I still prefer to play those with keyboard and mouse. On the other hand at least most of the games I've played from Aspyr I wouldn't want to play with a gamepad anyway like FPS games.
Using keyboard emulation on every single title is a waste in my opinion. Aspyr typically supports less (less than a handful of models) and the few Ubisoft games they ported themselves support none. Here I don't use keyboard emulation for ANY game.įeral gets a thumbs up for supporting all that and a wide array of controllers. this too is impossible via keyboard emulation. Not to mention if a game supports the analog shoulder buttons for stuff like driving. For me it's native controller support or just use keyboard and mouse. this is because WASD is inherently digital and it stays digital when mapped to a thumbstick. Questions? Comments? Have a fix? Post them below or e-mail us!īe sure to check us out on Twitter and the CNET Mac forums.The problem in my opinion for emulating keyboard and mouse with a gamepad is it doesn't give you precisely what makes those games work better with a controller.
When connected to the Mac, the button inputs will be registered, and universal drivers like USB Overdrive should be able to recognize them and allow you to assign global or application-specific settings to them.
These last tools are useful especially if you have a controller that only has driver support for Windows. The second is the Tattiebogle driver for Xbox controllers, which should work for both wired and wireless (using the receiver noted above) controllers.įor Wii users, the program DarwiinRemote and the Wjoy driver should allow you to crudely connect and configure the motion-sensitive Wii Remote, but if you have trouble establishing a connection using these drivers in OS X 10.8, then you can try a test build of DarwiinRemote that should work in the latest version of OS X.Ī final couple of driver options for these controllers are GamePad Companion, which is available in the Apple App Store, and USB Overdrive, which has been a long-standing option for configuring USB input devices on the Mac platform. The first is Joystick Mapper, with which you should be able to configure most gaming controllers.
Once the gaming controller is connected, you can use one of several software driver packages to configure its inputs. A Wii Remote can also be connected via Bluetooth.
Next, hold the PS button on the controller for a few seconds, then unplug the USB cable, and the controller should appear in the Bluetooth system preferences and be available for use in a number of games and programs. First, connect the controller to your Mac, and then open the Bluetooth system preferences and make sure Bluetooth is both on and discoverable. If you have a PS3 controller, you'll need to follow a quick procedure to establish a connection to your Mac. The easiest of these unsupported remotes to configure is likely the Xbox controller, which can be (physically) connected directly via USB or with a relatively cheap receiver for wireless Xbox controllers. To resolve this, first make sure Left 4 Dead 2 is closed, then go to your L4D2 launch options.
To use any of these controllers with your system, you will first need to connect it to your system physically, and then install a driver package to make use of the controller's inputs.įor factory-supported devices like the Logitech F310 Gamepad and the Belkin Nostromo SpeedPad, drivers are available from their manufacturers however, for unsupported devices like Wii Remote, PS3, and Xbox controllers, you will have to use a third-party driver package. If youve enabled the console via your L4D2 settings, but it still isnt working, fear not Almost always, the issue is due to a different keyboard layout that doesnt have the correct key, or L4D2 doesnt pick up that youre pressing the correct key. Of the game controllers available for home computers, only a few are officially supported on the Mac, but you can often get others, like those for the PS3, Wii, or Xbox, working just fine. While the Mac's keyboard and mouse ought to be enough for most purposes, having a dedicated gaming controller can give you the feel of playing with a gaming console.
If you own a Mac and have a few games you would like to try, then you might also be interested in getting a gaming controller or two up and running with your system. While the Mac platform has not been noted for catering to hard-core gamers, there are still many popular gaming titles and gaming accessories available for the Mac OS.