Dolphin is an emulator for two recent Nintendo video game consoles: the GameCube and the Wii. Support Dolphin 5.0 not recognizing XBOX One controller properly? IDK, I thought it might've been some different driver that would do something to the controller. I'm a bit paranoid about this type of things for whatever. Xbox One Controller Help I have downloaded the correct drivers from the xbox website, the controller shows up in windows and can be configured devices and printers. When I go to configure the buttons under config/controls, I click on one, and then I try to press a button on my controller - nothing happens, at all.
Wii U owners were overjoyed when Nintendo announced the USB GameCube controller adapter for Super Smash Bros. Wii U. After using the GameCube controller for Smash Bros. for 13 years, it just feels right, you know? Great as that adapter is for Wii U owners, it’s even more significant for PC gamers who play Nintendo games on their gaming rigs using the Dolphin GameCube and Wii emulator.
A few days after the adapter was released, programmers managed to reverse-engineer it to work on PC. But now the latest builds of Dolphin have native support for the adapter, making GameCube controllers plug-and-play easy. Thanks to Nintendo’s adapter, Dolphin now has perfect 1:1 GameCube controller mapping. To my knowledge, that’s a first for a PC emulator.
The Dolphin progress report for December goes into a bit of detail about the native support for the adapter, crediting Dolphin programmer skidau with the contribution.
It also provides a link to the setup page, which explains how to get the adapter working with Dolphin. Once you go through the setup process, plug in a controller and it’ll be automatically calibrated correctly, with working rumble and hot-plugging (plugging and unplugging the controller while playing). And yes, the wireless Wavebird controller works. So do the bongos used for DK Jungle Beat and Donkey Konga.
My favorite bit of the progress report uses F-Zero GX’s controller calibration tool to compare the accuracy and dead zones of various GameCube controller implementations. No surprise--it’s the best option, beating out a calibrated Xbox 360 controller and the Mayflash GameCube to USB adapter, which predated Nintendo’s official adapter.
If you've never tried Dolphin before, now's a great time. The emulator has gotten much, much faster in the past year; I wrote about why a few months ago.
A common downside of emulation on PC is that actually using your controllers requires some extra footwork. This is especially problematic when PC gamepads like the Xbox One controller just don’t translate smoothly to playing something like GameCube games on Dolphin. Fortunately, using real GameCube controllers with Dolphin isn’t too tough, and we’re more than happy to walk you through the process.
What You’ll Need
- A Wii U GameCube Controller Adapter, either Nintendo’s official product or Mayflash’s third-party version. Both will work identically for this guide, but the Mayflash version must be switched to Wii U mode.
- A real Nintendo GameCube controller
- A 64-bit version of Windows
- Two open USB 2.0+ ports
Unfortunately, you’ll probably need to buy something to follow this guide properly. The launch of Smash Brothers for Wii U introduced a Wii U GameCube Controller adapter, which Dolphin developers were quickly able to make compatible with their emulator. Before following the rest of this guide, be sure that you have the list of requirements above completely met.
Related: The Ultimate Guide To Dolphin Emulator
Using Zadig To Replace The Driver
Start by downloading and installing Zadig, which you can find here. Zadig is a utility that allows you to modify drivers for the USB devices that you’re using. In this case we’ll be replacing Windows’ default driver for our GameCube adapter with one that Dolphin can read properly. Don’t worry, this will only change how your PC recognizes the adapter, and it will still work as intended with the Wii U.
1. Once you launch Zadig, you’ll see a blank screen like this one.
2. Click “Options,” then select “List All Devices.”
3. Now, click the dropdown and select WUP-028.
4. After you’ve selected WUP-028, verify that your USB ID is “057E 0337,” as pictured below. If it isn’t, you may need to restart your PC and re-connect your device in a different USB port.
5. If everything lines up, make sure you have the WinUSB driver selected, then click “Replace Driver” to replace the driver. Your Wii U GameCube Controller Adapter will now be recognized in Dolphin!
Related: How to Play Wii Games on Ubuntu with Dolphin
Using The GameCube Controller In Dolphin
1. Go ahead and open Dolphin.
2. Click Controllers.
3. Click the Port 1 dropdown under GameCube Controllers.
4. Go ahead and select “GameCube Adapter For Wii U.” Note that this will correspond to the port your actual controller is plugged into on the adapter.
A quick way to verify that Dolphin recognizes your adapter is to click “Configure” to the right of the dropdown.
If you get a tiny popup that says “Adapter Detected,” congratulations. Your controller should work fine!
If you don’t get this confirmation, you didn’t follow this guide properly. Retry the guide according to our instructions or comment below and we’ll help you.
Parting Words
Did this guide work smoothly for you? If so, what games will you be playing on Dolphin with your GameCube controller? I personally recommend Super Mario Sunshine and Super Smash Brothers Melee as games that feel and play amazing with their intended control setup. Don’t hesitate to tell us what you’ll be playing below or to let us know they you need help!
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