How to play WoW with a controller in 2024
Greetings, heroes of Azeroth! If you have been wondering how to play WoW with a controller in 2024, this article is for you. We have also updated it with information for Xbox.
Table of Contents
Many players out there can’t imagine playing a game without a controller. MMORPGs aren’t the genre for gamepads, but there is a lot of demand. And WoW, fortunately, has full gamepad support. What’s more, there are many comfort features to make it more enjoyable.
So, can you play WoW comfortably with a controller? Yes, most certainly! The game has gradually become more and friendlier for gamepads. It doesn’t just mean the official support, which came during Shadowlands in 2020. There have been plenty of quality-of-life changes for gamepad users since. If you’re one of them, you should know plenty about it.
Current system overview
Does WoW have controller support? Yes, it does, but it isn’t on any consoles. That being said, it supports most mainstream gamepads, including ones for Xbox, Playstation, Switch, and Steam Deck. Regardless, if you prefer a ConsolePort addon (see the ConsolePort addon section below), your choice is limited to only Xbox, PlayStation, and Steam Deck controllers.
However, a typical gamepad has up to 16 buttons, so they aren’t enough to provide the full experience. At least they aren’t in the vanilla WoW.
Despite the World of Warcraft controller support, it’s not gamepad-friendly in its raw form. It won’t be a good idea to plug it in, though simply. There are base game tools that make the experience more tolerable by addressing the camera angles, aiming, and interface. You’ll soon see it’ll still be somewhat clunky even with all these changes.
New Dragonflight interface
WoW controller support has existed since Shadowlands. However, Dragonflight made an even greater step forward by introducing a new editable HUD. The regular HUD consists of two stacks of small square icons. You can fit anything in there, and it’s perfect for keyboards. It is, however, unreadable to controller users.
The new system lets you customize the HUD however you want. Gamepad users arrange the ability icons in two sections. The icons on the left are usually reserved for d-pad keys, and the main mass is on the right. This is a lot more comfortable if you play WoW with a controller. The innovation got a lot of praise, though, and it does serve its purpose.
It conveys info on your abilities in an easily read and logical manner. It is a stepping stone toward porting the game to consoles. After all, this interface seems perfect for playing on the couch.
How to set up
To turn on the WoW gamepad support, type this command into the chat: “/Console GamePadEnable 1 “. It will allow you to use your controller if you’ve plugged it in. However, don’t do that right away. Firstly, you’ll want to customize the HUD to make it friendlier to your new gaming approach.
It’s better to limit the number of ability slots to about 16. That’s feasible, as is how many combinations you can come up with and memorize. Players usually place d-pad controls on the left and the right — all the rest. It’s possible to import an already-tested interface structure to save time. After that, it’s time for binding.
To start keybinding, enable the gamepad mode, go to HUD edit mode, and select quick keybinding. There, you can manually click controls or control combinations for every slot. You can choose 2 or 3 buttons simultaneously, and it’s a good idea because other game controls, like jumping, also take up buttons.
Importantly, Dragonflight added the action targeting feature. It’s vital for playing WoW with controller mode, as it lets you cast a spell on a target you’re facing. You don’t need to select targets manually, which would be hard with sticks. You’re advised to enable that in the settings.
Lastly, the game has a nifty feature called “interact.” It’s a button option that lets you perform many basic activities like attack, loot, or talk with just one button. This overly simplifies many tasks in the game, but that’s exactly what you want. It’s the key to how to play World of Warcraft with a controller.
Action Camera
ActionCam is another crucial feature in this gameplay approach. It’s a cinematic view mode you may enable at any point through the chat window. All you need to do is to type “/Console ActionCam On” in the chat. Doing this will switch the camera to the position just behind your shoulder.
It’s similar to the PoVs from God of War or Mass Effect. It is a more familiar way to play games, and it lets you see what’s in front in a more cinematic way. ActionCam also can help you track the targets, although it’s one of the advanced settings. You can view the whole list of these below.
There are also plenty of ActionCam addons. The foremost WoW addon of this sort is DynamicCam, which changes your PoV automatically based on currency situation, whether it be NPC interaction, teleport animation, or something else.
It’s another example of a cinematic addon that helps you feel immersed, which Xbox and Playstation players love to do. If it sounds good to you, also consider downloading Immersion. It adds NPC interaction and quest windows, which are more familiar to a modern gamer.
One of the most glaring problems of the shoulder view mode is the view limitations themselves. You choose cinematic value over visibility. There is always action behind you, and you should better turn the mode off during raids, dungeons, and boss fights. Otherwise, you’ll walk into a hostile spell or worse.
ConsolePort addon
The ConsolePort addon might be the most crucial addon for console fans. In the past, it provided unofficial support for gamepads. Now, it offers functionality far superior to the vanilla treatment of gamepads. Notably, it has a lot more visual clarity and nuance.
Normally, you’d bind buttons in a typical menu with several columns. The ConsolePort addon gives you an expansive menu where you can customize controls in depth, including various button combinations. The controls correspond to the new interface, which mimics the button layout on your controller.
Several round icons can be placed on the screen in the new UI and expanded with additional icon extensions. This way, your screen depicts a lot more abilities more comprehensively. You can tell from a glance where any of your spells are. Moreover, there are presets, a utility ring for quick actions, and more.
It changes the whole UI, allowing you to work with settings—especially controller settings—more easily. All the interactive sections are bigger and easier to notice. Overall, it’s a good change because the original menu can be hard to navigate. That makes it the top WoW controller addon.
Viability
As you’ve seen, you can be comfortable enough playing like this. You can practically make WoW into a comfy console experience, as there are all the features you’ll need. However, there are upsides and downsides to this approach.
