MultiPad Tester

Windows gamepad/controller tester and visualizer with side-by-side backend coverage.

About

MultiPad Tester (MPT) is a self-contained C++23 Win32 desktop tool for inspecting controller input in real time.
Release builds link the Microsoft C/C++ runtime statically (/MT), so the prebuilt MultiPadTester.exe does not depend on the separate VC++ redistributable (MSVCP140.dll, etc.).
It polls multiple input APIs in parallel and renders one live gamepad view per detected device using Dear ImGui and DirectX 11.

Features

• Parallel backend tabs for XInput, Raw Input, DirectInput, HIDAPI (SetupDi/HID), Windows.Gaming.Input, and GameInput.
• Real-time state visualization for buttons, sticks, and triggers per controller.
• Backend-local device counts to compare API coverage on the same hardware.
• Persistent UI settings stored in %APPDATA%\MultiPadTester\config.ini.
• Fast startup: HidHide status and Zadig/libwdi USB class probes run on background threads after the window is shown (similar to the optional update check), so the first frame is not blocked on device enumeration.
• Optional update check: compares the running EXE version to the latest build metadata (HTTPS); you can open the download or dismiss for 24 hours. Dismissal is stored in config.
• Modal queue: system notices (HidHide active/blocked, Zadig driver matches, update available) and About / Preferences use a single ordered queue—only one modal is shown at a time, in a stable priority order, so multiple conditions never fight in Dear ImGui’s popup stack.
• While any queued modal is pending, About and Preferences in the window’s system menu are greyed out so it is obvious that dialogs are being handled in sequence.

Screenshots

Live view with each backend tab selected. Tab counts reflect devices detected on the machine used for the capture.

XInput	Raw Input
DirectInput	HIDAPI
Windows.Gaming.Input	GameInput

Limitations / Known Gaps

• Windows only. Linux and macOS are not supported.
• The GameInput tab is available only when the GameInput redistributable is installed.
• After launch, MultiPad Tester probes for HidHide in the background. If HidHide is currently enabled, a warning is queued because hidden devices can make the results less accurate. If another HidHide app already holds the control interface, a different warning may be queued asking you to close those apps and restart for the best results.
• If any device matches USBDevice + Provider libwdi, libusbK devices ({ecfb0cfd-74c4-4f52-bbf7-343461cd72ac}) + libusbk, or libusb-win32 devices ({eb781aaf-9c70-4523-a5df-642a87eca567}) + libusb-win32 (typical Zadig installs), a warning is queued listing those device instance IDs. Those devices are not discoverable through normal gamepad APIs until the original driver stack is restored.
• Backend results are expected to differ by API design (device class support, mapping behavior, and feature exposure).
• So far, manual testing has only covered Sony DualShock 4 Rev. 2, Sony DualSense, Microsoft Xbox One, and an Xbox One aftermarket controller.
  • Other devices may show the wrong model render or mismatched mapping.
• This tool is for input inspection and diagnostics; it does not provide remapping, virtualization, or driver installation.

Supported Systems

Scope	Supported
Operating system	Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server 2022 (desktop experience / DX11)
Architecture	x64
Graphics/runtime	DirectX 11-capable Windows desktop environment

Unsupported targets include non-Windows hosts and ARM builds.

Installation / Quick Start

1. Download the latest prebuilt archive: MultiPadTester.zip.
2. Extract the ZIP to any writable folder.
3. Run MultiPadTester.exe.
4. If you need the GameInput backend, install the GameInput redistributable.

Configuration

• Path: %APPDATA%\MultiPadTester\config.ini (created on first launch).
• Stored values: refresh rate, VSync, last window position/size, last selected backend tab, last time the update-available dialog was dismissed (UTC Unix seconds, used to suppress update checks for 24 hours).

Build from Source

Prerequisites

• Visual Studio 2022 with the Desktop development with C++ workload.
• Windows 10/11 SDK (as provided by the Visual Studio toolchain setup).
• Git (for cloning with submodules).
• CMake (invoked via cmake --preset ...).

Dependencies are resolved through the repository's local vcpkg setup during configure (wil, imgui with Win32/DX11 + docking features, and gameinput). The default CMake preset uses triplet x64-windows-static (static CRT); the first configure may take longer while vcpkg builds dependencies for that triplet.

Deterministic Build Steps

git clone --recursive https://github.com/nefarius/MultiPadTester.git
cd MultiPadTester
vcpkg/bootstrap-vcpkg.bat
cmake --preset default
cmake --build --preset release

Build output:

• build/Release/MultiPadTester.exe (Release preset)
• build/Debug/MultiPadTester.exe (if built with cmake --build --preset debug)

Support Policy

• The issue tracker is for reproducible bugs and actionable feature requests.
• Usage help and general troubleshooting should go to the community channels first (for example Discord).
• Reports should include:
  • Windows version and architecture
  • Controller model/vendor
  • Backend tab(s) involved
  • Reproduction steps and expected vs actual behavior

License & Legal

• Licensed under the MIT License.
• "Windows", "Xbox", "Sony", "DualShock", "DualSense", and related product names are trademarks of their respective owners.
• Third-party libraries keep their own licenses and terms.

Sources & Credits

• Dear ImGui - GUI framework used for rendering.
• WIL - Windows utility/support library.
• vcpkg - dependency acquisition and integration.
• gameinput - GameInput SDK package used by the GameInput backend.
• Joystick Input Examples - reference material for controller I/O behavior.