How to Use a USB Joystick

Although PC games are becoming less popular amid competition from Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii and Sony Playstation 3, many users still depend on computer gaming for massively multiplayer online gaming, like Blizzard Entertainment's "World of Warcraft" PC-exclusive game. Luckily for those who want to combine the console experience with the multiplayer versatility of PCs, many USB joysticks on the market make PC gaming more console-like. Using a USB joystick is relatively simple.

Instructions

1. Insert a USB joystick into an open USB port on your computer. On older computers, these ports usually are in the back; newer computers sometimes include additional front ports.

2. Wait while your operating system automatically detects the USB joystick and installs necessary drivers. Once a message appears saying the "device is ready to use," your joystick is operational. USB devices are "Plug and Play" capable, meaning you don't need to add special hardware or software for USB devices to work.

3. Open the game you want to play.

4. Although the USB joystick is ready to use, it might not be set as the default controller for the game itself. Find a game menu labeled "Options," "Settings" or "Controls" and select the joystick as the primary controller --- in many cases the joystick will be labeled as a "USB device" or "removable device." A prompt may appear asking you to follow certain directions to "set" different buttons on the joystick as in-game commands. Follow any on-screen directions.

5. Press "F1" on your keyboard if you get stuck. Though the process for making the joystick the primary controller varies from game to game,"F1" is used as the universal "help key" in most games. You can press this key at any time to access help files for further information on activating the joystick during gameplay.

References

• Microsoft: Windows Device Connectivity, "USB Technologies."
• MSNBC. "Is PC gaming dying? Or thriving?"