How to connect a PS4 controller to a smartphone

According to mobile game advertising agency Udonis, the mobile game market produced $90 billion in revenue in 2023. However, because most mobile devices are limited to touchscreen interfaces, the smartphone gaming experience is sub-optimal.

Fortunately, you can elevate the mobile gaming experience from underwhelming to console-level awesome by pairing an actual console controller with your phone. As it turns out, a number of games are compatible with console controllers.

Also: The best gaming PCs you can buy: Expert tested

Let’s walk through how to use a Playstation 4 Dualshock 4 wireless controller with an iPhone. 

1. Choose your controller and mount 

First off, I chose PS4 controllers for this example because inexpensive PS4 controller clones are available on Amazon. If you don’t already have a compatible console controller, you don’t have to spend $60 or more for an original PS4 or PS5 controller — this clone is only $18 and will do just as well for mobile gaming.

You may also need a controller mount that will hold your phone conveniently above the controller. One example is this $10 unit from Amazon. If you’re a Prime customer, it’s available overnight.

Also: Every iPhone model that can be updated to Apple’s iOS 18 (and which ones can’t)

I used a 3D printer to make myself a mount in just 30 minutes for 24 cents using this model by Thegeniusmoose on Printables. Here’s a list of other variations for different phones and sizes.

2. Pair your controller to your phone 

Whether you buy or make your own mount, the next step is to pair your controller to your phone. To put the controller in sharing mode, press and hold the Share and PS buttons until the light on the back of the controller blinks rapidly.

On your iPhone, open Bluetooth from the Settings menu and look for the controller in the Other Devices section of the screen:

Tap the name of your controller (in my case, it’s Dualshock 4 Wireless Controller) to connect it to your phone.

Bluetooth setup on Android phones is similar. Go to your Bluetooth settings, look for the discoverable device, and connect.

To test out gameplay on my iPhone, I downloaded Call of Duty: Mobile fro the App Store. 

Interestingly, when you first start the game, it recognizes the controller, but then says “Controller use disabled until after tutorial.” So, you must first learn how to play without the controller, even if you have it properly synced up. 

Once you get through the tutorial, Call of Duty: Mobile has a full list of controller commands. The image below looks a lot like an Xbox controller, except the D-pad and the joystick have been reversed. 

Implementation choice mysteries aside, as the picture at the beginning of this article shows, the controller does, indeed, control the game on the iPhone.

Also: One of the best QLED TVs I’ve tested isn’t from Samsung or LG

What’s your favorite mobile game? Are you going to hook up a PS4 controller to your phone, or have you already done so? Let us know in the comments below.

You can follow my day-to-day project updates on social media. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly update newsletter, and follow me on Twitter/X at @DavidGewirtz, on Facebook at Facebook.com/DavidGewirtz, on Instagram at Instagram.com/DavidGewirtz, and on YouTube at YouTube.com/DavidGewirtzTV.