What is JoyToKey?
JoyToKey (or Joy2Key) enables PC game controllers to emulate the keyboard and mouse input, so that windows applications and web games can be controlled with your favorite joysticks! Whenever buttons and sticks are pressed on the controllers, JoyToKey converts them into keyboard strokes and/or mouse movements so that the target application will work as if a real keyboard and a mouse were used.
Joystick to Keyboard input
JoyToKey is a shareware, but you can download the latest version for free. Try it on your PC to play games which don't have native controller support with your favorite joysticksand/or use it for general applications to improve efficiency by registering frequently used key shortcuts as a joystick input.If you find JoyToKey useful, you can purchase a license key at any time from JoyToKey application menu.
This tutorial is specifically for JoyToKey, but I will be releasing an addition tutorial for another program called xPadder. Both programs are fantastic. There isn’t an astronomical difference between the two. The most important thing to note is that JoyToKey is free while xPadder is a $15 one-time fee. May 20, 2021 JoyToKey was created more than ten years ago, and since then it has a predominant market share for keyboard emulation via joysticks, with more than 2 million downloads to date. Users of web and social games who wish to play games with joysticks.
Information
Location of user configuration data (profiles)
Starting from version 6.3, when JoyToKey is installed from the installer (JoyToKeySetup_en.exe), user configuration data will be by default stored in 'JoyToKey' folder in user's 'Documents' folder.
In case you upgrade JoyToKey from the version older than 6.3, please manually copy the configuration files (JoyToKey.ini and *.cfg files) from the old 'JoyToKey' folder into your 'Documents/JoyToKey' folderso that your old configuration data can be accessed.In case of issues or questions, please refer tothis post for more details.
JoyToKey Version 6.6 Released
Version 6.6 includes the following changes:
- Experimental support for a 'Share' button on the XBox Series X/S controller when it's connected over Bluetooth Wireless.
By default, Windows doesn't seem to recognize the newly introduced 'Share' button on XBox Series X/S controller when it's connected over Bluetooth Wireless. Even in that case, you may be able to use a 'Share' button through JoyToKey, by enabling the experimental mode from menu 'Settings' -> 'Preferences', and change 'Input device types' to 'Experimental Logic (Beta)'.
- Improved the automatic detection when an additional joystick is connected.
- Supported a negative coordinate for moving the mouse cursor to the absolute location. It might be useful in case you want to jump to a monitor which is positioned left to the main monitor.
- Added a new command line option '-q' (quiet) to disable the log file generation.
- Added a new parameter in 'JoyToKey.ini' file to default the configuration for newly detected devices (primarily used by https://www.oneswitch.org.uk/')
- Stopped the support for Windows XP, in order to use a new API. For those who are using Windows XP or 2000, DO NOT upgrade and please continue to use the old version you have been using.
- Various bug fixes
Other notable changes included in the recent releases:
- JoyToKey is packaged and distributed with an installer (Distribution of ZIP file format is still available)
- User configuration data is by default stored in 'JoyToKey' folder in user's 'Documents' folder.
In case you upgrade JoyToKey from an older version, please copy (or move) the old 'JoyToKey' folder into your 'Documents' folder so that you can continue to access your configuration data.
- New feature to paste a pre-defined text to the target application
- Supported repeat and toggle click in mouse absolute movement mode
- Enhanced the association of profiles - Ability to associate based on the target window title, besides the file path of the target application
- Enhanced ButtonAlias function - Now support 3 button combination
- Support up to max 50 joysticks (previously 32 joysticks)
- Support up to max 128 buttons (previously 32 buttons)
- Enhanced an execution of an external program to be able to
- pass command parameters
- specify the starting working directory
- Single click a task tray icon to refresh joystick connections
When you connect a new joystick to the PC, you can just click the task tray icon to get it recognized (either left click or right click). - Supported multiple screens for the absolute movement of a mouse cursor.
- Supported additional key-code emulations such as the volume control (up / down / mute), media control (prev / next / play / stop), and SCROLL_LOCK key.
- Changed the default key emulation code for arrow keys, R-Alt and R-Ctrl, to fix some compatibility issue with recent Windows 10. In case it causes a problem for certain old games and you want to use the old key code, in the button assignment window, please select an equivalent key (from right-click menu) which is labeled as 'for DirectInput'.
Old 5.2.1 version
In case you're having a compatibility issue with some online game, the following two versions can be downloaded from here.
- the latest version - which is supposed to fix the issue
- the old version 5.2.1 - which seems to be unaffected by the issue
WARNING: Be careful with unofficial download sites
JoyToKey seems to be distributed in various unofficial websites, and some of them seem to be distributing a tweaked software (or 'download manager') to install extra applications on your PC.
