How to activate Controller support? :: Black Mesa General Discussions

Store Page

Black Mesa

All Discussions Screenshots Artwork Broadcasts Videos Workshop News Guides Reviews

Black Mesa > General Discussions > Topic Details

hawkhill

Mar 6, 2020 @ 12:31pm

How to activate Controller support?

I heard you can play the game with a controller, though not through the menu.
How do I activate controller mode step by step?
As much as I love this game, I can get hand cramps from playing mouse and keyboard for too long. Gets uncomfortable.

The author of this topic has marked a post as the answer to their question.
Click here to jump to that post.

Originally posted by Vassago Rain:

With the old source menu, you had to tick a box under the input section, where you toggle console and etc. With the new menu, it technically should pick up controllers instantly (new UI and setup is made to be friendlier to controller), but if it doesn't, input -newgameui as a launch option, and it should give you access to the legacy options, then tick the oldtimey controller toggle to force it to pickup your sticks.

Controller support has, and always will be, spotty at best.

< >

Showing 1-15 of 44 comments

Kuranghi Mar 6, 2020 @ 1:43pm

+1

Bizarrely only the start button has any effect in-game, pausing and unpausing it. I am using a Dualshock 4, it doesnt work in native mode or emulated as an X360 controller.

I read a post that said you must use various console commands to enable controller support but that was like 6 or 7 years old and not even for this version of the mod I suspect.

Another said the checkbox for controller support was on the menu that says "Mouse", but I see nothing like that and can't scroll up or down or anything.

Last edited by Kuranghi; Mar 6, 2020 @ 1:46pm

The author of this thread has indicated that this post answers the original topic.

Vassago Rain has Black Mesa

Mar 6, 2020 @ 1:48pm

Flappy Pannus has Black Mesa

Mar 6, 2020 @ 1:51pm

Originally posted by Vassago Rain:
With the old source menu, you had to tick a box under the input section, where you toggle console and etc. With the new menu, it technically should pick up controllers instantly (new UI and setup is made to be friendlier to controller), but if it doesn't, input -newgameui as a launch option, and it should give you access to the legacy options, then tick the oldtimey controller toggle to force it to pickup your sticks.

Controller support has, and always will be, spotty at best.

Thanks for that. Wondering where it went.

It's too bad as I'm primarily a PC TV gamer these days, proper controller support with prompts and rumble would be nice. It's been modded into Half Life 2 https://www.moddb.com/mods/xbox-360-ui-mod-for-pc/ ), perhaps they'll turn their attention to black mesa now that it's officially released.

Last edited by Flappy Pannus; Mar 6, 2020 @ 1:53pm

Xenomorphlover has Black Mesa

Mar 6, 2020 @ 2:05pm

Kinda disappointed, was hoping for a full controller support with auto aim/assisted aim and vibration support...maybe the devs could add that in the next patch hopefully!

Vassago Rain has Black Mesa

Mar 6, 2020 @ 2:07pm

Originally posted by Xenomorphlover:
Kinda disappointed, was hoping for a full controller support with auto aim/assisted aim and vibration support...maybe the devs could add that in the next patch hopefully!

The game clearly says on the steam page, and has always said, it has limited controller support. Even the best programmers couldn't do more with what they have at their disposal. It's not a simple switch you flip that turns controller features on, or every fighting game ever would have xinput and dinput already.

Hoegaardener has Black Mesa

Mar 6, 2020 @ 2:08pm

Originally posted by Xenomorphlover:
Kinda disappointed, was hoping for a full controller support with auto aim/assisted aim and vibration support...maybe the devs could add that in the next patch hopefully!

+1 ... Hope so too.

Vassago Rain has Black Mesa

Mar 6, 2020 @ 2:14pm

Originally posted by Hoegaardener:
Originally posted by Xenomorphlover:
Kinda disappointed, was hoping for a full controller support with auto aim/assisted aim and vibration support...maybe the devs could add that in the next patch hopefully!

+1 ... Hope so too.

Eh, it is what it is. Expecting proper controller support in source is like expecting Linux to natively run something like paladins. It's a nice dream, but it's just a dream. Sorry I can't be of more use, but there ain't nothing anyone can do.

If you're serious about playing with a controller, enable the old UI, and go into steam big picture and disable every 'controller friendly' feature. All of them. I'm serious. Disable all of them. Let your controller's firmware itself handle things, toggle the force joysticks in the old UI, and use something like SCP or motionjoy to improve your overall experience. Steam's own controller features are pathetic.

I say this as someone who plays a lot of fighting games. If you still have problems, consult a board like the one for guilty gear Xrd, or any king of fighters. That's where the true secrets to controller usage for couch play are hidden.

Last edited by Vassago Rain; Mar 6, 2020 @ 2:15pm

thray

Mar 6, 2020 @ 2:40pm

Devs have promised full controller support.

M'aiqLuvsSkooma has Black Mesa

Mar 6, 2020 @ 2:41pm

Yeah they did promise full controller support. Maybe it's for an update down the road. I really want to play this with my Xbox controller but they haven't even worked on it, it seems.

cb4n28

Mar 6, 2020 @ 2:46pm

Originally posted by Maximum Demogorgon:
Devs have promised full controller support.

Fingers crossed. I have been looking forward to Black Mesa but don't want to have to hunch at my desk to play

#10

Project KV-31 Mar 6, 2020 @ 11:52pm

There's no excuse to not have full controller support these days in ANY game... especially if you're selling it at premium price on Steam.

#11

Flappy Pannus has Black Mesa

Mar 7, 2020 @ 11:39pm

Originally posted by MaiqLuvSkooma:
Yeah they did promise full controller support. Maybe it's for an update down the road. I really want to play this with my Xbox controller but they haven't even worked on it, it seems.

Playing it now and it does have controller support, xinput. The downside is no on-screen prompts or controller in menus. But if you have Xbox controller support enabled in Steam it shouldn't require any config, once you're in the game it works fine, even with rumble.

Map one of your buttons (long press for example) to a new quicksave binding and it's quite workable atm.

#12

M'aiqLuvsSkooma has Black Mesa

Mar 8, 2020 @ 9:18am

It's not full controller support though. Not only does it not work in menus and there's no button prompts, but it's just the default of the engine in terms of aiming mechanics and such. Sure I can hit my shots when I play with it, but I have to try really hard to and that's not fun at all. I'm just waiting for them to release an update with full controller support so I can enjoy the game.

#13