Proposal: First-class Game Controller Input Support in KWin (request for feedback)

[Alberto Salvia Novella]

It sounds like a good idea to me 👍

Maybe the API could be architected in a way that is window manager
independent.

On Tue, Dec 16, 2025 at 12:02 AM Yelsin Sepulveda <yelsinsepulveda at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Hello everyone,
>
> I’d like to share a proposal I’ve been working on around improving game
> controller support in KWin, and asking for feedback from the community.
>
> Over the past months, while contributing to KWin, I’ve been exploring what
> it would take to treat game controllers as *first-class input devices*,
> on equal architectural footing with keyboards, pointers, touch, and tablet
> devices.
>
> The proposal focuses on:
>
>    -
>
>    Integrating game controllers into KWin’s existing input architecture
>    -
>
>    Building directly on Linux evdev and the Linux Gamepad Specification
>    -
>
>    Keeping a strict separation between core input infrastructure and
>    higher-level policy (e.g. desktop navigation)
>    -
>
>    Providing a clean foundation for future work such as configuration
>    modules, scripting, and accessibility use cases
>
> Here is the proposal document:
> Google Docs
> <https://docs.google.com/document/d/15S7W-QOBc5NvlQzAMF51eCEh0TfBQ4ku/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=100895211404326660964&rtpof=true&sd=true>
>
> I’d really appreciate feedback on:
>
>    -
>
>    Whether the overall direction and scope make sense
>    -
>
>    Architectural concerns or pitfalls I may have missed
>    -
>
>    Areas that feel over or under scoped for a ~6-month full-time effort
>    -
>
>    Alignment with KWin / Plasma input goals and ongoing Wayland work
>
> Feedback would be very valuable before I move further with this.
>
> Thanks for your time,
>
> Best regards,
> Yelsin Sepulveda
> (yorisoft)
>
>
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