Playing Doom Eternal with a Controller (Like a Stud.)

In this guide you will learn how to use a controller while playing Doom Eternal

Intro

In this guide I will show you how to pick up a controller and start using it to play Doom Eternal, featuring future-tech that makes controllers just as good as Mouse and Keyboard (for the most part).

Getting used to the controller

Realistically there is no reason to use a controller over Mouse and Keyboard, I tried using a controller after Hugo Martin challenged his players (jokingly) to play with inverted controller, so I did. It's actually a lot of fun, actually, as fun as Mouse and Keyboard, but of course it's a lot more limited, but still completely playable, and can even be on the same level of play as Mouse and Keyboards with practice, but of course with different ceilings, but both are still incredibly high.

To start playing with a controller you need a controller (Re-read the guide up to this point if you don't understand.) I highly recommend an Xbox controller[www.microsoft.com], or a generic controller with X-Input[www.amazon.com] (standard input method for controllers compatible with windows), using a PS4/5 controller is fine too, but you need Fidangle with it a lot to get it to work with windows and you need third party software to get it to work and manipulate it to make your machine think it's an X-Input controller and it's a huge (minuscule) headache, if you don't want to research controllers right now I highly suggest the 8Bitdo SN30 Pro+ [www.8bitdo.com] or (Even Better) the 8bitdo Pro 2[www.8bitdo.com], they even have their face buttons in the correct places (nintendo layout) and can be set to X-Input, and have their own software to re-map buttons, (Which you should because B is A and A is B, so on because it's X-Input, you should change it so the buttons are what they say and not placed in the Xbox controller locations for input.) I highly advise to stay away from Logitech controllers, as all of mine usually break within a few months.

Doom Eternal on PC does NOT support any of Nintendo's controllers (at least without third party software, see PS4 controller comments above.), It also does not have the motion controls seen in the switch port of Doom 2016, even if your controller is compatible and has motion control, this also means you cannot use those swanky Doom Eternal controllers made for switch with the PC port. (They got the D-Pad in the wrong place anyway, lmao)

As for getting use to the new input method you should play one of the earlier missions on a completed save (my favorite to test it out new inputs and new controls are Exultia and Cultist Base.) as these missions have easy arenas but still have a lot of pressure demons (Barons, Revenants), and cultist base is the same but with the addition of the Mancubus (and cueball, the hardest enemy in the game.)

Finding out your preferred controller settings

Within the Doom Eternal controller settings you will see several options, you can adjust these to your preferences.

Enable Controller: Always leave this off, all of the time, no one knows what it does

Horizontal/Vertical Sensitivity: you want this to be as high as possible while still comfortable, if aiming is too hard, change it, look smoothing (scroll down to find it) can also help you tremendously while aiming, when making small adjustments.

Invert Look: Turok and Goldeneye on the N64 shipped with inverted look, so this should be on at all times. (This is optional to leave on)

Vibration: Your Choice

Aim Assist: Aim Assist helps you land your shots, I recommend you to leave it on, and leave the value to 1 (max), this is because FPS games had auto aim for a long time, it is completely normal to play with it on, and it does not make you more or loss skillful/valid if you play with it on or off.

Target Snapping: When using attachments like stickybomb or precision scope it'll snap to an weakpoint or enemy if your crosshair is near one, probably leave this one on.

Look Smoothing: Look Smoothing is when you move your stick the further you move it, or the longer you hold the stick away from the deadzone the faster it becomes, with the max being your sensitivity, it's really good for moving your crosshair only a little to fix your shot, you can also aim with your movement for micro adjustments.

Weapon Wheel Open Delay: The delay from holding down the weapon-wheel button and the weapon wheel always opening, no idea why you wouldn't have this at the lowest value, which is 70ms.

Finding your preferred bindings

Certain Buttons are better off being bound to different buttons in relation to your thumbs being on the thumbsticks, as you want to keep your thumbs on them at all times, you want your movement options (jump and dash) to be the most accessible, as you will be using them the most, everything else will depend on your playstyle, when you make your layout try to keep in mind how close the buttons are to the joysticks to minimize travel time, don't forget to use the D-Pad as well. I prefer to have my equipment and attachment swap close to my sticks as I swap them a lot, here was my button layout on my first playthrough. (in the second image, A is swapped with B, and X is swapped with Y in post because of the Pro 2's software that let's you change the face buttons back to nintendo layout, the correct layout.)
Why not go in the game to get a screenshot of it, or even why do you care at all?
You ask a lot of questions.

IN-GAME DISPLAY


CORRECTED


You can also press the weapon wheel button quickly to do a quick swap, so you can still do your quick swap combos with the weapon that is out and your last equipped weapon.

Weapon Wheel

You can edit the weapon wheel in Doom Eternal to your preferences, while in-game go to Arsenal and press on the right analogue stick, or T on keyboard, while in this menu you can change the position of weapons to your preference, you can also change the size of the weapon wheel, with 4 as the minimum and +2 for each level up until it displays all 8 weapons, using the lower weapon amount can be useful for mouse and keyboard if you switch mods a lot on a few weapons, and want to skip the animation to put the mod on. I leave this on all 8 weapons with the default placements when i'm playing with controller.

You cannot make it so the Unmakyr is over the BFG, and if you equip it and die when you go to equip it, the BFG is on top again, this problem also exists on mouse and keyboard.
Pain.

My preferences and how I cheated you

I cheated you the whole time, the control layout assumes you don't have one of them super future controllers with extra buttons, do not worry, I am using the 8Bitdo Pro 2, the sequel to the best controller ever (SN30 Pro Plus), this one has paddles on the back, which allow for more buttons to be bound.

(Image from 8BitDo's website.)


I bound Dash to paddle 2 (left) and jump to paddle 1 (right), here are my real bindings.



You do not need extra buttons to play better, it simply makes things easier, I've played through Nightmare with the first bindings you saw earlier in the guide with no issues, and only died a few times.

Gameplay

Here is some gameplay of me playing Doom Eternal with Controller, keep in mind I mostly use keyboard and mouse, and that I mess up with choosing weapons in my wheel a lot, that is where a controller with notches would help a lot, I am using the controls shown in the previous section.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqtWTI1TUf8

Conclusion

Probably don't use these in battlemode because of player movement n stuff.
I see you typing your N64/other weird controller comment, super original, dude.
I hope this guide helped, or you enjoyed reading it, don't forget to like n' comment and stuff.

MY OTHER DOOM GUIDES:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2171949483

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2171970263

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2428663102

[THEDOOMGUYISREALL!!!!!]

the first game with a controlller i played was amazing frog (i think)

[Grooves]

I just wanted to reference Turok in my Doom guide's thumbnail. It was the first FPS i've ever played and you needed a controller to play it. It's special to me.

[THEDOOMGUYISREALL!!!!!]

why is doomguy fighting a trex

[Grooves]

if we're talking about just the facts, yes.

[AstroWest]

turok?

[Brochacho]

map it as a mouse in steaminput, for the sn30 pro plus (or pro 2), connect it to the computer in switch mode beforehand

[Grooves]

I am not going to figure out how to do Gyro on PC I have tried it multiple times but it simply does not want to work on my PC I am sorry

[Brochacho]

zero mention of gyro smh

[Revman da Goonman!!!]

I used an Xbox controller from the start when I first played all the doom games (except doom 3 classic don't know how to make it controller accessible) it is pretty easy for me because controller feels more comfortable me because I have less buttons.

[balloo]

i beat doom eternal with a ps4 controller