Map every input
A/B/X/Y, bumpers, triggers, D-pad, both analog sticks and the L3/R3 clicks — all remappable to any keyboard key.
Open source · MIT · Windows 10 & 11
Turn any controller into a keyboard.
Gamepad to Keyboard is a free tool that maps every button, trigger and stick on your controller to real keystrokes and mouse clicks — so you can play keyboard-only games with a controller: emulators, browser games, retro classics and any PC title that never expected a gamepad.
Everything you need
Remap controller buttons to any key — nothing left out.
From face buttons to the tiniest stick-click, every input on the pad is yours to reassign. Bind it to a keyboard key or a mouse button, then save it as a profile you can switch to in a click.
Keys or mouse clicks
Bind any button to a left, right or middle mouse click — aim, fire or point without touching the mouse.
Profiles & presets
Create, rename, duplicate and delete profiles — all auto-saved. Start from WASD Shooter, Retro / Arcade, Move + Mouse or a blank slate.
Live controller view
An on-screen pad mirrors your hands and lights up green the instant you press — you watch every mapping fire in real time.
Global F8 toggle
Flip mapping on or off with one hotkey — no alt-tab, no leaving the game, no losing the moment.
No drivers, no virtual pad
It sends real keystrokes — nothing to install, no virtual controller injected. Just one portable .exe you can run anywhere.
Instant, zero-lag input
Powered by SDL2, presses register the moment they happen — tight enough for shooters, platformers and fighting games.
Free & open source
MIT licensed and 100% free with no ads — a free, open-source alternative to reWASD you can read, fork and trust.
Broad hardware support
Works with Xbox, PS4, PS5, Switch Pro and generic gamepads.
Whatever is on your desk plugs in and works. Xbox / PS4 / PS5 controller keyboard mapping runs on the same SDL2 engine that recognises hundreds of pads — wired over USB or paired over Bluetooth.
Xbox
Series X|S, Xbox One and 360 pads — wired or wireless.
Plug & mapPlayStation
DualShock 4 and DualSense (PS5) — including touchpad click.
Plug & mapSwitch Pro
Nintendo Switch Pro Controller, ready to remap.
Plug & mapGeneric USB / BT
Third-party and retro-style pads over USB or Bluetooth.
Plug & mapUnder the hood it's SDL2, the same controller library used across the games industry — so if your OS sees the pad, Gamepad to Keyboard can map it.
From zero to playing
Map gamepad to keyboard in four steps.
No setup wizard, no config files. This is joystick to keyboard the way it should be — point, press, play.
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01
Plug in your pad
Connect any controller over USB or Bluetooth. SDL2 detects it the moment it's live.
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02
Pick a button, press a key
Click a button on the on-screen pad, then press the keyboard key or mouse click you want it to send.
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03
Save a profile
Keep your layout as a named profile — or load a preset like WASD Shooter and tweak from there.
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04
Press F8 and play
Toggle mapping on and your gamepad now types real keystrokes into any game or app.
Loved by players
A controller-to-keyboard bridge people actually keep installed.
“Finally playing my RetroArch library with a DualSense instead of the keyboard. Mapped the whole layout in about two minutes and the retro preset was already 90% right.”
Ravi M.
@pixel_ravi · emulators
“I have limited hand mobility and mapping the right stick to mouse plus buttons to clicks lets me play point-and-click games again. The live view makes it easy to see what I set.”
Dana P.
accessibility gamer
“Tried it as a free reWASD alternative and honestly it does exactly what I needed — no subscription, no account, no driver. Xbox pad to WASD for an old indie game, done.”
Jonas K.
@jonaskaes · indie PC
“Browser MMO with no gamepad support — now I run around with the left stick on mouse and skills on the face buttons. The F8 toggle is perfect for typing in chat.”
Sofia L.
@sofmmo · browser MMO
“Portable exe on my USB stick, works on every PC at the LAN café. Switch Pro pad mapped to a fighting-game layout and the input feels dead-on.”
Theo T.
@theofgc · fighting games
“Set up a couple of profiles for different old games and switch between them instantly. Open source, no ads, no telemetry — exactly what I want on my machine.”
Marco O.
@marco_retro · retro PC
Grab the free keyboard mapper for your controller.
One download, one .exe, and every button on your pad becomes a key. No account, nothing to configure before it runs.
Free forever · No ads · No drivers · MIT licensed
Answers
Frequently asked questions
Is it free?
Yes — completely free, with no ads, no trial and no paid tier. Gamepad to Keyboard is open source under the MIT license, so you can use it, read the code and fork it however you like.
Does it work outside Steam?
Absolutely. Because it sends real keyboard and mouse input at the system level, it works with non-Steam titles, emulators, browser games, retro and old games — anywhere on Windows. If a game reads a keyboard, it can be driven by your controller.
Which controllers are supported?
Xbox (Series, One, 360), PlayStation DualShock 4 and DualSense (PS5), the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller, and generic USB or Bluetooth gamepads. It's built on SDL2, so Xbox / PS4 / PS5 controller keyboard mapping and hundreds of other pads work out of the box.
Is this a free reWASD alternative?
If you're after the core job — remap controller buttons to keyboard keys and mouse clicks, save profiles and switch between them — then yes, it covers that for free and open source. It focuses on being a clean, no-subscription keyboard mapper for your controller rather than matching every advanced feature of paid tools.
Do I need to install drivers?
No drivers and no virtual controller. It doesn't create a fake gamepad or hook a kernel driver — it simply translates your pad's inputs into real keystrokes. It's a single portable .exe you can run without installing anything.
Is it safe?
The full source is public on GitHub under the MIT license, with no ads, no telemetry and no bundled extras. You can review exactly what it does or build it yourself before running it.