Gamepad / Controller in Skyrim for PC

[Inkling]

Has anyone had luck getting a gamepad to work in Skyrim?

I've heard an Xbox 360 controller with the wireless receiver works automatically, as will an official wired 360 controller. I've also read that the motioninjoy program works with a PS3 Dualshock3/SixAxis controller in "Xbox 360 Controller Emulator Mode."

I'm on Win7 64 bit. I've been trying to use my Saitek P2500 with no luck... the Windows Game Controller properties recognizes the controller and allows me to test it successfully, but it won't work in Skyrim.

I've also tried my PS2 Dualshock2 controller via a radioshack USB adapter and motioninjoy. But no luck in Skyrim (or other games). Like the P2500, Windows recognizes the controller in general but I can't use it to actually control anything other than the test interface.

Any success stories? Or ideas how to make a Saitek P2500 or Dualshock 2 work? Thanks!

[Inkling]

I got a PS3 Dualshock 3 controller working perfectly via motioninjoy. You just follow the setup instructions and select "Xbox 360 Controller Emulator" mode in the the motioninjoy settings. Skyrim treats it like a 360 Controller and configures everything automatically, including button mapping. The game immediately switches to the controller interface with in-game menus now showing the "A" button for primary actions instead of the "Enter" key, and so forth.

The PS3 controller can be used wired or via a bluetooth driver supplied by motioninjoy.

A disadvantage is that they keyboard is disabled as a Skyrim input device. It's not the end of the world, but I can see the advantage of having both; for instance, the number keys as quickslots.

Another disadvantage is that when using the PS3 controller wirelessly, the motioninjoy bluetooth driver prohibits any other bluetooth devices from functioning. For me, this means I can't operate my computer from the couch, since my keyboard is bluetooth. Unfortunately for me, operating from the couch is the whole point of getting a gamepad working :(