Modification Improving Xbox Controller Support for Crysis and Crysis Warhead (GOG.com)
Why was this modification created?
Crysis is a legendary FPS series, but even in the GOG.com version, it lacks the ability to remap controller buttons via the in-game menu. The default Xbox controller support is limited, and many buttons behave illogically—or not at all.
I created this modification to solve that issue. It provides:
- Comfortable Xbox controller support
- Logical button assignments (e.g., nanosuit modes, vehicles, sprinting, interaction)
- Full game readiness without manually editing XML or CFG files
What does the modification include?
- actionmaps.xml files with improved controller button mappings
- system.cfg file with additional settings to enhance controller handling and gameplay
- diff_easy.cfg file that slows down cloak mode energy consumption
- Layouts and settings ready for printing
- Full compatibility with Crysis (2007) and Crysis Warhead (2008) from GOG.com
Installation Instructions
1. Make Backups
Before installation, back up the following files:
actionmaps.xml
C:\Users\ [USERNAME]\ Documents\ My Games\ Crysis\ Profiles\ default\ actionmaps.xml C:\Users\ [USERNAME]\ Documents\ My Games\ Crysis_WARHEAD\ Profiles\ default\ actionmaps.xml system.cfg
F:\Program Files (x86)\ GOG Galaxy\ Games\ Crysis\ system.cfg F:\Program Files (x86)\ GOG Galaxy\ Games\ Crysis Warhead\ system.cfg diff_easy.cfg
F:\Program Files (x86)\ GOG Galaxy\ Games\ Crysis\ Game\ Config\ diff_easy.cfg F:\Program Files (x86)\ GOG Galaxy\ Games\ Crysis Warhead\ Game\ config\ diff_easy.cfg
Note: These paths are for the GOG.com versions and Windows 10. Your paths may differ depending on your Documents folder and game installation location.
The system.cfg file may not exist by default—simply paste it in the next step if it's missing.
2. Extract the Files
Download the modification package and extract:
- actionmaps.xml into the appropriate Profiles\default\ folder of each game
- system.cfg into the main directory of each game
- diff_easy.cfg into the Game\Config subfolder of each game
Agree to replace existing files if prompted.
Note:
To use the alternative Xbox control layout (e.g. crouch on B, sprint on L-stick), copy the files from the "ALT Files" folder.
3. Launch the Game
After launching, the Xbox controller should work immediately—with full button support and improved controls. No additional software is required.
4. Final Notes
This modification is intended only for the original 2007 and 2008 versions of the games.
It has not been tested with the Remastered Edition, which likely does not require these changes.
The mod does not alter any executable game files—it is completely safe and reversible.
To return to the original control scheme, just restore the backup files.
Possible Issues and Solutions
The modification doesn't work
Sometimes Crysis or Crysis Warhead may ignore or overwrite your custom actionmaps.xml. This usually happens due to a mismatch in the version attribute inside the <actionmap> tags. To fix it, open the newly generated file, check the version number (e.g. version="20"), and update your modded file to match.
In my case, the correct version was version="20" for Crysis and version="19" for Crysis Warhead. If your modded file uses a different version, the game may reject it silently.
Use an editor like VSCode with Find & Replace (Ctrl + H) to quickly update all version values. Once done, save and reapply your custom actionmaps.xml.
Binoculars
Many players assume the binoculars in Crysis and Crysis Warhead are hardcoded to xi_b, supposedly due to engine limitations. I believed that too — until I found the real cause in the actionmaps.xml file. The issue was that xi_b was assigned to xi_voice_chat_talk, not binoculars. Reassigning xi_voice_chat_talk to another key (e.g. "9") and binding binoculars to xi_b fixed the problem — no engine modding needed. I also tested mapping crouch to xi_b with no issues.
32-bit vs 64-bit
Crysis 1 defaults to 32-bit mode.
To use the 64-bit version, change the desktop shortcut target to:
"F:\Contact & Development
Have questions? Want to report an issue or suggest a different button layout?
Contact me on Discord - I'm happy to expand the project if there's interest.
Other Modifications
The following modifications were not created by me, but they are worth installing.
Crysis: Warhead Suitvoice in Crysis (Mod)
This mod replaces the original, low-quality nanosuit voice in Crysis with higher-quality audio files from Crysis: Warhead. It improves both the male and female voices.
Installation path:
F:\After installation, it's recommended to change the desktop shortcut target to:
"F:\This will launch the game directly with the mod enabled in 64-bit mode.
