How to Configure Keyboard or Gamepad Controls on PCSX2

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A guide to binding and changing controls on the PS2 emulator

Written by Travis Boylls

Last Updated: November 19, 2025 Fact Checked

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• Configuring Controls
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• Frequently Asked Questions
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• Video
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• Q&A
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• Tips

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The PCSX2 emulator can be used to play PlayStation 2 games on your computer. You use a game controller or a keyboard and mouse to play games. Configuring the controls for PCSX2 used to be a complex process, requiring you to pick a plug-in. Now it’s pretty straightforward. This wikiHow article teaches you how to configure the controls on PCSX2.

Quick Steps

1. Connect your controller and open PCSX2
2. Click Settings > Controllers.
3. Enable the correct controller inputs.
4. Click a controller port input.
5. Click Automatic Mapping.
6. Select an input.

Steps

Section 1 of 2:

Configuring Controls

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1. 
   1
   Connect your controller to your PC (optional). If you want to use a game controller to play games on PCSX2 (recommended), go ahead and connect it to your computer. You can connect it using Bluetooth, or you can connect it using a wired connection.

   • To pair a Bluetooth controller with a PC, make sure your controller is in pairing mode. Click the Windows Start menu and click the Settings/Gear icon. Click Bluetooth & devices. Make sure Bluetooth is toggled on. Click Add device. Select your wireless controller.
   • To pair a DualShock 4 or DualSense controller with a PC, press and hold the Share button and the PS button simultaneously until the light bar starts to flash. Then pair it with your PC in the Bluetooth Settings menu.
   • To pair an Xbox controller with your PC, power it on and press and hold the Pair button (the raised button on the top of the controller) until the Xbox button starts to flash rapidly. Then connect it to your PC in the Bluetooth Settings menu.
   • You can connect more than one controller to your computer to play multiplayer games.
2. 
   2
   Open PCSX2. It has an icon that says PS2 in blue, 3D letters. Click the PCSX2 icon in your Windows start menu to open the emulator.

   • You can download PCSX2 from their website. You will also need a PS2 BIOS to play PS2 games, which you can download online.
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3. 
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   Open the controller settings. To do so, click Settings in the menu bar at the top. Then click Controllers.
4. 
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   Click Global Settings. It’s the first option in the menu bar to the left. If the Controllers menu doesn’t open to this page automatically, go ahead and click it.
5. 
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   Select the controller you want to configure. You’ll see a list of connected controllers in the box to the left. You should see options for your keyboard, mouse, and any game controllers you have connected.
6. 
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   Select your input sources. The Global Settings page has a variety of input settings to choose from. Click the checkboxes to enable the input settings that best fit your controller type. The options are as follows:

   • SDL Input Source: This is the most common input source. This supports keyboard and mouse controls, as well as most controllers, including the DualShock 4 and DualSense controllers.
   • DualShock 4/DualSense Enhanced Mode: You’ll need to select this option in addition to SDL Input source if you want to use a PS4 Dualshock 4 or PS5 DualSense controller.
     • Optionally, you can change the color of the light bar. To do so, click the lightbulb icon to the right of this Dualshock 4/DualSense Enhanced Mode checkbox. Click the colored square that corresponds to your controller input and pick a color.
   • SDL Raw Input: This option allows PCSX2 to receive input directly from your mouse or game controller and bypasses any Windows settings.
   • Enable Xinput Input Source: This enables support for Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X controllers.
   • Enable Dinput Input Source: Enable this option if you are using an older controller that doesn’t support SDL or Xinput.
   • Enable mouse mapping: Enable this option if you want to use a mouse.
     • Click Settings to the right of this option to change your mouse settings. You can change the sensitivity of the X and Y axes as well as the inertia. You can also adjust the size of the dead zone.
   • Multitap on Console Port 1: The Multitap allows you to plug four controllers into a single port on the game console. Select this option to enable this on PS2 Port 1
   • Multitap on Console Port 2: The Multitap allows you to plug four controllers into a single port on the game console. Select this option to enable this on PS2 Port 2
7. 
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   Select a controller port input. All connected controllers will be listed in the menu bar to the left. Click the controller port input for the controller you want to configure.
8. 
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   Select a controller type. Use the drop-down menu in the upper-left corner to select a controller type. You can select DualShock 2 (most common), Guitar (Guitar Hero controller), Jogcon, NeGcon, or Pop'n Music.
9. 
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   Automatically map the controls. The easiest way to map the controls is to use the automatic functionality. To do so, click Automatic Mapping in the top-right corner. Then select an input source. You can select Keyboard, Mouse, SDL, or Dinput.

