Getting the PlayStation 3's DualShock 3 controller to work on a PC requires a bit of work. Despite the fact that it connects through USB, the controller doesn't come with Xinput support to register the device as an Xbox 360 controller in the same way that other devices, such as the Razer Sabertooth do.
It bears noting that you'll need to run a piece of software like MotioninJoy for the DualShock 3 controller to work on the PC.
Fortunately, the PlayStation 4's DualShock 4 controller is expected to work out of the box on the PC. Sony frontman Shuhei Yoshida confirmed as much on his Twitter account just hours ago, as of the time of this post.
He wrote, "The analog sticks and buttons will work just fine," when asked whether the DS4 would require a driver to run on Windows. Yoshida-san added that the controller would have compatibility on Windows by default "for basic functions."
He cautioned however that gamers should wait for field reports after the launch of the PS4.