Using Keyboard or Game Controller on a PC?

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Dagrump
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Using Keyboard or Game Controller on a PC?

Post by Dagrump »

I currently just use my PC keyboard to play the game but lately am experiencing some some finger and wrist pain etc. I play way too much and the real answer is play less but that is not an option I want to choose. I have been looking at some Xbox controllers for a PC and think that is probably the way to go.

Curious to find out what others use to control the game on your pc and any advise on Xbox controllers for a PC.

Thank you in advance for any responses.
Farming with a Dell PC on Maps:
FS17: Loan Oaks Farm and Western Shore
FS19: Upper Mississippi River Valley, Bucks County, Pa, Huron County Michigan
FS22 Back Roads County, Stone Valley 22, Green Valley Nebraska and Huron County Michigan
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DEERE317
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Re: Using Keyboard or Game Controller on a PC?

Post by DEERE317 »

Pretty much the exact reason I got an Xbox One wireless controller for my Pc.
Not interested in carpal tunnel or something stupid and an Xbox controller has roughly the same wrist angle as ergonomic mouse so I’d imagine it’s similar.
Mine was plug and play with Bluetooth and works great.
FS15 & FS19 Platinum Edition PC (and War Thunder, Gaijin is way worse than GIANTS ever has been accused of being)
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GothicKing13
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Re: Using Keyboard or Game Controller on a PC?

Post by GothicKing13 »

When I want to be lazy and don't want to fiddle with hooking anything up I use just Mouse/Keyboard... but, usually I operate using a Steering Wheel. Especially when the arthritis in my left hand/wrist is bothering me really bad. But, a few years back I tore a ligament in my left shoulder and every now and then I loose mobility with the arm and can't really do anything with it. When that happens, Mouse/Keyboard isn't going to happen and the steering wheel is out of the question... so, I keep a USB cord near me that's easily plugged in and just use my PS4 controller with the PC. Thankfully with STEAM, it works well enough. Good thing I know the Xbox button layout though. Sometimes I get the PS4 button scheme in game, but most of the time it shows me the Xbox buttons. :hi:
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Dagrump
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Re: Using Keyboard or Game Controller on a PC?

Post by Dagrump »

Thanks for the advise. Gothic and Deere. I have already had the carpal tunnel surgery on both wrists and surgery for three "trigger" fingers so trying to avoid more. Is there enough keys or buttons on the xbox controller to deal with course play and auto drive setups? I have never done any xbox or any other game console play so have zero knowledge of the capabilities of the contollers.
Farming with a Dell PC on Maps:
FS17: Loan Oaks Farm and Western Shore
FS19: Upper Mississippi River Valley, Bucks County, Pa, Huron County Michigan
FS22 Back Roads County, Stone Valley 22, Green Valley Nebraska and Huron County Michigan
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GothicKing13
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Re: Using Keyboard or Game Controller on a PC?

Post by GothicKing13 »

Sorry, friend... I can't be of help with that question as I don't personally use either mod. But, I'd probably say no. As, when I have the PS4 controller out I find myself still twiddling with the keyboard setting up GPS or setting up Follow Me. :hi:
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blue_painted
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Re: Using Keyboard or Game Controller on a PC?

Post by blue_painted »

I use a wireless XBOX controller on PC for most things -- especially now there's the progressive steering mod -- but mouse and keyboard for AutoDrive and CoursePlay, and for one or two things where there's a binding conflict. I do find that the inputBinding.xml file can get out of hand and need regular cleaning up.
Playing new "Beest" Intel i7-11700F with GeForce GTX 3060 and XBOX controller
also £600 laptop - AMD Ryzen 5600H with GeForce GTX 3050 XBOX controller

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cwattyeso
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Re: Using Keyboard or Game Controller on a PC?

Post by cwattyeso »

I've used a Generic PC Compact Controller (It's actually a Nacon PS4 Controller) to play FS19 and have done pretty much exclusively since it released. The good thing on PC is you have access to key binding, which means you can pretty much program any functions you need (ones not already mapped) to the controller. So I've never really needed to use the mouse and keyboard to play. About the only time I use the mouse is if I'm interacting with something like the Courseplay UI. For things like GPS (Guidance Steering) and Follow Me I have keybinds set for their main functions on the controller so can definitely interact with those mods without the need for a keyboard.

