Controller Slots
PadForge lets you create multiple virtual controllers that games see as real hardware. Each slot represents one virtual controller with its own type, mappings, dead zones, and force feedback settings.
There are two ways to add a new virtual controller:
- Dashboard — Click the Add Controller card at the bottom of the virtual controllers section.
- Sidebar — Click the + button in the sidebar's controller list.
When you add a controller, PadForge creates a new slot with default settings. The slot appears on the Dashboard as a card and in the sidebar for quick navigation.
Each slot can output as one of five virtual controller types. You can switch types at any time by clicking the type icons on the Dashboard slot card.
| Type | Driver Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Xbox 360 | ViGEmBus | Standard Xbox 360 gamepad. Works with most modern PC games natively. 2 sticks, 2 triggers, 1 D-Pad, 11 buttons. |
| DualShock 4 | ViGEmBus | Sony DualShock 4 controller. Used by games that expect PlayStation input or need touchpad/gyro features. 2 sticks, 2 triggers, 1 D-Pad, 14 buttons. |
| DirectInput | vJoy | Fully customizable virtual joystick or gamepad with up to 8 axes (sticks and triggers combined, where each stick uses 2 axes and each trigger uses 1), 128 buttons, and 4 POV hats. Supports DirectInput force feedback. Ideal for flight sims, racing wheels, and custom setups. |
| MIDI | Windows MIDI Services | Virtual MIDI output. Maps stick and trigger axes to MIDI CC (Control Change) messages and buttons to MIDI Note On/Off messages. Ideal for music production, live performance, VJing, and any application that accepts MIDI input. |
| Keyboard+Mouse | None (always available) | Outputs keyboard key presses and mouse movements instead of gamepad input. Map controller buttons to keyboard keys and sticks/triggers to mouse movement or scroll. No additional driver installation required. |
If the required driver or service is not installed, the type icon will be dimmed on the Dashboard card and you will not be able to select it. Keyboard+Mouse is always available. Install other drivers from Settings or see Driver Management.
The DirectInput type creates a fully customizable virtual joystick. The configuration bar lets you set the number of axes, buttons, and POV hats. A schematic view shows the current layout.
The MIDI type creates a virtual MIDI output device. The configuration bar lets you set the MIDI channel, CC count, note count, starting CC/note numbers, and velocity.
The Keyboard+Mouse type shows an interactive keyboard and mouse preview that lights up keys and buttons in real time as you press them on your controller.
PadForge supports up to 16 virtual controller slots total. You can use any combination of Xbox 360, DualShock 4, DirectInput, MIDI, and Keyboard+Mouse types up to that limit.
The Add Controller card disappears when all 16 slots are in use. When adding a controller, a type will be dimmed and unavailable if its required driver is not installed or if that type has reached its capacity.
Note on visibility: The XInput API (used by most modern PC games) can only see 4 controllers at a time. If you create more than 4 Xbox 360 virtual controllers, they all exist and function, but games using XInput will only detect the first 4. Games using other APIs (such as DirectInput, SDL, or raw HID) may see more. DualShock 4 and DirectInput controllers are not subject to the XInput 4-slot limit.
Each slot has a power button (the circle icon on the left of the card). Click it to toggle the slot on or off.
- Enabled (green) — The virtual controller is active and will appear in games when the engine is running.
- Disabled (red) — The virtual controller is turned off. It will not appear in games, but its configuration is preserved.
- Yellow — The slot is enabled but something is preventing it from working: no devices are assigned, the required driver is missing, or the engine is stopped.
Click the X button in the upper-right corner of a slot card on the Dashboard to delete that virtual controller. This removes the slot and all its settings. Remaining slots are renumbered automatically.
You can reorder controller slots by dragging them on the Dashboard or in the sidebar. The order determines the slot numbering that games see. For example, if a game expects "Controller 1", that will be whichever slot is first in the list.
Click a controller card on the Dashboard or click the controller entry in the sidebar to open that slot's configuration page. From there, you can configure:
- 3D and 2D Visualization — Interactive controller model
- Button and Axis Mappings — Map physical inputs to virtual outputs
- Stick Dead Zones — Thumbstick dead zone and response curves
- Trigger Dead Zones — Trigger range and dead zone
- Force Feedback — Rumble passthrough and strength
- Macros — Button combo triggers and action sequences
A single physical device can be assigned to multiple virtual controller slots at the same time. This is useful when you want one physical controller to drive several virtual outputs. Assign devices from the Devices page using the slot toggle buttons on each device card, or drag a device card onto a sidebar controller slot.