Tutorial - Using USB Controllers

Presently, VirtualNES can not interface directly with devices that plug in to your computer, such as USB controllers. In order to work around that limitation, third-party helper software can be used to allow VirtualNES.com and other Emulation Collective websites, to work with your USB controller.

Note: While you can use USB controllers in Mac OS and Linux, this tutorial does not cover those platforms.

Step 1: Getting Everything Ready

Assuming you've already purchased a USB controller, go ahead and plug it in. If you have a device that accepts input from controllers for other systems, like the NES, SNES, PS1, PS2 or the Original XBOX, plug that in first, then plug in your controller. If you're using a PS3 or XBOX 360 controller or Wii Remote, additional steps are required for those devices to interace with your Windows PC, that is beyond the scope of this tutorial.

Step 2: Joy2Key Download & Configuration

To use USB Controllers with this website, you'll need to download a small, free program called Joy2Key, which can be found here. After you've downloaded it, unzip the file, and run "Joy2Key.exe".

Note: Some very new controllers may need to be placed in DirectInput mode. If Joy2Key doesn't see any controllers attached to your controller, ensure the input switch is set to "D" and try again.

On the list to the left, you'll see several different types of controllers listed. Hopefully, you'll see a type listed that matches your controller. If you do, highlight it by click on the name. If nothing on the list matches what you are using, select "Generic Profile" for now.

Step 3: Using Your Controller on VirtualGBX.com

Now that you've completed Step 2, minimize Joy2Key. For testing out your configuration, go play Super Mario Bros. You should be able to start the game using the appropriate button, and from there, it really should start to feel natural. Because each controller is different, we can't really go through which button is which here - look at the configuration window in Joy2Key if you have questions about that.

Note: If you closed Joy2Key, it won't do anything. Make sure it's running in the system tray!

If that test worked, you should be ready to go for playing games on VirtualNES.com and other Emulation Collective websites. If you aren't getting any response, or if the buttons seem wrong, you'll want to move to Step 4.

Step 4: Making Your Own Configuration

If there is no profile for your controller, and the Generic Configruation isn't working, you'll need to make your own configuration. To do this, click "Create" in Joy2Key. At the prompt, type in the type of controller you are using. Looking at the diagram provided on the main page of each Emulation Collective game site (for the most buttons, use VirtualSuperNES) and the numbers on your controller, double-click the entries on the left to assign a key to a button. For "Select", you'll want to use the "Assign Special Keys..." field to assign Right Shift to a particular button.

If your controller doesn't have numbers labled on the buttons:

In Windows XP, open the Control Panel, and click on Game Controllers.

In Windows Vista and Windows 7, open Devices and Printers, find your controller, right-click, select "Game Controller Settings" and click "Properties".

This may take a few tries to get everything just right, but with a little perservearance, you should have everything working properly soon.