Why I Ditched my $3,000 HOTAS for a $50 Controller

[@Tuuvas]

!! IMPORTANT !! • Cursor/Mouse drifting? Go to the Joystick Mouse deadzone UI at 14:47 and set an inner deadzone of 5 and leave outer deadzone at 88 on the new blue deadzone bar's sliders • Cursor moves but not the camera? Load into aircraft -> ESC -> Adjust Controls -> Axis Commands -> Select "Mouse" column name -> Reset Defaults -> OK to save • NONE of your buttons are working? Disable the new DCS Launcher using Launcher -> ⚙Settings -> Turn OFF "Run launcher on start" -> Exit Launcher -> Start DCS • SOME of your buttons are not working? Remove any custom CONTROLLER modifiers under Controls Menu -> Modifiers button -> remove JOY_BTN_5, JOY_BTN_6, etc • Still Having controller issues? Join us at discord.gg/wKMpmbTwWU The folks at the UnOfficial DCS Discord Server have graciously offered to host our own little "Gamepad Corner" there!

[@spacemonkey037]

Lots of grace!

[@tanberjan]

How do I remove the old modifier buttons? I think this is what is giving me an issue as I don't have the mouse cursor on the right stick,camera with right stick works with the modifier but I don't get the cursor control.

[@Tuuvas]

Go to Controls Menu -> Select the aircraft you're setting up -> Click the "Modifiers" button on the bottom left -> Select any custom modifiers and remove them -> save changes

[@tanberjan]

@Tuuvas Thanks, I worked it out. Is the switching to mouse cursor instead of camera not available in the flaming cliffs modules?

[@Tuuvas]

It is not since flaming cliffs modules don't have clickable cockpits. This also applies to the Su-25T.

[@sonadro]

I don't know what's more impressive. The fact that you can air to air refuel upside down, or the fact that you can do it with a controller.

[@PaddyMcQueen]

Because he was inverted

[@Chicahua_]

@@PaddyMcQueen the belly of the plane was on the belly of his jet, additionally, the ground was on his head, therefore he was actually upside down (sorry for kinda nerding but I think it was a little more just logic)

[@jamesdernbach7205]

I've owned DCS since 2016 and I haven't had this much fun playing it as I have today. I tried the A-10C back in 2017 and decided it was too clunky with the joystick and keyboard. This is an absolute game changer. I spent a good part of the day going through the A-10C tutorials and was amazed with how intuitive and easy the controls were. I travel for work and play on a laptop, and it is unbelievable what I'm capable of doing on this game while on the go. You've singlehandedly restored my love for DCS world. Thank you!

[@ggjjabc]

What kind of laptop do you use for DCS?

[@jamesdernbach7205]

@@ggjjabc it’s an HP Victus. I got it on sale at Best Buy for about $600-$800. A little slow but better than nothing.

[@ggjjabc]

@jamesdernback7205 I've been wondering if my Asus N550JX-DS71T can play the A-10C. Bought the laptop for about $1000 way back then for FSX Steam /P3D (with the Wingman Cordless Rumblepad - google... it's cheap and has a built-in throttle) and now is the only device I have that has a DVD-player.

[@Nimbusz]

Would u say is possible to play DCS world with a keyboard and a mouse then?

[@nikka9184]

@@Nimbusz it's definitely possible I've been doing it for a year but it takes dedication and in dogfight you will need a lot of training and will be I a disadvantages for gunning

[@Wh1terider]

Ralfi will probably start a GoFundMe for that mental check up Tuvas, right after he chucks that x-box controller out the window.

[@Tuuvas]

lol I'll still be sending him another controller to try from the mental ward

[@Wh1terider]

Well played sir.

[@Nyxx2115]

This ended up being a much more in depth tutorial than I was expecting it to be. Well done Tuuvas

[@Tuuvas]

Tell me about it! I thought it would be shorter now that I'm providing profiles instead, but it still took close to 30min! lol

[@VKNorthern]

This is honestly an amazing video for anyone wanting to try DCS without spending money on any joysticks or HOTAS setups. I salute you sir and thank you for the amazing contributions you make to the DCS community!

[@BIGNEWY]

Thanks for sharing Tuuvas, your gamepad content and guides have been very helpful for many users out there.

