If you plug a DualShock 4 into a Windows PC, most games still expect an Xbox controller. InputMapper and DS4Windows both solve that same problem: they read your PlayStation pad and present it to Windows as a virtual Xbox 360 controller. They look similar, they share a history, and in 2026 they lead to very different recommendations depending on which controller you own. This comparison is deliberately honest. For many readers, DS4Windows is now the better answer — and we will say exactly where, and where InputMapper still makes sense.
Shared Roots: Two Branches of the Same Idea
Both tools trace back to the 2014 DS4Tool and early DS4Windows work, when the DualShock 4 was new and Windows had no useful native support for it. From that common root, development split. One branch became InputMapper, developed by DSDCS as closed-source freeware. The other stayed open source under the DS4Windows name, most famously in the Ryochan7 line.
That split explains both the similarities and the differences. The core job — translating DualShock 4 input into XInput, the Xbox controller standard Windows games understand — is the same. So are many of the concepts layered on top of it: per-game profiles, macros, using the touchpad as a mouse, and controlling the lightbar and rumble. Where the tools diverge is openness, device support, and, above all, what has happened since 2020.
If you are new to either tool, start with how to use InputMapper for the InputMapper side, and our DS4Windows install guide for the other. The rest of this page assumes you want help choosing, not a full setup walkthrough.
At a Glance
| Feature | InputMapper | DS4Windows |
|---|---|---|
| Price and licence | Free, closed-source freeware; donations accepted, no paid edition | Free, open source |
| Final / current build | 1.7.7452.13622, May 2020 — unmaintained since | Ryochan7 line ended at 3.3.3, Dec 2023; ds4windowsapp continuation v3.5, Feb 2026 |
| DualShock 4 | Yes, including DS4 V2 | Yes, including DS4 V2 |
| DualSense | No | Yes |
| Other inputs | Xbox 360, Xbox One, DS3 via Magic-NS, PS Move Navigation via Magic-NS, generic DirectInput / XInput | Focused on Sony controllers, DualShock 4 and DualSense in particular |
| Virtual output | Virtual Xbox 360 and virtual DS4 via ViGEmBus, plus keyboard and mouse | Virtual Xbox 360 and virtual DS4 via ViGEmBus |
| Hiding the physical pad | Exclusive Mode and the legacy HidGuardian stack; HidHide is the modern companion | HidHide |
| Profiles and macros | Yes — profiles, macros, touchpad as mouse, lightbar and rumble controls | Yes — profiles, macros, touchpad, lightbar and rumble controls |
Device Support: DualSense Decides It for Many People
The single biggest practical difference is simple. InputMapper does not support the DualSense, Sony’s PlayStation 5 controller, and it never will in its final build — version 1.7 was released in May 2020, months before the DualSense existed. DS4Windows does support the DualSense, and that support is its headline advantage.
So if you own a DualSense, this comparison is already over: use DS4Windows, or use Steam Input, which also handles the DualSense well. Our guide to using a DualSense on PC covers both routes. Do not spend an afternoon trying to make InputMapper recognise a controller it was never built to read.
If you own a DualShock 4 — original or V2 — both tools read it properly, and the choice becomes about maintenance, workflow, and how much else you want to connect. InputMapper is actually the broader of the two on older hardware: alongside the DS4 it lists the Xbox 360 and Xbox One controllers, the DualShock 3 and PS Move Navigation controller via a Magic-NS dongle, and generic DirectInput and XInput devices. That breadth mattered in mixed-controller households, and for a retro desk with older pads it still can.
Drivers and Hiding: The Same Foundation
Underneath, both tools rely on the same virtual controller driver, ViGEmBus. It creates the virtual Xbox 360 or virtual DS4 device that games see. ViGEmBus itself reached its final release, 1.22.0, in November 2023 and its repository is now archived, but the driver remains the shared foundation for InputMapper 1.7, DS4Windows, and several other mappers.
