A game controller is an input device used to control a video game. A controller is typically connected to a video game console or a personal computer. A game controller can be a keyboard, mouse, gamepad, joystick, paddle, or any other device designed for gaming that can receive input.

Special purpose devices, such as steering wheels for driving games and light guns for shooting games, may also exist for a platform. Some devices, such as keyboards and mice, are actually generic input devices and their use is not strictly limited to that of a game controller. Additionally, these mice and keyboards can be emulated with a game pad through the use of programs such as JoyToKey and Xpadder.

A game controller can be used to govern the movement or actions of an entity in a video or computer game. The type of element controlled depends upon the game, but a typical element controlled would be the player character's actions and movements. A gamepad, also known as a joypad, is the most common kind of game controller, held in both hands with thumbs and fingers used to provide input.

Gamepads can have anywhere from two buttons to a dozen or more, combined with multiple omnidirectional analogue or digital control sticks. Gamepads generally feature a set of action buttons handled with the right fingers or thumb, and a direction controller handled with the left. These let the player control the game element movements in up to three dimensions, with many buttons to perform quick actions.

Due to the ease of use and precision of gamepads, they have spread from traditional consoles where they originated to computers as a common input device.

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