Adding gamepad compatibility gives players comfortable, responsive input across phones, tablets, PCs, TVs, and more. Creating a great gamepad experience requires careful planning across input transitions, menu navigation, and core gameplay mechanics. To help you navigate these choices, this guide outlines key considerations, recommended practices, and common pitfalls for building intuitive physical input into your game. For API references and multiplatform input guidance, see Support game controllers and Enable natural input on all form factors.
What's in this guide
Review the following sections to design and refine controller support for your game:
- Essential design considerations: Learn the core requirements for gamepad integration, including declaring gamepad support in your Android manifest, switching automatically between input devices, and supporting full gamepad navigation across all in-game menus, heads-up display (HUD) elements, and dialogs.
- Recommended practices: Apply practical guidelines for comfortable, intuitive gameplay, including designing for player ergonomics, organizing inputs hierarchically, providing clear visual feedback, and more.
- Common pitfalls: Identify and refine input choices that can limit responsiveness and comfort, such as relying only on a virtual mouse for core gameplay and reusing mobile touch physics for analog sticks.