Patch 5.4 patch notes
Virtual Realms feature revealed
The Proving Grounds are coming
The latest patch 5.4 newsPlaying WoW with an Xbox 360 controller via Switchblade
by Mike Schramm 
Oct 16th 2007 at 1:29PM
We've seen WoW played with a Wii controller before, but this looks like a really serious effort to get the Xbox 360 controller compatible with our favorite MMO. A company called Blue Orb Software has released an app called Switchblade, a free download that lets you use your PC-enabled Xbox 360 controller specifically to play World of Warcraft.
Why would you want to do this? Their press release cites gamers "hooked on the console experience," and so their controller will let you play WoW console style. You can see the basic settings on their site-- it looks like the left and right triggers are used as toggles, turning the four action buttons into 12, and allowing you to use any icon on one of the action bars in WoW. Probably not quite versatile enough for running PvP, but for running daily quests and grinding, it looks just crazy enough to work.
The download is available through Xfire (and it looks like you need to download Xfire to get Switchblade), and the program should work with any wired Xbox 360 controller (if you have a wireless only, you'll have to buy an extra receiver from Microsoft). I think I've got a wired controller sitting around here somewhere, so I'll give it a try and get back to you on how it works. In the meantime, someone download it, and let us know in the comments-- is it worth installing this thing to play WoW with buttons and joysticks?
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Tricks, How-tos, Odds and ends, News items
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 2)
fLUx Oct 17th 2007 1:06AM
Well, this really isn't for much more than:
Run Run Run, tab a mob, send minion in, DoTs, shadow bolt, shadow bolt, shadow bolt, drain soul, loot, restart.
(Warlock example)
But as soon as you need to head into enclosed spaces, or do PvP on a battleground (Would work with duels, as long as your not a class which needs to run about alot), or do instances, its a very easy way of playing WoW.
And this Switchblade is stupid, I have a far better way of doing it, suited to me in Pinnacle Game Profiler, only thing I can't sort out is the camera, nearest I've come is for it to press the left mouse button when you move the right analog stick, as well as map the analog movements to the mouse, so you can look around, but its not perfect...
But anyway, controller in one hand with one side of the controller in use, and the other on the mouse, and its great....
ickibod Oct 17th 2007 2:26AM
How the heck are you going to type messages with that thing? What if you're a class that needs to use more than 12 action buttons (Read: Any class above level 20)?
Gah, so many problems. Not worth it.
Heath Oct 17th 2007 4:08AM
Ive been playing WOW with WOW360 router for most of BC>. the way WOW360 does the cam is alot nicer. (THIS IDEA IS NOT NEW AT ALL) wow360 came out like over a year ago.
Going to try and Switchblade to see if it has the ablity to change cam controler and mouse movment away from the crap defult they have.
in wow360 i have every ablity bound to a key.. i use the 4buttons on the back of the controler as SHift/alt/tab/cont etc.. so i have 100's of possibly combinations. it works ok.. but the real challenge is making a good animated UI interface that matches your set up... im working on this atm.
As far as 360chat pad suport Microsoft has not released drivers for the 360chat pad.. which (does not even light up)... i dont know if switchblade or any other group could possibly make drivers for it.. but i dont think so atm.... one they have them i plan to finishing my UI work and send off the hole package to blizzard... in reality however if blizzard was to release WOW on a console it would prob be the PS3 due to the fact it has MOD suport... so u could use Ui mods n stuff... while Xbox live does not let u do that.... then again.. Xbox could change that rule just in wow's case.
As "cool" as it is... its not new.. and if switchblade try and hold credit for it then thats wrong.. with players already doing this for over 2 years.
over n out.
CyberNigma Oct 17th 2007 7:10PM
I used the WoW360 Router add-on and I had the following mappings:
X,Y,B,A -> 1,2,3,4
Lft Trigger + X,Y,B,A -> 5,6,7,8
Left Stick -> ASDW
Right Stick -> Look/Camera
Right Trigger -> Attack
Left Bumper -> Target In Front
Right Bumper -> switch to mouse mode, then use sticks to move mouse around/stick push for left/right button
Back was escape
The only time I ever need to touch the keyboard was to chat. The only time i ever touched the mouse was when I was crafting or something menu intensive.
It worked on a paladin, hunter, rogue, shaman (set up a cycle for the totems and worked really well), warrior. I was able to kite much better than when I played with a mouse and keyboard during pve and pvp but everyone has different skills at using different controls. I also used to play Guild Wars so was pretty good at disciplining myself to only 8 skills on the skill bar (as that's all GW allows), which works perfectly for the 360 controller.
Everyone will be different though. Some people don't have the skills/familiarity to use either mouse/keyboard combo or xbox 360 controller so everyone will react differently. Plus, if you've never played a console, are too young to remember not having a mouse and have been playing with a mouse/keyboard most of your life then you definitely will be better at that. It took me forever to switch from just using the keyboard back in the doom/duke nukem days to using a mouse in a FPS.
For some this is great, for others it isn't useful. For some the controller is easier, making gameplay easier, for others the controller is harder, making gameplay more of a challenge (which some people may or may not want).
Kylie Nov 12th 2007 11:55PM
This is something I've wanted in MMOs for years, although I still have yet to grab a controller for my computer. I was raised on consoles, not computers, so that probably has a lot to do with it. You guys are right that this system is ill-suited to raids, large scale healing... probably PvP as well. Classes that need a large amount of spells probably won't see as much benefit from this as well.
But for the rest of us, especially those of us who spend more time doing PvE than PvP (I'd do more PvP, but my computer is sucking at the moment. I'm lucky I can even play the game right now), who don't like to spend eight plus hours welded to a keyboard and mouse, this should prove a nice alternative.
Sure, you will need to run back to the keyboard to chat, and the mouse for menu intensive things, and both for the stuff you can't easily do with the controller, but when you are grinding for whatever reason (quests, items, gold, seeing how long it takes for your eyeballs to burst into flame), a controller would help make it more relaxing. You can get into better positions and everything with a controller for one thing, and I'm sure there are plenty of other good reasons too.
As a Hunter, on average I really only use 4-6 buttons for ranged attacks, four for my pet, and 3-4 for close range. Camera and movement mapped to the joysticks. Tab, Escape, and my main bag (using Baggins, opens them all at once) mapped to something as well, and I'm basically set. That right there will still leave me with empty slots on the controller, depending on the mapping capabilities of the software, so that shows you right there it's workable... at least for me. I'm at level 46 ATM, before people start asking.
Well, that's my 2c. I personally don't care what you think of it, I still say this is a great idea. Now I just need to go and check out the Wiimote one ^-^
Aleks Dec 15th 2007 6:44AM
I'm sorry, but why is it that so many PC gamers are all high and mighty about the advantages of such lame things as a keyboard. They weren't designed for games, that's why you see all kinds of custom gaming keyboards being sold. The video makes it look like you can actually do the things most players would need to get done on a regular basis. Maybe there'd be a few uncommon commands that would take getting used to, but overall, it looks like they did a decent job. And, I bet using a wireless controller, you could get a 360 wireless headset to work with it too, since they can used the same PC wireless receiver. I was just gonna use my extra wired controller instead of paying $20 for that thing, but being able to sit back and use a 360 controller and headset sounds awesome. And my system supports up to 1080i HD output to my living room TV, so I could pretty much simulate the experience of playing WoW on a 360... AS IT SHOULD BE!!!
JamesDax Dec 17th 2007 10:44PM
If this switchblade software gets upgraded to include the chat pad for the 360 controller then this would be the heck out of using the mouse/keyboard for WoW.