My trusty Logitech PS2-lookalike USB-gamepad is getting a bit broken, in fact it did already last summer (the right analog stick got broken mostly, otherwise it still works great). So a replacement is needed, some older PC games really benefit from it (Carmageddon 2, Sinistar Unleashed etc.), let alone console/arcade games played on emulators. And even for space combat sims, racing games etc. it is much nicer to carry with your laptop than a full flightstick.

But I am totally lost with modern PC gamepads. Is my understanding correct that pretty much all modern PC gamepads are of the "X-Input" variant, ie. the ones which work directly with both XBox360 and PC? Or if some gamepads are still of the older "DirectInput" variant, is there some easy way to tell from the box which is which?

Are there reasons not to get a modern "X-Input" gamepad? Mostly:

- How well does it work with older PC games, both Win9x and DOSBox? Compatibility issues, e.g. if I understood right some GOG games like Rayman 2 may have problems with XInput controllers? These older DirectInput gamepads have always been pretty much plug'n'play, no need for 3rd party utilities etc. I keep hearing of e.g. XPadder or something?

- My intention would be to use it also on my Windows XP machine, do they work ok there too?

Since the intention is to carry it in the laptop bag, I'd prefer some smaller gamepad variants. I remember XBox controllers are quite big and bulky, so I'd prefer to get some smaller variant than the default XBox360 controller.

There's small and there's really small.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcI01MTJSxQ
Could be handy if you need to smuggle a gamepad in your underwear.

I like my Logitech Rumblepad 2, mostly for square stick holes.

For modern games, especially racing games, you will more than likely need an Xinput gamepad. That is to all extents and purposes an Xbox 360 gamepad with a USB adapter.

It's worth having two gamepads - one purely DirectInput and one XInput - for the simple reason that DIrectInput support on 360 pads is severely lacking. No reason for it, apart from Microsoft being utter cunts and trying to force XInput on us.

What the heck, GOG ate my earlier reply? Does the XBox360 controller really need an adapter for PC? I thought the whole idea it could be directly used with both the console and PC? Oh well then.

Anyway, problem solved. First of all I found the cheapo PS2-lookalike gamepad I bought from Thailand last summer (Seaway Powerpad), I guess it is a basic DirectInput gamepad.

But still, I also went today to buy another DirectInput gamepad. I bought Logitech Gamepad F310.

http://www.logitech.com/en-us/gaming/controllers/7360

Later reading the manual, I found out it supports both DirectInput and XInput, you select the mode with a slider at the bottom. So it seems I now got both what I was looking for in one pretty cheap controller. Nice.

Earlier I was expecting all new PC gamepads would be fully backwards compatible (meaning DirectInput), but then I read about the issues that the official MS XBox360 gamepad has with them. Oh well, good then I didn't buy it. Wow, you were reading my mind! I happened to buy the same today, not even knowing it supports both modes.

I mark this as the solution.

Only for the wireless controllers the wired are plug and play

Wish I knew about this when I bought my X360 controller. But I actually might still get one of these. Thanks for the tip!

Your welcome, if you like gaming with a pad (I hate crouching over the keyboard and mouse and have a couch pulled up to my desk to throw myself back on) this is pretty much the ultimate solution.

The only thing that you can't map is the scrolling function of the mouse wheel, although you can still map the mouse's third button (when the wheel is pushed in). You can often times change MouseWheel Up/Down to keyboard keys like '[ ]' in most game's configuration menus.

And of course you can map the X & Y axis's of the mouse to one of the analogue sticks.

When using a custom mapping, you associate each profile you make with the game's executable so the key configurations will change automatically when you start the game but even in instances (such as Java games) the executable fails to initiate you can lock the profile in place so that it will run with whatever game you load despite rather or not initiated by the game's executable.

Ultimately the only games that this isn't practical for are the few rare titles like HammerFight and Die by the Sword that calculation mouse swing motion.

Because it is old and hasn't been updated for nearly 10 years, maybe?

And because it is a lot easier to develop with XInput?

Not to "develop", but to throw in barebones gamepad support, ignoring button and axes remapping options which don't make any sense if you have any other controller plugged in.

Also wiki sayeth MS can shove their 360 controller up their backside.

Even though it's old, it's still a lot more flexible and technically superior to XInput. The one and only advantage from a development perspective is that XInput is a much easier system to develop for. On the other hand, it supports fewer buttons and fewer axes.

The one advantage for gamers is that it establishes a proper standard for gamepads, so there's less havoc with control mappings. It would have been much better though if Microsoft didn't try and railroad devs into supporting XInput only (some games, like Street Fighter 4, supported both, and had the best of both worlds for it). I think there are two packagings of the Xbox 360 gamepad. There's the gamepad for Xbox 360, which has the gamepad with the Xbox 360's round plug, and there's the gamepad for Windows, which supplies the same gamepad as above, only with a short USB adapter cable at the end. You could argue it's a bit of a copout - not a true Windows gamepad - but it's great if you want to use it on a 360 as well.

If you're only to go for DirectInput, check this out:

http://code.google.com/p/x360ce/

You'll struggle a bit with some games that depend on the analogue triggers, but it's a good stand-in. I used it with my Saitek P2600 before it got replaced with my P3200 Xbox controller.

I just saw this and no NO NO NO.
There are currently 3 versions of the xbox controller sold, the wireless, the wired and the wired for windows. The 2 wired versions are identical and sell for the same price the only difference is a driver CD in the for windows one. The wireless does not work with a PC unless you buy the additional wireless receiver. If your an xbox owner the receiver is the best deal it's like 15 bucks and you can use your controllers you already have.
There is no "short adapter" version as the wireless does not have a way of sending USB signals (except a play and charge identifier) there is a dedicated wired version thats lighter and doesn't have the right feel in my opinion.

Of course, I didn't even go into the wireless one. Indeed, the Windows-packaged wireless 360 controller comes with a receiver.

My 360 joypad is a few years old now, but it came supplied with this cable and the aforementioned driver CD.

http://img.dxcdn.com/productimages/sku_29087_1.jpg

On that subject, has anyone had any experience with the Logitech F510?

I have the F710 one, and I am really happy with it, even though every now and then I lose signal for a second or two, which might be a case of oversaturated wireless connections in my place. Assassin's Creed needed an XInput patch file or something, but it played flawlessly after it, as did Bloodrayne (first in XInput, second in DirectInput).
So if the F510 is of similar quality, I'd say it's worth it.