ControllerBuddy vs DS5 Mapper

ControllerBuddy maps gamepad inputs to keyboard and mouse actions or a virtual joystick for flight simulators. Profiles can assign controls through different modes, and an overlay displays the active mode and virtual-axis states. A gamepad-controlled on-screen keyboard supports selecting keys and holding multiple keys at once. The software supports Xbox Controller, DualShock 4, DualSense and other controllers supported by SDLGameControllerDB. Community-maintained profiles are listed for simulators and aircraft, including DCS World and Microsoft Flight Simulator versions 2020 and 2024. ControllerBuddy runs on Windows 10 or 11 (x64) and Linux (x64 or aarch64); its official Flatpak package includes profiles and optional helper scripts for Proton games and DOSBox Staging. The software is free and open-source under GNU GPL v3.0. There are control limits: mode actions must be assigned at Default Mode level and cannot combine multiple buttons, and the two triggers cannot be merged into one rudder axis. It uses rolling releases, with backward compatibility not guaranteed.

DS5 Mapper maps a DualSense controller to keyboard and mouse input, including gyro aim. Built for League of Legends WASD mode, it is described as working with any game that reads keyboard and mouse input. Gyro movement controls the cursor using yaw and roll, with cutoff and tiered smoothing. Calibration persists between launches and can be redone in the app. Every controller input can be assigned to a keyboard key, mouse button, macOS virtual keycode, or special key. Connect the DualSense by USB or Bluetooth before launching. DS5 Mapper reads controller input through SDL2 and creates operating-system-level keyboard and mouse events with pynput; its README says input is not injected into a game process. A watchdog and signal-stability bias correction are included to reduce cursor runaway and drift. The software is free under the MIT license, and version v1.0-beta downloads are listed for macOS and Windows. On macOS, the unsigned app requires a one-time Gatekeeper bypass and Accessibility and Input Monitoring permissions. On Windows, SmartScreen may block it and require choosing Run anyway.