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I need someone to talk to the students again :(

https://www.ifixit.com/Device/DualShock_...

The problem I have is they removed my information on PC connectivity, like it is worthless and only useful to a small group, despite this controller being just as good (if not better) for PC gaming despite the DirectInput shortcoming since that can be fixed with emulation.

The problem I have with this is they didn't try and revise it - they decided to delete it and erased it from existence. Thankfully it's in the page history so I was able to get a copy for revision purposes. I have a new revised version to implement later on. It looks like this is the only change that I take issue with for now.

I'm not going to touch it, but I have prepared a new version of the PC connectivity section. Can someone talk to the students who did this and clarify my stance on the matter of revisions? I don't want them to make major changes unless it is actually required and if they can revise it without deleting, I don't take removal of entire sections like the PC use information lightly because Sony doesn't say anything about it.

I have a DS4 and I use it on my PC's, so I know the accuracy of that info - I didn't put anything inherently "wrong" in there, but it probably did ramble on. Rambling doesn't warrant deletion of a whole section of useful information.

Anyway, here's the new version. They will need the raw version since it's formatted, but I can provide that by eMail. It can also be pulled from this post's history.

PC Use

This controller uses Bluetooth 4.0 so you will need a USB adapter that supports Bluetooth 4.0. Bluetooth 4.0 LE is preferred to reduce power consumption.

As a PC controller, the DS4 registers as a Standard HID Device. However, it only directly works with games that support DirectInput. For Xinput games, emulation is required. While emulation does not work 100% of the time, it works in the vast majority of cases. Modern games are also less prone to controller support problems as well and work in the controller’s native DirectInput mode.

Potential Bluetooth support issues

The user of a DS4 on a PC should be aware certain features on the controller do not work without the official Sony Bluetooth adapter because they are not part of the HID Device class. The primary areas this happens are:

• Trackpad (This feature also depends on developer support)

• Headphone jack (Likely to function under the HID Device driver but not with Xinput emulation?)

• PS Button (Steam Machine/Steam Big picture Mode only)

Recommended adapters (3rd party)

NOTE: These adapters are NOT supported by Sony.

• MIATONE Bluetooth CSR 4.0 LE

• Medialink 4.0 CSR (Recommended by DS4Windows)

Official Sony Bluetooth adapter links

While this adapter is much more expensive (~$25), everything on your controller will work without an issue and you will get official support from Sony. It is up to YOU if it is worth the extra price or not, though. It should also be noted some features are developer dependent and are not consistently supported.

Amazon

GameStop

Connectivity options:

Micro USB

MicroUSB is the easiest option since the controller will “just work”. However, you are limited to 15ft because of the USB standard’s cable limits. Anything past 15ft will require you to connect over Bluetooth.

Bluetooth

The option of using Bluetooth allows the user of the controller to play past 15ft. The downside to this is that your performance is largely dependent on which Bluetooth chipset you have. While most work without major problems, others just do not work right no matter what you try.

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Hello Nick! Thanks again for your thoughtful comments and trying to make our repair content helpful and accurate. I know it can be frustrating to watch students make mistakes that seem obvious to you, and that it is even more frustrating to watch them edit over your work—but you're right! We do have a history function, and when the students have finished their projects you (or we can, if you'd prefer, just let me know) restore the important pieces of information you provided along with some of the information students created. I know this is a big ask—being patient and watching things go a little off the rails, but that's how students learn. We all learn through making mistakes and gaining experience. Thanks for your patience as we allow them to go through the process.

We'll check-in with the students and encourage them to incorporate your information, along with their work. In the meantime, I hope it doesn't bother you too much—just know that we're recruiting more members to the repair cause just by letting let them make mistakes and explore.

Let me know if you'd like us to restore the content, or if you'd like to do it yourself. The semester will wrap up at the end of the year, and the pages will be published and open again for editing.

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That's still a rough-ish draft of the PC version with less rambling, so I am going to give it a second reading and make sure I covered everything.

Chances are I'll get to the final revision soon, though. I'm already on V2 where I've added more info, cleaned things up and mentioned that non CSR adapters are a gamble because they are inherently proprietary.

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If you need to direct students to how I feel about making changes, I've put some general guidelines on my About page. This should make things a lot easier.

While I'm somewhat iffy on major changes to the format and content (unless it's moved), I have made it so there is as much creative freedom as possible. Hopefully I found that balance.

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Hi Nick—Thanks for your thoughts on editing. We provide students in-depth guidelines on how to edit content. The majority of what you wrote is already covered in those guidelines as it is relevant to all students, not just those editing your pages. We're still monitoring all student content and will restore your content when students are finished working on their projects. We don't want to restrict editing in any way, because as I mentioned, that is how students learn, even if it involves making mistakes. Rest assured we're monitoring the pages and will restore content come Janurary when they students have finished their projects. Don't worry—everything is saved in history. Please be patient with our students and EDU staff. I recognize that it can be annoying and frustrating to watch your content get edited over, but we ask that you give students the time and space they need to complete their projects. Please feel free to reach out to me directly with any questions.

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Nick will be eternally grateful.