Though it has faced a steady decline over its lifetime, World of Warcraft remains one of the titans of the MMO industry. Having garnered global recognition over the years and amassing tens of millions of subscribers at its peak levels, World of Warcraft is surely one of the most iconic games of all time.
Over time, the game has also evolved in many different ways. For example, the races present in the game for players to play as has grown to an extensive and diverse list; the latest of these races is the future Dracthyr race coming in World of Warcraft: Dragonflight, which will be a humanoid dragon race. However, one thing that has not evolved over time is the controller with which the game is played.
Because of the sheer amount of abilities each class has, ability bars fill up quickly with buttons to press. Because of this, the game has pretty much been exclusively played using a mouse and keyboard. However, recently a player may have discovered a way to use addons to make the game accessible to a gaming controller; by mapping specific controller inputs to specific abilities, the player managed to play the game as though it were being played on a console. Comparable to how Diablo: Immortal is making the jump to PC, this discovery could usher in a new wave of players simply due to the ability to use a controller.
Reddit user Kenna2 was the one to figure out the add-on as well as the mapping; not only did they figure it out, but they also posted a tutorial so others could easily follow in their footsteps. The add-on, called consoleport, is an extensive addon that not only allows for PlayStation and Xbox controllers to become compatible, but also allow for very in-depth customization of controls, sensitivity, and even visuals. For example, in the video Kenna2 describes how the add-on allows for an emblem to appear around the buttons displayed at the bottom of the screen that is unique to each class. Like World of Warcraft adding the evoker class, this add-on is a major step forward for veterans and newcomers alike.
Perhaps the most impressive display of the add-on was Kenna2 cycling through their spells using the LT and RT keys. Using a combination of quick inputs with the keys, Kenna2 was able to cycle through 40 total abilities and macros. Furthermore, by simply changing the enemy they were facing, Kenna2 was able to easily change targets based on which enemy was in the middle of their screen.
As World of Warcraft's factions become imbalanced, perhaps the question of whether this mod is an unfair advantage could be asked. The ease with which Kenna2 was able to play the game using a controller was eye-opening, showing the impressive capabilities of a potential new way to play the game.
World of Warcraft is available now on PC.