Upsides boil down to utility. You have all the spell keys in your two palms, which can hasten the casting. If you memorize all the button combinations, it might be superior to a keyboard and mouse in speed and efficiency. After all, that is partly why console players like this piece of hardware.
The downsides have much to do with gamepad limitations. Keyboard keys are clunkier, but there are more of them. You won’t utilize your full potential without several dozen buttons. It may be all right on the lower levels of PvE and PvP, but you can’t compete on the higher levels.
It’s not like you won’t have any fun if you use a gamepad. In fact, if you want to have simple fun, playing World of Warcraft with a controller is a good idea. You can sit in any position, boost your immersion, and avoid extreme micromanagement.
How to play WoW on Xbox with GeForce NOW
Thanks to a recent post from a Reddit user named ReapsNoEviL, players have discovered the ability to play WoW using GeForce NOW. Even though World of Warcraft is not officially available on consoles, Xbox players can now experiment with this idea thanks to Nvidia. This cloud gaming service lets you play games on various devices, such as your phone, tablet, laptop, or MacBook. In the video published by ReapsNoEviL, you can see their settings and how WoW works thanks to this method.
Nvidia handles all the heavy processing remotely and streams the games to your device via the Internet. If you are unsure if GeForce NOW will work on your system, you can try it out for a free-hour session to see how it functions.
How to access GeForce NOW
As of now, let’s talk about how you can access GeForce NOW service and start playing WoW on your Xbox console:
- Start the console, scroll down to the apps, and then go to the Microsoft Edge tile.
- Once the browser is open, type the GeForce NOW website address into the URL bar.
- Sign in or register, link your Battle.net account, and select WoW from your library. Also, you must have an active WoW subscription to begin playing.
How to use mouse or keyboard on Xbox
Aside from that, you can use your mouse and keyboard on Xbox. To set them up, plug your keyboard and mouse into the USB ports on the Xbox. Then, press the Xbox button, go to Profile & System > Settings > Devices & Connections, and select the mouse. As for the keyboard, it should start working automatically. Voila!
Pros and cons
Advantages
One of the standout benefits of GeForce NOW is the ability to enjoy high-quality gaming on devices that may not typically support WoW. The best part is that it is free for up to an hour per gaming session. With GeForce NOW, the games are streamed from Nvidia’s servers, so you do not need a high-end gaming setup; the only thing required is an excellent Internet connection.
Besides, you don’t have to install or update anything; log into the GeForce NOW system via Microsoft Edge and start playing without any input delays at a consistent 60FPS on ultra settings. This service also allows you to play WoW across different platforms and sync your in-game progress without any issues.
Drawbacks
However, there are drawbacks as well. Since GeForce NOW is a subscription-based gaming service, you must pay to skip the queue if you don’t want to wait and watch ads. A good internet connection is also necessary for smooth playing performance, which may become another problem for some people.
If you use this service for free, there can be long waits sometimes, so the paid monthly upgrade is worth considering if it fits your budget, of course. Another downside is that running GeForce NOW on the console Microsoft Edge can be frustrating when using a gamepad, as some buttons are unusable because they are set to activate or deactivate the game mode.
Aside from that, if you can only imagine playing WoW with addons like AllTheThings and HandyNotes, you may find playing the game on Xbox challenging, as Nvidia still needs to add the possibility of downloading addons. GeForce NOW is playable if you’re a casual player who is not focused on collecting herbs, mines, and other resources, but let’s be honest: addons are a big part of WoW, and only some people play without them. Anyway, since Dragonflight, developers have been working on incorporating some addon functions into the UI. Fortunately, WoW is gradually shifting in this direction to eventually reduce reliance on addons.
Possible release to consoles
It’s not that WoW isn’t coming to consoles. There are signs that it might well be the case. The new features don’t just make the game friendlier to gamepads. It makes it friendlier to console gamers specifically. If you’d play World of Warcraft remotely on a big TV screen without the compatibility features, you wouldn’t see anything.
Aside from Steam Deck, which is not a console per se, several other handheld PCs, such as the Asus Rog Ally, Lenovo Legion GO, and MSI Claw, offer even better performance for playing WoW. Technically, you can technically have a regular console gaming experience, but not in the mainstream way.
Conclusion
That’s all for now. Since World of Warcraft is not designed for playing with a controller or on a console, it may be a challenging experience, especially if you are into higher-level content such as raids or Mythic+ dungeons. Nevertheless, if you are a casual player who wants to have fun sitting on the couch, the methods mentioned above may help your dream come true.
Anyway, your console experience may change in the future. According to Phil Spencer, since Blizzard is part of Microsoft Gaming, WoW will sooner or later be available on Xbox.
Comments
Y’all I just got the scuf envision and for the life of me can’t figure out how to make the thumbsticks cursor and movement
As for my knowledge, the SCUF Envision controller will be detected in Windows as an Xbox controller, so there should be no problem using it in World of Warcraft with the Console Port addon (make sure to download and enable that addon). When using the Console Port addon, to activate cursor mode, you need to press down on your thumbstick. Hope that helps!
What controller are you using? Make sure to use the ControlPort addon. I’m using both the DualShock 4 and Xbox series gamepad, and they work fine.
None of my buttons work except my right and left trigger. Help??
When on a controller, WoW seems to invert my movement. Like my LeftStick Y axis is upside down and pushing up makes me walk backwards. Any idea how to correct this? Obviously I want it to walk forward when I stick forward/up, and backward when I stick back/down. I see no options for that.
Do you use the ControlPort addon? What controller do you use? Sometimes the default gamepad functionality and settings in WoW can be laggy.
Exact same issue with me. Cannot seem to find the right setting(s) to fix this.
Do you use the ControlPort addon? What controller do you use?