Add better support for DirectInput controllers

[sakea]

There's multiple games that unfortunately provide support only for XInput (XBox) controllers. This is mostly due to Microsoft pushing the new standard with XNA, without caring about backwards compatibility. Although recently I've seen some improvement, games like Fez, Rogue Legacy or anything Double Fine puts out have been working exactly as they should with my Logitech RumblePad 2.

Now with the introduction of Big Picture mode, Steam seems to provide an application interface for controllers. I'd like to see Steam to take similar approach as x360ce does with emulating Xinput for DirectInput controllers. Actually I think Steam already overrides xinput1_3.dll with its own implementation of the library, since you can't (always?) use x360ce with Steam games. This would be by far the easiest solution for all parties.

Currently I find it misleading how games in Steam Store boast full controller support, but still there is no guarantee that your controller happens to work.

[Satoru]

No games support Direct Input. they all use Xinput.

Ergo there's no point insupporting DirectInput in BPM since no developer is bothering to use it. And it would create an issue where you'd use BPM, launch a game, then the controller 'magically dies'.

Whether you like it or not, Xinput is the 'standard'. And if your controller doesn't support it, then you can't use it in any games anyway.

[sakea]

Originally posted by Satoru:

No games support Direct Input. they all use Xinput.

Many games don't support DirectInput and that's exactly the point. What this proposition is about is for Steam to translate DirectInput calls to XInput form, so that a game that only supports XInput works with DirectInput controller.

I'd encourage you to take a look at x360ce to understand this process better.
http://code.google.com/p/x360ce/

[Satoru]

That's a problem of your controller, not steam.

[Andrius]

I totally understand your frustation dude (the guy that answered up there totally doesn't understand a flying duck).

As of February 2014 there are some games that recognise the configuration you do in Steam's Big Picture Mode controller layout (in my case I have a Dualshock 4 in Mac OS X), for example if you modify your keybinds in BPM and get into FEZ and Super Meat Boy it does use them fine.

[Satoru]

Some games work with DirectInput. Most don't. 99% of games use XInput as this is the stanard API used in the Xbox side. Games like Fez and SMB just happen to work with DirectInput. But that doesn't change the fact that the VAST majority dont.

It's also not Steam's repsonsiblity to create a translation from xinput to directinput either.

[sage | comptf2c.com]

If you got problems with DirectInput not being supported, just use JoyToKey.
You basically assign keys or mouse actions to your gamepad with that little program.

Note: Walking and driving doesn't feel smooth at all but it's a good ghetto fix, and you can even play games that dont support any kind of gamepad, like VVVVVVV.
:)

[ReBoot]

Actually, Steam has support of that kind. Just go to ♥♥♥ Picture and launch the game through that. And don't forget to configure the gamepad first.