Controller as Mouse is a tiny Windows 10 and Windows 11 utility that turns an Xbox, DualShock 4, DualSense, or generic gamepad into a full desktop pointer. Use a controller as mouse to drive the whole system from the sofa, a wheelchair, a hospital bed, or the back row of a conference room - the left stick moves the cursor, the right stick scrolls, and the face buttons click. It is free, has no watermark, requires no account, and runs fully offline.
The build is a portable zip. Unzip it anywhere you like - your Desktop, a USB stick, a folder on your HTPC - and double-click the included ControllerAsMouse app inside the extracted folder. Nothing is written outside that folder except your profiles, which land in %LOCALAPPDATA%\ControllerAsMouse\. Delete the folder and the app is gone.
Because the build is not code-signed yet, Windows SmartScreen may show a blue warning the first time. Click More info, then Run anyway.
- Acceleration curve on the left stick - fine control near center, quick travel at the edges, so the pointer doesn't feel like a tractor.
- Right-stick scrolling, vertical and horizontal - press the stick in for a middle click; invert the axis if you prefer natural scroll.
- Full click set - A or RT for left click, X for right click, R3 for middle click; hold A to drag windows and selections.
- Precision trigger - squeeze LT and the cursor slows proportionally for pixel-level targeting on small UI.
- Global toggle - Start + Back on the pad, or Ctrl + Alt + M from the keyboard, flips the whole mapping on and off instantly.
- Hot-plug support via SDL2 - plug in or unplug a pad and the app notices without a restart; no vendor drivers needed.
- Named profiles - Couch / Media, Precision, Left-handed presets out of the box, plus New, Rename, Duplicate, and Delete; stored as plain JSON.
- Live sliders - cursor speed, scroll speed, deadzone, and acceleration are tuned in the GUI, not in a text file.
- Left-handed mode - swaps the sticks so one hand can both aim and click.
- Tray resident - starts with Windows (per-user, no admin), launches minimized, right-click the tray icon for Enable, Disable, profile picker, Settings, and Quit.
- D-pad as arrow keys, B as Esc - menus, dialogs, and video players respond the way they already expect to.
- Download the zip using the button above and extract it to any folder.
- Double-click the included ControllerAsMouse app inside the extracted folder.
- Plug in your Xbox, DualSense, DualShock 4, or generic pad - wired or over Bluetooth. The status line reads Controller connected: DualSense (or similar).
- Press Start + Back together. The mapping flips on; move the left stick to steer the cursor.
- Optionally open Settings and tick Start with Windows and Minimize to tray so it's always ready.
| Control | Action |
|---|---|
| Left stick | Move cursor with acceleration |
| Right stick | Scroll, vertical and horizontal |
| A / RT | Left click (hold A to drag) |
| X | Right click |
| R3 | Middle click |
| LT (analog) | Precision - slow the cursor |
| D-pad | Arrow keys |
| B | Esc |
| Start + Back | Toggle mapping on/off |
Is it really free? Yes. Free forever, open-source under MIT, no paid tier, no "pro" lock. No watermark anywhere.
Does it work on Windows 11? Yes - Windows 10 and Windows 11, both 64-bit, are supported.
Do I need an account? No. No sign-up, no login, no cloud sync. Download, unzip, run.
Does it need internet? No. The app runs 100% offline. There is no telemetry and no update ping.
Does it need administrator rights? No. It runs as a normal user and writes only to your own profile folder. "Start with Windows" is per-user, so no admin prompt there either.
Is it safe? The source is public, so you can read every line before running anything. Because the build is not code-signed yet, Windows SmartScreen may warn on first launch - that is a trust prompt for new independent software, not a virus detection. Click More info, then Run anyway.
Which controllers work? Xbox pads, PlayStation DualShock 4 and DualSense (PS4/PS5), and most generic gamepads, routed through SDL2 - no vendor drivers required.
Website: https://controllertomouse.com
- Windows 10 or Windows 11, 64-bit
- Any Xbox, PlayStation, or generic gamepad (USB or Bluetooth)
Released under the MIT license. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Gopher360 or Tylemagne - this is an independent, clean-room implementation.