Controllers
Plug your controller into your computer as usual. PlayStation, Xbox and Switch controllers all work. Then choose, in the machine’s settings on the Input page, how the machine sees it:
| Gamepad setting | The machine sees | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| USB gamepad | A USB controller with two sticks, a hat and twelve buttons | Windows games |
| Gameport joystick | The classic joystick port: two sticks, two axes and two buttons each | DOS games |
| Gamepad as keyboard keys | No controller. The pad presses keys | Games that only read the keyboard |
| No gamepad | Nothing | The default |
USB gamepad
Section titled “USB gamepad”Windows XP installs its own driver the next time it starts. Windows 98 SE does too, but asks for its install files the first time. Keep the Windows CD in the drive, or point it at the CAB folder on the disk.
Games find it through DirectInput, and it shows in Game Controllers in the Control Panel.
Gameport joystick
Section titled “Gameport joystick”This is the only kind of controller DOS knows. A DOS game reads the port directly with nothing to install, in a Windows 98 DOS box too. The d-pad moves the stick.
For Windows games on Windows 98, pick the USB gamepad instead. The gameport needs Add New Hardware and a calibration in Game Controllers first.
Gamepad as keyboard keys
Section titled “Gamepad as keyboard keys”The d-pad and the left stick are the arrow keys. The four face buttons are Ctrl, Alt, Space and Enter. There’s no analog steering, and a game that looks for a joystick finds none.