X360CE Tutorial: Using Any Gamepad with Any Game that supports an XBOX360 Controller

How to emulate your gamepad as an XBOX360 controller and make it work with all games that support it
Note: If you have already configured your x360ce so that it works with most games but not a specific one, skip to Step 3h.

New, Shortened Version

Update: This fan-made guide is for version 3.x. On version 4.x, user Category Theory mentions: "the new (and mostly simpler) 4.x works slightly differently. (There is no longer a separate 32-bit version, you need only one copy of the .EXE which you can run anywhere, and rather than a custom .DLL file to be loaded by the game it uses the ViGEmBus driver to create a virtual controller.)"

1. Copy and paste x360ce.exe (the appropriate version, see below) in the game executable's folder.
2. Run as admin.
3. Plug in your controller.
4. Create the dll file that the warning suggests.
5. Search the internet automatically for settings. Check if they correspond to your buttons. Configure as needed (see below).
6. Go to game settings. Click Add..., navigate to your game folder, add the game executable.
7. Check the following boxes: COM, PIDVID, STOP, LL, WT, all the 32 bit X-input files and the 32 bit D-input file.
8. Click Start.

Example video:

Downloading x360ce and Unzipping

1. Download both the x86 and x64 zip files from http://www.x360ce.com/
2. With winrar (http://www.rarlab.com/download.htm) installed, go to your downloads folder,
a. find the first file, x360ce.zip, right click it and choose extract to x360ce (its own new folder).
b. Then right click x360ce_x64.zip, and extract it to x360ce_x64 (its own new folder again).
Now make sure your controller is plugged in and recognised by windows.

x360ce (x86) : Enabling Controller Layout

3. For a game installed under the /Program Files (x86)/ main folder directory (which means that it is a 32 bit game):
a. Go to the x360ce folder and right click x360ce.exe. Go to Properties, Compatibility tab, and choose run this program as an administrator. Click OK and now double click x360ce.exe. Click yes to the admin account control.
b. Warnings list: xinput1_3.dll was not found. Allow the program to Create it. This will only succeed if you granted it admin privileges on the previous step.
c. Allow the program to search automatically for settings, including the search the internet option. This will save you time. So click next. Click finish.
d. Look at the tabs on the top of the x360ce window. Under Controller 1 go to the Advanced tab and unclick Pass Through. Now you will notice that the red square next to the Controller 1 tab has turned green. Go back to the General tab and notice how the controller layout is now active.

x360ce (x86) : Configuring Axes and Other Buttons

e. Check your axes. Move the sticks of your gamepad to check if the green cross on the controller image in the middle of the window follows your actions.
- In my case, the right stick is not recognised correctly, because its axes have been set as default buttons for the 2 triggers.
i. First go to Trigger under Left, click the down arrow and select Record. Now press the actual Left Trigger (lower back left button) on your gamepad - or anything else you might want to set as left trigger.
ii. Now go to Trigger under Right, click the down arrow and select Record. Now press the actual Right Trigger (lower back right button) on your gamepad - or anything else you might want to set as right trigger.
iii. Finally go to Stick Axis X under Right, click the down arrow and select Record. The controller image in the middle of the x360ce window will start flashing, indicating that you need to move your right stick to the right. After you do that, moving your right stick right or left should correspond to the movements of the green cross on the right stick of the controller image.
- If for some reason the green cross follows the opposite direction compared to your input (your movements on the gamepad stick), you can check what it says on the Stick Axis X option under Right, then click the down arrow and select the same option but inverted.
- For example, in my case it says Inverted Half Axis 3 (IHAxis 3), so if I want to invert it I choose (normal) Half Axis 3 (Axes > Half > Axis 3).
iv. Do the same with Stick Axis Y under Left. Notice the green cross movements and choose accordingly.
f. Check the rest of your buttons. Press each of them on the gamepad, notice the reactions of the controller image and record or choose accordingly.

