DS5 Bridge

DS5 Bridge 1.6.3 is live.
This release includes controller microphone support, Audio Haptics, Trigger Lab, controller personas, chords, and companion firmware tools.

DS5 Bridge lets you use a real Sony DualSense or DualSense Edge controller wirelessly on a Windows PC through a Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W. The controller pairs to the Pico over Bluetooth, and the Pico plugs into your PC over USB.

The companion app gives you a clean place to adjust audio, haptics, trigger strength, lighting, button remaps, shortcuts, firmware tools, and other controller behavior without rebuilding firmware.

Quick Start

1. Download the firmware .uf2 and Windows companion installer from Releases.
2. With the Pico 2 W unplugged, hold BOOTSEL, then connect it to your PC.
3. Copy the .uf2 file onto the Pico drive that appears in Windows.
4. Put the DualSense controller into Bluetooth pairing mode by holding Create and PS until the lightbar rapidly blinks blue.
5. Wait for the controller to pair to the Pico, not directly to Windows.
6. Install and open DS5 Bridge. The Overview page should show the connected bridge and firmware version.

Once the controller connects to the Pico, Windows sees it as a normal DualSense-compatible USB controller.

Features

• Use a DualSense or DualSense Edge wirelessly through a Pico 2 W.
• Use the controller speaker, headset jack, microphone, and audio-driven haptics.
• Tune audio, haptics, adaptive triggers, and lighting from the Windows app.
• Use Audio Haptics to turn system or app audio into controller feedback.
• Save controller setups as profiles.
• Remap buttons and assign chord shortcuts.
• Switch the host persona between DualSense, DualShock 4, and Xbox modes.
• See Bluetooth signal quality at a glance.
• Mount, flash, or nuke Pico firmware from Bridge Settings.

Companion App Tour

The companion app is where you check the bridge, adjust the controller, and save the setup you actually want to play with.

Overview

See connection health, firmware version, battery, audio route, Bluetooth signal quality, host persona, and the settings most likely to matter during play.

Audio

Control the controller speaker, headphone-jack route, microphone level, speaker gain, and buffer length.

Haptics

Adjust HD haptics, classic rumble, feedback boost, and audio buffer length, then test the feel before opening a game.

Audio Haptics

Turn system audio or an app session into controller haptic feedback.

Triggers

Set adaptive trigger strength, try effects, or open Trigger Lab for per-trigger profiles.

Trigger Lab

Build and preview adaptive trigger effects before applying them to the controller.

Lighting

Choose lightbar brightness and color, or let the app manage lighting behavior for you.

Button Remapping

Change what each controller button does, then save the remap when you are happy with it.

System

Manage profiles, mute button behavior, polling rate, host persona, diagnostics, and device repair.

Chords

Create reusable keyboard, media, and controller actions, then assign them to starter chords.

Bridge Settings

Set theme, UI scale, tray and startup behavior, firmware maintenance, power saving, LEDs, shortcuts, idle disconnect, and PC sleep disconnect.

Troubleshooting

• Use the companion app and firmware from the same release when possible.
• For first-time flashing, hold BOOTSEL before plugging the Pico 2 W into the PC. The Pico should appear as a USB drive.
• Pair the controller to the Pico, not Windows. Hold Create and PS until the lightbar rapidly blinks blue.
• If audio, mic, haptics, or flashing behave oddly, try a direct USB port and a data-capable micro-USB cable before using a hub.
• If controller audio sounds doubled, distorted, or too loud, restart your PC, reopen DS5 Bridge, and run the speaker test again.
• If Windows keeps stale or duplicate controller/audio devices, use Windows device cleanup or System > Emergency Device Repair.
• Battery level may be inaccurate while the controller is charging.

Requirements

• Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W.
• Sony DualSense or DualSense Edge controller.
• Data-capable USB cable with a micro-USB end for the Pico 2 W.
• Windows for the companion app.

For Developers

See docs/development.md for local build requirements, firmware build commands, companion app setup, audio helper notes, and packaging steps.

Project Layout

Path	Purpose
src/main.cpp	Pico startup, watchdog handling, USB task loop, and HID report bridge.
src/bt.cpp	Bluetooth inquiry, pairing, L2CAP HID channels, and report queueing.
src/audio.cpp	USB audio ingestion, haptic resampling, Opus speaker encoding, and audio packet assembly.
src/companion.cpp	Vendor HID companion protocol, status reports, command ACKs, and runtime setting dispatch.
src/usb.cpp	TinyUSB audio control callbacks and runtime settings fallback.
src/usb_descriptors.c	USB device, configuration, HID report, audio, and string descriptors.
companion/	Electron companion app source, protocol parser, HID service, assets, and UI.
companion/native/AudioHelper/	Windows audio helper used by the companion app for audio sessions, haptics mirroring, endpoint setup, and media integrations.
.github/workflows	CI and release builds.

Development Notes

• The bridge presents itself to the host as a standard DualSense-compatible USB controller for compatibility.
• The companion app requires firmware built with the companion HID interface enabled.
• The project controls runtime behavior through the bridge and does not write controller-side profiles.
• Battery level is not reported accurately while the controller is charging.
• During development, Windows may keep stale controller or audio endpoint records after descriptor testing. Use docs/windows-device-cleanup.md only if you run into device or endpoint issues while testing.

License

This repository is distributed as AGPL-3.0-only. See LICENSE.

This project is derived from awalol/DS5Dongle, which is credited in NOTICE. Third-party submodules and package dependencies retain their own license terms.

DualSense controller overlay artwork is adapted from AL2009man/Gamepad-Asset-Pack and credited in NOTICE.

References

• awalol/DS5Dongle, the foundation for this project.
• rafaelvaloto/Pico_W-Dualsense for project inspiration.
• egormanga/SAxense for Bluetooth haptics proof-of-concept work.
• Sony DualSense controller documentation for report structure notes.
• Paliverse/DualSenseX for speaker report packet references.
• Alex Smith of The Cynic Project for the speaker test sound, "Crystal Cave" (song18).