How to Launch Apex Legends in Steam for use with Steam Controller

Respawn Entertainment's new Titanfall spinoff Apex Legends is a surprising hit, though some hardcore Titanfall fans may be a bit bitter about it catering to a new fad in gaming and not a true sequel to one of gaming's best shooters ever made. Regardless, Apex Legends can be a lot of fun, and if you have a Steam Controller and you like to use it for action shooters, you might be surprised about how well it works in this game.

Setting up Apex Legends to work in Steam is pretty straightforward. The important thing to note, however, is that you have to have Origin installed, with the game, and make sure it's not running when starting from Steam after connecting it. Knowing that, it's just a few steps to get up and running:


In Origin, Install Apex Legends. After doing so, Disable Origin In-Game Overlay in the Application Settings Menu. ('Origin' Tab in Origin, top left corner)

Disable This. 

Find the Location of your Apex Legends installation. If you install games on your main hard drive, it should be located in Program Files > Origin Games > Apex. Currently, the App exe file should be named 'r5apex' .

Make Note of your Installation Location.

In Steam, open the Games drop-down menu toward the top left, and click on 'Add a non-team game to My Library'. This will allow you to find your Apex Legends installation, and link it accordingly.

Add Non-Steam Game, using file located in the last step. 

 
Finally, Launch the game through Steam in Big Picture mode with Origin completely closed. This will require you to log in to Origin, and once doing so, your game should start normally. I'd recommend playing the training mode while working on settings with your Steam Controller at this point. Once you start training mode, just open the Steam overlay (I have mine set to the guide button) and go to controller settings in the menu. When I last checked, there were already some presets made.

Though training mode in Apex Legends is brief, I was able to use it get my controls narrowed down to where I wanted them in a short amount of time. There are additional ways to connect if this one doesn't work, but this was the way I did it and it seems to be pretty easy and straightforward. I hope this helps someone!

As an added Bonus, I'm adding the graphic card I used to label the game in my steam library, feel free to use it:

Steam Link Showing Remote Desktop Connection Prompt in Windows 10 - Easy Fix

So yesterday I started using my steam link to goof around with some Adobe Illustrator projects as I do from time to time, but upon connecting to my host PC, I found the above window prompt. After a short amount of searching I couldn't figure out why this was happening. So, I went to my host PC, and noticed my Start Menu was open. I closed the Remote Desktop window via the escape key, clicked away from the start menu, and tried again. Everything worked just fine. I replicated this a few times just to be sure that this was the issue. Seems kind of like a silly problem, but sometimes unfamiliar popups can lead to virus paranoia, so I thought I'd make a post about it. Cheers!

Flickering, Glitchy Screen on Xbox One, Xbox One X - Easy Fix.

Here's a problem that was really annoying for me and really hard to pin down the answer to. Sometime after finally purchasing a 4k/HDR TV, I started experiencing some major problems with the picture on my Xbox One X. I couldn't narrow it down for the longest time. I unplugged it, I changed HDMI ports, I disabled 4k and HDR Settings - nothing was working, and I started to think my new TV was to blame.

I used the same cables I had used from before I got the TV, though they had all gotten moved around after a few years. I wasn't sure which cable came with my Nintendo devices, my Sony Devices, or my Xbox. So, I looked up the specs of each, and luckily this lead me to my solution. I needed a HIGH SPEED 4K compatible HDMI cable. Having a standard cable can cause problems, I guess because of all the data being pushed the much larger screen. Once I determined which cables were my High Speed cables, I plugged them in to the correct devices, and haven't had to worry about this problem since.

Picture Problems with Xbox One

Steam Controller Suddenly not working for Rocket League in Steam - Here's how I fixed it.

Seems like recently, Steam updated how the Steam Controller works with Steam and with games that natively support it. Unfortunately for me, that meant a big headache for me trying to figure out how to get it working with my Steam Controller again, despite having used it before. I had originally suspected that my problem had to do with using an Xbox One controller with windows for some games, resetting some type of setting. Turns out, that wasn't the case. It has more to do with specific updates to the way the controller interacts with Steam. Well either way, I figured out how to get it working - here's how I fixed it.

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Manage Game - Controller Options 

Firstly, even if you don't regularly use Big Picture Mode, you'll want to for now just to ensure you can get the Steam Controller to work. Once you've selected Rocket League in Big Picture Mode, go to Manage Game and select Controller Options. If you've ever used a custom configuration, you'll notice it's the field just below where you make those adjustments. 

