The PDP One-Handed Joystick is an accessory for the Xbox Adaptive Controller (XAC). The XAC is an interface from Microsoft which allows you to create customised controller setups by connecting appropriate buttons and joysticks and positioning them to suit you.
This joystick can be used either in the left or right USB inputs on the XAC to control either the left or right joystick input in-game.
PDP’s One-Handed Joystick is designed to be held in one hand and can be used combined with other inputs with the XAC for additional game controls. For example the buttons on the XAC itself or accessibility switches could be used for additional inputs to be pressed with different parts of the body, even replacing a second joystick input in some instances by using a ‘walk forwards’ input (see more on this here). An additional joystick could also be added, something we may help someone to use with their chin alongside a single hand controller.
The PDP’s joystick itself is analog and similar to the type you would find on a standard current generation controller. The main noticeable difference being that it has an octagonal boundary, rather than a more regularly found circular one.
The joystick housing also has two physical buttons on the front. These can also be doubled up to an additional two inputs when the joystick click button is held (by holding the joystick in). All four inputs can be mapped to other actions by mapping the corresponding inputs via the Xbox Accessories App. For instance, if the default action for a button is Left Bumper on the PDP joystick, you need to remap the Left Bumper input on the XAC to the action you want it to be. Their default inputs depend on which USB input you plug into. These are:
When plugged into Left USB:
Button 1: X1 (default Left Stick Up Direction)
Button 2: X2 (default Left Stick Down Direction)
Button 3 (whilst holding joystick click down): Left Stick Click
Button 4 (whilst holding joystick click down): Left Bumper
When plugged into Right USB:
Button 1: View
Button 2: Menu
Button 3 (whilst holding joystick click down): Right Stick Click
Button 4 (whilst holding joystick click down): Right Bumper
To remap them, find the Xbox Accessories App on your Xbox or download it for Windows 10. Open it up and select Configure for the XAC you are using. Create a new profile. Once the Mapping screen appears, select the input which corresponds to the button on the PDP joystick e.g. Button 1 when using the left USB input is X1, and select it and then choose the action you want it to be. Once you have mapped it, you can save it to one of the three profiles stored on the XAC. You can save 3 different profiles to the XAC to suit different games you play. These can be accessed via a button on the XAC.
The video below shows this process, using button mapping for playing FIFA 19 using the left USB Joystick as an example.
The controls are changed to:
Button 1: A (tackle/pass)
Button 2: B (slide tackle/shoot)
Button 3: Menu
Button 4: RT (sprint)
Timing and combining the hold of the joystick click to access buttons 3 and 4 may be difficult for some, but these can be mapped to Unmapped so they are not actioned by mistake whilst accidentally pushing the joystick in.
Search the XAC tag on the blog for more XAC compatible joysticks and accessories.
If you have any questions, please visit the “contact us” page.
Links (unaffiliated):
PDP One-Handed Joystick: https://www.pdp.com/xbox-adaptive-controller
PDP How to Map: https://www.pdp.com/blog/?p=1209
Xbox Adaptive Controller: https://www.xbox.com/en-US/xbox-one/accessories/controllers/xbox-adaptive-controller
