Controllers

Overview

The PSL1GHT SDK provides comprehensive support for PlayStation 3 controllers through the io/pad.h API. You can read button states, analog stick positions, pressure-sensitive inputs, motion sensors, and control rumble feedback.

Up to 7 controllers can be connected simultaneously (ports 0-6). The PS button is handled by the XMB system.

Initialization

Initialize the pad system before reading controller input:

#include <io/pad.h>

// Initialize with maximum number of controllers
s32 ret = ioPadInit(7);
if (ret != 0) {
    printf("Failed to initialize pad: %d\n", ret);
}

max

u32

Maximum number of pads to support (max: 7)

Getting Controller Information

Query connected controllers and their status:

padInfo padinfo;
ioPadGetInfo(&padinfo);

printf("Max pads: %u\n", padinfo.max);
printf("Connected: %u\n", padinfo.connected);

for (int i = 0; i < MAX_PADS; i++) {
    if (padinfo.status[i]) {
        printf("Controller %d connected\n", i);
        printf("  Vendor ID: %04x\n", padinfo.vendor_id[i]);
        printf("  Product ID: %04x\n", padinfo.product_id[i]);
    }
}

padInfo Structure

max

u32

Maximum pads allowed to connect

connected

u32

Number of currently connected pads

info

u32

Bit 0: System intercept flag

vendor_id

u16[127]

Array of vendor IDs for each pad

product_id

u16[127]

Array of product IDs for each pad

status

u8[127]

Connection status (0: disconnected, 1: connected)

Reading Button Input

Read controller data in your game loop:

padData paddata;
s32 ret = ioPadGetData(0, &paddata);  // Port 0

if (ret == 0 && paddata.len > 0) {
    // Digital buttons
    if (paddata.BTN_CROSS) printf("X pressed\n");
    if (paddata.BTN_CIRCLE) printf("O pressed\n");
    if (paddata.BTN_TRIANGLE) printf("Triangle pressed\n");
    if (paddata.BTN_SQUARE) printf("Square pressed\n");
    
    // D-pad
    if (paddata.BTN_UP) printf("Up pressed\n");
    if (paddata.BTN_DOWN) printf("Down pressed\n");
    if (paddata.BTN_LEFT) printf("Left pressed\n");
    if (paddata.BTN_RIGHT) printf("Right pressed\n");
    
    // Shoulder buttons
    if (paddata.BTN_L1) printf("L1 pressed\n");
    if (paddata.BTN_R1) printf("R1 pressed\n");
    if (paddata.BTN_L2) printf("L2 pressed\n");
    if (paddata.BTN_R2) printf("R2 pressed\n");
    
    // Control buttons
    if (paddata.BTN_START) printf("Start pressed\n");
    if (paddata.BTN_SELECT) printf("Select pressed\n");
    if (paddata.BTN_L3) printf("L3 pressed\n");
    if (paddata.BTN_R3) printf("R3 pressed\n");
}

The padData structure is only updated when input changes. If len is 0, there was no new input since the last call.

Button Mappings

Digital Button Masks

Constant	Button	Offset
`PAD_CTRL_SELECT`	Select	DIGITAL1[0]
`PAD_CTRL_L3`	Left stick click	DIGITAL1[1]
`PAD_CTRL_R3`	Right stick click	DIGITAL1[2]
`PAD_CTRL_START`	Start	DIGITAL1[3]
`PAD_CTRL_UP`	D-pad Up	DIGITAL1[4]
`PAD_CTRL_RIGHT`	D-pad Right	DIGITAL1[5]
`PAD_CTRL_DOWN`	D-pad Down	DIGITAL1[6]
`PAD_CTRL_LEFT`	D-pad Left	DIGITAL1[7]
`PAD_CTRL_L2`	L2 trigger	DIGITAL2[0]
`PAD_CTRL_R2`	R2 trigger	DIGITAL2[1]
`PAD_CTRL_L1`	L1 shoulder	DIGITAL2[2]
`PAD_CTRL_R1`	R1 shoulder	DIGITAL2[3]
`PAD_CTRL_TRIANGLE`	Triangle	DIGITAL2[4]
`PAD_CTRL_CIRCLE`	Circle	DIGITAL2[5]
`PAD_CTRL_CROSS`	Cross (X)	DIGITAL2[6]
`PAD_CTRL_SQUARE`	Square	DIGITAL2[7]

Analog Sticks

Read analog stick positions (0x0000 - 0x00FF):

if (paddata.len > 0) {
    // Left analog stick
    u16 left_x = paddata.ANA_L_H;   // Horizontal (0-255)
    u16 left_y = paddata.ANA_L_V;   // Vertical (0-255)
    
    // Right analog stick
    u16 right_x = paddata.ANA_R_H;  // Horizontal (0-255)
    u16 right_y = paddata.ANA_R_V;  // Vertical (0-255)
    
    printf("Left stick: (%d, %d)\n", left_x, left_y);
    printf("Right stick: (%d, %d)\n", right_x, right_y);
}

