Use your phone as an Xbox controller on PC
When you pair Gamepad Pro, Windows does not see a phone. It sees an Xbox 360 controller. That is the reason the same setup works in Steam, in emulators and in Game Pass games without any per-game configuration, and this page explains how that works and where its limits are.
If you have not installed anything yet, start with the setup guide; this page is about what happens after you are paired.
How Windows sees your phone
The Windows companion creates a virtual Xbox 360 controller using the ViGEmBus driver. It is the same technology DS4Windows uses. To the operating system and to games, that virtual device is a genuine XInput controller, and every button press the phone sends is applied to it.
You can check this yourself. With the phone connected, press Win+R, type joy.cpl and press Enter: an Xbox 360 controller is listed, and its test tab reacts live when you press a button or move a stick on the phone. The companion also logs that the virtual Xbox 360 controller is connected.
What ViGEmBus is
ViGEmBus is a third-party driver that lets software create virtual game controllers. Gamepad Pro does not ask you to find it: the Windows installer sets it up, and skips that step if the driver is already on your PC.
One honest note: the upstream ViGEmBus project was retired in November 2023 and is no longer actively developed. It still works and remains the driver this kind of tool builds on.
Which games work
Any game that supports an Xbox 360 or XInput controller works, which is nearly every PC game. Steam games, emulators and Game Pass titles all read the virtual pad as real hardware.
Because Windows reports an Xbox 360 controller, a game that only accepts a different kind of controller will not treat the phone as that kind. The skins do not change this. The Xbox, PS5 and NES Retro skins change the layout on the phone screen, and all of them send the same input to the PC.
For Steam, order matters. Steam scans for controllers when it launches and can miss one created later, so connect the phone first and start Steam afterwards. If Steam was already running, restart it, then look for an Xbox 360 controller under Steam, Settings, Controller.
Up to four players
You can connect up to four phones at once, and each shows up as its own controller. Couch co-op needs nothing but the phones already in the room.
Trackpad and keyboard mode
Gamepad Pro also works outside games. In trackpad mode, one finger glides the PC cursor and a tap clicks, with the bars below acting as the left and right buttons. Swiping with two fingers scrolls, and pinching zooms. A keyboard icon opens the phone keyboard so you can type on the PC, which is handy for searching between games from the couch.
Trackpad and keyboard input is reserved for player one when several phones are connected.
What this is not
Gamepad Pro does not stream the game to your phone. The game runs and is displayed on the PC; the phone sends controller input only. The connection is local: the phone and the PC must share a Wi-Fi network, and there is no internet play. The PC side needs Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit. If you are weighing it against other apps, see the comparison with Steam Link and PC Remote.
Xbox, PS5 and Steam are trademarks of their owners; Gamepad Pro is not affiliated with or endorsed by them.
Common questions
Is Gamepad Pro free?
Yes. The Windows companion app is a free download and the phone app is free on both Google Play and the App Store as "Gamepad Pro - Remote for PC". No account, no subscription.
Which games work with it?
Anything that supports an Xbox 360 / XInput controller — which is nearly every PC game. Windows sees a real Xbox 360 pad through the ViGEmBus driver (the same technology DS4Windows uses), so Steam, emulators, and Game Pass titles treat it as genuine hardware.
Can I use my phone as a trackpad or keyboard too?
Yes. Trackpad mode moves the PC cursor with two-finger scrolling and pinch-to-zoom, and you can type on the PC using your phone's keyboard — handy for couch browsing between games.