Updated: September 3, 2026 · AceGamer Editorial

Quick answer — The AceGamer HyperShadow D4 has a physical three-position switch on the back labelled P4 / BT / 2.4G. P4 is PS4 mode: pair once by USB-C, then a short press of Home reconnects. BT is Bluetooth: hold SHARE and Home for two seconds to pair with a PC, phone or tablet, where the D4 appears as an Xbox Wireless Controller, or hold Y and Home for the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2. 2.4G uses the included receiver: plug it in, press Home, and the light turns solid yellow. In BT and 2.4G positions a USB-C cable gives wired play on PC. Within PC modes, holding Home for three seconds cycles the input protocol — X-input by default, then NS mode on 2.4G, then D-input. The light colour tells you where you are: blue for P4 and Bluetooth, yellow for 2.4G, purple for D-input. This guide covers each position, every pairing combination and what to do when a mode misbehaves, all from the D4's user manual.

What does the rear mode switch do?

It selects which wireless protocol the controller uses and, with it, which platform the D4 presents itself to. The manual calls it a physical three-mode toggle for the P4, BT and 2.4G protocols, and its position must match the device you are connecting to before any pairing will work.

The choice of a physical switch rather than a button combination is deliberate for a multi-platform pad. You can see the mode at a glance, it cannot change by accident during play, and it behaves identically on every platform. The three positions map to the three ways the D4 connects:

• P4 — the PlayStation 4 protocol. The D4 pairs with the console and, in this mode, its touchpad, built-in speaker and 3.5 mm headset jack are active.
• BT — Bluetooth. The D4 pairs with a PC, phone, tablet, Nintendo Switch or Switch 2 with no accessory, presenting as an Xbox Wireless Controller to PC and mobile devices and as a Switch pad to Nintendo consoles.
• 2.4G — the included wireless receiver. The D4 talks to the USB dongle for the most consistent low-latency wireless play on PC.

A USB-C cable works in the BT and 2.4G positions for wired play on PC, and in P4 for the one-time PS4 pairing. The mode switch sits alongside the two trigger-travel switches and the reset hole on the back, so it is worth glancing at all three when something unexpected happens. The D4's full specification is in D4 specs and price.

P4 mode: how does PS4 pairing work?

Slide the switch to P4, connect the D4 to the PS4 with a USB-C data cable, press Home, and unplug. That one wired step enables wireless play; afterwards, with the switch on P4, a short press of Home reconnects within about three seconds, the light flashing blue and then staying solid.

The manual's PS4 section is explicit about the sequence: initial connection is by Type-C data cable followed by a press of Home to enable wireless; reconnection is a matter of toggling the switch to P4 and short-pressing Home, with the blue light flashing at a medium rate before the controller connects. Once paired, pressing Home also wakes the console from sleep, and up to four D4 controllers can share one PS4, each assigned a colour by the console.

P4 is the only position in which the PS4-specific hardware works as PS4 games expect — the touchpad, the speaker and the headset jack. In BT or 2.4G those features do not carry their PS4 behaviour, because PC and mobile platforms do not use them the same way. The complete walkthrough, including the light codes, multiplayer and troubleshooting, is in how to connect the D4 to a PS4, and the PS4-mode features in using the D4's touchpad and speaker on PS4.

BT mode: how do you pair with PC, phone and Switch?

Slide the switch to BT. For a PC, phone or tablet, hold SHARE and Home together for two seconds while the controller is in sleep, then pick "Xbox Wireless Controller" in the device's Bluetooth list. For a Nintendo Switch or Switch 2, hold Y and Home for two seconds instead and pair from the console's controller menu.

PC and mobile. The manual describes the same routine for both: with the switch on BT and the controller in sleep, hold SHARE and Home for two seconds, and the blue light changes from a slow flash to a fast flash to show pairing mode. On a Windows PC, open Bluetooth settings and select Xbox Wireless Controller; on Android or iOS, search for and connect to the same name. The light turns solid blue on success. Reconnection later is a short press of Home with the switch on BT, and the D4 returns to the last paired Bluetooth device within about three seconds. PC-specific details are in connecting the D4 to a PC and phone pairing in connecting the D4 to an iPhone or Android phone.

