If your goal is legacy controller support across PC games, the “best” software depends on what kind of controller you have and how much compatibility you need. In practice, these are the top picks:

Best overall: Steam Input

• Great for: Most controllers, including many older/odd ones
• Why it’s best: Built into Steam, works across a huge range of games, and can translate your controller into Xbox-style inputs, which most PC games understand best
• Pros:
  • Free and already included with Steam
  • Excellent remapping, dead zones, gyro, macros, and per-game profiles
  • Supports a lot of legacy and nonstandard controllers
• Cons:
  • Best experience is inside Steam; non-Steam games sometimes need extra setup
  • Can be a little confusing at first

Best for universal XInput emulation: reWASD

• Great for: Older DirectInput controllers, niche devices, and advanced remapping
• Why: Very powerful and polished, especially if you want to make legacy controllers behave like an Xbox controller
• Pros:
  • Excellent XInput emulation
  • Strong remapping and profile features
  • Works well with many awkward/legacy devices
• Cons:
  • Paid software
  • More “pro tool” than casual utility

Best free utility for controller-to-XInput translation: x360ce

• Great for: Older PC games that only want Xbox-style input
• Why: Longtime classic for making legacy controllers work in games that don’t natively support them
• Pros:
  • Free
  • Useful for stubborn older titles
• Cons:
  • Can be fiddly
  • Less elegant than Steam Input or reWASD
  • Compatibility varies by game

Best for older DirectInput controller support and virtual devices: ViGEm-based tools

Examples: DS4Windows (mainly for DualShock/DualSense), JoyToKey, AntiMicroX

• Great for: Mapping unusual controllers to keyboard/mouse or virtual Xbox controller input
• Pros:
  • Flexible
  • Good for controllers that games don’t recognize properly
• Cons:
  • Often more setup required
  • Some are better for keyboard/mouse emulation than true controller emulation

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My recommendation

• If you already use Steam: start with Steam Input
• If you need the most robust legacy-controller remapping: choose reWASD
• If you want free and simple for older games: try x360ce
• If you need keyboard/mouse mapping more than controller emulation: use AntiMicroX or JoyToKey

If you want, I can also recommend the best software for a specific legacy controller—for example:

• Xbox 360 wired/wireless
• PS2 controller via adapter
• PS3 DualShock
• original Xbox controller
• Logitech/Thrustmaster/Saitek pads
• generic DirectInput gamepads