Introduction to Controller for Lost Ark
Gamers come in all shapes and sizes, and some prefer Mouse & Keyboard, while others prefer Controller to play. It turns out, you CAN use the controller in Lost Ark. This is why we have put together this helpful Lost Ark Controller Support Guide to help you get started. Lucky for you, it’s actually incredibly easy to get started using a controller with Lost Ark.
The in-game menu has a “Gamepad” section specifically designed for controller support, and even the default settings work perfectly. With that said, some players may be brand new to using a controller on their PC entirely, so we will even show you how to connect the controller to your PC.
If you already know how to connect your controller to your PC, you can simply skip the beginning of this article by using the table of contents below. After we show how to connect the controller to your PC, we will dive into the Lost Ark in-game settings and how to use the controller properly.
Connect Your Controller To Your PC
These options show how to connect your Xbox controllers to your PC to get started. The instructions for the PlayStation controller are essentially the same as Xbox, so we won’t cover both here. If you are using a PlayStation controller and want to see detailed instructions, try this Official PlayStation Website link. As stated previously, if you already know how to do this, feel free to skip to the next section!
Bluetooth Connection (Newer Controllers)
Many newer Xbox controllers are Bluetooth enabled. Check your controller to see if the Xbox logo is part of the controller portion or the bumper portion. On an older Xbox controller, the Xbox sign is on a completely different piece of the controller that is part of the bumpers, these do not have Bluetooth capabilities. You can see the difference in the image below. The first does not have Bluetooth capabilities, and the second one does.
- Turn on your Xbox Wireless Controller by pressing the Xbox button .
- Press and hold the Pair button on your controller for three seconds (the Xbox button will start flashing rapidly). The pair button is the small circular button somewhere between the two bumpers on the top of the controller.
- On your PC, press the Start button on your Windows taskbar, then choose Settings > Devices > Bluetooth & other devices.
- Turn on Bluetooth.
- Select Add Bluetooth or other device > Bluetooth. Your PC will begin searching for your controller.
- Select Xbox Wireless Controller or Xbox Elite Wireless Controller > Done.
Wireles With Adapter
To connect wirelessly with an Xbox controller, you will need an Xbox Wireless Adapter. Some PCs have these built-in, but if you are unsure, you likely don’t have one yet. The adapter looks like a USB drive and sells for about $20-$30. It can be found at any of your popular stores that have electronics such as Walmart, Microsoft, or BestBuy.
Here are the steps outlined by Microsoft with Windows 10 if you have the adapter:
- Turn on your PC and sign in.
- Plug the Xbox Wireless Adaptor for Windows into your PC. For more info, see: Set up the Xbox Wireless Adaptor for Windows
- Turn on your controller by pressing the Xbox button (the large X in the middle of the controll). When you turn on the controller, the Xbox button will start flashing.
- Press and hold the Pair button on the Xbox Wireless Adapter. A small light will flash for several seconds.
- Press and hold the Pair button on the top of the controller (the raised button). The Xbox button on the controller will flash more rapidly – this means your controller is searching for the Xbox Wireless Adapter. When connected, the Xbox button on the controller will stay lit.
If you’re using built-in Xbox Wireless:
- Turn on your PC and sign in.
- Turn on your controller by pressing the Xbox button for 3 seconds. When you turn on the controller, the Xbox button will start flashing.
- Press and hold the Pair button on the top of the controller (the raised button). The Xbox button on the controller will flash more rapidly—this means your controller is searching for a PC.
- On your PC, press the Start button , then select Settings > Devices.
- Choose Add Bluetooth or other device, then select Everything else.
- Choose Xbox Wireless Controller or Xbox Elite Wireless Controller from the list. When connected, the Xbox button on the controller will stay lit.
Wired With USB
If you want to go the wired route, you can connect up to 8 controllers to your PC at a time. Simply connect the micro USB to your Xbox controller and connect to your PC.
Lost Ark Default Controller Support
The default controller support for Lost Ark is very good as it is. You can also remap basically anything you want. In this section, we will go through the default controls for most of the features you are probably looking for.
The main thing you will want to know is that the main 8 skills you have on your hotbar will be bound to combinations with the left bumper and left trigger. There are many controls set up by default, but here are the main buttons you need to know for combat to get started.
Combat Controls for Lost Ark
- Move Leftstick – Move
- Move Rightstick – Move Cursor
- Right Thumbstick In – Interact / Rescue / Move.
- A – Dodge
- X – Basic Auto Attack
- Y – Identity Skill 1
- B – Identity Skill 2
- LB+X – Skill 1
- LB+Y – Skill 2
- LB+B – Skill 3
- LB+A – Skill 4
- LT+X – Skill 5
- LT+Y – Skill 6
- LT+B – Skill 7
- LT+A – Skill 8
- LB+LT+X – Awakening Skill
- LB+Left D-Pad – Guild Skill 1
- LB+Up D-Pad – Guild Skill 2
- LB+Right D-Pad – Guild Skill 3
- LB+Down D-Pad – Guild Skill 4
- LT + Left D-Pad – Guild Skill 5
There are also button settings for when you are sailing on your ship, as well as miscellaneous settings you may want to know about:
Voyage Controls
- X – Ship Horn
- A – Speed Up
- Y – Anchor At A Port
- B – Automatic Navigation
Miscellaneous Controls
Xbox Elite Controller Mapping for Lost Ark
For the best Xbox Elite Controller Setup for Lost Ark, we recommend making a few changes to the default button mapping. First, you will want to map your 4 back paddles to the 4 D-Pad directions (up, down, right-left). Once they are mapped within your Xbox Accessories App, complete the following within Lost Ark settings:
From “Combat” Settings Section within the Gamepad Area
- Map Skills 1-4 to A,X,B,Y
- Map Skills 5-8 to the back 4 paddles
- Map “Attack” to LB+X
- Map “Dodge” to LB+A
- Map “Identity 1” to LB+Y
- Map “Identity 2” to LB+B
From “Misc” Settings Section within the Gamepad Area
- Map “Inventory” to LT+Left D-Pad
- Map “Music” to LT+Up D-Pad
- Map “Emotes” to LT+Right D-Pad
If you complete the keybind settings above, it is my opinion that it brings a much smoother gameplay experience. The above changes are designed in a way so that if you have already gotten a bit familiar with the default settings, the new ones will not be too different for you.
This allows more smooth use of the 1-8 combat skills without the need of a button combination. To achieve this, you must remap the other buttons that were changed due to the remapping of skills. The changes completed only add the combination of a LB or LT to the original mapping. So for inventory, instead of the original default Left D-Pad, now it is the same but you need to press Left Trigger at the same time. This way if your brain already knows the buttons it needs, it will be easier to train it to use the combination button (LB or LT) for these actions.
The final point of this remap is that there will be less thinking during the highly important combat time of the game. You can worry about remembering button combinations in more relaxed areas of the game like opening inventory, playing a song, or performing an emote.