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Controller Application Options

These are the options I have for this window. I have Steam Input Per-Game Setting set to Forced Off. I'm not sure what exactly this effects since there are a few ways to adjust this type of thing, but for Rocket League, I have: Forced Off, Rumble Emulation On, and Frequency set to Default. 

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Main Menu - Options - Controller Settings

From here, you'll go to the main steam menu in Big Picture, and then go to the options screen. (Gear Icon near the Top Right of Screen) 

Turn off all the other controllers in the configuration support section. You can leave the top setting on if you want to have the guide button focus on steam. I typically do. 

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Use Steam Input in Rocket League Options

This is the most important part- Here's where most people's problems are solved. Meaning, if you don't have this selected, your Steam Controller probably won't work with the game without some other type of workaround. 

To get here just go to the options from the main menu, and select the controls setting. You'll probably have to use your keyboard/mouse up to this point. 

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That's how I got MY Steam controller to work in Rocket League. I believe the last part is the part that had me perplexed for the longest time. I had expected the controller to just work once I started the game, but you actually have to turn on support in the menu settings. I had a similar issue back when I played Final Fantasy XIV and I should have known better. Hope this helps someone! 

Ring of Elysium Not Working for Steam Link? Here's How I fixed it.

I love my Steam Controller and my Steam Link, but they are not completely without their headaches. When I'm feeling ill and not able to sit up at my PC, I love to game from my television. RoE has given me a few problems however, and here's how I narrowed down what they were and fixed them.


Problems -

-Steam controller working with Big Picture Mode in steam link, not working when game launches
- Mouse and Keyboard - Mouse will move cursor, but not allow me to click on the screen

Notable -
When launching the game, audio prompt to allow RoE to run on my PC is heard - though not seen on my screen through steam link.
- GeForce recording software stealthily popped up, but I didn't see the prompt on my screen, hiding minimized in the taskbar below - only visible on my PC and not on the screen streamed to steam link.

How I fixed it:
- Closed Steam - Re-opened it as Administrator - This got rid of the prompt asking if I would give permission to run Ring of Elysium.

- Check 3rd Party game recording software - Someone mentioned GeForce software that will ask you if you'd like the game to record highlights for you. Well, this is what mine was doing, but the prompt was minimized, perhaps by steam.

These two items were most likely the culprit keeping me from controlling my game. Since my PC locks other processes out until these prompts are responded to, I made sure to have them addressed. Geforce Prompt is a one-time thing, the other thing happens every time I run the game outside of Running as Administrator.

After this - I got the game running just fine. My next challenge is finding the best steam controller configuration for this game. So many possibilities!

Resources that Helped Me:

Response to Steam Controller Question by Steam User Drendyl
Reddit Thread Complaining about Steam Controller

New Use for Blog: How I fixed it

I haven't used this blog at all since I quit writing for a local paper. I figured I could bring it back by posting things about what problems I've come across in games, and how I've used various resources in an effort to fix them. So, if you're here - thanks. From here on out, that's what this is going to be about.

Movie Review:
King of Kong – A Fistful of Quarters

As a fan of modern-day competitive video gaming, I was pretty anxious to see this movie. With it’s limited showings in cities around the country, I had feared that I would either have to wait for it to come to DVD, or just read about it and miss out on it altogether. On many gaming websites there has already been lots of hype and hoopla over the film, ranging from wild and exaggerated praises to irate gaming fans that feel that the film’s antagonist was portrayed in an unfair way. Well, whatever. I had to see it for myself to form an opinion, and lucky for Jacksonville, we can now see King of Kong in theatres starting this Friday.

King of Kong is a documentary film that follows the casual but dedicated gamer Steve Wiebe (pronounced “Wee-Bee”) on his mission to get the top score in the age-old classic known as Donkey Kong. Steve, who judging by the movie seems to be a pretty regular guy aside from the fact that he plays so much Donkey Kong, really goes the distance to show his worth. As the film starts, you find that Wiebe had recently achieved the accomplishment of getting the world record high score in not only Donkey Kong, but also the sequel to the game, Donkey Kong Jr. In doing so, he knocked out video game legend and hot sauce mogul Billy Mitchell, who eventually becomes the antagonist of the film. Billy Mitchell plays a good bad guy in the film, and he is probably the most quotable guy in the history of all champions, with the exception of Muhammad Ali. Take this little gem, for example: “No matter what I say, it draws controversy. It's sort of like the abortion issue. If you're for it, you're a son of a gun. If you're against it, you're a son of a gun.” (Note: Mitchell never ever uses swear words, and never curses)

