I use a PS5 controller, it's 2024, this stuff should just work now. I shouldn't have to experiment with different combinations of ds4windows, hidhide, launching through Steam and quitting Steam from running altogether just to get it to work. Cyberpunk manages just fine, so why do I have to jump through a million hoops for literally everything else? While I'm complaining, Steam is only marginally better at this.
PlayStation controllers seem to be one of those things where a segment of users can never get them to work, some people need to use ds4windows, and some people have a perfect plug and play experience. The dualsense controller seemingly arbitrarily chooses to sometimes emulate a ds4 when plugged into Windows and that makes for an extra layer of things that can go wrong.
Some people find that PlayStation controllers will only work when connected to a specific USB port on their computer, others find it only works as a Bluetooth controller, others find that one controller will work with the PC but another will not despite both having the same firmware, some people find that a random button on any PlayStation controller they connect to their PC will not work. Sometimes controllers only work in steam big picture but never in games. Reddit and Microsoft support forums are full of people who never got their controllers to work, or only got partial support.