Converting a PSX Controller for PC Use
BigMan writes "Anyone that has ever used a Playstation pad will think they are great, but I long ago stopped using my Playstation and haven't touched a console in a while. I much prefer the gameplay and graphics of PC games, but a keyboard just doesn't cut it on driving games. So I set about converting my Playstation pad to work on a PC. There are several converters that cost around $6 to $15, but being a student in search of a part time job I am reluctant to spend the money and it's more satisfying to do the mod yourself."
I appreciate the pioneering spirit here, but these things are far too expensive as it is. For the price of another controller I can get a peripheral that'll hook it to the computer.
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Couldn't have been a lot less than $15 !!!
Seems like a bit of a waste of time/money!.
I've never cared for the Playstation controller. You can't rocker the d-pad because it's 4 buttons and not a true cross. I never liked the 'ergonomic' handles on it either.
You can buy a USB gravis game pad that is very similar for about $10 on eBay. I've got a couple of them laying around. 4 USB game pads and one copy of NHL 2001 makes for some fun.
There's tons of PC joypads these days that emulate the look and feel of a Playstation controller very well these days. They're usually around the same price or cheaper, and they come with well-written software drivers and other goodies like keyboard emulation for games that don't directly support gamepads. (Which, fortunately, aren't that many anymore.)
For example, I have Belkin's N45, which buy.com has for just $16. Been working great for 2 years now, no complaints, and I don't really notice any difference switching between it and a PS2 controller. Plus it plugs in out of the box, no rewiring skills required :) I'm sure there are many other brands that are just as good.
A quick check says Playstation controllers cost about $25 out of the box these days. This article seems like a cool HOW-TO and an interesting hack, but the article is more about the "geek factor" than being a cost-savings device.The bold print giveth, and the fine print taketh away
Hmm .. i personally think it is horrific. The game cube and super nes (super famicom in us?) both have the best control pads of their eras, although for some games you just cant beat the arcades. Nothing will ever be as bad as that glove pad for the nes that the kid in wizard has, uggh what a nightmare.
This article seems like a cool HOW-TO and an interesting hack, but the article is more about the "geek factor" than being a cost-savings device.
Hint: You're reading www.slashdot.org
From a usability standpoint, the Playstation controller leaves a lot to be desired. I would rather see someone adapt one of Nintendo's controllers due to Ninty's adherence to more usability guidelines.
For example, the buttons on the Playstation controller are marked with an X, O, Square, Triangle and are arranged in a cross configuration. One usability guideline says to "Minimize the user's memory load"... now which symbol goes logically on the north, east, south, and west points of the cross? A casual user is unlikely to be able to know unless they have spent a lot of time with it and have memorized the configuration. This is unnecessary user memory load when compared to Nintendo's controllers which use a much more intuitive button labeling scheme and arrangement. Less to remember = easier to use.
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There a ton of controller clones at almost every decent computer store.
They are very cheap.
If you are dead set on hacking this thing, you may want to check out www.arcadecontrols.com
The original PlayStation pad was a direct rip-off of the Super Nintendo pad. They put a couple of extra shoulder buttons on top and added those prong-grips to the back, but that's about the extent of it.
Sure, they crammed a couple of analogue sticks onto it their ripped-off design few years later, but even then that was only in response to the analogue stick on the N64 control.
But eh. I've used a PlayStation control, and they're not great. Not great at all.
Some of the motherboard being sold today don't include a Parallel port.
For US$15 Lik-Sang sells the "PS/PS2(TM)-PC USB Converter" make by a company called Boom.
Product Features
# Use Playstation Joypads on your PC (through USB interface)
# Automatically turns on the PS controller in analog mode, no need to switch.
# Supports Dual Shock function in games which support DirectX force feedback
# Analog joystick resolution in 256 positions on each axis
# Supports all buttons (4 axis analog joystick, 16 buttons)
# compatible with Win 98 / 2000
# Plug & Play, no additional power source required
Description
The PS Joy adapter lets you play PC games with a Playstation Joypad. Perfect for any emulation program such as Bleem or other.
I've gotten used to playing games with the xbox controller. It works great for playing any emulator and I've used it with GTA:VC for the PC and Midnight Club 2 for PC also (not to mention on the Xbox). All you need is an xbox controller, an xbox extension cable, and a usb cable. Strip the cover off the extension and usb cables and match up all the wires. The xbox has one extra wire that won't match up with the usb but other than that it's a pretty straightforward hack.
Once you have the cable made, you just have to locate the driver for the xbox controller (I had a hard time finding it... can't think of the link right now - anyone want to post it here?) and voila! A usb xbox controller. If you've got a memory card for the xbox i think it shows up as a removeable drive since the xbox controller has a usb hub built-in.
Of course, you could probably save some $ and pick up some el cheapo PC controller... but it's not quite as cool as using an xbox controller to play some mario kart 64 on your PC.
This is my United States of whatever.
If you want a PSX-PC parallel port adapter, you can get them at Buynshop.com for 3.95. Here's the link. http://www.buynshop.com/productinfo/45/VG-PS-PS2PC 4/
I have one and it works great with my DDR pad as well as my PS controlelr.
I bought a Soyo Kiky-X to play GTA3-VC on PC.
