VirtualGamePad
VirtualGamePad lets you use your Android phone as a gamepad for your Windows PC.
It’s similar to DroidJoy, but free and open source.
Benefits of using VirtualGamePad:
- Free and Open Source: No ads, no tracking, no paywalls.
- Secure: The code is open for anyone to review. No need to trust a random app from the Play Store.
- Economical & Eco-friendly: No need to buy a new gamepad. Use your old phone instead. Save money and reduce e-waste.
Screenshots
VirtualGamePad running on an Android 12 device:
VirtualGamePad Server running on Windows 11:
Installation
To use VirtualGamePad, you need to install the Android app (client) on your phone and the Windows app (server) on your PC.
To be notified of new updates, you can star ⭐ or watch 👁️ the source repositories on GitHub.
Android
Grab the latest APK from the releases page and install it on your phone.
Windows
Grab the latest archive(.zip) from the releases page, extract it and run VGamepadPC.exe.
Usage
Run the server on your PC and the client on your phone.
Connect to the server from the Android app by entering the IP address and port of the server.
Both devices need to be on the same network.
There’s an FAQ for gamers.
Troubleshooting
Help! I cannot connect to the server
If you’re having trouble connecting to the server, try disabling your firewall or adding an exception for the server.
On Windows, you will be prompted to allow the server to communicate through the firewall when you run it for the first time.
If you’re still having trouble, start a hotspot on your phone and connect your PC to it. (or vice-versa, try both)
Then, restart the server and try connecting again.
Do this before complaining about the app not working.
Help! The QR code scanner doesn’t work
This is a known issue with the Google library used for scanning.
Google code scanner is an optional module in Google Play Services. It’s fast but the delivery is unreliable when installing apps from outside the Play Store.
The problem shows up in various forms due to various reasons:
- Google code scanner doesn’t work at all. This is because it uses an unbundled library that must be downloaded before use.
Simply connect the device to the internet, launch the app and wait for a few minutes. This is required only once. - Google code scanner might stop working after a while. This might happen due to a Play Services update.
Clear the data for Google Play Services to fix it. This will remove the module and it must be downloaded again.
You may also use a third-party QR code scanner or enter the data manually.
Help! The Gamepad doesn’t work for a game
If it is a newer title with built-in support for Gamepads on PC, you might face some problems.
Try running the server as admin. 🛡️
The game should not be running as admin. This prevents input injection.
Games without gamepad support should work out of the box.
Read How it works to know why.
Source Code
Glad you asked! VirtualGamePad is open source and licensed under the GPLv3 licence.
VirtualGamePad uses open-source libraries and assets which are governed by their own licences.
The source code for the Android app is available at kitswas/VirtualGamePad-Mobile.
The source code for the Windows app is available at kitswas/VirtualGamePad-PC.
Visit the companion website to see the documentation.
kitswas/VGP_Data_Exchange is used to handle the communication between the client and the server.