Wiebe, on the other hand, seems to be the polar opposite. Calm and friendly, all he wants to do is play some Donkey Kong in a head-to-head fashion with Billy Mitchell in a friendly match. He comes across as the nicest guy ever, and doesn’t seem boastful or rude to anyone in any way during the film, and though he strives for the high score, his family seems to keep him grounded. When discussing the Guinness Book of World Records and the importance of gaming scores, a little girl who I’m sure was Wiebe’s daughter made a good point. While Wiebe noted that some people take them very seriously, she responded back: “Yeah, but some people ruin their lives with that stuff.”

The ups and downs of Steve Wiebe’s adventures are well documented and edited in a dramatic way that stays interesting throughout the movie. Along the way you meet plenty of colorful, real-life people who really show some personality, such as the Twin Galaxies arcade referee who also happens to be a musician and something of a hippie, if you go by his appearance in the film. And I can’t leave out a mention of mustachioed men who wear specialty gaming gloves molded from weightlifting gear, or the greasy hair and awkward clothing that seems to have come from an 80s movie. Yes, there are nerds aplenty, but not only are they real and authentic, they also wear the clothing that nerds from the era of their favorite game would have worn back in the day. I’m talking golden Phil Donahue eyeglasses, greasy hair, and fanny packs, a look only upgraded with cell phone holsters on the hip. Terrific!

Overall, I feel that the movie in itself is worth the ticket price, if not more. Like most documentaries, much of the subject matter has been edited for dramatic effect and certain nuances are left out that may give some insight to the relationship between Steve Wiebe and his rival Billy Mitchell, but as it is it’s a great watch. If you want to read up on the current high scores and see opinions from fans of the players and from some top players themselves, you can read all about that and more at the official movie site. But even if you aren’t THAT interested in the subject matter of this film, it’s a great watch nonetheless, and definitely not just geared toward videoheads from the 80s.

We all know about the heavy hitters...

The month of September is well underway, which means video game release season is upon us. There are a number of high-profile games to be released this month, including Sony’s often Ill-reviewed Lair, Nintendo’s Metroid Prime 3, Sony’s Warhawk, and Bungie’s highly anticipated Halo 3. To most people familiar with gaming, these titles are well known, so I won’t spend too much time with you telling you how Lair is impossible to play and frustrating, that Metroid Prime 3 is surprisingly great, or that you are probably going to have to buy Halo 3, no matter what. Instead, I’d rather talk about great games that you may not know about that you may enjoy.



Skate.
For PS3 and Xbox 360
I’ll have a full-sized review of this next week, as it got delayed till Friday. (The PS3 version comes later this month or possibly early next month) The demo, however, is currently available on Xbox live and is wildly addictive, and has garnered nothing but respect from skateboard enthusiasts. If you can, download the demo on Xbox Live to see for yourself. If you love skateboarding, I’d say head down to the game shop and buy it right away.



Dynasty Wars Gundam
PS3, Xbox 360
If you are not familiar with the Dynasty Warriors series, basically the games center around former military leaders from China and Japan, who will hack and slash their way through armies of millions of soldiers on their way to greatness. Basically, playing a Dynasty Warriors game is like watching one of those Greek/Roman war movies where you have a few guys going against an army of thousands. So what is new with this Gundam version of Dynasty Warriors? Well, take out the Asian military guys, and replace them with Giant Robots of Japanese origin. Replace the bad guy armies with Gundam bad guys, and there you have it. Dynasty Warriors Gundam is a great way to kill time, and though at times the action can be repetitive, the game does wonders for relieving stress. And fighting robots are always awesome. Fans of the Gundam series will be especially impressed, especially after playing the last Next Gen Gundam game.



John Woo’s Stranglehold
For PS3, Xbox 360

Well, maybe you do already know about this game. It isn’t exactly underground, but I think it is a fun game nonetheless. If you are familiar with the movie Hard Boiled, you should recognize the characters in this story, which functions as a sequel to that movie. Using gameplay mechanics much like those found in games like Max Payne, you will duck, shoot, slide across tables, and dive through the air in slow motion while shooting bad guys. With fully destructible environments and a high dosage of action, Stranglehold is a great example of Hong Kong action translated into video game form. As far as movie games are concerned, this one is one of the best, up there with Chronicles of Riddick. (Although I thought the movie that was based on was kinda whatever.)