Nintendo Switch and Switch 2. The Nintendo pairing uses a different combination, and it is the one thing Switch owners most often miss. With the switch on BT and the controller asleep, hold Y and Home for two seconds until the blue light flashes quickly, then open the console's Change Grip/Order menu to pair. Once paired, a brief press of Y and Home reconnects. For the Switch 2 specifically, the manual adds a one-key wake-up setup: on the first connection, detach the original Joy-Cons from the console within 20 seconds, with the Joy-Cons attached before you begin, and the D4 can then wake the console from sleep. The full procedure is in connecting the D4 to a Switch 2.

Because the D4 presents as an Xbox Wireless Controller in BT mode on PC and mobile, games and apps treat it as a standard X-input pad, which is the most widely supported profile. That is also why the face-button legends may not match on-screen prompts in Nintendo-layout games on a PC — a cosmetic difference, not a fault.

2.4G mode: how does the receiver work?

Slide the switch to 2.4G, plug the included receiver into a USB port, and press Home. The D4 pairs automatically and the light turns solid yellow. If it does not, a forced pairing — SHARE and Home for two seconds on the controller, then the receiver's button for three seconds — links them manually.

The manual describes first-time pairing as inserting the receiver, pressing Home, and watching the yellow light flash slowly before it settles to solid yellow on connection. For forced pairing, with the controller in sleep, hold SHARE and Home for two seconds until the yellow light flashes rapidly, then press the receiver's pairing button for three seconds until its green light flashes; the two find each other and the controller's light goes solid yellow.

2.4G is the mode for PC players who want wireless play with consistent input timing. A dedicated receiver avoids the shared Bluetooth band and the negotiation that comes with it, which is why competitive players prefer a dongle to Bluetooth. The D4 does not publish a polling rate for any mode, so this guide makes no latency claim; what can be said is that a 2.4G receiver is the right kind of connection for low-latency wireless. The trade-offs against Bluetooth are laid out in 2.4G vs Bluetooth on the D4. Keep the receiver somewhere you will find it; the D4 has no dock to store it in, and a small pouch or a spare USB port on the PC is the practical answer.

Wired play: which switch position, and what changes?

For wired play on PC, set the switch to BT or 2.4G and connect a USB-C cable; the D4 presents as an X-input controller — the manual names it as an Xbox 360 Controller for Windows — and the light stays solid blue. Two things change in wired mode: latency is the lowest of any connection, and, per the manual, settings are not saved.

The manual's wired-connection entry is short but carries an important line: settings are not saved, because there is no memory function in wired mode. In practice that means any remap, macro, vibration level or other setting you configure while the cable is connected will not persist. The fix is procedural rather than technical — configure the D4 in a wireless mode, confirm the settings, then plug in for play. Macro programming specifically is covered in setting up M1–M4 macros.

Wired mode also charges the controller as you play, which sidesteps battery concerns for long desk sessions, and needs no pairing, which makes it a quick way to confirm the controller is working if a wireless mode misbehaves. In the P4 position, the cable is used only for the one-time PS4 pairing; day-to-day PS4 play is wireless.

X-input, NS mode and D-input: what do they mean?

They are the input protocols the D4 can present to a PC. X-input is the modern Xbox-style standard most games expect and the D4's default. D-input is the older DirectInput standard some emulators and legacy titles need. NS mode presents the D4 as a Switch-style pad over the 2.4G receiver. Holding Home for three seconds cycles between them.

X-input is where the D4 starts in both wired and 2.4G modes, and in Bluetooth it pairs as an Xbox Wireless Controller, which is X-input by nature. Almost every modern PC game, Steam included, expects X-input, and it is the right choice unless a specific application says otherwise.

D-input is the older DirectInput profile. A minority of PC games — older titles and some emulators — recognise DirectInput pads but not X-input ones, or map them differently. The manual describes the toggle: in wired mode, hold Home for three seconds and the RGB indicator switches to solid purple to confirm D-input. On the 2.4G receiver, the manual describes a three-step cycle — X-input by default, hold Home three seconds for NS mode, hold Home three seconds again for D-input.

