(Solved) Fallout 3 GotY - Cannot get Controller Working, Any Help?

[Surfblasted]

Steam says I can use a controller - if configured - but I've tried everthing I know on main page and big picture mod. Even running DS4 Windows makes no difference.

Does anyone know how to fix this?

[RPG Gamer Man]

what type of controller are you using?

[Surfblasted]

I'm using a DualShock 4 - from Playstation. It works fine in FNV and every other Bethesda game I own. Ive gone through Steam at set the configuration to Generic, XBox 1 and PS4 - selected the most popular configuration settings for it too, but nothing.

DS4Windows configures Windows 10 to accept it as an Xbox controller. I thought as FO3 is so old, it might be that which was the problem - but still no.

I've looked through the ini files and there the same as FNV which works fine.

I'm stumped :(

[RPG Gamer Man]

one thing you could check if there is a update for your controller for pc, like a firmware issue. I had an issue similiar actually to this on fallout 4. I found out my controller had a firmware update that fixed it. Check your manufacturer's website and see if they have a firmware update, or ask on their forums about it.

The F310, which is the controller i used, is notoriously buggy with all fallout games. I actually found my old topic about it. It has a link to the firmware update. Hope it helps you.

https://steamcommunity.com/app/377160/discussions/0/350542145691580576/

NOTE: I do not know who manufactured your controller, probably sony. I suggest contacting them to see if they have firmware for it for pc.

[Surfblasted]

Unfortunately Sony has no interest in supporting use of their products on PC. This is why DS4Windows exists - to fool a PC into thinking you are using an Xbox controller.

I'm having no problems at all with other Bethesda titles - just the Steam version of FO3 which is stated on the site as being controller compatible. I guess my only hope is to try an Xbox controller instead and see if that fixes the issue.

But thank you for taking the time to give me advice - much appreciated :)

[Surfblasted]

I've discovered the issue - and now I feel a complete idiot.

I've been trying to run the game through MO - which is configured to launch the game with FalloutLauncher.exe - with the intention of adding mods. But running the game this way borks the controller somehow.

If I use the desktop icon - set to steam://rungameid/22370 - it runs WITH controller support. I have never experienced this before - I guess it needs to run via steam to use the controller settings there somehow.

I'm just a little concerned about how to mod the game - other than manual installation :(

[Figure.05]

For those still trying to figure this out. On Windows 10, when you install Fallout 3 through Steam, if you dont have "Games On Windows" Microsoft application, it will notify that you should have it. With that installed, Windows will recognize that you have an Xbox 360 or Xbox One Controller plugged in and will launch a dashboard to mange Xbox Live, control support and so forth. Apparently this has been available since Xbox 360 but you will be hard pressed to find an Xbox 360 driver for older OS because its no longer supported by Microsoft. Believe, I scoured the internet for days on Windows 7 and had got through an old laptop hard drive I had stashed somewhere to get a copy. So if you dont have Windows 10 (minimum), good freaking luck.

BUT, its not worth it. Ive tried this with Xpadder and other 3rd party apps back in 2015 and gives me the same results. I Reinstalled Fallout 3 just to see if it would again and it does: The game isnt calibrated by Bethesda, Steam or Windows to properly use the analog sticks. It is stiff and not precise at all. You will notice immediately that something is off and when you try to aim it will be obvious. You cant fix this calibrating with a 3rd party software, Windows or adjusting sensitivity in game. If you want that fine tuned Fallout 3 gamepad experience, youre better off going on console where they got it right.

Edit: I just tried it on Fallout New Vegas and its just as bad as on Fallout 3. It works perfect with Fallout 4, but thats because Bethesda used an improved controller support for Fallout 4 but left controller support for the other two games poorly designed. Which is a shame because Skyrim was released the same year as New Vegas and it has good controller support, while it New Vegas was given a copy of Fallout 3 control support. Which isnt a surprise because New Vegas use the same skeleton of the Fallout 3 production.

[ussenterncc1701e]

Sorry to Necro, but I figured someone else might search in vain, and ultimately resort to another mapper app. I figured out how to get Steam Big Picture mode to work with generic controllers on FO3 GOTY.

The problem seems to be that steam doesn't think this game supports controllers. So by default it tries to map the controller to mouse and keyboard.

Launch steam in big picture mode
Navigate to FO3
Go to manage game
Select controller configuration
(All options are stuck as keyboard/mouse binds)
Chose browse configs
Go to tenplates
Select gamepad
Import config
Apply configuration
Done

Now steam won't warn you about lack of controller support. And FO3 should default to controller inputs. Buttons will be x360 cues, but there are mods to change this to DS3/DS4.

If you want to launch the script extender, you can either swap exe names (not advised, imo) or use this patcher for the exe. If you have FOSE it will patch to launch that, it will also apply the 4GB RAM patch. Just follow instructions

https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout3/mods/24913

[YourPalPapaScho]

Originally posted by ussenterncc1701e:

Sorry to Necro, but I figured someone else might search in vain, and ultimately resort to another mapper app. I figured out how to get Steam Big Picture mode to work with generic controllers on FO3 GOTY.

The problem seems to be that steam doesn't think this game supports controllers. So by default it tries to map the controller to mouse and keyboard.

Launch steam in big picture mode
Navigate to FO3
Go to manage game
Select controller configuration
(All options are stuck as keyboard/mouse binds)
Chose browse configs
Go to tenplates
Select gamepad
Import config
Apply configuration
Done

Now steam won't warn you about lack of controller support. And FO3 should default to controller inputs. Buttons will be x360 cues, but there are mods to change this to DS3/DS4.

If you want to launch the script extender, you can either swap exe names (not advised, imo) or use this patcher for the exe. If you have FOSE it will patch to launch that, it will also apply the 4GB RAM patch. Just follow instructions

https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout3/mods/24913

I've followed these instructions to the letter and it still won't work. 😒