Use a Gamepad for Any PC Game with Xpadder

I play a lot of video games on my Xbox 360, but occasionally I’ll switch things up and buy something to enjoy on my PC. Recently I picked up both Fallout 3 and New Vegas on sale, but I was disappointed to find they didn’t support my Logitech F310 USB gamepad. This isn’t a big issue for people who prefer keyboard and mouse for first-person shooters, but I’ve spent so much time on my XBOX that I prefer to have a controller in my hands.

A bit of searching led me to XPadder, a free piece of software that allows you to simulate your keyboard and mouse with a gamepad. Essentially, XPadder allows you to pair keyboard or mouse actions with the button presses and joystick movement of your gamepad.

The ability to make and save profiles for specific games makes XPadder a handy tool for hardcore gamers that have very particular button arrangements that work for them. In fact, the XPadder forums allow gamers to share their custom button profiles with others, which is very convenient for those that don’t feel like messing with button configurations and would rather get to the game. The customization of the profiles can go deep, even allowing you to adjust mouse sensitivity and multi-button pushes, so choose your pre-made profiles wisely. I was impressed to find that one pre-made Fallout profile had been setup to work with rumble force feedback. Righteous.

XPadder is a nifty tool for making your gamepad work with any game, but it’s also fun (though impractical) to use it as a keyboard/mouse replacement. Try setting it up to work with your Internet browser, and you may be on to something if you can get around the “no keyboard input” problem. Give XPadder a try with NES/SNES emulators for an authentic feel to old school gaming.

The uses for this software are extensive, so give it a whirl; I bet you won’t regret it.