ps3pad

Use any PC gamepad (USB or Bluetooth: DualShock 4, DualSense, Xbox, Switch Pro, 8BitDo…) as a PS3 controller, through webMAN MOD's virtual pad.

[gamepad] --USB/BT--> [PC / Raspberry Pi] --HTTP--> [PS3 running webMAN MOD]

Written in C with SDL2. GitHub Actions builds it automatically for Windows x64, Linux x86_64, Linux arm64 (Raspberry Pi) and macOS.

Usage

ps3pad --list                      # list detected gamepads
ps3pad 192.168.1.50                # go
ps3pad 192.168.1.50 --stick analog -v
ps3pad --dry-run                   # test the mapping without a PS3

Option	What it does
--port N	webMAN web server port (default 80)
--pad N	Which gamepad to use (index from --list)
--stick dpad	(default) left stick = D-pad, right stick = right analog
--stick analog	Both sticks as analog sticks
--stick off	Ignore the sticks
--deadzone N	Stick deadzone (0-32767, default 16000)
--trigger N	L2/R2 threshold (0-32767, default 12000)
--keep	Don't send off on exit
-v	Print every request and its latency

Mapping

Positional, like on a PS3:

Gamepad	PS3
Bottom face button (A / ✕)	✕
Right face button (B / ○)	○
Left face button (X / □)	□
Top face button (Y / △)	△
LB / RB	L1 / R1
LT / RT	L2 / R2
Stick clicks	L3 / R3
Back / Share / View	SELECT
Start / Options / Menu	START
Guide / PS, Capture or touchpad	PS

The Guide button is often hijacked by the OS (Game Bar on Windows, Steam…). That's why the touchpad (DS4/DualSense), the Share button on Xbox Series pads, the DualSense mic button and the Switch Capture button also send PS.

Requirements

• A PS3 running webMAN MOD (built with VIRTUAL_PAD, regular builds include it) with the virtual pad not disabled in setup.
• PS3 and PC on the same network. If you set an admin password in webMAN, ps3pad doesn't send it (yet).
• Linux: sudo apt install libsdl2-2.0-0. To read the gamepad without root you may need udev rules for your controller (installing Steam usually takes care of that).
• macOS: brew install sdl2.
• Windows: nothing, the .exe has SDL2 built in.

Limitations (webMAN's fault, not mine)

ps3pad uses /pad.ps3?hold_... over HTTP, so:

• Latency: every state change is one HTTP request. XMB, menus, Movian, turn-based games: great. A shooter: you will suffer.
• All-or-nothing sticks: webMAN only accepts full deflection in 8 directions. No fine analog control.
• One stick per request, and if the D-pad is pressed, the D-pad wins.
• L2/R2 are digital.
• The virtual pad takes an extra port on the PS3: if another controller is connected, the virtual one may end up as player 2.

Building manually

# Linux / macOS / MSYS2
make
# Windows (MSYS2 UCRT64), single exe:
make STATIC=1