{"id":5626,"date":"2025-06-08T14:37:17","date_gmt":"2025-06-08T14:37:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/castle-engine.io\/wp\/?p=5626"},"modified":"2025-06-21T04:59:54","modified_gmt":"2025-06-21T04:59:54","slug":"game-controllers-gamepads-joysticks-new-comfortable-api-and-example-of-walking-and-talking-using-gamepad-from-delphi-summit-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/castle-engine.io\/wp\/2025\/06\/08\/game-controllers-gamepads-joysticks-new-comfortable-api-and-example-of-walking-and-talking-using-gamepad-from-delphi-summit-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Game controllers (gamepads, joysticks) – new comfortable API, and example of walking and talking using gamepad from Delphi Summit 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n \"Xbox<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
\n \"Xbox<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
\n \"Game<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
\n \"Doom<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
\n \"Fortnite<\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/table>\n

We’re proud to present a completely new comfortable API to handle game controllers<\/em> (which includes gamepads<\/em>, joysticks<\/em> and similar devices). Everything is documented, with links to examples, in the dedicated manual page about game controllers<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Highlights of the new support:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. You receive information about pressing \/ releasing gamepad buttons by overriding TCastleUserInterface.Press<\/a><\/code> and TCastleUserInterface.Release<\/a><\/code> methods. Usually you define these overridden methods in your view<\/a> and handling the gamepad buttons is similar to handling key and mouse button presses.\n

    The simplest example looks like this:<\/p>\n

    function TViewMain.Press(const Event: TInputPressRelease): Boolean;\nbegin\n  Result := inherited;\n  if Result then Exit; \/\/ allow the ancestor to handle keys\n\n  \/\/ handle key F1 or north button on gamepad  \n  if Event.IsKey(keyF1) or Event.IsController(gbNorth) then\n  begin\n    \/\/ .. do something\n    Exit(true); \/\/ input was handled\n  end;\nend;\n<\/code><\/pre>\n
    Follow the documentation<\/a> for examples.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
  2. \n
    Buttons are expressed using controller-agnostic enumerated values. In particular, the 4 face buttons<\/em> (sometimes labeled A B X Y<\/em>, sometimes square triangle circle cross<\/em>, and occurring in various order on different pads) are called gbNorth<\/a><\/code>, gbEast<\/a><\/code>, gbSouth<\/a><\/code>, gbWest<\/a><\/code>. You can also access buttons’ caption<\/em> (which is a name to display to user, like A<\/code> or B<\/code>) and meaning<\/em> (which corresponds to the typical meaning of the button, like gmConfirm<\/a><\/code>, gmCancel<\/a><\/code>).<\/p>\n
    Note: While the API is ready to support any gamepad in the future, the current mapping on PC (Windows, Linux) just assumes Xbox Controller<\/em>. Because it seems to be the most common controller. Support to properly detect e.g. PlayStation gamepads connected to PC is coming. This week, we focused on having a simple and future-proof API to make it possible.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
  3. \n
    The axes of controllers are available as simple TGameController<\/a><\/code> functions:<\/p>\n