If you own a joystick or a gaming console wireless controller such as an Xbox Series X or Playstation dualsense or Dualshock 4 then you can turn the controller into a mouse on windows 11.
There are a few different software applications that can help you achieve this and also if you use Steam on your Windows 11 this will allow you to use your joystick or controller as a mouse.
Apart from you using the joy as a mouse on windows 11 you can also bind and map many of the joystick or controller buttons to keyboard keys and mouse buttons.
How To Use Your Joystick Or PS4, PS5, or Xbox Wireless Controller As A Mouse On Windows 11
We will be covering 3 steps below which will allow your joystick or wireless controller to connect to your PC which you can then use as a mouse and keyboard all in one.
1. Connect Your Joystick Or Gaming Controller To Windows 11 PC
Within your Windows 11 operating system is built-in Bluetooth functionality which is very easy to activate.
1. Hold the windows key and I together which will open the Windows 11 settings panel.
2. Select Bluetooth & Devices on the left-hand side and click into Devices.
3. Make sure you turn on your Bluetooth.
4. Depending on if you are using a Joy or a Gaming wireless controller such as an Xbox or Playstation joy you will need to put it into pairing mode.
4a. If using a Playstation controller hold both the Share and PlayStation buttons together until the lights flash to put the device into pairing mode.
4b. If using an Xbox controller press and hold the Guide and Pairing button for 3 seconds to put the device in pairing mode.
5. After a few seconds your Windows PC will now detect the Joy or Wireless Controller.
6. Click on Allow to pair the controller to your Windows PC.
7. If all went successful you will see the words “Connection Successful”.
Now your joystick or controller is all paired up with your Windows 11 you will now need to install the application Steam on your Windows PC.
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2. Download And Install Steam To Set Up Your Joy Or Wireless Controller With Windows
You will need to head over to Steam’s official website below to install the steam platform.
https://store.steampowered.com/about/
Once you have downloaded and installed steam you will need to right-click on the desktop icon and choose to run the Steam application as administrator.
If you don’t have a Steam account you can simply create one now within the Steam application. If you have an existing Steam account then just use your Steam username and password to log in when prompted.
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3. Map And Bind Your Joystick Or Wireless Controller To Your Mouse And Keyboard Using Steam
1. After you have logged into Steam click on the Settings icon in the top left-hand corner of the screen.
2. Now click on Controller in the menu on the left.
3. Choose General Controller Settings.
4. Now choose which gaming controller or Joy you have by ticking the correct box and then close the window.
5. Choose Desktop Configuration which is 2 levels below General Controller Settings.
6. Now you will see a diagram of your joystick or controller and now you can map the mouse and keyboard buttons to the joystick.
7. To use the analog stick as a mouse choose Style of Input then choose Joystick Mouse.
8. You will now be able to see the analog stick diagram move as you move the actual analog stick on your controller.
9. You can choose different mouse sensitivity and also go into additional options to configure more options with your joypad or controller.
10. Once finished click back on the controller then continue to map out all the buttons under the Button Pad section under Styles of Input.
11. Simply choose a keyboard key you would like to bind the controller button to.
12. Once finished click Done which will save your joystick and controller bindings and button mappings.
Quick Tip: If you find there are not enough buttons to be mapped with your controller you can search for the On-Screen keyboard on your Windows 11 to use the built-in on-screen keyboard to map out any extra buttons.
Troubleshooting Joystick Or Wireless Controller Is Not Getting Picked Up By My Windows 11 Bluetooth
If you have issues with pairing your Joy or Xbox/Playstation controller then first make sure you are enabling the pairing mode correctly on your device.
If you are then you can manually add the controller by going into Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Devices > Add device > Bluetooth.
Conclusion
Using a joy or controller is a great way to use the device as a mouse in Windows 11. This can especially become useful if you use your Windows PC as a home entertainment theater or watch movies or listen to music and you want to control the Windows PC when you are not next to it for a more hands-off approach.