Slashdot Mirror
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.
I never vote for anyone. I always vote against.
-- W.C. Fields
Couldn't have been a lot less than $15 !!!
Seems like a bit of a waste of time/money!.
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
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.
Jay Bibby reviews Flash and casual Web games at... http://jayisgames.com
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.
"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.
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.