On February 11, the new Free2Play MMORPG Lost Ark will be released on Steam. The game is listed there under the entry “partial controller support.” We’ll clarify what this means in this article by MeinMMO.
Can you play Lost Ark with a controller? The short answer is yes, it is generally possible. Lost Ark can be played with any gamepad that works and is recognized by your PC.
A slight drawback is that you can only find the layout of an Xbox controller in the game. You are generally able to use PS4 and even PS5 controllers, but you will need to rethink the button layout a bit.
It becomes difficult when it comes to the nuances, which is why Steam also indicates that it is only partially optimized for controllers, because you will likely struggle to play completely without a keyboard and mouse.
Nevertheless, all skills can be easily controlled with the controller, and even more complex classes, like the gunners with their various weapon sets, are quite manageable.
Here, you can easily cycle through weapons with the Y and B buttons, allowing for a smooth gameplay experience. Also, for abilities where you need to actively select an enemy, Lost Ark assists you with an automatic focus function, which you can switch targets with RT/R2.
What is the downside? Lost Ark does not have a virtual keyboard. If you want to chat with other users in the game, you are reliant on a keyboard, which is why Steam also marks the game with partial controller support.
Navigating through various menu items can sometimes be rather difficult. At such points, it is evident that the MMORPG was developed with a focus on mouse and keyboard.
With the right stick, you can move the mouse button, but it is easy to see that menus do not necessarily become easier to navigate.
Even in the endgame, during tougher boss fights, precise movements and quick reactions are essential. Here, the controller is also not optimal and requires a certain level of frustration tolerance on your part.
Placing area damage abilities on the ground is similarly suboptimal with the controller, as you often take longer to aim. By the time you do, the monsters might be gone, and mouse and keyboard players are significantly faster.
Here you can see some gameplay with a controller:
How can you play with a controller?
If you are lucky, you can simply connect the gamepad to your PC and then immediately get started playing Lost Ark with the controller. However, sometimes it doesn’t work that simply. Therefore, we can give you some preventive tips.
Check the settings in the game: Open the settings in Lost Ark via Escape and then scroll down to the “Gamepad” category and expand it. There you will find the tab “Interact.” When you click on this, you will see a checkbox labeled “Use gamepad.”
If this box is empty, check it and save the settings by clicking “Apply.”
You can also turn off the controller control in the same way if you don’t want to unplug the gamepad but still want to work briefly with mouse and keyboard, without any accidental inputs on the controller disturbing you.
Check the settings in Steam: It may be that Steam has misidentified your controller or hasn’t recognized it at all. Therefore, open Steam and go to the settings. Under the “Controller” section, open the “General Controller Settings.”
A new window will open in the Steam Big Picture design, where you can select which controller configuration assistant is currently active. The settings will also indicate which controller Steam currently recognizes.
To avoid errors, select the configuration assistant for the controller you have connected. So if you have an Xbox controller, make sure the PlayStation and Switch assistants are disabled.
What do you think of Lost Ark’s controller support? Are you excited to play the game with the controller or are you more looking forward to a game optimized for mouse and keyboard? Or are you perhaps among those who still wish for a WASD control scheme for the MMORPG? Let us know in the comments here at MeinMMO.
For us, Lost Ark also belongs to the 7 best MMORPGs with action combat system.
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