x360ce (x86) : Making Copies and Activating In-Game

g. Click Save. Go to your x360ce folder.
h. IMPORTANT! Now make 3 copies of your xinput1_3.dll file in the same folder (copy and paste thrice in the same folder). Name the first xinput1_1.dll, the second xinput1_2.dll, and the last one xinput9_1_0.dll. Give administrator permission when needed.
- We do this because different games look for different filenames of xinput.
i. Select all files in your x360ce folder and copy them.
j. Go to your desktop, right click your game shortcut and Open File Location.
- If there is no shortcut, you have to navigate to the game executable (My PC > C: > Program Files (x86) > Your Game Installation Folder) by yourself.
k. Paste all the x360ce files in the directory of your game executable.
Note: Do not confuse the directory of the game launcher with the directory of the game executable. Paths of launcher and exe differ in games like Thief, Tomb Raider and Skyrim.
l. Test the results in game.

x360ce_x64 and Here to Help

4. Follow a similar procedure for x360ce_64.exe in its own folder, for games installed under the /Program Files/ main folder directory.

Let me know how it works out and feel free to ask questions on specific games!
If you are interested, I might make a tutorial that will allow you to use a gamepad on any game that normally works only with keyboard & mouse!

[MyFartSoTart]

Thank you for the tutorial! I got it working with 2 controllers, however, after I exit the game, my controllers still act as xbox360 controllers. Is there a way to disable the software when the desired game is not open?

[Psaxtiri]

Hello Milo, thank you for your thanking :D Unfortunately I don't have a gamecube controller, and I don't really know what rumble is 😅 Also I'm not part of the dev team for x360ce so I don't know much about it, I just made this guide as a fan. However, maybe someone who knows how to help you will respond to your comment (or you can write here https://www.ngemu.com/forums/x360ce.140/ I think). If there is something else I can do, send me a message ^_^

[Milo Burrows]

Thank you for the detailed instructions, especially since there's not a ton of tutorials for x360ce out there that aren't completely out of date. I do have a question though. I've been configuring my GameCube controller (w appropriate adapter and drivers installed) with the emulator to play things like Sonic Racing Transformed, and it does work, but for some reason, the rumble refuses to work, and if I have one of my actual Xbox controllers plugged in at the same time, it decides to put any and all rumble on it instead. I have the strength for both left and right put up to 100%, but I have yet to feel ANY rumble on the correct controller.

[Psaxtiri]

Hey :) I no longer have a gamepad to test it, but I can paste your comment on top if you want.

[Category Theory]

You may want to add a note to the top of this file that these are instructions for version 3.x, and the new (and mostly simpler) 4.x works slightly differently. (There is no longer a separate 32-bit version, you need only one copy of the .EXE which you can run anywhere, and rather than a custom .DLL file to be loaded by the game it uses the ViGEmBus driver to create a virtual controller.)

[Sans91]

Hello, i don't know why, but i got "[Blue Sentinel - Fatal error]
Unrecognised executable type [3]
(..\Source\BlueSentinel\BlueSentinel.cpp)" when i try to run x360ce
Btw mods dll file and x360ce dll file are named the same, and i'm using lazy loader for my mod to work. What i need to do?

[Psaxtiri]

Hello Vulcan :) I am not familiar with your controller. However, send me a message and we will see what we can do.

[Vulcan013]

Hello do you still keep track of this thread? I have recently come into trouble getting my Logitech G13 Thumbstick to work with the recently released "Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis" I use to have it all working nice and pretty before the New Genesis Update released on The Regular PSO2. But since then I can't seem to get it to work now... I've looked almost everywhere for help if there is anything you can do it would be appreciated.

[Firefly]

If x360ce doesn't work at all, try JoytoKey. Configure your desired input and it should work. Under advanced settings in options, there is axis mapping for analog sticks. If it doesn't recognise vertical axis you may need to change it to RZ axis.

[Psaxtiri]

Hey KingSlayer.
First of all, you need the x64 version if your game is installed under Program Files. If your game is installed under Program Files (x86) you need the x86 version of x360ce. For the Steam Library, I'm not sure. It wouldn't hurt to try the other version I guess :)
Also, as Bobalazs mentioned before, there is a new version of the program. You can find it by going here https://github.com/x360ce/x360ce and scrolling down to where it says Download.
I guess it also depends on the controller you're trying to emulate.
And one last thing: for the camera to move, you have to switch your controller analog mode. I had a controller that worked for camera when I turned the analog button on, and one that worked when I turned the analog button off. Maybe experiment with that a bit.
You can add me as friend and send me a pm if you need more help :) Same for anyone else.