   • Select SDL to map an Xbox, Dualshock 4, or DualSense 4 to the button configuration of a DualShock 2 controller.
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    Map your buttons manually. To change any of the button mappings, click Bindings at the top. Then click one of the buttons on the controller diagram. Press the button on your keyboard, mouse, or game controller that you want to map to that button.
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    Change your controller settings. To do so, click Settings at the top of the page and select from the following options:

    • Invert Left Stick/Invert Right Stick: You can invert the left or right stick. To do so, click the drop-down menu for the left or right stick and select “Invert Up/Down,” “Invert Left/Right,” or “Invert Left/Right Up/Down.”
    • Analog Deadzone: This sets the deadzone for the analog sticks. This is the amount of the stick you can move before it registers movement.
    • Analog Sensitivity: This adjusts the sensitivity of the analog sticks and how quickly they move.
    • Large Motor Vibration Scale: This adjusts the intensity of the large vibration motor in your controller.
    • Small Motor Vibration Scale: This adjusts the intensity of the small motor vibration in the controller.
    • Button/Trigger Deadzone: This adjusts the deadzone of the trigger buttons. This is the amount you can squeeze the trigger before it registers movement.
    • Pressure Modifier Amount: This sets the pressure when the modifier button is held.
12. 
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    Set macros. Macros allow you to activate a button combination using a keyboard shortcut. For example, you can program a cheat code or a special move in a fighting game and activate it using a button on the keyboard. Use the following steps to set macros:

    • Click Macros at the top.
    • Select an unconfigured macro in the bar to the left.
    • Click the button combination from the list of buttons in the proper order
    • Click the up or down arrow below “Frequency” to change how many times you want the macro to repeat.
    • Click the large bar below “Trigger.”
    • Press the button you want to use to trigger the macro.
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    Save a controller profile. You can save different profiles to have different configurations for different games. To save your current configuration as a profile, click + New Profile at the bottom. Enter a name for the profile and click Ok. Then click Yes, to save your bindings and hotkey configurations.

    • To load a profile, use the drop-down menu next to Editing Profile in the lower-left corner to select a profile. Then click Apply Profile.
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Section 2 of 2:

Frequently Asked Questions

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1. 1
   How do I map mouse movements? Make sure you have mouse mapping enabled in Global Settings. Select the DualShock 2 Controller input. Then click the Up, Down, Left, or Right button mapping for either the right or left analog stick (or whatever you want to map mouse movements to), and move the mouse in the direction you want to map.
2. 2
   What's the difference between macros and hotkeys? Macros are button combinations on the controller that you can program for your games. Hotkeys are keyboard controls that operate certain functions within PCSX2 (i.e., switch to full screen mode, save a save state).
3. 3
   How can I change hotkeys? Open the Control Settings menu and click Hotkeys in the menu to the left. Then, hover your mouse cursor over the hotkey function you want to assign. Press the button you want to assign to that function.
4. 4
   Can I still use LilyPad or Pokopom? No, the latest versions of PCSX2 don’t use controller plug-ins and don’t need them. You can use the SDL input source to configure most controllers. Use Xinput source for Xbox controllers. If you are using an older controller that doesn’t use SDL or Xinput, you can use Dinput.
5. 5
   What is the Pressure Modifier button? This is a button built for PCSX2 that is meant to simulate pressure sensitivity. When pressing the pressure modifier button, all buttons will have their pressure data reduced to 50% by default. You can change the sensitivity input in the Settings menu at the top of the Controller Port settings.
6. 6
   What is the Analog button? This turns the analog sticks on or off in games that allow it. Many games lock the analog button function and don’t allow you to turn the analog sticks on or off.
7. 7
   How can I clear my button mappings? Just click Clear mappings at the top of the Controller Port bindings menu. Then click Yes to confirm. This will erase all mappings you currently have.
8. 8
   How can I reset my controller configuration? To do so, just click Restore defaults at the bottom of the Controller Port settings page. Then click Yes to confirm.
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• Question

  Can I use a PS4 controller for Pokemon? I want to use this due to the fact Lilypad is not working for me.

  

  Community Answer

  If you are using a laptop or PC, then yes, you can use any compatible controller.

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Tips

• Xbox controllers have native driver support on Windows. This helps remove a layer of potential compatibility issues when using them to play emulated games.
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• If you are having trouble, make sure your computer meets the system requirements for the emulation software.
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