NS mode, available on the 2.4G receiver, presents the D4 as a Nintendo-style controller, which suits Switch-layout games and emulators on PC where the A/B and X/Y positions should follow Nintendo's convention. If button prompts look swapped in a Nintendo-style game on PC, NS mode is the toggle to try.

The practical rule: leave the D4 in X-input unless a game or emulator misbehaves, and if it does, try D-input for legacy titles and NS mode for Nintendo-layout software. Note that the purple light is the tell for D-input, so a purple controller that will not work in a modern game simply needs Home held again to return to X-input.

What do the light colours mean in each mode?

The indicator's colour and rhythm tell you which mode and protocol the D4 is in, and whether it is searching, connected, charging or low.

Because P4 and Bluetooth both use blue, the switch position — not the light — is how you tell them apart. Brightness is adjustable if the light distracts you: hold OPTION and B for three seconds, then move the left stick up or down to cycle 100%, 70% and 30%, with 30% the default.

How do you move the D4 between devices?

Move the switch to the position for the next device, then press Home. That is the whole routine once each device has been paired once, and it is what makes the D4 practical as a single controller for a PS4, a PC and a phone.

A typical household sequence looks like this. From a PS4 session, slide the switch from P4 to 2.4G, plug the receiver into the PC if it is not already there, and press Home; the light goes yellow and the D4 is on the PC. From the PC to a phone, slide to BT and press Home; if the phone was the last Bluetooth device the D4 paired with, it reconnects within about three seconds, and if not, hold SHARE and Home to pair. Back to the PS4, slide to P4 and press Home. No cables after the first pairings, no menus, no app.

Two habits smooth this. First, Bluetooth reconnects to the last paired device, so if you alternate between a phone and a Switch over Bluetooth you will re-pair more often than if one of them uses a different mode — putting the PC on 2.4G and the phone on Bluetooth avoids the conflict. Second, glance at the switch before pressing Home; most "it will not connect" moments are a switch left in the previous position. The multi-device case for the D4 is made in D4 vs T50, which compares it with AceGamer's Bluetooth-only pocket pad.

Which settings survive a mode change?

Most saved settings apply in every wireless mode, because they live on the controller rather than in a platform profile. The exceptions the manual documents are Turbo and FPS mode, which clear on power-off, and wired mode, which saves nothing.

• Back-button remaps and macros — saved on the controller when programmed wirelessly; identical in P4, BT and 2.4G.
• Vibration intensity — saved on power-off; resets to 70% only on a factory reset.
• Trigger motor mode — saved on power-off.
• Sleep timeout — saved on power-off; resets to ten minutes on a factory reset.
• LED brightness — saved on power-off; resets to 30% on a factory reset.
• Turbo assignments and speed — cleared on power-off; set them again each session.
• FPS zero-dead-zone mode — cleared on power-off; the default is the standard dead zone.
• Anything configured in wired PC mode — not saved at all.

Trigger travel is a physical switch, so it stays wherever you left it regardless of mode or power. The settings themselves are covered in the Turbo and trigger settings guide and FPS zero-dead-zone mode explained.

What if a mode will not connect?

1. Check the switch position first. P4 for a PS4, BT for Bluetooth devices and the Switch family, 2.4G for the receiver. The wrong position is the most common cause.
2. Charge the controller. A new D4 is in shipping mode until its first USB-C charge, and a flat one will have powered itself off below 3.3 V.
3. Use the right pairing combination. SHARE and Home for PC and mobile over Bluetooth; Y and Home for the Switch and Switch 2; Home alone for the receiver, or SHARE and Home plus the receiver button for a forced pairing; a USB-C data cable plus Home for the first PS4 pairing.
4. Check the protocol light. A solid purple light means D-input; hold Home for three seconds to return to X-input if a modern game does not respond.
5. Try wired. A USB-C cable in the BT or 2.4G position bypasses wireless and confirms the controller itself works.
6. Re-pair from scratch. Remove the D4 from the device's Bluetooth list, put the controller to sleep with a five-second Home hold, and pair again.
7. Reset. A paperclip in the rear reset hole for a frozen controller; L1, R1 and Home held for three seconds for a factory reset, which restores defaults and clears pairings.

