Yes — one app, and that's it. You download a single bridge program, install it, and your PS5 controller starts sending MIDI. There is no driver pack, no second utility, no console companion software, no firmware mod, and no paid DAW requirement. This page exists because the question gets asked constantly and the honest answer is short, so here is the short answer followed by the detail: what the one download actually is, what it writes to your disk, what permissions it asks for, and the list of things people assume they need that they genuinely do not.
- What you download: one app — a gamepad-to-MIDI bridge. Nothing else.
- What you don't download: no controller driver, no loopMIDI, no DS4Windows, no console software, no paid DAW.
- Time: about two minutes to install, 90 seconds in the first-run wizard.
- Cost:
$0to start. The free tier is untimed. Pro is$89one time if you later want custom mapping.
What exactly do I have to download?
One desktop application that reads the controller as an HID device and republishes its input as MIDI on a virtual port.
That category of app is called a bridge, and Universal Controller MIDI is the one this site builds. The reason it is necessary at all comes down to device classes: your operating system files a DualSense under gamepads, and your DAW only ever asks the operating system for the list of MIDI devices. Those two lists never meet. The bridge is the thing that opens the gamepad on one side and creates a MIDI device on the other. If you want the mechanics of that translation in detail, it is unpacked in what a DualSense MIDI bridge actually does.
There is no second component. The virtual MIDI port, the controller decoding, the default mappings, and the starter templates all ship inside that one installer.
Do I need to install a driver for the controller?
No — every major operating system already ships a driver that recognises a DualSense as a standard HID gamepad.
Plug a DualSense into a Mac and it enumerates through the HID and GameController stacks with nothing installed. Windows 10 and 11 file it under HIDClass immediately. Linux exposes it as an evdev node. You can confirm this yourself before you install anything at all:
# macOS
ioreg -p IOUSB -l | grep -i -A 2 "DualSense"
# Windows (PowerShell)
Get-PnpDevice -Class HIDClass | Where-Object FriendlyName -like "*Wireless Controller*"
# Linux
lsusb | grep -i SonyIf the controller appears in that output, the operating system already has everything it needs on the gamepad side. Specifically, you do not need DS4Windows, ScpToolkit, a Sony driver download, or any third-party gamepad utility. Several of those actually cause problems, because they claim the controller exclusively and the bridge then cannot read it.
Do I need loopMIDI or the IAC Driver?
No additional download on any platform — the virtual MIDI port is handled for you.
This is the second most common assumption, and it comes from years of Windows MIDI tutorials telling people to install loopMIDI before anything else. Here is what actually happens on each platform:
| Platform | Virtual port mechanism | Extra download? | Manual step? |
|---|---|---|---|
| macOS 12+ | Built-in IAC Driver (CoreMIDI) | None — part of macOS | May need switching online once in Audio MIDI Setup |
| Windows 10 / 11 | teVirtualMIDI driver bundled in the installer | None — included | None |
| Linux | ALSA sequencer client | None — part of ALSA | None |
Whichever platform you are on, the port that appears in your DAW is named Universal Controller by default. That is the string to look for in the MIDI inputs list.
Do I need a PlayStation 5?
No — the console plays no part in this at all.
The DualSense is a self-contained USB and Bluetooth HID device. It does not phone home to a console, it does not require a PSN account, and it does not need to have ever been paired with a PS5. A controller bought secondhand and never connected to a console works identically to one taken out of a console's box this morning. The same is true of a DualShock 4 from a PS4, which is also supported.
Do I need to buy a DAW?
No. Several capable DAWs are free, and the bridge works with all of them because it emits ordinary MIDI.
- GarageBand — free on every Mac, accepts the virtual port under Preferences → Audio/MIDI.
- Cakewalk by BandLab — free, full-featured, Windows only. We have a dedicated walkthrough at Cakewalk gamepad MIDI setup.
- Tracktion Waveform Free — free tier across macOS, Windows, and Linux.
- Ardour — open source, the standard choice on Linux.
- Reaper — not free but has an uncrippled evaluation period and a low licence cost.
And a DAW is not even strictly required. The bridge output is a normal MIDI port, so a standalone plugin host, a free synth running standalone, a VJ application, or a browser tab using Web MIDI will all accept it.
Is the download safe and signed?
Yes — the macOS build is notarised and the Windows installer is code-signed, so neither triggers an unidentified-developer block.
The one place to get it is the official downloads page. The changelog page publishes the SHA for each release, so if you ever end up with a build from somewhere else you can check it matches before running it. Downloading a gamepad bridge from a random mirror is a bad idea for exactly the reason you would expect: an app that reads raw HID input is an app you want to be sure about.
What does it install and where?
The application itself, plus one small JSON config directory — and on Windows, the bundled virtual MIDI driver.
