If you buy games on the Epic Games Store or GOG, you have probably noticed a gap that Steam users rarely think about: there is no controller remapping layer waiting to rescue a PlayStation pad. A DualShock 4 that a game ignores stays ignored. This guide covers the two practical routes for Epic and GOG games — using InputMapper at the Windows level so the fix applies everywhere, or adding a game to Steam as a shortcut and using Steam Input, with an honest look at where that second route falls short.
Epic and GOG Ship No Mapper Layer of Their Own
The Epic Games Launcher and GOG Galaxy ship no built-in controller remapping layer comparable to Steam Input. They are storefronts and launchers: they download, update, and start your games, but they do not translate a DirectInput DualShock 4 into the XInput signal most Windows games expect. If a game on either store has no native DualShock support of its own, the launcher will not add it.
That is why an operating-system-level mapper is the standard workaround for these games. Instead of hoping each launcher or each individual game handles your controller, you fix the problem once in Windows itself. Every game started afterwards simply sees a controller it already understands. For a comparison of the two philosophies, see InputMapper vs Steam Input before you decide which route fits your library.
Route One: An InputMapper Profile That Applies Everywhere
InputMapper is DSDCS freeware, final build 1.7.7452.13622 from May 2020. It maps supported inputs — the DS4 and DS4 V2, Xbox 360 and Xbox One pads, and generic DirectInput and XInput devices — to a virtual Xbox 360 controller created through ViGEmBus 1.22.0, the final archived version of that driver. Because the mapping happens at the Windows OS level, any game that reads XInput can see the virtual pad, no matter which launcher started it or whether a launcher was involved at all.
The routine is simple and identical for Epic and GOG. Install ViGEmBus first, then InputMapper, both available from the download page. Connect your DS4, launch InputMapper, and run a profile with Xbox 360 controller output. Leave InputMapper running, then launch your game from Epic, from GOG Galaxy, or from a desktop shortcut. The game finds an Xbox 360 controller because, as far as Windows is concerned, one is connected. If you have never built a profile, how to use InputMapper walks through the basics step by step.
The strength of this route is its indifference to storefronts. A weekly free game on Epic, a classic in your GOG library, and a standalone installer on your desktop all get the same working controller without per-launcher settings, per-game shortcuts, or waiting for either store to add a feature it does not currently offer.
Route Two: Add the Game to Steam and Use Steam Input
The alternative is to add an Epic or GOG game to your Steam library as a non-Steam game shortcut, launch it through Steam, and let Steam Input handle the controller. Steam Input is a capable system, and if you already live inside Steam this can be convenient for an occasional title. For some players and some games, it works well enough that they never need anything else.
Be clear about its limits, though. Steam Input only manages games launched via Steam, plus added shortcuts, and it manages those shortcuts imperfectly. The shortcut has to point at the right executable, launcher updates can break paths, overlays can misbehave, and a game started directly from Epic or GOG — bypassing the Steam shortcut — gets no Steam Input help at all. You also end up maintaining two libraries and launching one store’s games through another store’s client, which many GOG users in particular are trying to avoid. It is a valid route, but it is a per-game workaround rather than a system-wide fix.
The GOG Angle: DRM-Free Installs Need No Launcher at All
GOG’s DRM-free model makes the InputMapper route especially clean. Many GOG games offer standalone offline installers, and the installed game can be run directly, without GOG Galaxy running at all. With InputMapper running first, that standalone game still sees the virtual Xbox 360 controller, because the controller exists in Windows, not inside any launcher.
This is the simplest possible arrangement: download the installer, install the game, start InputMapper with your Xbox 360 output profile, and double-click the game. No launcher in the middle, no shortcut chain to maintain, and no account client deciding how your input is handled. The same applies to DRM-free games you run from a backup folder — if the game reads XInput, the virtual pad is there for it. You can refine button layouts per game later using InputMapper profiles, including profiles that load automatically for specific executables.
Double Input and the One-Mapper Rule
Whichever route you choose, run only one input translator at a time for a given game. If Steam Input is remapping your DS4 for a shortcut while InputMapper is also presenting a virtual pad, a game can receive both signals and produce double input — doubled menu moves, doubled actions, and confusing prompts. Pick the route per game and stick to it.
With the InputMapper route, the other double input risk is a game that reads both your physical DS4 directly and the virtual controller. HidHide v1.5.230 exists for exactly this: it hides the physical pad from games while InputMapper keeps using it. Keep that tool in mind the first time a menu jumps two entries at once; it is a five-minute fix once you know what is happening, as explained in the non-Steam method guide at InputMapper for non-Steam games.
The Anti-Cheat Caveat for Epic and GOG Titles
Most Epic and GOG games are single-player experiences where a virtual controller raises no issues at all. Competitive multiplayer titles are the exception to keep in mind: kernel-level anti-cheat in some competitive titles can object to virtual controllers, regardless of which store sold you the game. The anti-cheat sees a virtual input device, not your good intentions.
Check the specific game’s current stance before using any mapper in ranked or tournament play, and do not trust any tool or guide that promises a virtual controller is universally accepted or safe from bans. For the large majority of story, strategy, and co-operative games on these stores, the OS-level approach is a normal, practical way to use the controller you already own.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my DualShock 4 not work with Epic and GOG games?
The Epic Games Launcher and GOG Galaxy ship no built-in controller remapping layer comparable to Steam Input, and most Windows games expect XInput. InputMapper maps your DS4 to a virtual Xbox 360 controller at the Windows level, so those games can see it.
Can I just add an Epic or GOG game to Steam instead?
Yes, by adding it as a non-Steam game shortcut and launching it through Steam so Steam Input applies. The caveats are that Steam Input only manages games launched via Steam, shortcuts can break when launchers update, and the fix does not apply when you start the game directly.
Do GOG games need GOG Galaxy running for InputMapper to work?
No. GOG’s DRM-free standalone installs can run with no launcher at all. Start InputMapper with an Xbox 360 output profile first, then launch the installed game directly and it will see the virtual controller in Windows.
Should I use InputMapper and Steam Input at the same time?
No. Running two translators for the same game can cause double input and conflicts. Choose one route per game — InputMapper for a system-wide fix, or Steam Input for a specific Steam-launched shortcut — and disable the other for that title.