ViGEmBus is the virtual gamepad bus driver that lets Windows applications create virtual Xbox 360 and DualShock 4 controllers. If you use InputMapper 1.7 or DS4Windows, this driver is the piece that actually places a virtual controller into Windows. Without it, your mapping software has nowhere to send its output, and games will not see a controller at all.
This guide covers the final release, version 1.22.0, how to download it safely from GitHub, how to install and verify it, how to upgrade an older copy correctly, and how to remove it cleanly. It also explains an important safety warning about the old vigem.org domain, which you should never use for downloads.
What ViGEmBus Is — and What It Is Not
ViGEmBus stands for Virtual Gamepad Emulation Bus. It is a Windows kernel-mode driver developed by nefarius, the developer name of Benjamin Höglinger-Stelzer of Nefarius Software Solutions e.U. in Austria. The project is released under the BSD-3-Clause license and was developed as an independent, open-source project.
ViGEmBus is not part of InputMapper. It is not made by DSDCS, the developer behind InputMapper, and it is not bundled as an InputMapper component in any official sense. InputMapper 1.7 simply uses ViGEmBus as its output method. When InputMapper reads your physical DualShock 4, it asks ViGEmBus to present a virtual Xbox 360 controller to Windows, and your games interact with that virtual controller.
That separation matters for troubleshooting. A ViGEmBus installation problem is a driver problem, not an InputMapper profile problem. A missing or broken bus driver produces errors such as a virtual bus not being found, controllers that appear in InputMapper but never appear in games, and mapping tools that start normally but do nothing when you press buttons. If you see those symptoms, start with the driver, not with your button mappings. Our virtual bus not found guide walks through that specific error in more detail.
Who Needs ViGEmBus?
You need ViGEmBus if you use a tool that outputs through it. The two most common cases for readers of this site are:
- InputMapper 1.7 — the final InputMapper release, version 1.7.7452.13622 from May 2020, outputs exclusively via ViGEmBus.
- DS4Windows — the maintained DS4Windows continuation also uses ViGEmBus for its virtual controller output. See our DS4Windows install guide for the full setup order.
You do not need ViGEmBus for a controller that Windows and your game already support natively. An Xbox controller used on its own does not need a virtual bus. A DualShock 4 used in a game with native DualShock support does not need one either. Install ViGEmBus when a mapping tool explicitly requires it — not as a general controller fix.
ViGEmBus 1.22.0: The Final Release
Version 1.22.0 was released on November 2, 2023. The developer titled it the “It’s dead, Jim” release, and it is the final version. The GitHub repository has been archived, which means no further updates, bug fixes, or new builds are planned.
The retirement was not caused by a technical failure. According to the developer, the project was retired following a trademark conflict with ViGEM GmbH. As part of that outcome, the vigem.org domain was handed over in December 2023. That history is the reason for the safety warning later in this guide: the old domain is no longer controlled by the developer, and you should never download the driver from it.
Being final does not mean being broken. Version 1.22.0 remains the correct, known-good build for InputMapper 1.7 and DS4Windows on current Windows versions. What “final” means in practice is that you should install exactly this version, verify it carefully, and not go looking for a newer one — there is none, and any site claiming to offer ViGEmBus 1.23 or later is not offering a genuine release.
Download ViGEmBus 1.22.0
The official source is the nefarius GitHub releases page. The release asset is named ViGEmBus_1.22.0_x64_x86_arm64.exe. Use the button below to go to that GitHub asset via our download redirect:
Download ViGEmBus 1.22.0 from GitHub
If GitHub is unreachable from your network, a mirror copy is available here: Download ViGEmBus 1.22.0 (mirror). The mirror is a secondary copy for convenience only — GitHub remains the authoritative source, and you should verify the file hash after downloading from any mirror, as described in the next section.
Avoid third-party driver download sites entirely. Old versions of this driver circulated with bundled updaters that pointed at the old vigem.org domain. Version 1.22.0 removed the updater entirely, specifically because those old updaters continuing to contact a domain the developer no longer controls was identified in the End-of-Life note as a privacy risk. A genuine 1.22.0 installer does not contain an updater and will never ask you to update ViGEmBus from the web.