I have dabbled with using my steering wheel as well to control the game, the great thing about Farming Simulator is you don't need to go into any menus or change options when wanting to use a different control device, the game will switch on the fly between whatever you are interacting with be it a controller, keyboard, mouse or a wheel. The only thing that really stopped me playing the game with wheel was a lack control for moving the character on foot or controlling the camera in a vehicle due to lack of analogue sticks or controls on the wheel. I recently got a new Thrustmaster T-GT wheel which does have two mini-analogue sticks on the wheel so I'm hoping this will solve that problem and maybe I'll be able to play more with a wheel going forward and certainly in FS22 hopefully.
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DEERE317
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Re: Using Keyboard or Game Controller on a PC?

Post by DEERE317 »

Dagrump wrote: Sun Apr 25, 2021 5:52 am Thanks for the advise. Gothic and Deere. I have already had the carpal tunnel surgery on both wrists and surgery for three "trigger" fingers so trying to avoid more. Is there enough keys or buttons on the xbox controller to deal with course play and auto drive setups? I have never done any xbox or any other game console play so have zero knowledge of the capabilities of the contollers.
Still have to use the keyboard for that stuff which is mildly annoying. (CP may have a key bind to open I don’t know about as I haven’t looked)
I did set a triple key bind for locking onto GPS but I never was able to work it good. It does let you move around in the menus for stuff though.
FS15 & FS19 Platinum Edition PC (and War Thunder, Gaijin is way worse than GIANTS ever has been accused of being)
FS Comunity Trader: https://fs19communitytrader.freeforums.net/
Desktop: i5-9400f, RTX 2060, 8gb RAM, 256gb SSD.
Laptop: Pentium Silver N5000, UHD605, 4gb RAM, 1tb HDD.
Deere, Fendt, Claas, and sometimes the rest of Agco.
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Dagrump
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Re: Using Keyboard or Game Controller on a PC?

Post by Dagrump »

Thank you all for your information and I should receive a wireless controller tomorrow. I hope I can be as proficient as cwattyeso eventually. Next step maybe see if I can cast the game to my tv and play the game from a recliner. :biggrin2:
Farming with a Dell PC on Maps:
FS17: Loan Oaks Farm and Western Shore
FS19: Upper Mississippi River Valley, Bucks County, Pa, Huron County Michigan
FS22 Back Roads County, Stone Valley 22, Green Valley Nebraska and Huron County Michigan
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JdW
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Re: Using Keyboard or Game Controller on a PC?

Post by JdW »

If you go to your settings in Steam > Controller and you untick the boxes for Xbox button layout and Playstation button layout, you should be seeing your Playstation button layout from now on in-game. I had the same issue, and this solved it for me.
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Dagrump
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Re: Using Keyboard or Game Controller on a PC?

Post by Dagrump »

JdW wrote: Tue May 04, 2021 4:58 pm If you go to your settings in Steam > Controller and you untick the boxes for Xbox button layout and Playstation button layout, you should be seeing your Playstation button layout from now on in-game. I had the same issue, and this solved it for me.
Thank you for the reply Jdw but my FS19 is not from Steam. There is a page in the FS19 main menu group that provides the commands but the whole button layout would have been helpful. I have made up a cheat sheet of the commands I use the most. Maybe someday my memory will absorb them and I won't need the cheat sheet. :biggrin2:
Farming with a Dell PC on Maps:
FS17: Loan Oaks Farm and Western Shore
FS19: Upper Mississippi River Valley, Bucks County, Pa, Huron County Michigan
FS22 Back Roads County, Stone Valley 22, Green Valley Nebraska and Huron County Michigan
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GothicKing13
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Re: Using Keyboard or Game Controller on a PC?

Post by GothicKing13 »

JdW wrote: Tue May 04, 2021 4:58 pm If you go to your settings in Steam > Controller and you untick the boxes for Xbox button layout and Playstation button layout, you should be seeing your Playstation button layout from now on in-game. I had the same issue, and this solved it for me.
I don't have Xbox selected as I don't own an Xbox, but I did check PlayStation. So, make sure both of those is unchecked? I'll give it a try, m8. Thank you! :hi:
GOTHICKING13 With every deed, you are sowing a seed. Though the harvest, you may not see.
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