Why Use a Controller as a Mouse
The most obvious reason to turn your controller into a mouse is if you want to use your computer like a console. While it’s perfectly acceptable to control your Windows PC using a wireless mouse and keyboard from the couch, it’s not the most elegant solution. If your gamepad can also act as a mouse, it means you can navigate the operating system between games without putting the controller down. Even if you aren’t a gamer, you may have an HTPC and would prefer the more compact nature of a controller to a wireless mouse and keyboard. There’s also an accessibility use case to consider. Since the Xbox Adaptive Controller simply appears as a standard Xbox controller for your PC, it’s one more way someone with special needs can control their computer. Gamepads are also a great alternative to the numerous devices used to remotely control presentations. You don’t have to go buy a special remote for your work, conference, or school presentation. If you already have a game controller handy, you can use it to control a presentation, teleprompter, or any other utility for free.
1. Using Steam’s Solution
Steam is the most popular digital gaming storefront on PC and if you’re a gamer, you probably already have their client installed on your computer. If you aren’t one, however, you can still simply open an account and install the client without having to actually buy anything. Of course, you should choose a configuration that’s most comfortable and intuitive for you. If you have a Sony DualShock 4 controller or PlayStation 5 DualSense controller, you can configure the controller touchpads to act as a mouse.
2. Alternatives to Steam
If you don’t want to install an entire digital storefront to have access to this feature, there are a number of alternative utilities that do the same job.
Gopher 360
Gopher360 is a popular free utility that instantly turns any Xinput controller into a mouse. Xinput is the native standard that all Xbox controllers use and Gopher360 works with the Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox Series family of controllers. It is possible to use it with PlayStation controllers, but you need to use another application that translates those inputs to Xinput format (as shown below). Using Gopher360 is as easy as downloading the .exe file and running it. Once you do, the DOS-like Terminal window will open. Simply minimize it and grab your controller. These are the default controls:
A: Left Mouse-ClickX: Right Mouse-clickY: Hide terminalB: EnterD-pad: Arrow keysRight Analog: Scroll up/downRight Analog Click: F2Left Analog: MouseLeft Analog Click: Middle mouse clickBack: Browser refreshStart: Left Windows KeyStart + Back: Toggle Gopher360 off for when you want to play gamesStart + DPad Up: Toggle Gopher360 vibration settingLBumper: Browser previousRBumper: Browser nextBumber + RBummper: Cycle speedLTrigger: SpaceRTrigger: Backspace
Gopher360 generates a “Config” file in the same folder where you’ve saved the executable before running it for the first time. You can edit this file to customize the default controls. If you break the “Config” file, just delete it. A new default one will be created when you run the applications next.
Keysticks
You may also be interested to try Keysticks, which is a more polished application than Gopher360, with an intuitive graphical interface. You can use Keysticks to control your PC overall or to play PC games that don’t natively support controllers. Once you’ve installed Keysticks, you’ll see a helpful picture of an Xbox controller (for a DualShock one you’ll need to install a translator application first) appear at the bottom-right of the desktop. This shows which buttons on the controller will emulate which mouse or keyboard input. You can customize these key assignments in the software settings. However, by default, you can move the mouse pointer using the right analog stick. Left-clicking is assigned to the left trigger and the right-click is assigned to the start button. That’s the small button to the right of the large Xbox button in the middle of the controller, known as the “Guide” button. To activate Keysticks, double-click its icon in the notification tray. If you see the control Window and you have an Xinput (Xbox-compatible) controller connected to your PC, then you can do all the things you normally do with your mouse, except now you’re using a gamepad!
How to Emulate Xinput With DS4Windows
The DS4Windows application lets you emulate Xinput from a DualShock 4 or Dualsense controller, making Windows (and games) see an Xinput controller where there is none. This allows you to use a PlayStation 4 or 5 controller as if it were an Xbox controller. Specifically, both of the programs outlined above will work if you also run DS4Windows at the same time. Here’s how to get it set up. You can now use your controller with Gopher360 and Keysticks! All screenshots by Sydney Butler
