Despite the fact that gaming PCs are more popular than game consoles, there are those who dream of buying an Xbox or PS4. But not everyone has enough money to purchase this device. And to replace the game console, the user buys a joystick and decides to connect it to the computer. And here the question arises: how to configure the joystick on a PC?
Difference
Before proceeding to the analysis of this issue, it is worth deciding what a joystick is. Some believe that this is a classic manipulator from the game console. In fact, this is still the same data input device on a PC, but it looks a bit different. If you translate this word from English, then we get the "aircraft control stick."
Now it’s clearer what this device is. The joystick is a lever that swings in two planes. But just such an option is less likely to apply in games. Most often, a gamepad is called a joystick. But the settings from this do not change. For both devices, this process is the same.
Gamepad
This device is more familiar to the modern user. But for him, the question of how to configure the joystick on a PC for all games remains relevant. This gamepad looks like a remote control that you need to hold on with two hands. It’s easier to control the process and use all the necessary buttons.
A gamepad is the main transmitter between the player and the console, in our case, the computer. These joysticks replace the keyboard or mouse. Almost all ordinary gamepads have the same design. An exception may be only branded gamepads, which began to change their shape and get touch panels.
In the rest, the device on the left has control buttons represented by up, down, left, and right arrows. On the right side there are action buttons - jumps, accelerations, shots, etc.
Advantages
If you do not know how to configure the joystick on a PC, but want to find out, then you probably know about all the advantages of playing with a gamepad. Of course, for each they have their own, but there are those that are impossible to dispute. For example, mobile and easy control.
There are games that don’t work without a joystick. More precisely, they can control the keyboard and mouse, but this is extremely inconvenient. Such projects are especially comfortable to pass, holding the joystick.
Often gamepads have feedback. For example, they can have built-in vibration motors, which, depending on the situation, can react differently. For example, if you controlled a car in a car simulator and crashed into a fence, the joystick will shake in your hands. The same thing happens with shots or explosions. This adds realism to the gameplay.
Many believe that the freedom of the gameplay is also a virtue. You are practically not attached to the computer. You can sit down, lie down, stand up and do anything, of course, at a cable distance from the joystick.
disadvantages
If you want to learn how to configure the joystick on a PC for all games, you must also remember the disadvantages. Perhaps the main thing is quality. Of course, branded devices are the best. They are well assembled, balanced and improved thanks to past experience.
Chinese prototypes are the worst. Often there are problems with connection, configuration. They sometimes do not appear on the system. In addition, they are often poorly executed. Buttons have different presses, some of them may not even be pressed, drop out and stick.
Weight is also important. Some manipulators are either too light or very heavy. And it is better if they are weighty - this is a conditional sign of quality. Another disadvantage can be considered calluses. Some people think this is a myth, but long games can really rub your palms. This is due to the fact that the hands sweat and slide.
Connection
So, before you figure out how to configure the joystick on a PC for all games (including Windows 7), you need to connect it. To do this, simply install the device into the USB connector. If it is working, usually the system immediately notices it. If the computer cannot cope on its own, install the drivers from the bundled disk. If all else fails, most likely you have purchased a cheap device. And to connect it, you need to download additional emulators. We will talk about this a bit later.
Calibration
How to configure the joystick on a PC? Need to go through calibration. To do this, we are looking for a gamepad in the control panel. It can be in the "Devices and Printers" or "Gaming Devices" section. You will immediately notice the icon. It will display a graphic joystick.
You need to right-click and select "Options". In an additional dialog box, you need to select our device and click on "Properties". Here you can calibrate the device. Click on “Next” to the tab “Calibration of axes”.
We pick up the gamepad and clamp the cross. You need to click on it until the cross appears on the display in the center. We complete this process and go to the “Verification” tab. It is necessary to clamp each button on the device. If they are active, special icons on the screen will light up. The cross will move. Check again to be in the center.
Customization
There are two ways that will solve the issue of how to configure the joystick on a PC. You can enter the game, there, in the settings, find the joystick control point and just select it. Or there is an option to reconfigure all the keys. Instead of keyboard buttons, gamepad keys will be available to you.
It should be understood that not all games support the work with the game pad. Therefore, before installing it, find out in advance in the description about synchronization with the joystick.
For windows 10
It so happened that not all users of this operating system know how to configure the joystick on a PC for all games. Windows 10 is a good platform for players, but it’s not good friends with controllers. Some users want even games that do not support the gamepad to work with it.
Download JoyToKey and install it on a PC. After we connect the joystick. Now go to the game that we want to play further, and remember the keys used in it. After we can run the utility. In it we select "Auto tuning". All joystick buttons will appear in the window. They need to assign the appropriate keyboard keys. If you need a turn to the right, then opposite this button we click on the corresponding arrow on the "clave", etc. All settings can be saved for individual games.
Imitation
Users noticed that the PC works best with the Xbox 360. Other models, especially Chinese ones, are often incompatible and difficult to configure. Therefore, some use various kinds of programs. Hence the question arose: how to configure the joystick on a PC for the emulator? One of these utilities is Motion Joy. The program is simple and easy to understand. It can work with many games. In general, it is designed to connect the joystick from the PS3 to the PC, but can emulate the gamepad from the Xbox 360.
Download and run the program. We connect the manipulator. Go to the Driver Manager section and look for a gamepad displayed there. If we see our device there, put a tick. Now under the line we find the buttons Load driver and Install all, click on them.
Now we return to the top and look for Profiles there. Here you need to set the checkboxes depending on your joystick or emulator. And then click Enable. During the game, the utility must be running.