How to Use a Game Controller as a Mouse in Windows

Game controllers (also certified as gamepads) are the the majority of newfangled way to blunders around video clip galleries, yet that’s not unanimously they’re fantastic for. You can intake a controller to mien as a computer mouse, opening upwards a array of wondrous likelihoods, as we will see in this post.
- Why Consumption a Controller as a Computer mouse
- 1. Manipulating Steam’s Enterprises
- 2. Wills to Steam
- How to Emulate Xinput With DS4Windows
- Intermittently Earned inquiries Agitations
In addition read: PS4/PS5 Controller Wills for Those Who Appoint the Xbox One Controller
Why Consumption a Controller as a Computer mouse
The the majority of apparent factor to revolve your controller proper into a computer mouse is if you pine to intake your computer like a console. While it’s perfectly opportune to amend your Windows PC making utilise of a wireless computer mouse and also pivot-board from the sofa, it’s not the the majority of luxurious cure. If your gamepad can also mien as a computer mouse, it standards you can read the operating gizmo in between galleries without plunking the controller down.
Also if you aren’t a gamer, you can have an HTPC and also would most most certainly like the more compact nature of a controller to a wireless computer mouse and also pivot-board. There’s also an availability intake shell to ponder. Since the Xbox Adaptive Controller merely shows up as a stock Xbox controller for your PC, it’s an additional way someone via memorable demands can amend their computer.
Gamepads are also a fantastic replacement to the multiple gizmos amassed service of to from another location amend discussions. You don’t have to go buy a memorable remote for your occupational, meeting, or university demo. If you currently have a gallery controller convenient, you can intake it to amend a demo, teleprompter, or any unlike other utility for unshackle.
In addition read: How to Consumption Your Xbox’s Co-Pilot Position
1. Manipulating Steam’s Enterprises
Steam is the the majority of newfangled digital betting storefront on PC and also if you’re a gamer, you arguably currently have their sufferer mounted on your computer. If you aren’t one, yet, you can still merely open an account and also install the sufferer without owning to in fact buy anything.
- Once Steam is mounted on your computer, obtain required in “Steam-> Placements”.

- From the side menu, pick “Controller”.

- Presently, click on “General Controller Placements”
- Tick the box that complements the kind of controller you are making utilise of. In this shell, we’re making utilise of an Xbox controller, so we’ll pick “Xbox Configuration Market”. Comfy the Window.

- Go previously to Placements, and also under “Controller” click on “Desktop computer Configuration” this time around.

- Listed below you can tailor what pivot press or computer mouse reaction the switches and also sticks of the controller will emulate. Click on each amend you pine to tailor and also position it a impartial.

In addition read: Faultless iOS and also Android Arcades With Controller Market
- In this information shell, we’ve rendered the proper turn on proper-click, the vacated turn on vacated-click and also the proper stick owns been kit to “Joystick computer mouse” under “Layout of Input”. This standards that the proper stick presently renders the computer mouse reminder glide around.
Of training course, you should establish a arrangement that’s the majority of comfy and also intuitive for you.
If you have a Sony DualShock 4 controller or PlayStation 5 DualSense controller, you can configure the controller touchpads to mien as a computer mouse.
- Go previously to “General Controller Placements” like we showed you overhead.
- This time, ponder the “PlayStation Configuration Market” solution.
- Go previously to “Desktop computer Configuration” to overture staking out the newfangled regulates.
- Presently pick the touchpad from the layout in Steam.

- Merely amend the input panache to “Computer mouse”.

2. Wills to Steam
If you don’t pine to install an entire digital storefront to have access to this amenity, there are several replacement utilities that execute the super same vacancy.
In addition read: How to Evaluate for Controller Deadzones in Windows
Gopher 360
Gopher360 is a newfangled unshackle utility that immediately revolves any Xinput controller proper into a computer mouse. Xinput is the indigenous stock that unanimously Xbox controllers intake and also Gopher360 works via the Xbox 360, Xbox One, and also Xbox Bunch family of controllers. It is viable to intake it via PlayStation controllers, yet you need to intake another prayer that interprets those inputs to Xinput layout (as affirmed listed below).

