Virtual Controller

Virtual Xbox Controller for Windows — Free Using Your Phone

Create a virtual Xbox 360 controller on Windows using your Android or iPhone as the input device. The Gamepad app uses the ViGEmBus driver to make Windows think a real Xbox controller is plugged in — while your phone sends inputs over WiFi.

How the Virtual Controller Works

The Gamepad Server installs the ViGEmBus driver — a free, open-source Windows kernel driver that creates virtual Xbox 360 and Xbox One controllers at the system level.

When your phone connects over WiFi, button presses and joystick movements are sent via WebSocket to the PC server, which forwards them to the virtual controller in real time.

Because the controller exists at the driver level, every application on Windows treats it as a real Xbox controller — games, emulators, Steam, the Xbox app, and even Windows itself.

Technical Specifications

Controller Type Xbox 360 (XInput) — compatible with all modern PC games
Driver ViGEmBus v1.22+ (free, open-source by Nefarius Software Solutions)
Connection WebSocket over local WiFi (IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax)
Input Latency Typically 5–10ms on 5GHz WiFi, 10–20ms on 2.4GHz
Supported Inputs Left/Right analog sticks, D-pad, A/B/X/Y, LB/RB, LT/RT, Start, Back, Guide
Simultaneous Controllers Up to 4 virtual controllers (4 phones connected at once)
Windows Compatibility Windows 10 (1903+) and Windows 11, 64-bit only
Phone Requirements Android 8.0+ or iOS 14+

What Works with a Virtual Xbox Controller

Steam

All Steam games with controller support, Big Picture, Steam Input, Remote Play

Xbox App / Game Pass

All Game Pass PC titles — they use XInput natively

Epic Games Store

All Epic titles with controller support detected automatically

Emulators

RetroArch, PCSX2, Cemu, Yuzu, RPCS3, Dolphin — all work

GOG Galaxy

All GOG games with XInput support

EA App & Ubisoft Connect

FIFA, Madden, Assassin's Creed, Far Cry and more

Frequently Asked Questions

What is ViGEmBus and is it safe?

ViGEmBus is a free, open-source Windows driver developed by Nefarius Software Solutions. It is widely trusted and used by applications like DS4Windows and other controller tools. The source code is publicly available on GitHub.

Does a virtual Xbox controller work with all PC games?

It works with any game that supports XInput — the Xbox controller standard. The vast majority of modern PC games support XInput. A small number of older games only support DirectInput, which may need an additional mapping layer.

Do I need to buy an Xbox controller?

No. The Gamepad app creates a virtual Xbox controller using your phone as the input device over WiFi. You don't need to purchase any hardware.

Will Windows Defender flag the ViGEmBus driver?

No. ViGEmBus is a signed Windows driver with a legitimate certificate. Windows Defender does not flag it. The Gamepad Server installer bundles the driver and installs it automatically.

Create Your Virtual Xbox Controller — Free

Download the Gamepad Server for Windows and the phone app. Setup takes under 30 seconds.

Download Free