Analog Stick Values

Center: ~128
Minimum: 0
Maximum: 255
Horizontal: 0 = left, 255 = right
Vertical: 0 = up, 255 = down

Pressure-Sensitive Buttons

Enable and read pressure sensitivity:

// Enable pressure mode
ioPadSetPressMode(0, PAD_PRESS_MODE_ON);

// Read pressure values (0x0000 - 0x00FF)
if (paddata.len > 0) {
    u16 cross_pressure = paddata.PRE_CROSS;
    u16 circle_pressure = paddata.PRE_CIRCLE;
    u16 triangle_pressure = paddata.PRE_TRIANGLE;
    u16 square_pressure = paddata.PRE_SQUARE;
    
    u16 l1_pressure = paddata.PRE_L1;
    u16 r1_pressure = paddata.PRE_R1;
    u16 l2_pressure = paddata.PRE_L2;
    u16 r2_pressure = paddata.PRE_R2;
    
    // D-pad pressure
    u16 up_pressure = paddata.PRE_UP;
    u16 down_pressure = paddata.PRE_DOWN;
    u16 left_pressure = paddata.PRE_LEFT;
    u16 right_pressure = paddata.PRE_RIGHT;
}

Motion Sensors (SIXAXIS)

Enable and read accelerometer and gyroscope data:

// Enable sensor mode
ioPadSetSensorMode(0, PAD_SENSOR_MODE_ON);

// Read sensor values (0x0000 - 0x03FF)
if (paddata.len > 0) {
    u16 sensor_x = paddata.SENSOR_X;  // X-axis acceleration
    u16 sensor_y = paddata.SENSOR_Y;  // Y-axis acceleration
    u16 sensor_z = paddata.SENSOR_Z;  // Z-axis acceleration
    u16 sensor_g = paddata.SENSOR_G;  // Gyroscope
    
    printf("Motion: X=%d Y=%d Z=%d G=%d\n", 
           sensor_x, sensor_y, sensor_z, sensor_g);
}

Sensor Axes

X: Left/Right tilt
Y: Forward/Backward tilt
Z: Up/Down movement
G: Rotation/gyroscope

Rumble (Vibration)

Control the small and large rumble motors:

padActParam actparam;

// Small motor (on/off only)
actparam.small_motor = 1;   // 0: OFF, 1: ON
actparam.large_motor = 0;   // 0-255: speed (0 = OFF)
ioPadSetActDirect(0, &actparam);

usleep(500000);  // Vibrate for 0.5 seconds

// Large motor (variable speed)
actparam.small_motor = 0;
actparam.large_motor = 255;  // Maximum speed
ioPadSetActDirect(0, &actparam);

usleep(500000);

// Stop rumble
actparam.small_motor = 0;
actparam.large_motor = 0;
ioPadSetActDirect(0, &actparam);

small_motor

Small motor: 0 = OFF, 1 = ON

large_motor

Large motor: 0 = OFF, 1-255 = speed (higher = faster)

Controller Capabilities

Check what features a controller supports:

padCapabilityInfo capabilities;
ioPadGetCapabilityInfo(0, &capabilities);

if (capabilities.ps3spec) {
    printf("PS3-compliant controller\n");
}
if (capabilities.has_pressure) {
    printf("Supports pressure-sensitive buttons\n");
}
if (capabilities.has_sensors) {
    printf("Supports motion sensors (SIXAXIS)\n");
}
if (capabilities.has_vibrate) {
    printf("Supports vibration\n");
}
if (capabilities.has_hps) {
    printf("Supports high-precision sticks\n");
}

XMB Integration

The PS button is intercepted by the XMB system and cannot be read directly by applications. When pressed, it opens the XMB menu overlay.

You cannot read or block the PS button. The system always intercepts it for XMB access.

BD Remote Support

The SDK also supports Blu-ray remote controllers:

if (padinfo.status[i]) {
    u32 device_type = padinfo2.device_type[i];
    
    if (device_type == PAD_TYPE_REMOTE) {
        // BD Remote detected
        if (paddata.len > 0) {
            u16 bd_code = paddata.BTN_BDCODE;
            
            switch (bd_code) {
                case BTN_BD_PLAY:
                    printf("Play pressed\n");
                    break;
                case BTN_BD_STOP:
                    printf("Stop pressed\n");
                    break;
                // ... more BD remote buttons
            }
        }
    }
}

Cleanup

Shut down the pad system when done:

ioPadEnd();

Complete Example

Here’s a complete controller reading example from samples/input/padtest/:

#include <io/pad.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <unistd.h>

int main() {
    padInfo padinfo;
    padData paddata;
    
