Lost Ark being a PC-only ARPG is enough for the desktop veterans out there to grab their finest mice and keyboards, sit at their desks, and never think about an alternative control method. As it turns out, though, Lost Ark controller support is a big question that many people want answering. And rightfully so.
For decades, Blizzard - the creators of the Diablo franchise that takes up much of the ARPG genre space - either ignored controller support on PC or outright refused to add it.
It was only long after the PC release of Diablo 3 that it made console ports that, unsurprisingly, worked just fine with joysticks. Even then, though, the company still refused to add it to the original PC version. With Lost Ark, however, things are different.
Does Lost Ark Support Controllers?
If you grew up playing Diablo, the idea of any ARPG supporting controllers might sound like a recipe for disaster. Given they've traditionally even ignored WASD key movement (which can be easily remapped to a joystick) for a point and click system, the idea of translating that to a gamepad can boggle the mind.
As it turns out, however, Lost Ark controller support is built right into the game at launch. Even though there's no console version in sight just yet, the developers made sure to not limit their game to the desktop. You're free to connect a controller, hook your PC or laptop up to your big screen TV, and smash demons with your thumbs.
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+ 2How Do I Enable Lost Ark Controller Support?
Enabling Lost Ark controller support is really simple. Despite the game barely making any mention of it, it will auto-detect a controller as soon as you fire it up. So long as it's a supported brand/input type (basically any Xbox controller), it should be a simple case of plug and play. And even then, Steam integration makes getting just about any controller to work an absolute breeze.
How Do I Remap Lost Ark Controllers?
By default, Lost Ark controller support makes some questionable mapping decisions for you. Even on the menu, the cursor is mapped to the right stick (which is fine) but clicking is mapped to R3 - which means clicking the right-stick down.
On paper, this sounds like a bewildering choice for a game that otherwise involves a lot of clicking, but it actually makes sense given the wider context of game, where the mouse will only be used for navigating menus while you're standing still.
If you want to change up the default Lost Ark controller layout, here's how to do it:
- Open up the main menu by tapping RB+Start on a controller or Escape on a keyboard
- Tap the settings menu button found in the centre-bottom of the resulting window
- Tap the 'Gamepad' dropdown menu on the left side
- Tap the 'Control' tab and then the keybind icon of whichever button you want to remap
- Click whichever button (or a combo of buttons) you want to rebind to clicked action
The basic Lost Ark controller layout should work just fine for the majority of people, but remapping the odd thing can really help make a control scheme your own. If you've played a similar game on console, for example, attempting to mimic the controls you're used to can help you get to grips with things much faster.
It's also worth noting that Lost Ark controller support makes it immediately more accessible than some other big names in the genre space. By supporting the Xinput protocol (Xbox controllers, mainly), it shouldn't be too difficult to remap the Lost Ark controller layout to suit the Xbox Adaptive Controller, which will go a long way in helping those with disabilities play the game.
click to enlarge + 2Which Controllers Does Lost Ark Support?
- Xbox (any)
- Dualshock 3
- Dualshock 4
- DualSense (PS5)
- Nintendo Switch Pro controller
- Steelseries Nimbus
- Steam Controller
- Many, many more...
Thanks to its Steam integration, Lost Ark controller support actually covers just about any gamepad you can get your hands on. Some might take the ticking of a box in the Steam controller settings menu, but for the most part, you can expect any controller you have around the house to work with Lost Ark.
If the game isn't automatically detecting your controller, just follow these instructions:
- Tab back onto the main Steam page
- Click the 'Steam' tab in the top-left, then 'Settings'
- Click 'Controller' and then 'General Controller Settings'
- Tick the box that matches the sort of controller you're using - you can even tick a box to automatically swap the buttons of controllers that use different letter layouts (like the Switch Pro controller)
If you're using a controller that doesn't really match any of the ones listed in this menu, ticking 'Generic Gamepad Configurations Support' should allow Lost Ark controller support to kick in and get everything up and running. You can even tap the 'Xbox Extended Feature Support' to remap the paddles of something like the Elite controller for even more keybinds.
Once you're ready, just tab back into Lost Ark, give it a couple of seconds, and gamepad support should kick in, automatically changing the on-screen button prompts to Xbox-style commands.
That's all you need to know on Lost Ark's controller settings for the moment! Now you're all set up, why not learn a bit more about the game?
It's a massive (and complicated) new release that will be shrouded in mystery for a while yet. If you're looking to get a paid head-start, look into the Lost Ark Founder's Packs to see which is worth your hard-earned cash. Once you're in, check out the Lost Ark classes and consult the Lost Ark tier list before deciding. You'll want to ensure the Lost Ark gender lock system doesn't end up limiting your options, however.