Compatibility of controllers for PC games

Question

As the number of console ports seems to increase, there are more and more games that are meant to be played with a controller like on a console. The keyboard controls are sometimes pretty clumsy.

If I want to play games with a controller on my PC, are there any compatibility problems with different controllers and games? Are there some standard controllers that work with most games?

So, could I just choose any controller and happily play my games or do I have to be more careful in my selection?

Asked by Fabian

Answer

Short answer:

XBOX 360 controller

.

Why:

1. It is, and will be, officially supported by many new PC games, so no configuraiton needed (not even remapping buttons), especially Games for Windows titles, XBOX 360 ports and some other games no more than a few years old. (Super easy).

2. Where not officially supported, it's still recognised as a windows DirectX controller, so any windows game from the last 10 years or so that supports any joystick/joypads will work. You may have to re-map buttons, or even fiddle with config files, though. (Easy enough).

3. Where there is no/broken joystick support, you can use a utility that turns control pad commands into key presses and mouse movements like xPadder. (Do-able).

4. It's a pretty well-built controller. 3rd party controllers are almost never as accurate, responsive and comfortable as the ones that ship with the major consoles.

Any controller you can buy for PC can do 2 and 3, but not 1 and 4. (I have the pc dongle and wireless x360 controller, as well as many other controllers).

Answered by MGOwen

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Is Minecraft (PC) Controller-Friendly?

Question

Am I able to use a controller to play the PC version of Minecraft? If so, can I just plug it in and play or do I have to do something else before being able use one?

Asked by Jonny B

Answer

There is no built-in controller support on the PC version of Minecraft. You will need something like Xpadder to change each controller input to a keyboard/mouse input in order to use a controller.

Answered by Ampersand

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Does XBox gamepad emulator software exist for the PC?

Question

What I'm hoping to do is use a second keyboard and/or mouse in the place of a gamepad for games that require a gamepad to enable multiplayer gaming. I've noticed a few games that are XBox ports have this requirement so was hoping someone could point me to some software.

Asked by dlanod

Answer

To the best of my knowledge such software does not exist. Most of the hacking work in the area is in making gamepads do keyboard like things, rather than emulating gamepads with keyboards.

Answered by Patch

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How to quickly pair a guest's Wii remote?

Question

Every time my friends are over with their own pair of Wii remotes, I have to do this hit-or-miss pairing dance over and over again. I'm not sure what the "correct" way of doing this is, and the manual is kind of vague.

So, what's the easiest (fastest) way of (temporarily) using a guest's Wii Remote on my Wii?

Asked by Sietse

Answer

The easiest way is this:

Edit: Here's the text from the manual. Any use of bold, numbers, and bullets are from the actual manual text.

Wii Operations Manual - System Setup, page 20

ONE TIME MODE - This mode allows you to temporarily use your remote on a console other than your own or to use a friends remote on your console. It does not delete the Standard Mode setting stored in the remote.

Wii Operations Manual - System Setup, page 21

One Time Mode Synchronization

NOTE: This mode temporarily removes the Standard Mode synchronization setup for all remotes until the power of the Wii console is turned off. When the power is turned on again, the Standard Mode settings will return.

1. Press the HOME Button on a remote that is synchronized with the console.

2. Select the Wii Remote Settings option from the Home Button menu, then select the Reconnect option.

3. Press the 1 and 2 Buttons simultaneously on the remote that you want to synchronize with the console.
   The order in which you synchronize remotes will set the player order for multiplayer games.

4. The Player LEDs will blink during the syncing process. When the blinking stops, the connection is complete.See diagram at right for description of what the blinking indicates.

Next to said diagram:

During the syncing process, the number of LEDs that blink will show the battery life of the remote that is being synchronized.

After the syncing process, LED that is lit shows the player number for that remote.

NOTE: One Time Mode synchronization is temporary. The Wii Remote will lose this synchronization under the following conditions:

• When your turn off the console by pressing the Power Button on either the remote or the console.
• When starting up a game or Channel from the Wii Menu.
• When returning to the Wii Menu after exiting from a game or Channel.
• When you select Reset on the HOME Menu Screen.
• When you press the Reset button on the front of the console.

Answered by n/a

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Is the gamepad support in The Witcher 2: Enhanced Edition the same as in the Xbox 360 version?

Question

The Witcher 2 already had gamepad support, I know that, but with the Xbox 360 "Enhanced Edition" this has been completely rehauled to better fit the Xbox 360 controller and console play, alongside the UI and all menus in the game.

What I want to know is: Does the current version of The Witcher 2, which I believe is also called "Enhanced Edition" (if not, I probably wouldn't even be asking this question) use the overhauled Xbox 360 control scheme when you're playing with a gamepad or does it use the older version?