[@Tuuvas]

My pleasure, Bignewy! I hope even more new players will be coming in now that I've uploaded all my controller profiles.

[@FJFuentesCO]

When I first came across your channel I decided to try an old 360 controller I had lying around. Was surprised how easy it was to use. Now I use the FlyDigi Vader Pro 3 that you reviewed a little while back and really am enjoying it. I have a HOTAS, but spend most of my time on the controller since I don't have to re-arrange my desk to use it. It's a great entry into DCS for those who are curious and you can always get a dedicated HOTAS after you've spent some time in DCS and learned what will really works for you. Hope anyone interested in DCS sees this video, it's a great community to be part of!

[@RaPtOrScOpE1]

Brother, I have been running your control scheme probably for the past 6 months and it has changed my whole perspective of the game. Made it easy to bring my simple ps4 controller and be able to fly and operate whichever aircraft i wanted to fly.

[@Doberman300]

This video is absolutely unbelievably good. All I can say is if I saw this video 2 years ago I would be about $800 richer from not buying a HOTAS and headtracker. Absolute killer, especially for how many High Schoolers with a limited budget already have an Xbox or Playstation and could put all that money towards a module in DCS instead of a stick or tracker. Thanks for taking the time to post this AND lay the groundwork with the pre-made profiles!

[@piedpiper1172]

@@Doberman300 Hard to believe you’d give up the head tracker. Controller + head tracker is phenomenal. All control set ups benefit from head trackingx

[@pnksmigge5324]

I thought I was smart for mapping my controller all kinds of ways and back as an extension to my cheap joystick for DCS but you are on another level.. respect!

[@MrNplus1]

Can't thank you enough for your continuous dedication to help the community! This guide is certainly the best one yet, very clear, very easy to follow (with the downloadable profiles PLUS layout images) and once you get the logic behind it you can definitely enjoy DCS with a controller. You rule Tuuvas!!!

[@maxam0713]

I couldn’t for the life of me get the camera movement to work while setting this up on a laptop. Once I disabled and removed the head tracking device that was built into the webcam it has worked like a charm! Thanks man

[@jangjangjangjong]

You can actually use your built in webcam as a head tracker if you want, and free up your right stick for something else

[@eliacz]

I've been playing with a PS4 controller for 2 years now, and this is life changing. Thank you!

[@fe_svn]

Thank you so much for this, been wanting to play DCS for the longest time, but constantly moving countries makes impossible to build a proper setup, with this I'm finally able to get my DCS fix.

[@nightyeve]

this is the most clear tutorial i have every seen on youtube on any subject

[@Tuuvas]

Thanks for the kind words!

[@sirwhippamus]

Bro, when you refuel led upside down I friggen lost it. So cool and that earned you a sub

[@sunrrrise]

Very interesting topic! While I am in a different rabbit hole already, but agree a lot with you. Especially inverted AAR is nice big middle finger to the guys saying that it is literally impossible to fly straight with entry or mid level joystick or even TM Warthog.

[@pyroscot]

Massive respect buddy thats simply outstanding that you can accomodate the HOTAS all in the controller. very impressed. Pete

[@holmescjh]

I followed you from years ago and used the input mapper for my Xbox Controller for the longest time but recently its been bugging out on me. Thought my controller was faulty but turns out it was the input mapper program, had to re-import the controller profiles and setup the controller via steam but it was so worth it! So glad I did not freak out and buy a new controller. Thanks Tuuvas!

[@nixda4166]

Thanks so much for this video! I’m finally able to play some dcs for the first time! So far I’m having a blast hehe

[@thegalacticwolf4620]

You, my friend, are AWESOME! Thank you for this updated video of mapping the controls and for making all of your control profiles available via DCS. The additions of the trigger and bumper modifications I think are going to make a world of difference. Keep the badass vids coming!

[@WarbirdsVR]

I’m kinda shocked at how well this works. I have a ton of money into my hotas and love it, but man this isn’t a bad option at all. If I sunk some hours into it I bet I could fly just as good as with my hotas. Amazing work dude!

[@Tuuvas]

Glad it's working out so well for you! More often than not, HOTAS users are surprised just how accessible DCS is with a gamepad. At least based on the feedback I've gotten over the years with my layouts.

