Joy2Key

What is Joy2Key?

JoyToKey (or Joy2Key) enables PC game controllers to emulate the keyboard and mouse input, so that windows applications and web games can be controlled with your favorite joysticks! Whenever buttons and sticks are pressed on the controllers, JoyToKey converts them into keyboard strokes and/or mouse movements so that the target application will work as if a real keyboard and a mouse were used. (Quote from Homepage)

Noteable Features:

• Autodetects running game and activates game-specific profile avoiding conflicts with mappings for games that don't need it

Download

• Homepage

Resources

• A Comprehensive Guide to Using This Game-Changing Software

How To Video

• JoyToKey | How To [Video] - Skymatix (June 2023)

AntiMicroX Free Alternative

• AntiMicroX is a free alternative that does the same thing as Joy2Key which is shareware
• AntiMicroX supports linux
• AntiMicroX is free and open source unlike Joy2Key which is shareware and closed source
• AntiMicroX: The Ultimate Free Alternative to JoytoKey for Controller Mapping [Video] - Technically Not a Technician (April 2023)
  • Short video showing how to install the app and setup a controller
• GitHub

Notes:

• I already purchased Joy2Key and its features and low price gives me no reason to switch away from it yet

Tips

Create a Blank Default Profile To Avoid Accidentally Leaving A Profile On

• Make a Blank profile that it defaults to so you don't accidentally get phantom keyboard inputs you weren't expecting.
• Maybe there's a way to prevent this without a Blank default profile but I couldn't see how at the time.

Joy2Key can show up to 50 devices and 128 buttons per device

• tl;dr Default limits to 32 buttons per device: Find the setting to remove the restriction
• Tip: Configure up to 50 joysticks and 128 buttons