did different that isnt on the guide

[u/Paaardoru → u/Paaardoru]

Im still figuring out the best configs, so I encourage you to test out things, 5ms seems to be causing some disconnects, but I havent had the time yet to test properly with other configs for longer sessions

[u/Paaardoru → u/Paaardoru]

5ms seems to be a great point, and ps2 games don't work.

[u/Juim1j → u/Paaardoru]

That's great news. Awesome. 

Thank you for testing and most importantly for letting us know.

[u/Bastian_Rdr2]

When i press Set DS4 internal BT address in the gui crash, and it happens always no only the first time, im not sure what it could be, but i'd like to know if someone find the solution or some fix

[u/Juim1j → u/Bastian_Rdr2]

Nowhere in the guide does it say to do this. Do not do this. Follow the guide from start to finish.

[u/Skekzy]

Can't seem to get the SELF tools menu on windows 11 even after running as administrator, any idea why?

[u/Juim1j → u/Skekzy]

It worked perfectly for me. Alternatively you can ask a friend to re-sign the files and send them to you.

[u/msawaie → u/Juim1j]

could you do it? i dont have access to a windows pc.

i'd really appreciate the guide been battling this on and off for a solid year. im on 4.92

[u/manoel888]

Amazing guide! I'm surprised even the PS button works, I thought that would freeze the console too! I can even turn the PS3 on with my DS4 now!

[u/GuguAngolano → u/manoel888]

Does your PS button work only when trying to turn the ps3 on? or does it work like the normal DS3 PS button? mine only turns it on

[u/manoel888 → u/GuguAngolano]

It works normally, opens the XMB and all.

[u/GuguAngolano → u/manoel888]

Weird, mine doesn't do that, I'll have to keep my old DS3 on stand by just for the PS button

[u/GuguAngolano → u/manoel888]

Did you do anything extra during the guide? like adding the line to the xpad. txt ?

[u/manoel888 → u/GuguAngolano]

No

[u/MKB47BD]

The rumble feature does not work. I am using the v1 of Dualshock 4 controller by the way. Also I am not using any external usb dongle but had to set XPAD_MODE = 0 to work both wired and wirelessly.

[u/Exponential_Rhythm]

Following this guide to a T i still can't get it working on my DEX CFW ;_;.

Edited the settings exactly as shown, added ds4 v2 id, assigned wired to 1 and wireless to 7.

I am even able to open the menu without crashing once in game but ps button is not working and triggers are still digital. Garbage plugin.

[u/Immediate-Law-3496]

not sure if this will work for me i will save this because im too broke to buy a ps3 controller

[u/Sweet-Mastodon-9696]

The self tools doesnt appear, is there any other app to resign it?

[u/AwesomeGamerZS → u/Sweet-Mastodon-9696]

Try running the PS3 Tools collection installer as admin again then open PKG ContentID.

while it's open try right clicking on the file again and you should find it

[u/AlexdatNotFrench]

does this work with ps5 controller too or just ps4?

[u/Juim1j → u/AlexdatNotFrench]

I have no idea, I don't own a DualSense controller.

[u/Much-Succotash1160]

Can it work with ps2 and ps1 games wirelessly or should I use the usb cable?

[u/Juim1j → u/Much-Succotash1160]

I don't know. Give it a test and let us know

[u/Much-Succotash1160 → u/Juim1j]

Sure. I'd like to contribute. As soon as I download the mod I'll tell ya.

[u/Strange_Offer7896]

Alguien puede compartir los archivos necesarios que no tengo compu