Using a Logitech Game Controller F310

Well I tested out that F310 and F510 are more easy to use. Simply plug it to your Mac with the switch switched to DirectInput. Seems if they start in DirectInput mode, Mac will recognise them as Rumble 2 and can be used. But if they are started in X, switching to D will not work.

In case anyone stumbles upon this thread, I did get my Logitech F710 to work on my iMac. However, it wasn't easy. First of all, simple changing the switch to "D" wasn't enough. When I looked at System Information, it still said it was a Logitech F710 gamepad. That won't work since there isn't an XInput driver for the Mac that works with the F710 as far as I know.

System Information needs to show it as a "Logitech Cordless Rumblepad 2" in order for it to work on the Mac. In my case, I needed to disable USB 2 support in VMWare Fusion. Otherwise, Fusion was intercepting the change in USB device ID and wasn't passing it along to the Mac. Initially, I had to start up Fusion and switch the F710 under Windows in order for the change to be reflected on the Mac.

I was finally able to get this to work without starting up Windows. To do this, I had to do the following things in this order:

1. Change the F710 to "D" (DirectInput) mode

2. Remove the nano USB receiver from my iMac

3. Remove one battery from the F710

4. Re-insert the nano USB receiver into the iMac

5. Re-insert the battery into the F710

When you look at System Information now, the device should be shown as "Logitech Cordless RumblePad 2". That device will work with the Mac. If your game uses HID Manager, then you won't need to do anything else in order for your gamepad to work. If your game doesn't support HID Manager, then you'll need a program like Carvware's Gamepad Companion or USB Overdrive in order to map the buttons, hatswitch, or analog sticks to keystrokes.

Unfortunately, if you shut your Mac down at night like I do, you'll have to go through the same steps to reattach the F710 to the Mac. Unfortunately, the default mode on the F710 is the XInput mode which doesn't work on the Mac. It won't matter if you leave the F710 in "D" mode.

I ordered a Cordless RumblePad 2 from a retailer that still had it in stock. I have a feeling that's what I'll use in the future since that will be a lot simpler.

I am assuming the F310 would be the same way since all of these Logitech controllers have the XInput and DirectInput modes built into one gamepad. That may be great for Windows users, but it makes it a pain to use it on a Mac.

Unfortunately, I do not have any video equipment to show this. However, let me try to shorten the explanation by leaving out the technical details.

1. I do not know if the corded models (f310, f510) work at all on a Mac. I have never owned either model.
2. Here is how you get the F710 to work on the Mac
   1. Move the switch over to "D" on the F710
   2. Remove the mini USB receiver from the back of your Mac
   3. Remove one battery from the F710 while still leaving the mini USB receiver unplugged from your Mac.
   4. Re-insert the USB receiver into the back of your Mac
   5. Re-insert the battery into the F710

Your gamepad should now work on the Mac. Unfortunately, if you shut off your Mac each night like I do, you'll have to go through the same steps each time you want to use your gamepad.

I found it easier to simply find a place that sold the older Cordless Rumblepad 2 online. That way, I simply plugged in the USB receiver into the back of my iMac, inserted the batteries and everything worked. That is what I would recommend.

Download USB Overdrive

Download USB Overdrive, its a simple little driver that works, it takes a little setting up at first depending on how you like your games to react for each button.

I would try it on the built in settings first, but i promise it will work for the f310 on your mac. It may work for newer models too.

Its free but it pops up at log on unless you pay a little, and if I remember right they don't ask a price, how much you send is up to you.

all that does is keep it from asking each time you open it.

It does work and it uses no ram while in use.

The F310 will work when you plug it in after you swiched it to D at the back.

There's no need of GP Companion actually. Plug the F310 or 510 with the switch switched to D and Mac will recognize it as Logitech Ramblepad 2, which is fully supported by Mac.

just make sure the X/D botton on the bottom back is switched into D before pluging the USB in mac, it will work but few games

I just downloaded and installed Lego Batman 2 and followed the directions about switching the switch on the back of the controller to D instead of X BEFORE you plug in the controller and the Logitech Gamepad F310 controller works great! I love Logitech!...and Apple too!

I'm using a Macbook Pro (late 2011 model), 2.4 Ghz Intel Core i7 processor, 4 GB 1333 Mhz DDR3 RAM, AMD Radeon HD 6770M 1024MB (1gig) video card, and Mountain Lion (OS X 10.8.2 (12C60)).

I suggest trying USB Overdrive. It made every gamepad i tried just work. Even the F310, Xbox 360 and the Saitek gamepads. 🙂 It's great software and not bad on the price either.

I just bought a Logitech F310 , put the switch on "d" and teh game recognize it !!! wonderful !

F710 does work with Mac. See F710 page on macgamepads.com for instructions. Support isn't official, but it works perfectly with many games including Batman, Psychonauts, and Mini Ninjas. Gamepad support for Macs is on a game by game basis. Psychonauts, for example, cannot be played with the X Box 360 Controller, but can be played with F710.

I noticed also that, at least with an XBox Controller and the XBox 360 Controller preference pane, VMWare fusion may prevent the controller from being detected. I discovered this when I activated the controller, while Windows was running. VMWare Fusion (4, in this instance) popped up a dialog asking whether I wanted the device connected to the Mac, or to the VM. Choosing the mac caused the XBox Controller to immediately show up, when nothing I did without Windows running had been detected.

i THINK i just found out a stupid way to make f310 work on mac? (macbook air at least)

I went to install USB driver (search it on google) and tried to configure the gamepad, end up unuseful and i then uninstall it. Now mac recognise the gamepad when the gamepad is plugged in.

Excellent, and probabaly correct, points. I guess the moral of the story to users is, if you can't get your Mac to detect a controller after following the instructions to do so, and you have VMWare Fusion installed, consider looking at its configuration to see if its snatching events.

I should point out, too, that this experience was with the X Box 360 controller and driver, which is a fairly well ironed out connection process. I suspect it would have also been the case for the F710. but I hadn't gotten that far yet.

GENIUS!! Thanks

Works perfectly with USB OverDrive