Verify Your Download with SHA-256
Before installing any kernel driver, verify the file. The verified details for the genuine 1.22.0 asset are:
- File name: ViGEmBus_1.22.0_x64_x86_arm64.exe
- File size: 6,278,576 bytes
- SHA-256: 89220a7865076b342892f98865f3499fb7c4cfd673159e89d352c360fd014c6a
This hash was confirmed by direct download from GitHub. To check your copy on Windows, open PowerShell in the folder where you saved the file and run:
Get-FileHash .\ViGEmBus_1.22.0_x64_x86_arm64.exe -Algorithm SHA256
Compare the output character by character with the hash above. If even one character differs, or the file size is different, do not install the file. Delete it and download again from GitHub using the button above. A mismatch means you do not have the genuine release asset — it may be corrupted, incomplete, or repackaged by a third party.
Install Steps
- Close InputMapper, DS4Windows, and any games. Driver installation is cleaner when nothing is actively using the virtual bus.
- Right-click the downloaded installer and choose Run as administrator. A kernel driver cannot install correctly without elevated rights.
- Follow the installer prompts and accept the driver installation dialog from Nefarius Software Solutions e.U. if Windows asks you to confirm installing the device driver.
- Restart Windows when the installer finishes, even if you are not prompted. A restart guarantees the bus driver is loaded in its final state before you test any mapping tool.
- After the restart, open Device Manager and look under System devices for the Nefarius Virtual Gamepad Emulation Bus entry. Its presence confirms the bus driver is installed.
- Start InputMapper from the InputMapper download page build, connect your controller, and confirm a virtual controller appears in Windows Game Controllers (
joy.cpl).
Upgrading in place: the official release notes give one unusual instruction — if you are upgrading over an existing ViGEmBus installation, run the installer twice. Run it once, let it finish, then run it again before restarting. This ensures the old driver files are fully replaced. Skipping the second run is a known cause of “I updated but nothing changed” reports.
Uninstalling ViGEmBus
If you are moving away from InputMapper and DS4Windows entirely, you can remove the driver cleanly:
- Close all mapping tools and disconnect your controllers.
- Open Settings → Apps → Installed apps, find the ViGEmBus entry, and uninstall it. Alternatively, use Programs and Features in Control Panel.
- Restart Windows to unload the driver completely.
- Optionally, open Device Manager, enable View → Show hidden devices, and confirm the Nefarius Virtual Gamepad Emulation Bus entry is gone.
Do not uninstall ViGEmBus while you still rely on InputMapper 1.7 or DS4Windows — both tools will stop producing a virtual controller immediately. If your goal is fixing double input rather than removing the stack, keep ViGEmBus installed and read our HidHide setup guide instead. For other problems, the InputMapper troubleshooting hub collects the common fixes in one place.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ViGEmBus part of InputMapper?
No. ViGEmBus is an independent open-source project by nefarius (Benjamin Höglinger-Stelzer, Nefarius Software Solutions e.U.), released under the BSD-3-Clause license. InputMapper 1.7 uses it for virtual controller output, but the two projects have different developers.
What is the latest version of ViGEmBus?
Version 1.22.0, released on November 2, 2023, is the final version. The GitHub repository is archived and no newer release exists. Any site offering a higher version number is not offering a genuine release.
Why should I never download ViGEmBus from vigem.org?
The vigem.org domain was handed over in December 2023 following a trademark conflict with ViGEM GmbH and is no longer controlled by the developer. The End-of-Life note warns that old updaters still pointing at the old domain are a privacy risk. Version 1.22.0 removed the updater entirely. Always download from GitHub instead.
Why do the release notes say to run the installer twice?
For in-place upgrades over an existing installation, the release notes instruct you to run the installer twice so the old driver files are fully replaced. Run it, let it finish, run it again, and then restart Windows.