This page explains how Recalbox recognizes input devices — controllers, arcade encoders, spinners, trackballs — and what is supported out of the box in 10.1.
For the list of tested off-the-shelf controllers, see Compatible controllers and 8BitDo on Recalbox.
Three levels of recognition, from fully automatic to manual:
Pre-configured controllers: Recalbox ships with the complete configuration of many common controllers, usable as soon as they are plugged in:
retrogame_joypad-type GPIO controllers (GPi Case and similar builds).The SDL controller database: any controller known to the SDL community database is recognized and mapped automatically.
The visual configurator for everything else: as soon as an unknown device is detected, the assistant starts on its own — a picture of the controller is displayed and each button to press is highlighted. It also offers 4, 6 and 8 button arcade stick visuals, perfect for panels and bartops.
On the supported handhelds (Odroid Go Advance/Super, Anbernic), the built-in controls are of course pre-configured in the dedicated image.
Recalbox includes the specialized drivers for the Xbox ecosystem:
| Driver | What it brings |
|---|---|
xpadneo |
Xbox One / Series controllers over Bluetooth (rumble included) |
xone + xpad-noone |
Xbox controllers through the Microsoft wireless dongle and USB |
They are present on Raspberry Pi (Zero 2, 3, 4, 5) and PC (x86_64); on the Anbernic RG353, only xone and xpad-noone (dongle/USB) are included. Nothing to install: pair or plug in, that's it.
Encoders turning arcade sticks and buttons into a USB device (DragonRise, Zero Delay, Xin-Mo, Juyao and similar) are seen as standard joysticks: plug them in, then let the visual configurator guide you, picking the arcade visual matching your panel (4, 6 or 8 buttons).
Keyboard encoders (iPAC, mini-PAC…) present themselves as keyboards: they work in the interface (EmulationStation can be driven with a keyboard) and in emulators that accept keyboard input. For a complete arcade build, see bartop / arcade cabinet configuration.
Since Recalbox 10, rotary arcade controllers are supported out of the box:
And since 10.1, two Spinner and Trackball virtual systems automatically gather the arcade games originally played with these controllers (Arkanoid, Marble Madness…), thanks to the internal arcade database.
Some unusual controllers, badly declared by their manufacturer, are forced into joystick mode by Recalbox — so they work directly:
Conversely, the motion sensors of PS3/PS4 controllers are deliberately disabled: they used to disturb controller detection.
A regular USB keyboard and mouse work in the interface and in home computer emulators — see using the interface with keyboard and mouse. To play keyboard-based games with a gamepad, see Pad To Keyboard.
On Raspberry Pi, sticks and buttons can also be wired directly to the GPIO header, without a USB encoder — see GPIO controllers.
An input device that does not work? Come and tell us on the Recalbox Discord with the exact model name.