[@romanleiderman8801]

Thank you so much for the professional tutorial, I was using your previous controller layout. this update make it much easier and efficient I really like the new way of the zoom control. Good job and thank you again

[@tanberjan]

Thanks so much for sharing your gamepad profiles. I lost all of the profiles that I had set up when I upgraded my pc and never got around to assigning them all again. Now, I can download these and get back into some of my favourite aircrafts !

[@Tuuvas]

Nice! I'm glad I can help that process along!

[@Jottagelado]

This video was extremely helpful in more than one way. Not only it managed to make me give another change to dcs and enjoy it much more, but also made me realize the full potential of the controller customization on steam. I never looked in depth to it and assumed it only had basic remapping. Now I’m making custom setups for every game i play.

[@Chonkems]

I just wanna say thank you for this. I'm not very good at flight sims, but I like having something to play with my father, and since I don't have a dedicated HOTAS, this makes it a lot easier.

[@dcsunscripted]

I'll stick to my HOTAS, but this is incredible. I've heard about "that guy with the controller", I thought I'm a control freak, but, mister, this is another level. 🙂 It reminds me having two modifiers on a single finger on my old Hotas X. I still use modifiers probably more than others (just a guess), but these controller setups are a great example why they are so useful. Lose two buttons, gain up to fourfold on the others! And the video tutorial quality is top-notch as well. Kudos!

[@blackTM2011]

setting up the gampad controls is just as tedious as setting up the jets but man does it work well.

[@adalwolf-013]

this is actually insane. I've considered using a controller before, but always just figured running my (budget) HOTAS setup would be better. But im definitely going to be giving this a try. You manage to get so many binds into the controller and they all seem very intuitive and sensible. Awesome vid. Thanks

[@GIORZMMIV]

bro the way you explain, do the videos, edit them, its just perfect, with this video you helped me very much (as a newbie in DCS world) and im so thankful for that, i now have the M2KC, i use your controls (the M2K controls are still WIP) but im going to wait until its finished bc i love the M2K, again thank you very much! 😆

[@OddElephantLTU]

Videos like these are great. They're making the steep hill that is DCS (and all of the things that come with learning and playing it) flatter for people who aren't sure if they'll like it or are too intimidated to get into it.

[@monty58]

This has so many small details that I love from a tutorial. The comment about the .exe not showing up without file extensions enabled is such a small thing but super helpful for less computer savvy people.

[@polishlanman]

This is incredible. I was worried that playing DCS would require a HOTAS but now I am able to try the game with a few trial modules before figuring out if I want to take the full plunge. I accidentally loaded the controller profile to the game before setting up my steam controller settings and wasn't able to make the camera move. What fixed it was reloading the xbox controller setting provided by Tuuvas. Epic 10/10. Thanks dude!

[@postman2237]

I downloaded your profile (SU-27). It's super cool and really fun to play with. Plus, it frees up more space on my computer desk for other stuff, Thank you😃😃😃

[@mrtmscsln]

the fact that this man went out of his way to make this video and all those profiles is crazy, im subscribed forever

[@FightCain]

Thanks to you, I feel comfortable playing DCS on my laptop. Not the most ideal but it's great to play the game without the need of hotas far away from home

[@TheFoxYTB]

Thanks for your videos... They always help me out... I already have a hotas setup but i still need a gamepads for wso activity❤💙💛 Greetings from Germany, keep it up

[@Tuuvas]

No problem! I'm glad I can help out still in some way at least

[@XCougar85X]

Thanks for the video. Just ditched my Hotas and Track IR for an Xbox controller after vacation. And in large thanks to your video and comment on Reddit i am now flying Hip, Hind,Huey, Apache, F-4, all the Gen 4 and FC-3 on it. Using aprox 25% of the setups you use since i still use my keyboard for a fair deal of things and i enjoy DCS more than i have for quite some time. Have not used a controller for so many years (last was a PS3), and i can't believe how fast this became very comfortable. Thanks again.

[@YTB_JSNFARRELL]

Thanks for taking the time to make and share this! Been wanting to use a Xbox controller for years but the game controls section created some undesired results. The combination of Steam and DCS controller configuration seems to do the trick! The only edit I made was swapping the A and B throttle bindings to mirror MSFS due to muscle-memory.