Be careful, the driver won't let you remap axes, which is a problem for some games. You can do registry hacks to remap the axes with the directinput stuff or some such, but you cannot reverse directions of axes. I put my solution on usenet if you're curious. (grand theft auto vice city pc ps2 controller)
The best solution I found for GTA3 was ps2 controller for driving and ps2 controller + trackball for walking.
For less than the price of a PSX controller you can get a Gravis Gamepad Pro USB. Plug it into any USB PC and it just works, perfectly. And it's almost the same as a PSX controller too. I often see them for 15, 10, and sometimes even $5. Mine has lasted me 3 years so far, and it works with all my games. Highly reccomended, must have.
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I paid like $9 for my adapter, and I haven't looked back. It worked flawlessly and instantly as soon as I hooked it to my PC. I forget the brand unfortunately.
Speaking of controllers, I highly recommend the Logitech 2.4Ghz wireless Playstation controllers for just about every type of game*. With a set of NiMH rechargables, they last practically forever (I've had the controllers for months and I've had to recharge the batteries twice).
Logitech also makes a PC version of the controllers, but they have the same amount of buttons (in slightly different places), so if you have a PS*, you may as well get the PS version plus adapter.
* The only ones I'd switch back to the stock PS2 controllers for would be fighting games which require precise d-pad control.
"You're accomplishments are not."
WTF? The guy wasn't trying to do anything new here, he was trying to learn. In doing so, he documented his progress for all to see. I'm not normally one to go ripping things apart, but I was actually half tempted to buy a used PS controller and try this myself. Is it really such a bad thing that he inspired one to learn how to reverse engineer?
This isn't one of those articles where you say "he could have done it cheaper!" Appreciate it for what it is, not for what it doesn't do for you.
This technique has been available for a long time, and fairly well known among emulator users. In fact, a great number of controllers can be converted to work with the PC, everything from the Turbo Grafx, to the Genesis, to every pre-Gamecube Nintendo controller (not sure about Gamecube, maybe there's even a way to do that by now). In fact, I posted links to how to accomplish the exact same thing in a slashdot discussion back in March
That being said, this certain is a nice page the guy has put up, and the pictures of the work in progress are nice. For those of you who use Linux and went to his page, don't fear: this controller mod will also work with Linux, using the gamecon driver.
Call me a Nintendo fanboy if you'd like, but I think it's hard to argue that anyone makes better controllers. They may look weird, but the ergonomics have been very solid from the N64 on, and the wavebird is a pretty definitive answer to the wireless controller problem -- although it might not seem so impressive had there not been so many crappy attempts before it.
The best place I find for hacks and tricks for console mods, and converters (ie. controllers, VGA hacks) is GameSX. The forums are great for new developments, or help in trying to attempt the mods.
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Radio Shack sells a PS2 to USB adapter for like $10.
The SNES controller is by far one of the best controllers ever. And, with a parallel port adapter, it makes emulation a truly wonderful thing (and as accurate and realistic as possible, really). I originally considered a Playstation controller and adapter, but I just don't like the PSX controller. It doesn't feel the same. I also still don't know which button is O, or X, or Triangle, or whatever.
/SSP
The SNES pad, though, can do a majority of Nintendo system emulation (which happens to be my personal favorite, if you couldn't tell). The NES, SNES, GameBoy, and GameBoy Advance all have similar layouts with their controllers, and all of the buttons on the SNES pad can be laid out in emulators for all of the above systems, and it works near perfectly in all of them. It definitely works with the Atari 2600, too, via Stella. It also works for the Sega Genesis, but it's a little bit clunky for games that need all 6 buttons. For 3 button games, though, it's a piece of cake.
It unfortunately can't do much in the way of Playstation emulating, though I haven't tried it yet. I just know it's 2 buttons short (L2 and R2), as well as the 2 control sticks. Same goes for Nintendo 64 (damn that controller).
Shameless Self Promotion:
I'm currently working on a project based on a PC, the Knoppix distro, some emulators, my SNES pad, and a crappy custom-made frontend. If it weren't for my SNES pad that I can bring anywhere with me, I wouldn't have even come up with the idea for it.
"My days are less enjoyable because of people." ~ Johnny the Homicidal Maniac
I've got two 9-pin digital joystick ports on my PCI Catweasel Mk 3, I just wish some Windows drivers would be written for them.
Just buy a cheap extension cable and a couple of diodes. It takes about 10 min of soldering.
Just a small tip but the best PC gamepad I've seen that emulates a ps2 controller the most is the thrustmaster firestorm 3, it actually has more buttons then the ps2 (unlike belkin or logitech) and is the only one I've found to have push-in analog buttons like the consoles, I've searched far and wide to find a decent controller to play mgs2 and this is the best i could find at duplicating a ps2 controller (I'd get a ps2-pc converter thing but i dont like the idea of a ps2 product on my machine) be prepared for a little confusing configuring buttons with the gamepad software and the actual game. If you don't need all the buttons of a ps2 though then I suggest the logitech wingman wireless, which I consider the big mother of pc gamepads, quality and style wrapped in wireless goodness.
Hello. There's a driver for PS-PC parallel port adapters in the Linux Kernel (2.4 at least). The file 'Documentation/input/joystick-parport.txt' contains a schematic for an adapter and mentions that it's DirectPad Pro compatible. The DPP web site doesn't appear to be there any more, but there's a mirror.
SEVEN YEAR THEORY FAILS IT!