Xbox/PlayStation Gamepad Tutorials for DCS World

[Tuuvas]

First thing's first, yes you can play DCS World with a modern Xbox or PlayStation gamepad. And yes, it's going to be difficult to learn, but that fact would not change even with a proper HOTAS. All this guide is meant to do is give console players a fair shot at enjoying DCS World without the additional cost of a joystick/throttle. Heck, with the right gamepad setup, you can nearly forget the keyboard and mouse entirely once you're in the cockpit... but unfortunately, this can only be done with 3rd Party Applications like DS4Windows or Input Mapper... at least until Eagle Dynamics implements my wishlist items here:
https://youtu.be/pLsIA1kMeO8

To get the most out of a DualShock 4 or DualSense gamepad for DCS, you'll need to set up a profile in DS4Windows appropriately. I've put together a tutorial for this here:
https://youtu.be/iWUSGduasVk

Alternatively, if you're using an Xbox 360/One/Series S/X gamepad, you can follow this Input Mapper 1.7 tutorial instead:
https://youtu.be/S5rvfW6-wi4

Once you've configured your gamepad profile to control Mouse click and movement, you can now set up your DCS bindings referencing any of the Xbox Controller Layouts I put together here:
https://imgur.com/a/0y4YsYp

Just keep in mind, DO NOT BIND "Camera Horizontal" and "Camera Vertical" to Right Stick if you're using Right Stick to control the Mouse. Only bind "Force Cursor On/Off" to toggle between camera control and cursor control.

Additionally, as stated in the DS4Windows tutorial, remember to bind Rudder and Zoom View under the "Controller (XBOX 360 For Windows)" device category. Every other control should be bound under the "Wireless Controller" device category.

And lastly, all the above assumes you've disabled the Steam Controller Configurator for DCS World. This is important as you want to avoid multiple actions happening with a single button press.

[Tuuvas]

Also, for some gameplay showing that you can indeed play DCS World with just a gamepad, see the following:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmAENdiSlS4