While PC gamers love to talk about how much they lovethe keyboard and mouse control scheme, sometimes you just want the feel of a controller in your hands.
When it comes to Steam, Valve has luckily made it easy to get almost any controller working with most games.
So, no matter what controller you're using, read on to discover how to get gaming on your PC with it.
How to Set Up and Use Console Controllers With Steam
The first thing you'll need to do is connect your controller to your PC. The easiest option, no matter which controller you're using, is to grab a USB cable and connect it straight to your computer.
If you want a wireless connection, you'll need a Bluetooth adapter or card to get your controllers connected. Once you have Bluetooth enabled, go toBluetooth & other devices in your computer's settings menu.
When you're on the screen above, clickAdd Bluetooth or other device.Then, chooseBluetooth.
At this stage,you'll need to get your controller into pairing mode. On an Xbox One, Series S, Series X, or Switch Pro controller, you can press the pairing button on the top of the controller for a few seconds.
For the DualShock 4 or DualSense, hold the PlayStation, Create, and Share buttons at the same time for a few seconds.
Once in pairing mode, your controller should appear in the Bluetooth pairing menu. Click on your controller in the connection menu to automatically connect to your device.
The Xbox and Switch controllers should haveclear related names, but Sony onesmay appear as generic wireless controllers.
Big Picture Mode Is Your Controller's Best Friend
Now we come to the part where we actually get your controller working with the games. Luckily, Steam has a built-in featurethat allows you to easily get any controller working with the majority of games.
Big Picture is a special mode available in Steam, intended to facilitate using the platformwith a TV. The mode has both large user interface (UI) elements and controller navigation to make use from a distance as easy as possible.
Related:How to Stream PC Games to Your Apple TV With Steam Link
The best part about Big Picture is that you can also use itto easily set up any controller with your various games.
Once in Steam, click thewhite rectangle icon at the top right of the screen to open Big Picture mode. In Big Picture, click the gear icon to open settings. Then, clickController Settings.
After that, click the checkmark box for whatever controller you're trying to use. For example, to use a Switch Pro Controller, choosethe checkmark box labeledSwitch Pro Configuration Support.
If you're only planning on playing games with built-in controller support, you're already good to go. Steam automatically maps your controller to the correct buttons, so it should work even if you boot your games outside of Big Picture.
How to Remap Your Controls
Another great feature of Steam's Big Picture is the ability to remap your controls. If you have a Switch Pro Controller, you may want to swap the face buttons around a bit, as Steam automatically maps the typical south face button to A on the east face button.
You can also map keyboard commands to a controller, meaning you can even play games without controller support at all.
Back in Big Picture, navigate to the game you want to play, and scroll down toManage Game. On the right, clickController Configuration.
In many cases, Steam may have applied a default mapping layout for your buttons. But you can change these to whatever you like by selecting the button you want to map, and then using the UI to select a keyboard or mouse control to map it to.
If you don't want to do any of that, youhave the option to download community controller layouts. Press X on your controller and you'll find a menu of pre-made templates, pluscommunity-created layouts.
Not every game will have community layouts. However, most should work easily with the built-in templates. And if not, you can always create and upload your own layout instead.
That's How to Set Up and Use Console Controllers With Steam
That should be everything you need to know to get any controller working with Steam, even generic ones. All you've got to do now is decide which of your controllers you should be using.
Once you've followed these tips and chosen your desired controller, you'll be able to play your favorite games on Steam without any issues.
