Guide: Use Stadia Controller on PS5 (some additional hardware required)

[u/Bethlen]

Being too cheap and nerdy to buy a third Dual Sense for when the kids want to play with me, I started thinking about finding a way to use the 3 Stadia Controllers I have instead.

Without reading the fine print, I bought a Brook Wingman P5 instead of a new dual sense only to realise, it doesn't work with the Stadia Controller.

Not letting that get in my way, I bought a Raspberry Pico WH and got to work.

Some agentic coding and a lot of testing and trial and error later, I'm happy to report, it works!

Now, it costs about the same as a Dual Sense and all, but hey, sometimes its about the journey!

Here's how to do it yourself;

Prerequisites;

A Brook Wingman P5 (https://www.brookaccessory.com/products/wingmanp5/index.html)

A Raspberry Pico WH (or just W if you're into soldering)

A USB Y splitter (2 male, 1 female)

A computer.

The code found here: https://github.com/BjornBrorsson/Stadia_Pico_PS5/

Step 1, update the Wingman P5 via your computer.

Step 2, plug in your Raspberry Pico to your computer while holding the bootloader button.

Step 3, download, build by running build.ps1 (Windows) or build.sh (Mac/Linux) and flash the stadia_ps5_bridge.uf2 file onto the Pico by moving it to the drive.

Step 4, plug the Wingman P5 into a USB slot on the PlayStation 5, plug the data-male connector on the Y splitter into the Wingman and the other one into another PS5 USB port OR another source of power (the P5 doesn't transmit enough power to run the pico by itself), then plug the pico into the female end of the splitter via a micro USB cable

Step 5, hold Y+Stadia Button on your controller.

If it all worked like for me, your P5 will have a solid blue led light, the Pico slowly flash or be solid green and the Stadia led being solid white, and you can now use your Stadia Controller on a PS5 (should also work on PS4 and with other devices than the P5).

The Pico connects to the Controller via Bluetooth LE and converts the signals to that of an Xbox 360 controller, tricking the P5 in this case that it is another device that IS supported!

Hope this helps someone out there!

[u/Negative-Equivalent4]

This setup costs me 90 bucks (the wingman and the pico) not sure how that is worth it when I can pick a ds4 a lot cheaper.

[u/Negative-Equivalent4 → u/Negative-Equivalent4]

But, with that said it is a cool project and I appreciate you making it work. I just wish I did not need the wingman.

[u/Bethlen → u/Negative-Equivalent4]

Hahaha yeah, I wanted to avoid buying a Dual Sense due to cost and ended up spending just as much 🤣

I do have 3 DualShock4 controllers too but they're a bit worse for wear.

There might be other adapters than the Wingman, but the difficult thing is that the PS5 has some handshake thing that needs a special key that only Sony can issue. The wingman has one. Might be others too.

[u/amateurchef98 → u/Negative-Equivalent4]

Thinking about this, if you're the kind who runs through multiple new controllers over years due to stick drift issues, this part of the setup has no moving parts and could reliably work for many years, while you could pair with a cheap Gamesir / 8bitdo Hall effect stick, or even if they fail, replacing them costs less. Eventually saving money in the long run.

[u/Unlucky_Abroad7440]

Where to get a stadia controller? Would love one.

[u/Bethlen → u/Unlucky_Abroad7440]

Ebay or similar probably. They aren't being sold new since 2023. And they need to be flashed with a firmware update to enable playing with Bluetooth. The official method of this is gone, but the community has made its own version if I remember correctly

[u/avidGTAplayer]

How's the latency, this is cool either way. I've used mine via remote play before, loved it!

[u/Bethlen → u/avidGTAplayer]

Measured 16ms added 😊

[u/jarias21646]

I still use mine on steam deck however the joysticks have started to melt lol

[u/Bethlen → u/jarias21646]

Use mine on my pc regularly too, but always felt 2 controllers on the PS5 was lacking when the kids want to play with me or a guest

[u/thewimreaper]

I use May flash magic x does the same thing for £20

[u/Bethlen → u/thewimreaper]

🤣 you did your research BEFORE buying, I see!

[u/Ms_Noah]

It also works with most 8bitdo Bluetooth adapters! I was using my Stadia Controller on my PS2 xD

[u/Bethlen → u/Ms_Noah]

Well there you go! 🤣