InputMapper and XOutput are both free, both built on the same virtual controller driver, and both belong to the same era of Windows controller mapping. Yet they were built for almost opposite starting points. InputMapper begins with a specific controller, the DualShock 4, and builds a rich ecosystem around it. XOutput begins with a generic problem, controllers that speak DirectInput in a world of games that expect XInput, and solves that one conversion as simply as it can. Choosing between them is mostly a matter of being honest about which controller you actually own and how much beyond basic conversion you need.
What Each Tool Does
InputMapper, from DSDCS, is closed-source freeware whose final build, 1.7.7452.13622, arrived in May 2020 and is unmaintained since. Its official input list covers the DS4 and DS4 V2, Xbox 360 and Xbox One controllers, the DualShock 3 and PS Move Navigation controller via a Magic-NS dongle, and generic DirectInput and XInput devices. Around those inputs it layers profiles, macros, touchpad-as-mouse control, and lightbar and rumble settings, and it can output a virtual Xbox 360 controller, a virtual DS4, or keyboard and mouse input.
XOutput is a free, open-source mapper focused on converting generic DirectInput controllers to XInput. That focus is its identity: if you have an older or generic pad that Windows games refuse to recognise because it does not speak XInput, XOutput’s job is to present it as an Xbox-style controller they will accept. It is simpler and narrower than InputMapper by design, with no DS4-specific lightbar, touchpad, and profile ecosystem built around Sony hardware.
Both tools stand on the same foundation: ViGEmBus, the virtual controller driver whose final release, 1.22.0 in November 2023, is now archived. That shared base is why both remain usable, and also why both belong to a particular period in PC gaming history rather than to its future. More on the generic-pad side in our guide to generic DirectInput controllers with InputMapper.
At a Glance
| Feature | InputMapper | XOutput |
|---|---|---|
| Price and licence | Free, closed-source freeware, donations accepted, no paid edition | Free, open source |
| Core purpose | DS4-centric mapping with profiles, macros and device features | Converting generic DirectInput controllers to XInput |
| DualShock 4 features | Touchpad as mouse, lightbar and rumble controls, profiles and macros | No DS4-specific lightbar, touchpad and profile ecosystem |
| Generic DirectInput pads | Supported as part of a broader input list | The main focus of the tool |
| Virtual output | Virtual Xbox 360 and virtual DS4 via ViGEmBus, plus keyboard and mouse | Virtual XInput controller via ViGEmBus |
| DualSense / Switch Pro | Neither supported; final build predates the DualSense | Not the focus of this generic DirectInput converter |
| Complexity | Broader and deeper, more to configure | Simpler and narrower, conversion-focused |
Which Pads Each Tool Suits
Start with the controller in your hand. If it is a DualShock 4, original or V2, InputMapper is the natural fit of these two. It understands the hardware’s extras rather than treating the pad as a bag of buttons: the touchpad can drive the mouse, the lightbar and rumble are controllable, and profiles and macros let one pad behave differently per game. Those details are the reason DS4 owners chose InputMapper in the first place, and XOutput simply does not attempt that layer. If you are deciding between the two versions of Sony’s pad itself, our comparison of the DualShock 4 V1 vs V2 covers what differs.
If your controller is a generic DirectInput pad, an older stick, wheel, or no-name gamepad that games ignore, the balance flips. XOutput was built for exactly that device, and its narrower scope becomes an advantage: you are not navigating a DS4-centred application to achieve a single conversion. InputMapper also accepts generic DirectInput devices, so it can do this job too, and if you already have it installed for a DualShock 4 it may be the path of least resistance for an occasional second pad. But as a dedicated tool for generic hardware, XOutput is the more purposeful choice.
For other InputMapper-listed hardware, such as a DualShock 3 via a Magic-NS dongle or an Xbox controller you want remapped rather than merely recognised, InputMapper’s broader input list and profile system make it the relevant tool of the pair. And for modern controllers neither tool was built around, notably the DualSense, look elsewhere entirely, to DS4Windows or Steam Input; our alternatives overview maps those options, and you can still get InputMapper itself from the download page.
Profiles and Depth Versus Simplicity
The deeper difference is philosophy. InputMapper wants to be your controller’s home: a place where profiles live, macros are recorded, and device-specific behaviour is tuned. That pays off if you play several games with different layouts, use the touchpad as a mouse on the desktop, or care about lightbar and rumble behaviour. It costs learning time, and its interface reflects the era it was built in.
XOutput wants to be a converter. Its narrower job means less to learn and less to maintain in your head: connect a DirectInput device, map it, present it as XInput, play. For a single generic pad and a library of games that only speak XInput, that restraint is a feature, not a limitation. Problems begin only when users expect XOutput to behave like a full DS4 suite, or expect InputMapper’s depth to feel simple. Neither expectation is fair to either tool.
Both share the same practical caveats. Each relies on ViGEmBus to create its virtual controller, so installation involves that driver either way. And where a game might see both the real controller and the virtual one, the double-input problem can appear with either tool; the modern solution is HidHide, the current hiding tool, rather than the legacy HidGuardian stack associated with InputMapper’s original era. Our troubleshooting pages cover those shared issues.
An Honesty Note About Both Tools
Neither of these is a living, actively evolving product in the way Steam Input or a commercial mapper is. InputMapper is explicitly finished: final build in May 2020, no successor, no paid edition waiting in the wings. XOutput likewise belongs to the unmaintained-era generation of ViGEmBus-based tools, kept useful by the stability of the underlying driver and the fact that DirectInput and XInput themselves change slowly. That stability is real, older controllers do not stop working because software ages, but expectations should be set accordingly: if a future Windows change breaks something, fixes may not come from the original projects. Judge both as well-preserved tools for hardware of their era, not as platforms with a roadmap.
A Note on Modern Generic Pads
If you are shopping for a new generic pad rather than rescuing an old one, the simplest option is a modern controller with native XInput support, which needs no converter at all. The 8BitDo Ultimate controller is one example we link to for readers taking that route. Affiliate link — see our Affiliate Disclosure. Keep your DirectInput veterans for the games they suit, by all means, but do not buy new hardware that needs translation on day one.
Verdict
Choose InputMapper for a DualShock 4 and for its profiles, macros, touchpad, lightbar, and rumble controls, or when its broader legacy input list matters. Choose XOutput for a generic DirectInput controller that simply needs to appear as XInput, with the least machinery around that conversion. Both are free, both use ViGEmBus, and both deserve to be described as what they are: capable tools from a finished era, still solving real problems for the controllers they were built for.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is XOutput better than InputMapper for a DualShock 4?
No. InputMapper is the better fit for a DualShock 4 because it offers DS4-specific features such as touchpad-as-mouse, lightbar and rumble controls, profiles and macros that XOutput does not provide.
What is XOutput mainly used for?
XOutput is mainly used to convert generic DirectInput controllers into XInput devices, so that games expecting an Xbox-style controller will recognise them.
Do InputMapper and XOutput use the same driver?
Yes. Both tools create their virtual controllers through ViGEmBus, whose final release was version 1.22.0 in November 2023 and which is now archived.
Are InputMapper and XOutput still maintained?
InputMapper is unmaintained since its final build in May 2020, and XOutput is likewise a tool of that same unmaintained era, although both can still work because the underlying standards change slowly.