Manipulating Gopher360 is as simplified as downloading the .exe record and also sprinting it. Once you execute, the DOS-like Incurable domicile window will open. Merely relieve it and also grab your controller. These are the default regulates:
- A: Abandoned Computer mouse-Click
- X: Correct Computer mouse-click
- Y: Prowl incurable
- B: Enter
- D-pad: Arrow methods
- Correct Analog: Scroll upwards/down
- Correct Analog Click: F2
- Abandoned Analog: Computer mouse
- Abandoned Analog Click: Nucleus computer mouse click
- Ago: Internet browser freshen
- Prelude: Abandoned Windows Pivot
- Prelude + Ago: Toggle Gopher360 off for when you pine to blunders around galleries
- Prelude + DPad Upwards: Toggle Gopher360 resonance position
- LBumper: Internet browser previous
- RBumper: Internet browser next
- Bumber + RBummper: Cycle velocity
- LTrigger: Room
- RTrigger: Backspace
Gopher360 collects a “Config” record in the super same folder in which you’ve conserved the executable before sprinting it for the first time. You can edit this record to tailor the default regulates. If you reprieve the “Config” record, merely disconnect it. A newfangled default one will be acknowledged when you rushed the implementations next.
Keysticks
You can also be astounded to attempt Keysticks, which is a more chic prayer than Gopher360, via an intuitive visual user interface. You can intake Keysticks to amend your PC finalize or to blunders around PC galleries that don’t natively promote controllers.
Once you’ve mounted Keysticks, you’ll see a priceless image of an Xbox controller (for a DualShock one you’ll need to install a translator prayer first) show up at the substructure-proper of the desktop. This confirms which switches on the controller will emulate which computer mouse or pivot-board input. You can tailor these pivot projects in the software postures.

But, by default, you can glide the computer mouse reminder making utilise of the proper analog stick. Abandoned-clicking is allocated to the vacated turn on and also the proper-click is allocated to the overture button. That’s the tiny button to the proper of the sizable Xbox button among the controller, certified as the “Overview” button.
To mobilize Keysticks, dual-click its icon in the notification tray. If you see the amend Window and also you have an Xinput (Xbox-proper) controller addicted to your PC, after that you can execute unanimously the points you traditionally execute via your computer mouse, other than presently you’re making utilise of a gamepad!
In addition read: How to Consumption Outside Game Controllers With Steam Arcades
How to Emulate Xinput With DS4Windows
The DS4Windows prayer lets you emulate Xinput from a DualShock 4 or Dualsense controller, furnishing Windows (and also galleries) see an Xinput controller in which there is none.
This enables you to intake a PlayStation 4 or 5 controller as if it were an Xbox controller. Specially, both of the regimens staked out overhead will occupational if you also rushed DS4Windows at the super same time. Listed below’s how to implement intake it install.
- First, download the prayer and also install it. If you don’t currently have it on your Windows computer, you’ll need the .NET Desktop computer Runtime.
- Don’t intake the association that the DS4Windows app claims, instead download it from this page under the “.NET Desktop computer Runtime 5.0.17” territory. Appoint the disparity that complements your Windows arrangement, which should be x64 for the majority of individuals.

- Once you have DS4 Windows sprinting, you’ll see the first-time arrangement. Lone “Solution 1” is mandatory.

- Once you’ve finalized the ViGEmBus arrangement, click “Finished”.

- After that, on the main DS4Windows sieve click on “Prelude” in the substructure proper edge.

- You should see your PlayStation controller pop upwards in the “Controllers” tab.

You can presently intake your controller via Gopher360 and also Keysticks!
In addition read: How to Heal Controller Drift on Delight Con and also Unlike other Gaming Controllers
Intermittently Earned inquiries Agitations
Will galleries still occupational traditionally when making utilise of my controller as a computer mouse?
Manipulating the Steam way, your controller should automatically switch in between ordinary mode and also computer mouse mode, yet only for Steam galleries. If you pine this to thieve place for unlike other galleries, obtain required in “Arcades-> Encompass a Non-Steam Game to My Medley” in the Steam sufferer. After that attractiveness for the gallery’s executable record and also include it. If you run away it from within Steam, the vehicle hand-over should thieve place.
How execute I revolve the controllers off?
It’s not in fact apparent how to revolve these controllers off without a console. To execute so, merely grip the Xbox Overview button or the PS button until the controller lights go out. You can have to grip them in for more than 10 secs, yet don’t let go until the lights go out.
What if my computer doesn’t have Bluetooth?
If you have a computer without Bluetooth and also you don’t pine to intake a wired relationship via your controller, you can buy a USB include-on dongle (traditionally USB-based) or in the shell of police Xbox Controllers, you can intake the Xbox Wireless Adapter for Windows. You’ll implement intake a practically lag-unshackle controller blunders and also access to audio via the headphone jack of the controller.
All screenshots by Sydney Butler