Overview
Configuration guide for setting up a HOTAS controller in Steam for NMS – without the need for an emulator
Overview
After scouring the web for instructions on how to set up my T.flight HOTAS X to work with No Mans Sky and finding virtually nothing, I decided to stick it in a guide on the off-chance others may find it useful.
If you do find this guide useful, please up-rate it or post a comment – it will make me feel like writing all this hasn’t been a waste of time…
I did have my HOTAS working during the NEXT update using an x360ce emulator – but having returned to the game for Beyond, that method no longer seems to work.
I found the steps below get it working almost as well on Beyond as it did on NEXT – using the steam controller configuration rather than an emulator.
There are two parts – first mapping the HOTAS to Xbox Controller controls and then mapping the Xbox controls to the game.
Configuration
1. Exit NMS if it is running.
2. If (like me) you were running the HOTAS previously via an emulator (like x360ce), remove the emulator from the configuration
3. Ensure that the HOTAS is the only controller plugged in
4. In Steam, go to Steam > Settings > Controller > General Control Settings
5. Under Detected Controllers you should see the HOTAS (although it may have been identified as an Xbox Controller). If you only have one controller plugged in – it should be it. Select it
6. Click on DEFINE LAYOUT
7. Now select each Command and assign it a button by pushing a corresponding HOTAS button. Assign Axis to Stick commands by moving the HOTAS control in the appropriate direction (for example for Left Stick X move the flight stick left or right, for Left stick Y move the flight stick forwards or backwards).
8. If you want to use the left HOTAS controller (the throttle) for thrust in-game, you will need to map it to the Right Stick Y command. * – see note below
It may be helpful to make a note of what button it mapped to which Xbox commands. Your mapping may be different – but mine looked like this…
9. Save the configuration. Share the config if you want. Close the window.
10. In the Steam Library, right click on No Man’s Sky and select Edit Steam Controller Configuration. Note this menu option only appears if No Man’s Sky is not running.
11. Select the official Configuration for No Man’s Sky as a starting point
12. In the controller configuration window, select the FLIGHT CONTROLS tab
13. Now map the Xbox Controller controls to the in-game actions. So, for example, if you mapped a button on your HOTAS to Right Shoulder, and then Right Shoulder to Pulse Engine – then pushing that button on your HOTAS will now fire the Pulse Engine
14. If you want to use the HOTAS throttle for thrust (and mapped it to the Right Stick Y as per step 8), then change the In-Game action for the Right Stick from Look to Generic Direction Pad. Then set the UP action to Thrust and the DOWN action to Brake (or the other way round if you prefer).
15. Once finished, save the configuration
16. Start NMS and enjoy the flying!
* This is because NMS has the forward and reverse thrust controls on the Xbox triggers, whereas the HOTAS thrust controller is an Axis. And there doesn’t seem to be a way to split the Axis so that you can map the forward half-axis to the forward trigger and the backward half-axis to the backward trigger. The solution turned out to be map the thrust controller to the Right Stick Y command (which is a full-axis) and then later configure the Right Stick to behave like a D-Pad with Up mapped to Thrust and Down mapped to Backward Brake. (Or the other way round if you prefer your thrust controls inverted)
Disclaimer
I take no responsibility for any errors in this guide, or for problems arising from configurations changes made based on the contents of this guide.