XCOM 2 on PC Now Lets You Explore the Avenger in First Person (With a Controller)

XCOM 2 on PC has been updated today to enable controller support. Aside from making it possible to play with a controller, it also allows for you to take a first-person stroll around the Avenger, your headquarters in the game.

Steam should automatically download the new update, referred to by Firaxis as Patch 7. The unlocked camera is not enabled by default; you'll instead need to either install the game's mod tools or enable the in-game console. You can do this by accessing the Properties menu of the game in Steam (by right-clicking it in your library), choosing Set Launch Options, and entering "-allowconsole" without the quotation marks.

With that done, open up the game and hit the ~ or \ keys to bring up the console. From there, enter the command "toggledebugcamera" without the quotation marks and hit enter. You can then use your controller to fly around the Avenger, exploring things that otherwise could not be seen. This includes photographs located in soldiers' bunk beds, as you can see in the video above.

It's unclear why a controller is required for this. (Steam Controllers are not supported for this feature.) Today's patch only officially adds support for Xbox One and Xbox 360 controllers, though you might be able to get others working. You can see what the controller layouts for playing look like in the images below.

More detailed instructions for enabling the first-person view can be seen on XCOM's website. Choosing to install the mod tools (rather than enabling the console) is a slightly more involved process, but it's what Firaxis recommends because it "gives players access to all of the in-game assets and debugging tools used by the devs." This includes the ability to use things like Tactical Quick Launch, which is described as "a skirmish mode where players can create their own missions, try new soldier loadouts, and fight any combination of enemies."

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The update does make some other changes, which you can check out in the patch notes below.

XCOM 2 PC Patch 7 Changes

• Adds traditional (non-Steam Controller) controller support to the PC
• Fix config/upk file issues that prevent full conversion mods from being possible on the Steam Workshop and also allow mods to have Bink files.
• In Alien Hunters, the "Ruler Reaction" notification will stay on the screen after a unit fires at the Archon King while he is using Icarus Drop during combat.
• SPARKS cannot be healed by Medikits
• Additional minor bug fixes