[@thatcooperfellow]

Thanks for making this and the profiles! I used your F-16C profile. I thought, from the tutorial, that maybe it was going to be a nightmare to pickup. Yet only took about an hour to begin memorizing all the button combos. I have the F and P switches on the bottom so I'll just start assigning those their own key combos as well. It's actually incredible how many functions you can fit on just an xbox controller.

[@Colonel_Bat_Guano]

Thanks so much man, I'm coming from Il-2 which doesn't require all the steam trickery. The expanded features for the xbox controller are cool in general, very informative video. I'm excited to learn some new aircraft

[@runescaper1333]

A very well made guide. This video made me discover the steam layout configurator. I believe with radial menus, you can bind *ALL* possible controls in every aircraft

[@macwt]

Ive been using controller as well and has been doing rather okay but your control preset is 1000x better thank you so much

[@Alpenbasti1]

thank you for this video. i was for the longest time thinking about going back into the game but always was too lazy install all my hotas stuff again, but now i have an alternative to try out

[@Lomelekriemer]

Wow this is just awesome. The work that you put into this is extreme. Many thanks

[@AlphaGatorDCS]

I love your backdrop. Thanks for all you do for DCS!

[@elekrytyk]

You inspired me :) I hid Hotas Warthog, bought 8bitdo and it's great. I used Rewasd and joypro. I can play at the other end of the apartment without cables in VR. Thanks a lot.

[@RogerKaptunik]

Still better than the 80s, when I played sims with a digital joystick

[@ZeroFilth]

My man, great video once again, glad to see you at it!

[@flint7ie]

Just finished setting this all up for my VR and with all profiles. you Are a blessing to all, for that you get a SUB MANY THX

[@FoxtrotYankeeHotel]

The controls and setup required in this game is rediculous. I understand it's more aimed at the pro with all the controllers and pro setup but I have never had such a headache from setting up a game before I've even launch the gameplay! Hats off to you, sir. You have saved me hours of playing around to get a semi working setup, and your setup goes the whole way! I never knew steam had such a great setup for modifying controllers like that! I'm back here writing this message and I've only seen the mouse movement from the controller which I think is a great idea! Now this noob is away to provide some cannon fodder for the pros to take out... Wish me luck...

[@cmdrbigity6914]

Lifesaving stuff for when I can't be at my main rig!

[@CAPT_Pricey]

The ease with which you maneuver the aircraft using only a gamepad is truly impressive. It's time to stow away your HOTAS and send it to me as soon as you can.

[@Fleecast]

Always appreciate your work and effort to make this possible man, keep it up💯

[@oOZionOo]

youre the reason i play dcs. just started a week ago p.s you can export controller layouts from steam too

[@Tuuvas]

Yeah, I was testing the exports from Steam for a few months with random people. It was just too unreliable, especially for non-Steam games like DCS Standalone.

[@oOZionOo]

@@Tuuvas I wondered if you might've seen it already but it was buggy somehow. Thanks anyway for all your help. I'm playing all missions with the su25t rn, before I move up ladder/waiting for a stream sale.

[@dmario2992]

dude,thank you so much for this detailed video

[@Tuuvas]

No problem!

[@Musicore08]

Sooo. I used to play a lot of old school combat flight sims and I've always wanted to have a go at DCS since I found out about it a few years ago, but could never justify the price of the new style joystick and all the other cool gadgets you can get for it. I never thought of using my game pad, this is a game changer if it works!

Thank you for your Video. I used it to set up the controllers of the Lenovo Legion Go

[@Tuuvas]

Nice! I'm using a GPD Win Mini myself

[@AnthonyAdrianAcker]

To be able to play DCS to relax on a lunch break for instance would be invaluable!

[@whammo11224]

I've been watching you for a while! I'm seeing this with my own eyes and I still think it's a trick!

[@ziepex7009]

Love the videos man, this one was really helpful!