Both tools also have to solve the double-input problem: if Windows sees your real DualShock 4 and the virtual Xbox pad at the same time, some games read both and your character gets two inputs for one press. The fix is to hide the physical controller from games while leaving it visible to the mapper. InputMapper’s era used Exclusive Mode and the legacy HidGuardian stack. The modern tool for this job is HidHide, now at v1.5.230, which DS4Windows uses and which also works as the modern companion alongside InputMapper. If you are setting either tool up today, read our HidHide guide rather than following old HidGuardian tutorials — that stack belongs to an earlier period and causes more confusion than it solves on current Windows installs.
Profiles, Macros, and Everyday Use
For day-to-day DualShock 4 gaming, the two tools are closer than their reputations suggest. Both let you save profiles, remap buttons, record macros, use the DS4 touchpad as a mouse, and adjust lightbar and rumble behaviour. If your mental model is “one profile for racing games, one for shooters, touchpad for menus,” either tool can do that with a DualShock 4.
The differences are in feel rather than feature checklists. InputMapper presents a single, focused application built around its profile system, and long-time users often describe it as the simpler of the two to understand once it is installed — everything lives in one place, and nothing has changed in years, for better and worse. DS4Windows exposes more device-specific detail for Sony controllers, especially around the DualSense, and its settings reflect hardware that InputMapper simply does not know about. Neither interface is modern, and neither will win a design award in 2026. Both are utilities from another era of Windows software, and both ask a little patience during first setup.
Maintenance Status in 2026: The Honest Part
InputMapper is finished software. The final build, 1.7.7452.13622 from May 2020, is unmaintained, and there is no paid edition, upgrade path, or announced successor — it was always freeware supported by donations. That does not make it broken: for a DualShock 4 on a stable Windows setup, archived software can keep working for years. It does mean that new controllers, new Windows changes, and new bugs will not be addressed.
DS4Windows has a more complicated story. The well-known Ryochan7 line ended at version 3.3.3 in December 2023, and that repository now returns a 404 — a fact that confuses many people searching for a download today. Development did not entirely stop, however: a maintained continuation, ds4windowsapp, reached v3.5 in February 2026. So DS4Windows, unlike InputMapper, still has a living branch, even if finding the right one takes more care than it used to. You can get InputMapper itself from our download page, with its final-build status stated plainly.
Verdict: Which Should You Use?
| Your situation | Our recommendation |
|---|---|
| DualShock 4, older games and emulators | Either works. InputMapper is a reasonable, simpler archive path if its profile workflow suits you; DS4Windows is the safer long-term pick. |
| DualSense owner | DS4Windows. InputMapper does not support the DualSense at all. |
| Mixed older controllers, including DS3 via Magic-NS | InputMapper has the broader official input list for legacy hardware. |
| Minimal fuss, mostly Steam games | Try Steam Input first before installing either tool — see our alternatives overview. |
| You want maintained software | DS4Windows via the ds4windowsapp continuation. InputMapper has been frozen since 2020. |
Our overall take: DS4Windows wins this comparison for most new readers in 2026, because of DualSense support and its continuing branch. InputMapper remains a legitimate, free choice for DualShock 4 owners who value its profile workflow or its legacy device list — which is exactly why this site documents it in detail, without pretending it is still in development.
The Third Option: A Native XInput Controller
There is a way to skip mapping software altogether: use a controller that Windows games already understand natively as XInput. A native Xbox-style pad needs no virtual driver, no hiding tool, and no profile translation layer, so there is nothing to break when Windows updates. If you are tired of maintaining a mapping setup, consider a PowerA controller or the 8BitDo Ultimate controller as that third option, and keep your DualShock 4 for the PlayStation. Affiliate link — see our Affiliate Disclosure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does InputMapper support the DualSense controller?
No. InputMapper’s final build was released in May 2020, before the DualSense launched, so the DualSense is not supported. Use DS4Windows or Steam Input for a DualSense on PC.
Is DS4Windows still maintained in 2026?
The Ryochan7 line ended at version 3.3.3 in December 2023 and its repository is gone, but a maintained continuation called ds4windowsapp reached version 3.5 in February 2026.
Are InputMapper and DS4Windows both free?
Yes. InputMapper is closed-source freeware supported by donations with no paid edition, and DS4Windows is free and open source.
Why do I get double input with both tools?
Double input happens when a game sees both your real controller and the virtual Xbox 360 controller at the same time. Hiding the physical controller with HidHide is the modern fix for both tools.