DS5Dongle

A ready-to-flash Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W (RP2350) firmware build of awalol/DS5Dongle, plus the one-time config that makes the DualSense built-in speaker work as a macOS audio output through the dongle.

This is not a code fork. The firmware source is upstream master, unmodified. The "fix" is upstream's existing lock_volume config field (which isn't in the stable v0.7.2-hotfix release) combined with a build of master. All firmware credit goes to awalol/DS5Dongle (MIT). This repo only provides a prebuilt Pico 2 W .uf2 and the macOS setup steps so you don't have to build it yourself.

The problem it solves

DS5Dongle turns a DualSense into a wired-USB controller. On the stable v0.7.2-hotfix release the controller speaker is silent on macOS. The dongle sets the controller's hardware speaker level only from the host's USB-Audio volume command — but macOS does software volume and never sends that command, so the speaker stays at level 0. Writing speaker_volume with the config tool doesn't stick either: the controller reports its own volume (0) back and overwrites the config on every state update. The symptom is a split-second of sound when the controller connects, then silence.

(The microphone works fine — input doesn't go through this path.)

The fix

Upstream master added a lock_volume config field that tells the firmware to ignore the controller's volume-report overwrite. Build master, flash it, then set lock_volume=1 plus a non-zero speaker_volume, and the level holds — audible speaker output.

Flash the prebuilt firmware

1. Download ds5-bridge-pico2w.uf2 from the latest release.
2. Put the Pico 2 W into BOOTSEL — triple-click the BOOTSEL button on a running dongle, or hold BOOTSEL while plugging in USB. It mounts as the RP2350 volume.
3. Drag the .uf2 onto RP2350; it reboots into the new firmware.
4. Reconnect the DualSense: hold PS + Create until the light bar flashes, then short-press BOOTSEL to scan.
5. Lock and raise the volume (use the config_tool.py in this repo — the one bundled with the stable release predates lock_volume):

   pip install hidapi
   python config_tool.py set lock_volume=1 speaker_volume=100 headset_volume=100
   

   The config tool only talks to the device while a DualSense is connected through the Pico.
6. Select DualSense Wireless Controller as your macOS output and raise the system volume. The speaker plays.

To roll back, just re-flash the stable ds5-bridge-<version>.uf2 from upstream releases (you lose the speaker fix).

Build it yourself

This binary was built from awalol/DS5Dongle master @ fa83c77, wake variant, on macOS (Apple Silicon) with the Arm GNU Toolchain 14.2.rel1:

git clone --recurse-submodules https://github.com/awalol/DS5Dongle.git
cd DS5Dongle
export PATH="$HOME/toolchains/arm-gnu-toolchain-14.2.rel1-darwin-arm64-arm-none-eabi/bin:$PATH"
tools/build-macos.sh        # clones Pico SDK 2.2.0, pins TinyUSB 0.20.0, builds
# -> build/wake/ds5-bridge.uf2

macOS toolchain note: Homebrew's arm-none-eabi-gcc formula is built without newlib headers (the build rejects it), and the gcc-arm-embedded cask needs sudo. The simplest no-sudo path is the official Arm GNU Toolchain tarball from developer.arm.com (darwin-arm64-arm-none-eabi), extracted to a user directory and put on PATH.

Related

ControllerKeys — a macOS controller-to-keyboard/mouse/macro remapper. It pairs naturally with this build: run a DualSense through the dongle as wired USB and ControllerKeys maps its buttons, touchpad, and gyro like any wired DualSense.

Credit & license

Firmware and config_tool.py © awalol, MIT-licensed — see LICENSE and the upstream project: https://github.com/awalol/DS5Dongle. This repository redistributes an unmodified master build under the same MIT license; it adds only this README and a prebuilt binary. If the speaker behavior changes upstream (e.g. a release ships lock_volume), prefer the official build.