USB Overdrive X 10.2 supports game controllers

Alessandro Levi Montalcini has released the first full release of USB Overdrive for Mac OS X. USB Overdrive is a universal USB driver that enables users to configure their mice, trackballs and other USB-based input devices.

Previous releases of USB Overdrive have supported mice and trackballs specifically, but USB Overdrive X 10.2 finally adds the support that gamers have craved — the ability to program joysticks and gamepads.

You can add configurations on a global basis, or you can program specific configurations for the applications you use. USB Overdrive enables you to add specific commands and actions to be triggered for wheels, buttons, switches and other controls on your input device. It supports scrolling, keyboard emulation, launching and complex actions, along with clicking, control-clicking and other activites. USB Overdrive is also capable of supporting multiple USB devices simultaneously.

Distributed as shareware, USB Overdrive X 10.2 costs US$20 to register. As the name implies, Mac OS X 10.2 (Jaguar) is required — new versions are also in the works for users still relying on Mac OS X 10.1 and Mac OS 9 as well. And if you’re curious as to why USB Overdrive took so long to gain full support under Mac OS X, make sure to check the link on the USB Overdrive home page. The pictures pretty much say it all.