Asked by Rukishou

Answer

While Witcher 2 has always had (really good) support for the 360 controller, the Enhanced Edition's revised 360 controls currently have not made it to the PC Enhanced Edition. Kotaku:

Weirdly, the 360's enhanced controller setup doesn't make its way over to the PC version of the Enhanced Edition, which bummed me out. I'm one of the odd ones who played The Witcher 2 with a controller on PC, and I find that I prefer the 360's button layout and targeting system, which feel a touch different (and are arranged differently) on the PC.

Answered by sean

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Kinect Joy Ride: Playing the game with wireless controller

Question

Is it possible to play Kinect Joy Ride with wireless Xbox 360 controller? I don't own Kinect yet.

Asked by Mehper C. Palavuzlar

Answer

No. If a Kinect game has the purple case with Kinect on it (which Joy Ride does), you have to have the sensor to play the game, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinect#Software

Answered by Doozer Blake

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How to repair a malfunctionning button on a PS3 Dualshock controller

Question

The X button stopped working on one of my PS3 controllers. It's hardly through abuse, the controller isn't a year old and I don't play a lot (well, not as much as I'd like).

The button doesn't stick, it presses like the others, only the system isn't aware that I'm using it. I tried resetting it with the tiny reset button in the back, to no effect.

What can I do?

Asked by MPelletier

Answer

If the controller is under warranty, you should contact Sony support for your region.

If not, you could try opening up the controller yourself and having a look inside. It might be as simple as dust getting in. You might be able to see an obvious issue, and you can keep the controller plugged in so you can test the button as you investigate.

There are many YouTube videos which show you how to disassemble (and reassemble) your ps3 controller. Just search for "disassemble ps3 controller".

Answered by YellowMegaMan

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How do I use my Xbox 360 control pad in Mass Effect 3?

Question

Don't get me wrong, mouse and keyboard is, to me, the only way to play the game seriously (multiplayer, usually), however, sometimes I just like to sit back and enjoy myself. Enter: The Xbox 360 controller.

In almost any other modern game, I only need to have the controller plugged in to have it be recognised. Heck, in some of them, I have to remove it just to get access to mouse and keyboard controls. Worst case scenario, the pad control switch is in the options, and you only need to enable it to use a pad.

Mass Effect 3 seems to be missing out on this trend, though.

The controller does not seem to auto-detect or enable and I don't see a switch in the options. I really hope the answer to this is not Xpadder or joy2key, so I ask...

How do I enable the Xbox 360 control pad to work in the PC version of Mass Effect 3?

Asked by Aeo

Answer

Mass Effect 3 does not support any other input than mouse and keyboard on the PC, so there is no official way to use an Xbox 360 controller on the PC. See for example this thread on the official forums where a Bioware employee states that the inability to use a controller is intended.

Answered by Fabian

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How can I use the D-pad of my classic controller like the one on the Wii-Mote?

Question

I just bought a Classic Controller Pro for my Wii (mainly to play old (S)NES games on the emulator). However, I just thought it would be a great idea to try it out with SSBB. When I play SSBB I use the Wii-Mote without Nunchuck in the horizontal position, which allows me to control movement with the D-pad.

In the configuration menu I found, I cannot figure out how to map the Classic Controller's D-pad to the same functionality (by default, you move with the left analog stick). I refuse to believe that it's impossible, but all I can choose for the left-right-arrows is: Attack, Special, Jump, Shield, Grab and Horizontal-Mock. Similarly for the down-arrow.

Is there some hack or trick to configure the D-pad. I mean, the Classic Controller is a superset of the Wii-Mote. Why would you exclude the most obvious choice for the D-pad?

Asked by bitmask

Answer

Brawl does not allow you to use the D-pad for movement if there is a control stick available (on any controller, Classic or otherwise). There are legitimate reasons for this; using the D-pad instead of a control stick will gimp your controls slightly. I believe this also has to do with how the control maps are coded - because up, down, and side are different functions in non-Wiimote alone setups, you can't "merge" the whole thing into "movement" and "jump". (They had to carve up a few mechanics to squeeze the game into the D-pad anyway, it gimped parts of the game engine itself.) It's the exception; the control stick is the rule (and indeed the crux of the series).

Of course there are probably hacks for this, but I don't know any offhand.

Answered by Toomai

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Is there a PC controller that behaves exactly like an Xbox 360/PC Windows Controller?

Question

I have an Xbox 360 Wireless Controller for Windows and I know that it's very good and one of the most or even the only, sometimes, PC controller supported by recent games.

A friend of mine would like to know if there is an alternative product, possibly cheaper, that behaves exactly like the Microsoft one, so that even the games cannot understand the difference.

Asked by Drake

Answer

So, do you specifically not want a Microsoft controller?

