Use this Windows program to hook up a console controller to any keyboard-controlled PC game
Use this Windows program to hook up a console controller to any keyboard-controlled PC game
Vote: (5 votes)
Program license: Free
Developer: DSD Consulting Services
Version: 1.7
Works under: Windows
Vote:
Program license
(5 votes)
Free
Developer
Version
DSD Consulting Services
1.7
Works under:
Windows
Pros
- Excellent PC gamepad support
- Simple to use but powerful too
Cons
- More mainstream support
InputMapper is a Windows program that simplifies support of game controllers.
InputMapper is a free, donation-backed program for Windows that supports Xbox One and Xbox 360 controllers as well as DualShock 3 and DualShock 4 controllers as well as all of the controllers on the market by companies like Logitech and SteelSeries. One of the problems with gamepad support on PC is that it gets a bit clunky beyond the inherent support for Xbox products. InputMapper accesses the Xbox gamepad drivers and maps your controller features to the capabilities contained within.
Gamers who prefer a non-Xbox controller were often out of luck when a game only provided Xbox support, which is included with DirectX. InputMapper overcomes this problem. While you will still see the Xbox-specific button prompts on screen, your DualShock or whatever will work just as fine with the game as if you were using an actual Xbox 360 or Xbox One gamepad.
InputMapper does more than just handle the low-level communication between your game controller and the device driver. It also supports profiles, and such profiles can be mapped so that they load automatically. In other words, you could have InputMapper automatically activate your Minecraft profile when you start that game and then switch to your Fortnite profile when you start that one.
A profile can be as basic as mapping the inputs, which may be all that the average user needs. But profiles can be much more than that. You can use profiles to map to in-game functionality that the game itself does not support. This means that you can use a controller with a game that only supports keyboard and mouse. Advanced users can also create macros, which can be used for cheating in some scenarios but can also streamline tedious tasks that just were not well thought out by the developers.
The biggest issue with InputMapper has less to do with InputMapper and more to do with that companies like Microsoft and Steam are doing. Xbox controllers generally have excellent support on Windows out of the box. The DualShock 4 controller was much less supported, which is where InputMapper shined, but now, Steam has integrated DS4 support. That means that your DS4 just works with any game on Steam that supports gamepads in general.
Does that mean InputMapper is outmoded? Absolutely not. If you do want to use your DS4 outside of Steam, then InputMapper is still arguably the best solution. InputMapper is still in active development and—as we write this—has a new version in beta that intends to bring the program more in line with modern software, such as like what Microsoft has made for Xbox. Even Xbox controller users may prefer InputMapper for the profiles and all the advanced customizations that the app offers.
Pros
- Excellent PC gamepad support
- Simple to use but powerful too
Cons
- More mainstream support
