How to Use PS4 Controller for iPad Gaming 1

How to Use PS4 Controller for iPad Gaming

Apple’s Made for iPhone (MFi) game controller program has been around for the past few months and has improved gaming on iOS a ton, allowing gamers to bypass the annoying touch controls for physical buttons, D-pads and thumbsticks. This makes it easy to play a handful of mobile games, including Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and NBA 2K14.

One issue with MFi controllers, though, is price and quality. The cheapest is $80 (thanks to the recent price cut) and it’s not very good. No one is absolutely positive about why these MFi controllers fall short, but many say it’s due to Apple’s strict guidelines for manufacturers.

However, you can skip those questionable controllers and use a PS4 DualShock 4 controller instead, which is much more robust and better quality and is $20 cheaper. Pair it with your jailbroken iPad and you’ll have a console-like experience in minutes, and here’s how.

Yes, your iPad needs to be jailbroken for this to work, but we have a handy guide to walk you through the process of jailbreaking your iOS device. Definitely something we recommend if you’re happy with something like this.

Downloading the Jailbreak App

Once jailbroken go to Cydia and search for the app named It costs a few dollars, but it’s worth it considering the quality and value you’ll get.

Controllers for All tricks your iPad into thinking you’re using an official Made for iPhone game controller when you’re actually only using a PS3 or PS4 controller. The jailbreak tweak maps the official MFi buttons to the associated buttons on PS4 and PS3 controllers, as the layout is pretty much the same.

Adjustment

After installing the tweak, open the app and scroll down until you see it in the sidebar. Tap on it and select it from the short list of options on the right. This changes the way your iPad’s Bluetooth works and makes it possible for you to connect a PS4 or PS3 controller to your iPad; this is something you can’t do with stock Bluetooth even if your iPad is jailbroken.

When BTStack is enabled, Go to the sidebar and activate it by pushing the button next to it. You’ll also want to choose the type of controller you have underneath. Choose the PS3 or PS4 controller depending on which one you have. Once this is done you will need to do the initial pairing with the iPad so tap on it to get started.

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The on-screen instructions are pretty straightforward, but simply press and hold the PS button and the Share button at the same time until the light on the controller starts to flash like a strobe light. After that, your iPad will notify you that the pairing was successful. You are now ready to jump into a game and start playing.

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Before purchasing and downloading a few games to play with your PS4 controller, make sure the game you’re playing is compatible with the Made for iPhone program. If you are unsure, download a free app called phone enjoyment — There is a list of all games compatible with MFi controllers and always updated with the latest games.

Once you’re in a game, your PS3 or PS4 will search for your controller and when it finds it, you’ll be prompted to press the PS button to pair the controller with the game itself. Unfortunately, you have to do this every time you install a game, but it literally only takes a few seconds and isn’t really that big of a deal. Once that’s done, you’re ready to go and can start playing.

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Possible Problems

We ran into some issues – Controllers for All and BTStack aren’t necessarily bug-free. BTStack was giving us errors from time to time, and when we opened a game, it said that the controller was connected even though it wasn’t actually connected, and eventually we were getting Bluetooth errors. If this happens to you, disabling and re-enabling Controllers for BTStack and All may work, and after enabling Controllers for Everyone you may need to go back to BTStack to ensure the correct option is selected. I’ve seen him mysteriously return to us many times.

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We’ve also had some issues with a few games, including Real Racing 3, where the controls didn’t work at all, which was weird, except we were able to stop the game with the left bumper. But playing Asphalt 8 was no problem and we were able to use the PS4 controller without any problems. We’re guessing that the problems with Real Racing 3 are due to the fact that the game relies on the device’s gyroscope to steer, and most MFi game controllers are connected to the iPhone, allowing for easy tilting.

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