Other companies make an xbox 360 compatible controller. They use the same drivers, so it works well for the PC

• Razer Onza
• Logitech Chillstream
• PDP Afterglow
• MadCatz: Modern Warfare 2 - Black, Modern Warfare 2 - Snow, White / Black, Various NFL Teams, Street Fighter IV Fightpads
• Hori Controllers

But if you do want Microsoft-brand controls that work for the PC, there are wired

• Wired Windows
• Wired Xbox

and wireless

• Wireless Windows

solutions for the PC.

Any of those should behave identically to the XBox controller.

If you can manage to get your hands on a

• Wireless Gaming Receiver

Any wireless Xbox 360 compatible controllers (even those made by third parties) should work fine and behave identically to the original controller.

Answered by McKay

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The disappearance of the joystick

Question

In the Commodore and coin-op days, the joystick was the controller, with occasionally the trackball (for Marble Madness) and the paddle (for pong and similar concepts, e.g. Arkanoid). The use of the joystick remained alive in Amiga, and with the analogic joystick to some PC games.

Then suddenly the joystick disappeared, replaced by the gamepad. For the SNES/PSX era, joystick was simply a relic of the past. With the PS2, the thumbstick appeared, as a comeback to the joystick advantages, but still within an acceptable size.

My questions is: why did the full-stick joystick disappear?

additional "opinion question": Would you be able to envision playing your games today with a full-stick joystick controller ?

Asked by Stefano Borini

Answer

why did the gamepad take over from the joystick?

Many reasons!

My tuppenceworth: I guess once the NES pad came out, people making gaming hardware just copied it.

Firstly, from a business point of view, it has less plastic in it than an old style 8-way joystick, and offers the same precision of movement. Gamepads are significantly more compact and less bulky to store than old school joysticks too. Cheaper to make, smaller, better for business.

Personally, I think the main reason is one of optimal interaction within the constraints of the product - you don't need to rest it on a table, it takes up next to no space, and it can be more or less covered in controls as long as the user can reach and use them all comfortably.

IMHO gamepads represent an evolution of the old school joystick, (where the fitness function includes cost, ergonomics, and functionality available at your fingertips) and so they've naturally taken over from joysticks.

Sure it's less buttons than you'd need for a PC flight sim (every button on the keyboard anyone?), but you just don't need that many buttons for the vast majority of games.

TBH, the thumbsticks on an X360 pad offer the same angular resolution as any typical flight stick; so the only real reason for the massive flight stick still existing is that players want to have a joystick that makes the experience feel as close to how they imagine the real thing as possible - certainly that's why I bought one of those massive flight yoke things with the throttle controls and about a billion hat-switches to play Apache Gunship in 2001 :)

Answered by darbotron

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Can I use a PC gamepad with OSX Steam games?

Question

Will a PC gamepad work with all the key mappings for games in Steam on OSX? Would getting a Microsoft 360 gamepad work on OSX?

Asked by Lawrence Leung

Answer

There are many programs that convert gamepad actions into keyboard presses such as: Xbox HID Driver for Mac OS X and Game pad companion. All you need to do is set them up so that the buttons correspond to the in game actions you want them to do and you can control any game from and game pad.

Answered by Ronan Forman

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Should I buy a gamepad or joystick for PC gaming on my Media Center?

Question

We've started playing Madagascar and Lego Star Wars on our Windows media center PC connected to the TV. Using the wireless keyboard works but isn't ideal. What kind of gaming controller would you recommend for games like these? Gamepad, joystick, or what else?

Asked by mikewse

Answer

I would buy an Xbox 360 gamepad as many games already have configurations setup for them. Also those games were intended for console.

Answered by troynt

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Does the Logitech F710 work on the PS3?

Question

I can't stand the DualShock controller. Seriously, my thumb muscles start hurting. So I've been considering getting the Logitech F710 or F510.

Do they work on the PS3? Are there any limitations?

Asked by cecube

Answer

i can assure you that F710 doesn't work with the PS3 because the PS3 can't recognize the USB receiver. hope this helps

Answered by badz149

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Can I use an Xbox controller to play games bought with Steam?

Question

I bought BioShock 2 on Steam in the sale a couple of weeks ago, however I'm better at playing FPSs using an xbox controller rather than a mouse and keyboard.

Is there any way for me to use an xbox 360 controller to play Steam games?

Asked by Chris Salij

Answer

In the Store page of every Steam Game you can check that this symbol is available.

Controller enabled

Usually in all recent games (2-3 years), if a controller is enabled, there are high possibility that Microsoft XBox 360 works and is well supported.

But to be sure I always suggest to take a look to that game specific forum. Most of times there are users that already asked for XBox 360 compatibility.

Answered by Drake

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Are there any upcoming Wii tennis games that will use the Wii MotionPlus? [closed]

Question

I bought the Wii MotionPlus device in the hope that some tennis games would be released that use it.

As at July 2010, are there any upcoming tennis games to be released that make use of this expansion device?

