Godot: Control Mouse With Gamepad

I've made a quick example showing how to control the mouse with a gamepad in Godot. The left stick controls the mouse and a configurable button can trigger a mouse click. The right stick will scroll a user control if there is a ScrollContainer under the mouse cursor. It requires a Godot 4.3 new method on the viewport class to get the Control under the mouse cursor, so you'll need to wait for Godot 4.3 to be officially released or build from the latest source. This sample also shows how to slow down the cursor if the cursor is moving over a button.

There remains one currently known issue. If you start with the cursor outside of the game window and move the mouse over the game window with the gamepad, then the cursor will not update until you move the cursor with the mouse (then the gamepad movement and cursors work as expected). If you move outside the game window and then back into the game window again, then the same behavior is seen (only tested on a Mac M1 so for, so not sure if it is Mac-specific or not).

Here's where to find the project:

• GitHub Repo: https://github.com/Vortex-Basis-LLC/Godot-VBG-Samples-GamepadCursor

• Specific File: https://github.com/Vortex-Basis-LLC/Godot-VBG-Samples-GamepadCursor/blob/main/input/gamepad_cursor.gd

As usual, I'd recommend checking GitHub to make sure you are seeing the latest version, but here's the latest code at the time of this post:

extends Node2D

@export var max_speed := 500.0

@export var max_friction_speed := 200.0

@export var max_scroll_speed := 500.0

# Button to use for the standard left mouse button.
@export var joy_left_mouse_button: JoyButton = JOY_BUTTON_A

@export var joy_deadzone = 0.2

# Remember where mouse was after the last frame.
var last_mouse_pos: Vector2

# Leftover non-integer movement from prior frame.
var movement_remainder: Vector2 = Vector2.ZERO
# Leftover non-integer scrolling from prior frame.
var scroll_remainder: Vector2 = Vector2.ZERO

var was_left_button_pressed := false

# Device id to use for joystick (-1 for none)
var joystick_device_id := -1

# Called when the node enters the scene tree for the first time.
func _ready() -> void:
    # Listen for joy_connection_changed and automatically use first device_id
    # if no explicit joystick_device_id has been provided.
    Input.connect("joy_connection_changed", self._on_joy_connection_changed)

    # NOTE: Set mouse to visible before using this: Input.set_mouse_mode(Input.MOUSE_MODE_VISIBLE)
    #   It is assumed programs will control mouse visibility from a more central location.
    last_mouse_pos = get_global_mouse_position()

    # Default to using the first joypad.
    var joypad_device_ids := Input.get_connected_joypads()
    if joypad_device_ids && joypad_device_ids.size() > 0:
        joystick_device_id = joypad_device_ids[0]


func _on_joy_connection_changed(device_id, connected):
    if connected:
        if joystick_device_id == -1:
            joystick_device_id = device_id
    else:
        if joystick_device_id == device_id:
            joystick_device_id = -1


func _process(delta: float) -> void:
    var mouse_over := find_control_under_mouse()

    handle_left_button()
    handle_scrolling(delta, mouse_over)

    var input_dir := Vector2(Input.get_joy_axis(joystick_device_id, JOY_AXIS_LEFT_X), Input.get_joy_axis(joystick_device_id, JOY_AXIS_LEFT_Y));
    input_dir = apply_joy_deadzone(input_dir)

    var speed_to_use: float = max_speed
    if should_apply_friction(mouse_over):
        speed_to_use = max_friction_speed

    var current_velocity = speed_to_use * input_dir;
    var mouse_move = current_velocity * delta

    if (mouse_move != Vector2.ZERO):
        mouse_move += movement_remainder
        var int_mouse_move = Vector2(int(mouse_move.x), int(mouse_move.y))
        movement_remainder = mouse_move - int_mouse_move
        var new_mouse_pos = last_mouse_pos + int_mouse_move

        var event = InputEventMouseMotion.new()
        event.position = new_mouse_pos
        event.relative = int_mouse_move
        Input.parse_input_event(event)

        Input.warp_mouse(new_mouse_pos)
        last_mouse_pos = new_mouse_pos
    else:
        movement_remainder = Vector2.ZERO


func _input(event):
    if event is InputEventMouseMotion:
        var mouse_event := event as InputEventMouseMotion
        last_mouse_pos = mouse_event.position


var _missing_get_hovered_method_shown = false

func find_control_under_mouse() -> Control:
    var viewport := get_viewport()
    if !viewport.has_method("gui_get_hovered_control"):
        if !_missing_get_hovered_method_shown:
            print("ERROR: You must update to Godot 4.3 to get viewport's gui_get_hovered_control method.")
            _missing_get_hovered_method_shown = true
        return null

    return viewport.gui_get_hovered_control()


func find_containing_scroll_container(node: Node) -> ScrollContainer:
    if node is ScrollContainer:
        return node

    if node:
        return find_containing_scroll_container(node.get_parent())

    return null


func handle_scrolling(delta: float, mouse_over: Control) -> void:
    var scroll_container = find_containing_scroll_container(mouse_over)
    if scroll_container:
        var scroll_dir := Vector2(Input.get_joy_axis(joystick_device_id, JOY_AXIS_RIGHT_X), Input.get_joy_axis(joystick_device_id, JOY_AXIS_RIGHT_Y));
        scroll_dir = apply_joy_deadzone(scroll_dir)

        if scroll_dir != Vector2.ZERO:
            scroll_remainder += Vector2(scroll_dir.x * max_scroll_speed * delta, scroll_dir.y * max_scroll_speed * delta)
            var scroll_x := roundf(scroll_remainder.x)
            var scroll_y := roundf(scroll_remainder.y)
            scroll_container.scroll_horizontal = scroll_container.scroll_horizontal + scroll_x
            scroll_container.scroll_vertical = scroll_container.scroll_vertical + scroll_y
            scroll_remainder -= Vector2(scroll_x, scroll_y)
        else:
            scroll_remainder = Vector2.ZERO


func handle_left_button() -> void:
    var is_left_button_pressed = false
    if joy_left_mouse_button != JOY_BUTTON_INVALID:
        is_left_button_pressed = Input.is_joy_button_pressed(joystick_device_id, joy_left_mouse_button)

    # NOTE: Buttons should have Focus Mode set to None to work properly.
    if is_left_button_pressed && !was_left_button_pressed:
        # NOTE: We seem to need to clear focus before trying to simulate the mouse button press,
        #   but more investigation may be needed to see specific reason this was needed.
        var focus_owner = get_viewport().gui_get_focus_owner()
        if focus_owner:
            focus_owner.release_focus()

        var event = InputEventMouseButton.new()
        event.button_index = MOUSE_BUTTON_LEFT
        event.position = get_viewport().get_mouse_position()
        event.pressed = true
        Input.parse_input_event(event)
    elif !is_left_button_pressed && was_left_button_pressed:
        var event = InputEventMouseButton.new()
        event.button_index = MOUSE_BUTTON_LEFT
        event.position = get_viewport().get_mouse_position()
        event.pressed = false
        Input.parse_input_event(event)

    was_left_button_pressed = is_left_button_pressed


func apply_joy_deadzone(vec: Vector2) -> Vector2:
    if abs(vec.x) < joy_deadzone:
        vec.x = 0.0
    else:
        vec.x = (vec.x - joy_deadzone) / (1.0 - joy_deadzone)

    if abs(vec.y) < joy_deadzone:
        vec.y = 0.0
    else:
        vec.y = (vec.y - joy_deadzone) / (1.0 - joy_deadzone)

    return vec


func should_apply_friction(control: Control) -> bool:
    if control is Button:
        return true

    return false