Once upon a time (about seven years) there was a dark time when Android was still a nascent platform and to really unlock its best features you had to root your device but nothing else. One of the many things you can do without rooting right now is to connect your PS4 or PS5 controller to your Android phone via Bluetooth. In this article, we will show you how to do it and tackle the initial lag issue that some users have reported while using the PS4 controller with Android.

The process of pairing a PS4 controller with Android is very similar to that of a PS5 controller, but there are a few small differences that we highlight here.

Connect the PS4 / PS5 controller to the phone

The actual process of connecting your PS4 and PS5 controllers to your device couldn’t be simpler – just do exactly what you would do with any other Bluetooth device you want to connect to. First, turn on Bluetooth on your device and then go to the Bluetooth menu (in the Quick menu or in the “Settings menu -> Connected devices”).

In the Connected devices menu, tap “Pair New Device” and the phone will search for Bluetooth devices. Some Android devices will show “Search” instead of “Pair New Device”.

Then press and hold the SHARE and PLAYSTATION buttons on the PS4 controller until the light bar on the controller starts flashing, indicating that it is searching for Bluetooth devices.

On the PS5 controller, press the CREATE and PLAYSTATION buttons which are in the same positions.

Your driver should appear on the “Pair New Device” screen as “Wireless Controller”. Touch it to connect the controller to your Android device. You’re now officially connected and can navigate Android’s home screens and (more importantly) play with the controller.

Play Android games with PS4 / PS5 controller

This will work a bit differently depending on the game you’re playing, but in general, games supported by your controller should detect your controller and automatically assign the appropriate buttons to you.

You should be able to remap the controls in each game if the default layout doesn’t suit you and each emulator gives you the option to remap the controls so that shouldn’t be a problem.

However, there is a problem with the PS4 controller on Android that you should watch out for and we can help you fix it.

Fix PS4 controller lag on Android

Something you may experience when you connect a PS4 controller to an Android device is input lag, making games that require fast bounces won’t play. The solution to this problem is a small app called Bluetooth Auto Connect.

This application automatically connects certain Bluetooth devices to your phone and can be modified with various elements such as “Continuous Connection” that automatically connects your device at regular intervals. First,download Bluetooth Auto Connect. Remember to allow unknown sources to download the APK.

Then install the APK and open automatic Bluetooth connection. Scroll down to “Advanced Options” (when your PS4 controller is connected), scroll down and click “Connect Now”. This should ensure the PS4 controller is working properly.

If you still have problems, go to “Advanced options” under Automatic Bluetooth connection, tap “Always connected” and set it between 2 and 15 seconds, which should help you avoid the dreaded lag issue. Experiment with different schedules to see which one works best for you.

You may not notice these issues on Android 10 or later devices. Many lag and connection issues have been resolved on newer Android devices.

Reconnect the controller to the console

When you’re done using the controller with your Android device, it may not reconnect to your PS4 or PS5. If you have this problem, use a USB cable to connect your controller to the console. After recognition, you can disconnect the cable and use the controller normally.

Now all you need to do is get hold of one of thesefancy terminals. Youplug the controller into your phone and voila. The one on the link even includes a cable so you can connect the controller directly and not worry about Bluetooth lag. Happy game!

If you want to use your shiny new PS5 controller on your computer, we also have a guide for that. Also check out our complete guide to playing PS1 games on your PC via Retroarch.