ControllerBuddy vs FlexInput

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.

FlexInput is a Windows application for routing and mapping HID and MIDI inputs to virtual outputs. Its visual signal graph supports drag-and-drop editing, reusable nested sub-patches, and factory presets. Listed controller inputs include XInput, DualShock 4, DualSense, Switch Pro, Joy-Con 2, and third-party SDL3 controllers; it also accepts MIDI. Outputs include virtual XInput and DualShock 4/DualSense controllers, keyboard, and mouse. MIDI mapping offers per-CC output pins and CC Learn, while supported controllers can provide raw gyroscope and accelerometer data. FlexInput can route an AutoMap gamepad bus between two instances over LAN UDP, encrypted PSK UDP, or P2P transport. LAN UDP is unencrypted; PSK uses a shared passphrase and P2P uses a cryptographic keypair. WASAPI loopback audio can be routed to rumble. HidHide can conceal remapped physical devices but requires a separate driver. The app is free and MIT-licensed. It requires Windows 10/11 (x64); installation uses a Windows x64 ZIP, with no installer.