[@christiaandenysschen9110]

I went through this with car sims PC/PlayStation back in the day. - You cannot beat a controller - games are written around a controller. Games would have sucked if you could not master them without a controller. I played GT4 for about 2 years with a FB steering wheel. One day I was not in the mood to setup the steering wheel, I played with a controller and in 45 minutes I beat all my own records by miles. Do play Flight sim with a joystick and pedals, it's part of the fun but that's it.

[@swimmerdawg123]

This man is clutch, for sure subscribing.

[@Viper1Zero]

Awesome video, my man! Keep it up!

[@misiurkaful]

I have a hotas, I've spent lot of time and money trying to find the perfect solution for me. While perfect, it become so clunky, it took ages to setup before flying, to the point i practically stopped flying. Then i thought about trying betafpv literadio drone controller in usb mode, it looks very much like an xbox controller, just with better gimbals, and no buttons, only switches. And it was great for MSFS in vr, and i was wondering if it would work for DCS. And now youtube shows me this. Excellent.

[@Rebel3Percenter]

Man!!!! Thanks for all your help!!!! Excellent Job!!!

[@golden_fpv9023]

Quick tip in case you’ve not tried it before, setting the view axis to the absolute one or whatever can help a lot for looking around quicker and having more control. It’s way better for me than just moving it that way, and it’s way better than having it set to a hat switch on a hotas. Whatever works for you is great, but that’s what worked for me in case you’ve not tried it yourself.

[@Tuuvas]

This is actually what I used to have in my previous gamepad guides. Zoom View axis was set to LB + Triggers (just like how Mouse Scroll Up/Down is today via Steam). The snappiness of the zoom axis option was indeed very nice, but it often resulted in unintentional rudder input when trying to hold a specific zoom level. In particular, max zoom. Now you can easily hold a zoom level with the mouse scroll bind. It's a bit slower and slightly framey, but you also get other benefits like zooming in and out in F10 view, scrolling UI menus, turning knobs in the cockpit, etc. There's a bunch of benefits now over the snappy zoom axis.

[@mab2187]

This is what I like about ya, I'm thinking of getting in DCS and I don't have the hardware to play it with that.

[@jerzem01]

I understand anyone who doesn't have the money for an expensive setup and therefore chooses a controller. but that? The point of their setup was to be closer to reality. That's why I can't understand why you replaced your setup with a controller. 🤯

[@armhunter]

Im glad you help those who can't or don't want to shell out money for a full Hotas. but there's no way I would rather use a game controller. I love the emersion a Hotas offers.

[@orcophant]

I agree. Playing with a gamepad would take away the whole point of playing a sim.

[@YourLocalZombie]

A modern gamepad has more buttons than the HOTAS sets we had in the early 90's. The stick is just fun though, it's so immersive.

[@SomeGuy_YT]

So happy I found this video, been wanting to play DCS for a while and all I have is a controller

[@Cornholio0494]

Thanks you man you've rekindled my love for this game

[@Powll_425]

Thanks for this mate now I don't have to bother dming you to help me get my controls setup for steam, it's me nimble btw

[@trueheartwork]

Brotha. You are awesome. Thanks for sharing the joy of pc flying.

[@paulthurston2883]

Same here. I have expensive hardware/HOTAS etc but the XBox controller simply rocks when properly configured and dialed in. Cheers !

[@BMAD_Christoph27]

Equipment plays no part in enjoyment, nor in immersion nor in competition. It is the spirit, the mindset, one places themselves in when they play something, whether racing sim, flight sim or any other game genre. I won the iRacing (top split) Nürburgring 24h and was vice champion of a broadcasted top split series on a used G29 and flew dueling tournaments at the top level on a knockoff ps3 controller. Now that I've spent thousands on equipment, I feel no difference whatsoever in any regard.