Persistent failures after a factory reset are a hardware question for AceGamer support through the contact page, under the store's one-year free replacement policy on the warranty page. Platform-by-platform troubleshooting is in D4 not connecting: fixes. Browse the D4 in AceGamer's pro controllers.

View the AceGamer HyperShadow D4 →

Frequently asked questions

What are the three positions on the D4's mode switch?
P4 for PlayStation 4, BT for Bluetooth to PC, phone, tablet, Switch or Switch 2, and 2.4G for the included wireless receiver on PC. A USB-C cable in the BT or 2.4G position gives wired PC play. The switch must match the device before any pairing will work.

How do I put the D4 in Bluetooth pairing mode?
Set the switch to BT and, with the controller in sleep, hold SHARE and Home for two seconds until the blue light flashes quickly; select Xbox Wireless Controller on a PC, phone or tablet. For a Nintendo Switch or Switch 2, hold Y and Home for two seconds instead and pair from the console's controller menu.

Why does the D4 show up as an Xbox controller?
In Bluetooth and X-input modes the D4 presents itself as an Xbox Wireless Controller, the profile modern PCs and phones support most widely. It is cosmetic; the controller works normally. If a Nintendo-layout game shows swapped prompts on PC, NS mode over the 2.4G receiver presents it as a Switch-style pad instead.

How do I switch the D4 to D-input?
In wired mode, hold Home for three seconds until the light turns solid purple. On the 2.4G receiver, holding Home for three seconds cycles from X-input to NS mode, and a second three-second hold reaches D-input. Use D-input only for older games or emulators that need it; hold Home again to return.

What does the yellow light mean?
Yellow is the 2.4G receiver mode: a slow flash while searching, a fast flash in forced pairing, and solid yellow when connected, with the receiver showing solid green. Blue is used for both P4 and Bluetooth, so the switch position tells those two apart.

Does the D4 pair with more than one Bluetooth device?
It reconnects to the last paired Bluetooth device when you press Home, so alternating between two Bluetooth devices means re-pairing each time. The practical fix is to give one device a different mode - for example the PC on the 2.4G receiver and the phone on Bluetooth - so each reconnects with a switch move and a Home press.

Why are my settings lost in wired mode?
The manual states that settings are not saved in wired mode because it has no memory function. Configure remaps, macros, vibration and other settings while connected wirelessly, confirm they work, then plug in for play. The wired connection still gives the lowest latency and charges the controller.

Can I use the touchpad in Bluetooth or 2.4G mode?
The touchpad, built-in speaker and 3.5 mm jack are PS4-mode features, active in the P4 position. In BT and 2.4G modes they do not carry their PS4 behaviour, because PC and mobile platforms do not use them the same way. That reflects how the platforms work rather than a fault.

How do I move the D4 from my PS4 to my PC?
Slide the switch from P4 to 2.4G with the receiver in the PC, or to BT if the PC is paired over Bluetooth, and press Home. The D4 reconnects within about three seconds. To return to the PS4, slide back to P4 and press Home. After the first pairings, no cables or menus are needed.

What if the D4 will not connect in any mode?
Charge it first, confirm the switch position, use the correct pairing combination, and check for a purple D-input light. Try a USB-C cable in the BT or 2.4G position to confirm the controller works. If it still fails, use the rear reset hole or hold L1, R1 and Home for three seconds for a factory reset, then pair again.

Sources & methodology

Every mode, pairing combination, protocol toggle, indicator colour and limitation in this guide is taken from the AceGamer HyperShadow D4 user manual (version 2.1) and the official product listing as of September 2026. The D4 publishes no polling rate, so no latency figure is claimed for any mode. Where the manual does not describe a behaviour, this guide says so rather than assuming. No test measurements were taken.

• AceGamer HyperShadow D4 — product page · user manual.
• Specifications — D4 specs & price.
• Platform setup — PS4 · PC · Switch 2 · phone.
• Hub — pro controller guides.