Emulating Xinput, what are the requirements?

RE: Emulating Xinput, what are the requirements?

johnhsmith — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 23:56:11 GMT

From what I’ve seen, the main challenge is that XInput isn’t an open standard, so there’s no official public spec you can directly implement on something like the nRF52840. Most sports games Xbox-compatible devices either use Microsoft’s licensed hardware or emulate a standard USB HID gamepad instead.

If your goal is PC compatibility, a practical approach is to implement a USB HID controller profile on the nRF52840. Windows will recognize it as a generic gamepad, and many games support that without requiring true XInput. Otherwise you’d likely need a translation layer or driver on the host side to map HID inputs to XInput.

RE: Emulating Xinput, what are the requirements?

mariamartin — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 11:24:22 GMT

This sounds like an exciting project! Implementing XInput on the nRF52840 could really enhance the gaming experience, especially for games like drift boss where precise controls are crucial.

RE: Emulating Xinput, what are the requirements?

alexanderduen — Sat, 07 Jun 2025 04:30:41 GMT

Implementing XInput on the nRF52840 sounds like an exciting project! I recommend starting with the Nordic SDK and checking out their Bluetooth HID examples, as they can provide a solid foundation for your controller implementation. In my downtime, I enjoy playing geoguessr free, which helps me unwind while keeping my mind sharp. Good luck with your development!

RE: Emulating Xinput, what are the requirements?

blitz0145 — Sun, 25 May 2025 08:32:01 GMT

This is the repo- hope it helps anyone trying to implement Xinput with the Zephyr USB stack.
https://github.com/blitzRahul/xinput-zephyr/

The project still needs some cleanup and clarifications.

RE: Emulating Xinput, what are the requirements?

Kenneth — Sun, 27 Apr 2025 16:54:11 GMT

That was good news!

Kenneth

RE: Emulating Xinput, what are the requirements?

blitz0145 — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 05:08:10 GMT

Hi Kenneth, I went through all the docs and after a bit of experimentation I was able to get it to run.
The only issue I experienced was with the custom Microsoft descriptor which isn't standard USB spec.

I'll soon be writing a detailed blog on Xinput emulation and post it on Github for anyone else who comes across this ticket.

I suggest letting this ticket be open for now.

I'll post the Github link on this thread soon and close it.

RE: Emulating Xinput, what are the requirements?

Kenneth — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 19:43:02 GMT

Hello,

I would expect you need to use one of the USB examples in the nRF Connect SDK, and then modify it to your needs:
https://docs.nordicsemi.com/bundle/ncs-2.9.0/page/zephyr/samples/subsys/usb/usb.html

Likely one of the HID devices are the best starting point.

Kenneth

RE: Emulating Xinput, what are the requirements?

blitz0145 — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 13:51:55 GMT

I'm very sorry- the description of the problem is very lacking.
Here's an updated description:

This is precisely the interface I would like to implement- more details can be read at github.com/.../tusb_config.h

All TinyUSB code makes complete sense in the repository mentioned above- I just cannot wrap my head around Zephyr's USB stack.

I would like to know:
1. Is there a demo of TinyUSB working with the NRF Connect SDK ecosystem?
2. Is there a good example on Github I can use to understand Zephyr's USB stack?