[@mahmutaktas7339]

This video is the exact definition of perfection, nothing less 🚀

[@OzeanZonedOut]

I am sharing THE FUCK out of this video

[@heikeklimpel1480]

I‘m totally impressed with the fact that you‘re playing DCS on a controller. Until a few days ago, I didn‘t even consider this to be a possibility! I‘ve mapped my buttons according to your suggestions and currently practice flying with a controller (very unusual for me since I normally use the HOTAS). However, I really wonder how you manage to make precise throttle corrections (especially during A/A refueling) with the buttons on the controller. I‘m trying my best here but the adjustments just seem so very rough. Using a PS4 controller (which thinks it‘s an XBox-controller somehow) and triangle and square are not pressable gently, only all the way through? Trying to put together a project for my students with the TF-51 and I really struggle with both: throttle up/down and hitting the wheelbrakes (the plane always does a nosedive and kills the propeller)

[@acrosion544]

Thank you for this dude

[@granspeed]

@tuuvas great vid! Hopefully, this lowers high hurdle for entry into DCS and stay with it

[@djurabre229]

Love your facecam background lmao

[@eagletrippin]

Not sure how or why The Algorithm brought me here...but I'm glad it did! After playing MS Flight Simulator, I'm a little curious about flying sims. And I thought DCS was costly; never thought it would be $Free-99! Thanks! Also great to know I can play with just a controller, keyboard & mouse😁

[@saber1885]

I've been playing DCS with mouse and keyboard for 3 years but I may switch over to Gamepad.

[@Adam-qk5tt]

same here :) might go for it , to be honest i think DualSense could be even better for that then the Xbox controller :)

[@FJFuentesCO]

I'd strongly suggest it. I've been playing with a controller for several months now, there isn't anything I can't fly with it (AH-64, F-14, AV-8B, P-51 etc) and that includes carrier landings and aerial refueling.

[@Tuuvas]

@Adam-qk5tt If you intend on using the gyro a lot, then yeah, DualSense is absolutely better! It has the best gyro on the market among gamepads.

[@Kilanov]

for the last 2 weeks, i've not been super sold on steam input, because I'd been using your prior controller configs with the two bumper modifiers and insanely snappy camera with a mouse and keyboard in my lap just fine. My opinion changed the SECOND i started looking around with the right stick having just fiddled the throttle with it moments prior, lol

[@darrenwebb2364]

what a guy... i made a mistake setting up my controller in steam and he took the time to jump on voice and help me figure it out

[@MatPost]

Any chance you will do a tutorial or two on IL2-1946?

[@WeekdayWeekend]

This is an amazing guide, but my question is why do all the mapping through Steam instead of doing mapping through DCS itself? DCS allows for modifiers as well, doesn't it?

[@sondremyrstad3322]

i cant get the right stick movement to work with the bumpers, any tips

[@SerGallow]

Oh man what I would give to see a start up, bombing run, landing with the hornet with this!

[@almightyIrie]

I absolutely agree in the fact that equipment does not make the pilot, but damn a joypad is stretching it... a lot.

[@hyper_divergent7794]

Thank you very much for these controls! I don’t really want to spend a small fortune on controllers when I can use my various xbox controllers to fly instead!

[@vampolascott36]

I love dogfighting in DCS with a VR headset, so I need smooth, precise controllers with plenty of buttons and switches that I can easily find by touch, because using a keyboard in VR doesn't work out very well. I use a desktop VKB Gunfighter joystick and Virpil Mongoos throttle and they have both been perfect for my needs.

[@pabloottawa]

I flew Falcon 4.0 in an MS Sidewinder flight stick with 10 buttons and one analog hat switch. In a few ways, it is easier to fly when your muscle memory is conditioned to interact with just the keyboard, mouse and simple flight stick. Flipping switches and turning dials is cool but not as fast as keyboard/mouse/stick once you are accustomed to it. Bottom line is; if you really want to fly DCS you can find a way. You do not need a HOTAS.

[@xmothyz]

im so glad i can play this game without a hotas!! ive wanted to play this for a long time but didnt want to buy a clunky system and this might save my love for this game! as im typing this im installing the gigantic game so maybe ill come back and see how much i like it

[@MrGReddy]

After following step by step and verifying the LEFT BUMPER does NOT add the mode shift commands (as shown at 15:30). Anybody else run into this issue?

[@Tuuvas]

Yes, this is thanks to an update on Steam that no longer shows the mode shift buttons in the Buttons category. If you do not see these, it's ok. Everything should still work as long as you've followed my steps

[@Kaizen29x]

Wow thanks brother for this!

[@parkersgarage4216]

i might have to try this out. i have a vr headset and have never played dcs. im thinking its prob pretty awesome w a headset. thanks for this vid for sure. take care