The config directory is where your settings, presets, and onboarding state live. It is worth knowing the path, both for backing up your work and for a clean uninstall:
# macOS
~/Library/Application Support/UniversalControllerMIDI/
# Windows
%APPDATA%\UniversalControllerMIDI\
# Linux
~/.config/universal-controller-midi/
# (or $XDG_CONFIG_HOME if you have set it)
Inside you will find onboarding.json, which records that the first-run wizard completed, along with your saved presets. On the free tier you can keep three presets locally; Pro lifts that limit and adds cloud sync. Deleting onboarding.json re-runs the wizard, which is handy on a machine you are setting up for someone else.
What permissions will it ask for?
One on macOS, none on Windows, and a udev rule check on Linux.
- macOS: Input Monitoring, granted under System Settings → Privacy & Security → Input Monitoring. If you are pairing over Bluetooth, macOS will also ask for Bluetooth access. The wizard deep-links you straight to the right pane rather than making you hunt for it.
- Windows: nothing. HID access is open by default. The installer does need to run elevated once so the bundled virtual MIDI driver can register.
- Linux: no interactive prompt, but the controller needs to be readable without root. The wizard confirms the udev rule is in place and tells you if it is not.
Input Monitoring sounds alarming and is worth explaining. It is the macOS permission that covers reading raw input device events — exactly what a gamepad bridge has to do to see button presses. Without it the app sees a connected controller but receives no input, which is the single most common "it detected my controller but nothing happens" report on macOS.
Does it work offline?
Yes. Once installed, nothing in the controller-to-MIDI path touches the network.
Reading the HID stream, applying the mapping, and writing MIDI to the virtual port are all local operations. You can pull the Wi-Fi, fly to a gig, and the rig behaves identically. The network is only involved in three optional places: downloading the app in the first place, activating a Pro licence once, and browsing or downloading community presets from the marketplace. Free-tier users can browse the marketplace but not download from it — downloads and submissions are Pro.
For anyone building a stage rig, that offline behaviour is the point. Venue Wi-Fi is not something you want in the signal chain, and the reliability notes in the live-set disconnect guide go further into what to harden before a show.
How do I uninstall it?
Remove the app, then delete the config directory — and on Windows run the uninstaller so the virtual MIDI driver goes with it.
# macOS — delete the app, then its config
rm -rf "/Applications/Universal Controller MIDI.app"
rm -rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/UniversalControllerMIDI
# Linux — remove the package or AppImage, then its config
rm -rf ~/.config/universal-controller-midi
On Windows, use Settings → Apps → Installed apps → Universal Controller MIDI → Uninstall. Running the uninstaller rather than deleting the folder matters there, because the bundled teVirtualMIDI driver is registered with the system and the uninstaller is what unregisters it. Then remove %APPDATA%\UniversalControllerMIDI\ if you want the presets gone too.
Nothing is left behind in the kernel on macOS or Linux, and the controller returns to behaving as an ordinary gamepad the moment the app is closed, installed or not.
So what is the actual answer?
One download, free, offline afterwards, no drivers, no console, no paid DAW. If that is all you came here for, grab the installer and run the wizard — you will have a PS5 controller sending MIDI in a couple of minutes. If you want the full picture of what happens next, the complete setup walkthrough is at how to use a PS5 controller as a MIDI controller.
FAQ
Do I need to download anything to use a PS5 controller as a MIDI controller?
Yes, one app. A bridge such as Universal Controller MIDI has to translate the controller HID stream into MIDI, because no operating system does that on its own. That single install is the entire requirement — there is no second download, no driver package, and no console software.
Do I need to install a driver for the PS5 controller?
No. macOS, Windows, and Linux all recognise a DualSense as a standard HID gamepad with their built-in drivers. You do not need DS4Windows, a Sony driver package, or any vendor utility.
Do I need loopMIDI or the IAC Driver?
No separate download. On Windows the virtual MIDI port is created by a teVirtualMIDI driver bundled inside the installer, so loopMIDI is unnecessary. On macOS the IAC Driver is already part of the operating system, and on Linux the port is an ALSA sequencer client.
Does it work offline?
Yes. After installation the app reads the controller and emits MIDI entirely locally. An internet connection is only used for downloading the app, activating a Pro licence, and browsing the online preset marketplace.
Do I need to pay for anything to get started?
No. The free tier sends notes from the buttons and CCs from the sticks and triggers with no timer and no watermark. Pro at $89 one time adds the mapping editor and the advanced modes, but nothing is locked behind a trial clock.
How do I uninstall it cleanly?
Delete the application, then remove its config folder: ~/Library/Application Support/UniversalControllerMIDI on macOS, %APPDATA%\UniversalControllerMIDI on Windows, or ~/.config/universal-controller-midi on Linux. On Windows, run the uninstaller first so the bundled virtual MIDI driver is removed too.