They are not official distributions, and the author of JoyToKey is not involved in any of those activities. Unless you have a good reason to trust those unofficial websites, you should download JoyToKeyfrom the official download page in order to avoid unnecessary troubles.
(There does exist some useful 3rd party websites though, for example, a site for people with disabilities where JoyToKey is packaged with pre-defined configurations for PC accessibility)
Releases
- Mar 14, 2021
- JoyToKey 6.6 Release
- Aug 16, 2020
- JoyToKey 6.5 Release
- Jun 3, 2020
- JoyToKey 6.4.3 Release (bug fix)
- Apr 19, 2020
- JoyToKey 6.4.2 Release
- Jul 21, 2019
- JoyToKey 6.3 Release
- Feb 2, 2019
- JoyToKey 6.2 Release
- Sep 23, 2018
- JoyToKey 6.1.1 Release
- Sep 16, 2018
- JoyToKey 6.1 Release
- Sep 9, 2018
- JoyToKey 6.0 Release
- Feb 23, 2017
- JoyToKey 5.9 Release
- Dec 27, 2015
- JoyToKey 5.8.2 Release
- Nov 21, 2015
- JoyToKey 5.8.1 Release (bug fix)
- Nov 7, 2015
- JoyToKey 5.8 Release
- Aug 28, 2015
- JoyToKey 5.7.1 Release
- Apr 18, 2015
- JoyToKey 5.7 Release
- May 14, 2014
- JoyToKey 5.6 Release
- Jan 26, 2014
- JoyToKey 5.5.1 Release (minor bug fix)
- Jan 18, 2014
- JoyToKey 5.5 Release
- Nov 4, 2013
- JoyToKey 5.4.2 Release
- Oct 17, 2013
- JoyToKey 5.4.1 Release
- Oct 16, 2013
- JoyToKey 5.4 Release
- Aug 31, 2013
- JoyToKey 5.3.1 Release
- Aug 21, 2013
- JoyToKey 5.3 Release
- Sep 2, 2012
- JoyToKey 5.2 Release
- Apr 19, 2012
- JoyToKey 5.1 Release
- Sep 1, 2011
- JoyToKey 5.0 Release
A feature-packed keyboard emulator that enables users to rely on their joysticks for controlling other software solutions and even games
We all know that to control a computer, a mouse and a keyboard are needed. However, you can use other devices to send the same input and one of them is the joystick.
Thus, instead of using it for gaming purposes only, this hardware device can be turned into a PC controller with the help of a dedicated software. Such a program is JoyToKey, a lightweight application especially designed to emulate keystrokes and mouse clicks using the joystick.
Doesn't require installation
The utility doesn't require installation but, instead, it requires that a supported device is connected, otherwise it will not load. The great news is that JoyToKey is built to support up to 16 joysticks, though it's highly improbable that one should need that many controllers.
This application enables you to create several configuration files and load the one you need in no time. To do so, you can simply press the button you assigned for the 'Switch to the other configuration file' feature.
Capable of emulating the inputs from both keyboard and mouse
The configuration includes 32 buttons, 6 axes and 2 Point of View (POV) switches for each of the joysticks.
Xpadder
Insofar as the mouse emulation is concerned, JoyToKey can handle both buttons and wheel. More so, it has a function for adjusting mouse movements as well as wheel rotation, making them faster or slower, as you need.
Allows you to use your joystick for games that don't come offer support for this type of controller
All in all, it appears that this software is pretty well equipped and ready to offer an interesting experience to anyone interested in turning their joystick(s) into a PC controlling device.With JoyToKey you should be able to easily get along with applications that are not even designed to accept input from a joystick, including Office apps and many more.
Filed under
JoyToKey was reviewed by Olivian Puha
- From keyboard (multi) tab, you can now trigger the assignments on different buttons. In order to use it, when assigning a key code, open the right-click context menu, and select Button 1~128. For example, you can assign Input1=Button31, Input2=Button32 and switch them based on the button hold duration, and they could be defined to switch to a different profile.
- Enhanced switch rotation in Keyboard(Multi) tab - Added an ability to reset the counter when a button isn't pressed for a certain duration. That means, when the button is pressed next time, it will go back to start with Input1.
JoyToKey 6.6.0.485 / 6.7.0.507 Beta
add to watchlistsend us an update- runs on:
- Windows 10 32/64 bit
Windows 8 32/64 bit
Windows 7 32/64 bit
Windows Vista 32/64 bit - file size:
- 924 KB
- filename:
- JoyToKey_en.zip
- main category:
- Tweak
- developer:
- visit homepage
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