    // Initialize
    if (ioPadInit(7) != 0) {
        printf("Failed to initialize pad\n");
        return 1;
    }
    
    // Get info
    ioPadGetInfo(&padinfo);
    printf("Max pads: %u, Connected: %u\n", 
           padinfo.max, padinfo.connected);
    
    // Check each controller
    for (int i = 0; i < MAX_PADS; i++) {
        if (padinfo.status[i]) {
            printf("Controller %d:\n", i);
            printf("  Vendor: %04x, Product: %04x\n",
                   padinfo.vendor_id[i], 
                   padinfo.product_id[i]);
            
            // Read initial state
            ioPadGetData(i, &paddata);
            printf("  Data length: %d\n", paddata.len);
            
            // Test rumble
            padActParam actparam;
            actparam.small_motor = 1;
            actparam.large_motor = 0;
            ioPadSetActDirect(i, &actparam);
            usleep(500000);
            
            actparam.small_motor = 0;
            actparam.large_motor = 255;
            ioPadSetActDirect(i, &actparam);
            usleep(500000);
            
            // Stop rumble
            actparam.small_motor = 0;
            actparam.large_motor = 0;
            ioPadSetActDirect(i, &actparam);
        }
    }
    
    // Cleanup
    ioPadEnd();
    return 0;
}

API Reference

Initialization Functions

ioPadInit

s32 ioPadInit(u32 max)

Initialize pad I/O management with max controllers

ioPadEnd

s32 ioPadEnd()

End pad I/O management

Information Functions

ioPadGetInfo

s32 ioPadGetInfo(padInfo* info)

Get pad information (old format)

ioPadGetInfo2

s32 ioPadGetInfo2(padInfo2* info)

Get pad information (new format, firmware 3.41+)

ioPadGetCapabilityInfo

s32 ioPadGetCapabilityInfo(u32 port, padCapabilityInfo* capabilities)

Get controller capability information

Data Reading Functions

ioPadGetData

s32 ioPadGetData(u32 port, padData* data)

Get pad data from specified port

ioPadGetDataExtra

s32 ioPadGetDataExtra(u32 port, u32* type, padData* data)

Get pad data with device type

ioPadClearBuf

s32 ioPadClearBuf(u32 port)

Clear the pad input buffer

Configuration Functions

ioPadSetPressMode

s32 ioPadSetPressMode(u32 port, u32 mode)

Enable/disable pressure-sensitive mode

ioPadSetSensorMode

s32 ioPadSetSensorMode(u32 port, u32 mode)

Enable/disable motion sensor mode

ioPadSetActDirect

u32 ioPadSetActDirect(u32 port, padActParam* actParam)

Set rumble/vibration parameters

Error Codes

Constant	Value	Description
`PAD_OK`	0	Success
`PAD_ERROR_FATAL`	0x80121101	Fatal error
`PAD_ERROR_INVALID_PARAMETER`	0x80121102	Invalid parameter
`PAD_ERROR_ALREADY_INITIALIZED`	0x80121103	Already initialized
`PAD_ERROR_NOT_INITIALIZED`	0x80121104	Not initialized

Getting Started

Core Concepts

Graphics

Input

Audio

Networking

System

System Utilities

SPU Development

Tools

Advanced Topics

Overview

Initialization

Getting Controller Information

padInfo Structure

Reading Button Input

Button Mappings

Digital Button Masks

Analog Sticks

Analog Stick Values

Pressure-Sensitive Buttons

Motion Sensors (SIXAXIS)

Sensor Axes

Rumble (Vibration)

Controller Capabilities

XMB Integration

BD Remote Support

Cleanup

Complete Example

API Reference

Initialization Functions

Information Functions

Data Reading Functions

Configuration Functions

Error Codes

See Also

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Getting Started

Core Concepts

Graphics

Input

Audio

Networking

System

System Utilities

SPU Development

Tools

Advanced Topics

​Overview

​Initialization

​Getting Controller Information

​padInfo Structure

​Reading Button Input

​Button Mappings

​Digital Button Masks

​Analog Sticks

Analog Stick Values

​Pressure-Sensitive Buttons

​Motion Sensors (SIXAXIS)

Sensor Axes

​Rumble (Vibration)

​Controller Capabilities

​XMB Integration

​BD Remote Support

​Cleanup

​Complete Example

​API Reference

​Initialization Functions

​Information Functions

​Data Reading Functions

​Configuration Functions

​Error Codes

​See Also

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Overview

Initialization

Getting Controller Information

padInfo Structure

Reading Button Input

Button Mappings

Digital Button Masks

Analog Sticks

Pressure-Sensitive Buttons

Motion Sensors (SIXAXIS)

Rumble (Vibration)

Controller Capabilities

XMB Integration

BD Remote Support

Cleanup

Complete Example

API Reference

Initialization Functions

Information Functions

Data Reading Functions

Configuration Functions

Error Codes

See Also