Asked by bryn

Answer

No future tennis games using the MotionPlus attachment have been announced.

The only tennis games capable of using it are Grand Slam Tennis and Virtua Tennis 2009.

Answered by Arda Xi

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Why can we suddenly not connect two guitars and drums to Rock Band on Wii?

Question

So, we've had Rock Band 3 for the Wii for about a month, and it's been working fine. We've got two guitars (one rock band 2 vintage, one newer), plus the pro drumset.

Everything was working fine, but suddenly, we can't get all three of these instruments to connect at the same time. It seems like any two work, but if we connect a third, the blue light goes on but none of the four controller LEDs lights. We've resynced, unplugged, replugged and so on.

I don't think we changed anything, but maybe we did and I don't know what it was.

Answer

I'm presuming you're talking about the wireless instruments with the little USB dongles that plug into the Wii. I moved to xbox a while back, but I played RB on Wii so I'll try to dredge up some advice...

I'd guess that your most likely problem is a lack of enough power to the dongles. Are you chaining the dongles together (bass plugged into guitar plugged into drums plugged into console)? If so, you might want to play with the order of the chain, or see if you can break it and plug the dongles into multiple USB ports (I think the Wii has a couple, but my memory's fuzzy).

Even if the order makes a difference, you might want to invest in a powered USB hub and plug all three dongles directly into the hub (make sure you get a powered model with an adapter that plugs into the wall, not one of the super-cheap "self-powered" ones). This will ensure that all your dongles are getting plenty of juice so they can communicate with your instruments.

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Can you charge the PS3 wireless controller over regular USB?

Question

I normally charge the PS3 controller by connecting it to the PS3 while its idling, but I guess it's much easier to charge it through my PCs USB port.

Would this work?

Answer

Yes, you can charge it from any USB port.

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Green Fret Button sometimes “lets go”

Question

This has been happening a while, and though I can handle the situation sometimes, I eventually forget that it is going to happen, and then it does...

What happens is that while holding down the green fret, it will sometimes behave like I have let go of the button. This is very annoying when playing chords. If I press really hard with my forefinger, then I can usually not make it happen, but even then, it is hit or miss.

None of the other frets behave this way. I have taken off the button and made sure that the switch looks okay, and to me it seems like the little rubbery knob inside is worn a little, so the button-bottom may not be pressing it down at all times onto the switch (or it slips out from under the bottom of the button, which is my guess).

So, in lieu of actually going and purchasing a new guitar controller somewhere online, can anyone think of a simple solution to make that knob like new? I really like this guitar....

Answer

You don't mention what model of guitar you have, but generally searching YouTube for videos of "(guitar type) repair fret button" will pull up a few videos of someone suggesting solutions and walking you through the repair. Unfortunately, many of these can be poor quality.

You mentioned that the rubber underside of the button looked worn. This part of the button is responsible for completing the circuit on the circuit board under the button. If this is particularly worn or damaged, it might have a tough time completing the circuit. If you can switch the rubber pad on your green fret with the pad on another fret (say, orange) you might be able to confirm that this is indeed the problem.

If this fixes the problem on your green fret, you might have a bad rubber pad. One solution to this is replacing the rubber pad, although finding a replacement part might be somewhat tricky depending on the model. I read an article recently detailing a solution that involved hole-punching a tiny piece of aluminum foil and using 2-sided tape to affix it to the bottom of the rubber pad, thereby providing a conductive replacement for the rubber pad itself. I don't know how much abuse this would stand up to, but considering you probably have all of the parts handy, it's probably cheaper to try before you go to purchase a replacement.

If the "swap green and orange button pads" test doesn't work, you might have dirty contacts on the board. Rubbing them with a soft eraser will sometimes help clean off any accumulated gunk and get them to conduct a bit better.

Whenever I start to take some electronic device apart, I always budget to replace it, however :) Sometimes I get lucky, and everything fits back together and works perfectly afterwards, but more often than not I snap some little plastic tab that was holding the whole thing together, thereby costing me the device.

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How can I get games to stop pausing automatically when the controller turns off?

Question

I'm playing through Fable III as a good guy, so I need to amass a ton of cash. I own everything there is to own in Albion - now it's time to wait for those income payments to roll in. But when my Xbox controller turns off after a period of inactivity, the game pauses and income stops coming in until I touch it again. This is not ideal.

Can I either

• Get the game or the Xbox to stop pausing when the controller goes to sleep; or
• Get the controller to stop going to sleep after a period of inactivity?

Answer

Unfortunately, there isn't any way to keep the game from pausing when your controller shuts off. However, there is a way to keep the controller from turning off. Sadly, you need either a wired controller, or the Play 'n Charge Kit.

By connecting the controller via the USB port on your Xbox, it will keep the controller from powering off, allowing you to rake in the digital dough.

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