The DualShock 4 is the controller InputMapper was built around, and both revisions of it sit at the top of the official input list: Sony DualShock 4 and Sony DualShock 4 V2 are listed as separate, first-class input devices. That means whichever revision you own, you do not need a workaround, a wrapper, or a generic fallback mode to use it. You connect it, InputMapper recognises it, and you map it.
So why does a comparison page exist at all? Because the two revisions look almost identical on a shelf, listings online rarely say which one you are buying, and owners reasonably want to know whether the V2 does anything the V1 cannot do inside InputMapper. The short answer is reassuring: in terms of mapping, profiles, and virtual output, there is no fundamental difference. The differences are hardware differences — how you identify the pad, how its light bar behaves, and how it can talk to your PC over USB. This page walks through all three, then gives honest buying advice for 2026.
If you have not installed the software yet, start with our download page and the walkthrough on how to use InputMapper, then come back here to confirm which revision is in your hands.
How to Identify Your Revision in Ten Seconds
The fastest reliable check is the model number printed on the label on the back of the controller. The original DualShock 4 is model CUH-ZCT1. The revised controller is model CUH-ZCT2, usually shortened to DS4 V2. If the label is worn or missing, use the visual check instead.
Look at the touchpad from the front. On the V2, a thin strip of the light bar is visible along the top edge of the touchpad, so you can see the controller’s colour glow from the player’s side of the pad. On the V1, the light bar faces entirely away from you, on the back of the controller, and nothing shows through the touchpad. That touchpad light strip is the single easiest way to tell the revisions apart in a photo — which matters when you are judging a second-hand listing from pictures alone.
Other clues exist but are weaker. Later shells and colourways tend to be V2 units simply because they were manufactured after the revision replaced the original on production lines, and the V2’s sticks and buttons have a slightly different finish. Do not rely on colour or feel. Model number first, touchpad strip second.
What Actually Differs Between V1 and V2
Beyond the light strip, the headline hardware change is communication. The V2 added a USB communication option in addition to Bluetooth. In plain terms, when a V2 is plugged in with a cable, the controller can send its input over that cable. A V1 plugged into a PC or console is, in the classic setup, charging over the cable while the actual input still travels over Bluetooth — which is why V1 owners sometimes unplug a “wired” controller and notice nothing change, or pair it and wonder why the cable made no difference to latency or dropouts.
For PC use this gives the V2 a practical edge. A true wired data connection is the simplest way to rule out wireless interference, pairing quirks, and battery anxiety during a long session. It also makes troubleshooting cleaner: if something misbehaves over a cable, you know the problem is in software or configuration, not in the radio link. With a V1, the honest advice is to treat Bluetooth as the connection and the cable as power.
Everything else you care about for gaming is effectively the same platform: the same button layout, the same touchpad, the same sticks and triggers, and the same role in your setup. Neither revision gives you extra mappable buttons over the other, and neither is locked out of any InputMapper feature.
Inside InputMapper: Nothing Fundamental Changes
InputMapper’s official input list names both revisions explicitly, and that listing is the important fact. Both are native inputs, not generic devices. Once connected, each revision can be mapped button-for-button, assigned to a profile, and sent to any of InputMapper’s outputs: a virtual Xbox 360 controller (via ViGEmBus), a virtual DS4 (via ViGEmBus), or keyboard and mouse emulation.
That means everything covered in our guide to InputMapper profiles — per-game mappings, macros, swapped sticks, keyboard bindings for games with no controller support at all — works the same way on a CUH-ZCT1 as on a CUH-ZCT2. A profile built for one revision does not need rebuilding for the other. If you also own a PlayStation pad from the previous generation, note the contrast: the DualShock 3 is only on the list via a dongle, as explained in our DualShock 3 and Magic-NS guide. The DS4 revisions need no such bridge.
If your PC ever shows two inputs for one controller — the game responding twice to a single press — that is a separate, well-known issue with a dedicated fix. See our double input fix and the modern hiding tool covered in the HidHide guide. It can happen with either revision and has nothing to do with which model you bought.
USB vs Bluetooth: Practical Notes
V2 over USB: plug in, let Windows settle, then open InputMapper and confirm the controller appears. This is the most deterministic route and the one we recommend while you are first setting up profiles. Once everything works wired, try Bluetooth and compare.
V2 over Bluetooth: pair it like any DS4, and it behaves like the V1 wirelessly — convenient for couch play, subject to the usual realities of shared radio space, distance, and battery level.
V1 in general: plan around Bluetooth as your input path. Keep the controller charged, keep the wireless path reasonably clear, and do not diagnose a Bluetooth symptom as a cable fault when the cable was only ever delivering power.
Whichever revision and connection you use, the setup basics in our guide to connecting a PS4 controller to PC apply unchanged.
Which Should You Buy in 2026?
If you find both revisions at a fair price and both are genuine, buy the V2. The USB communication option and the player-facing light strip are small quality-of-life wins, and a V2 will generally be the younger controller with less wear on its sticks and battery. The V1 remains a perfectly good InputMapper controller, though — if the V1 is the one in good condition from a seller you trust, there is no mapping feature you are giving up.
The bigger issue in 2026 is authenticity. Genuine DualShock 4 controllers are increasingly hard to find new, as the controller is long out of its production prime, and the market is full of lookalike pads that copy the shell while behaving like generic devices inside. A counterfeit may still work as a basic gamepad, but it is not the device on InputMapper’s official list, and its touchpad, sticks, and wireless behaviour may disappoint. Buy from reputable sellers, check the model number and touchpad strip against the listing photos, be suspicious of prices that look too good, and test the controller as soon as it arrives while a return is still possible.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How can I tell a DualShock 4 V1 from a V2?
Check the model number on the back label: CUH-ZCT1 is the V1 and CUH-ZCT2 is the V2. You can also look at the touchpad — the V2 shows a strip of the light bar along the top edge of the touchpad, while the V1 does not.
Does InputMapper treat the DS4 V1 and V2 differently?
No, not in any fundamental way. Both the Sony DualShock 4 and the Sony DualShock 4 V2 are separate first-class entries in InputMapper’s official input list, and profiles, mapping, and virtual output work the same for both.
What is the main advantage of the V2 on PC?
The V2 added a USB communication option in addition to Bluetooth, so a plugged-in V2 can send input over the cable itself. That gives you a simple, stable wired connection for setup and troubleshooting.
Is a V1 still worth buying in 2026?
Yes, if it is genuine and in good condition — you lose no InputMapper features. The main caution applies to both revisions: genuine DualShock 4 controllers are increasingly hard to find new, so buy carefully and watch for counterfeits.