How to Update PS5 Controller Firmware (PS5 & PC)

Controller firmware is easy to forget about, but it matters more than most people realise. Sony's DualSense updates have addressed connection stability, input behaviour, and feature support, and Sony explicitly recommends installing them promptly, noting that skipping them can expose the controller to security risks or affect proper functioning. The good news is that updating takes a couple of minutes, and you can do it either on a PS5 or on a Windows PC without owning a console at all. Here's how to do both.

Why bother updating

Firmware updates fix real problems. Connection instability and random dropouts have been addressed through firmware. Input handling bugs have been patched. Feature support for newer games gets added. Notably, a firmware update enabled the DualSense to register up to four device pairings in separate slots, with quick switching between them, which is genuinely useful if you use the controller across a PS5, a PC, and a Mac.

Practically speaking, if you're troubleshooting almost any DualSense problem, from dropouts to vibration to odd input behaviour, updating the firmware is one of the first free things to rule out, which is why it appears near the top of virtually every fix list.

Method 1: Update on a PS5 (easiest)

If you have a console, this is the simplest route.

Connect the controller to the PS5 with a USB cable. This matters, since the update needs a wired connection rather than Bluetooth.

From the home screen, go to Settings > Accessories > Controllers > Wireless Controller Device Software. (On some system software versions, the path reads Settings > Accessories > Controller (General) > Wireless Controller Device Software.)

The console will show your current firmware version and check for updates. If one is available, select the update option and follow the prompts.

Do not disconnect the controller or power off the console while the update runs. It usually completes in a minute or two.

While you're in there, it's worth making sure the PS5's own system software is current too, under Settings > System > System Software, since the console and controller work as a pair and an outdated system can cause its own issues.

Method 2: Update from a Windows PC (no console needed)

This is the route many PC players don't know exists, and it's genuinely useful if you use a DualSense on PC and don't own a PS5, or your console isn't handy.

Sony provides an official Windows app for this. It was originally called "Firmware Updater for DualSense Wireless Controller" and has since been rebranded and overhauled as PlayStation Accessories, with a rebuilt interface. If you're searching for it and finding references to the old name, they're the same tool.

Download PlayStation Accessories from the Microsoft Store or from PlayStation's support site. Install it and open it.

Connect your DualSense to the PC, either with a USB cable or over Bluetooth. USB is the safer choice for firmware work.

The app detects the controller and assigns it a controller number. Select Firmware for your controller to see the current version. When a newer version exists, an Update option appears.

Run the update and leave everything alone while it works. Sony's guidance is explicit: do not turn off the PC or disconnect the controller during the update. If you have several controllers connected, update them one at a time rather than together.

A bonus for DualSense Edge owners: PlayStation Accessories also brings the Edge's full customisation to PC, so you can create, edit, and switch custom profiles, and adjust stick sensitivity and deadzones, trigger deadzones, and vibration and trigger effect intensity, all from Windows. That was previously PS5-only. If you're weighing whether the Edge is worth it, our DualSense Edge assessment covers what you get for the money.

What about Mac?

There's no macOS version of the firmware updater. If you use your DualSense with a Mac, you'll need to update it on a PS5 or a Windows PC. Everything else works fine on macOS, but firmware updates specifically require one of those two platforms.

How to check which firmware version you have

Useful when you're troubleshooting and want to know whether you're actually behind or already current.

On a PS5, the Wireless Controller Device Software screen displays your controller's current version alongside whether an update is available. On Windows, PlayStation Accessories shows the version when you select Firmware for a connected controller.

One thing to understand: Sony doesn't publish detailed public changelogs for DualSense firmware the way it does for console system software, so you generally won't find a list telling you exactly what each version fixed. That's mildly frustrating when you're trying to work out whether an update will solve your specific problem. The pragmatic approach is simply to install it, since updates are free, quick, and cumulative, and then retest your issue. If the problem persists on current firmware, you've eliminated a variable, which is worth the two minutes on its own.

Also worth noting: a controller bought new may not ship with current firmware, since it could have sat in a warehouse for months. Updating a brand-new DualSense before you start troubleshooting anything is a sensible first move.

If the update fails or stalls

A few things go wrong, and they have straightforward causes.

The app doesn't detect the controller. This is usually a cable problem. Many USB-C cables are charge-only and carry no data, so the controller charges while the PC never registers it as a device. Swap to a cable you know transfers data, and plug into a rear motherboard port rather than a front-panel port or hub.

The update stalls partway. Don't panic and don't unplug in a hurry if it's genuinely still working. If it's clearly frozen, disconnect, reset the controller using the recessed button in the small hole on the back (hold it for about five seconds with a paperclip), reconnect over USB, and try again.

The controller behaves oddly afterwards. Reset it with the paperclip button and re-pair. A controller that's just been updated sometimes needs re-registering to the device you use it with, and on a PS5 that means connecting by cable and pressing the PS button.

The update won't start over Bluetooth. Use a cable. Firmware updates over wireless are less reliable, and on a PS5, a wired connection is required.

After updating: confirm everything works

Once the update completes, it's worth thirty seconds of verification rather than assuming. Connect the controller and run a browser button test to confirm every button and trigger registers, and check the sticks on a joystick calibration page.

This matters because if you were updating firmware to fix a problem, this tells you definitively whether it worked. And if the issue persists after a successful update, you've now ruled out firmware and can move on to hardware or settings causes rather than wondering. Our DualSense troubleshooting guide covers what to check next depending on the symptom.

How often should you update?

There's no need to check obsessively. Sony pushes DualSense firmware occasionally rather than monthly. A sensible habit is to check when you're troubleshooting a problem, when a new major system software update lands, or every few months if you use the controller heavily on PC where you won't get automatic prompts. Console users get nudged reasonably reliably; PC users have to check manually, which is exactly why PlayStation Accessories is worth having installed.

The short version

On a PS5: connect the controller by USB cable, then go to Settings > Accessories > Controllers > Wireless Controller Device Software, and update. On Windows: install the PlayStation Accessories app (formerly the DualSense firmware updater) from the Microsoft Store or PlayStation's site, connect by USB, select Firmware, and update. There's no Mac version, so use a PS5 or PC. Never disconnect mid-update, update one controller at a time, and if the app can't see your controller, suspect a charge-only USB cable before anything else.