Use game controllers¶
Play games on the remote computer with the controller in your hands, or with an on-screen controller on your phone or tablet. The remote computer sees an Xbox controller, so games that support Xbox controllers can use it.
For example:
- Pair a controller with your Mac or iPad and play PC games on a gaming computer at home.
- Play with the on-screen controller on your phone when you don't have a controller with you.
Applies to¶
- Physical controllers: Jump Desktop on Windows, macOS, iPhone, iPad, and Android. Not in a web browser.
- On-screen controller: Jump Desktop on iPhone, iPad, and Android.
- Remote computer: Windows, or macOS 11 or later, with Jump Desktop Connect 10.15.23 or later, over a Fluid connection. Linux isn't supported.
- All plans.
Before you start¶
Game controllers use USB redirection, which is off by default. Turn it on for the remote computer: see Turn on USB redirection. On computers with a Connect Configuration, a team administrator must also leave Allow Game Controllers on.
If Devices shows Unavailable. Click to learn more. (Unavailable on this computer on Android), see USB troubleshooting.
Use a physical controller¶
Most controllers your device recognizes work, over USB or Bluetooth. Connect the controller to your device, connect to the remote computer, then share it:
Choose Remote > Devices, then select the controller. If it isn't listed, choose Refresh. The first time, a firmware update warning appears; click I Understand.
Choose Remote > Devices, then select the controller. If it isn't listed, choose Refresh. The first time, a firmware update warning appears; click I Understand.
Tap the wrench button in the session toolbar, then Devices, then the controller. If it isn't listed, tap Refresh.
When a controller is connected during a session, including one already connected when the session starts, Jump Desktop asks Game controller connected. Tap Redirect to share it, or Not now to keep using it to control the app.
To share controllers without asking, select Automatically redirect controllers from now on in that prompt, or turn on Automatically Connect Gamepads under Gaming in Jump Desktop Settings. You can also share a controller from Devices in the wrench menu.
To stop sharing, select the controller again. On Windows, macOS, iPhone, and iPad, a controller you shared is shared again automatically the next time you connect to that computer.
- Several controllers: each controller has its own row in Devices.
- Vibration: rumble from the game reaches your controller.
- Not sent: motion sensors, touchpads, and adaptive triggers. The remote computer sees a standard Xbox controller.
Use the on-screen controller¶
On iPhone, iPad, and Android, tap the wrench button in the session toolbar, then Devices > On-Screen Controller. The controller appears over the remote screen, and you can move its controls to wherever suits your hands. Select On-Screen Controller again to turn it off.
| Control | Where |
|---|---|
| LB, LT and the left stick | Left side |
| RB, RT, the right stick, and A, B, X, and Y around it | Right side |
| Menu button | Between the sticks on a phone, bottom-left corner on a tablet |
Touches that miss a control go to the remote screen as usual.
The controller menu¶
Tap the menu button to open the controller menu. Icons from Jump Desktop for Android are shown; iPhone and iPad use similar icons.
| Icon | Button | What it does |
|---|---|---|
 |
Select | Presses the controller's Select (Back) button. |
 |
Start | Presses the controller's Start (Menu) button. |
 |
Rearrange (Edit layout on Android, Rearrange Controls on iPhone and iPad, for screen readers) | Lets you move the controls. |
 |
Hide | Hides the controls and leaves only the menu button. The controller stays connected; to disconnect it, turn off On-Screen Controller in Devices. |
The menu button itself changes to show what it will do:
| Icon | When |
|---|---|
 |
The controller is showing. Tap to open the menu. On iPhone and iPad, this button shows three lines. |
 |
The menu is open. Tap to close it. |
 |
You're rearranging. Tap when you're done. |
 |
The controls are hidden. Tap to show them. |
Move and rearrange the controls¶
Move the controls so they don't cover what you need to see, or so they sit where your thumbs rest.
- Tap the menu button, then the rearrange button. The left controls, right controls, and menu button wiggle to show they can move.
- Drag each group where you want it. The left and right groups can go partly or fully off the edge of the screen; the menu button always stays at least partly visible.
- Tap the check mark button to finish.
The layout is saved separately for portrait and landscape, so you can arrange each orientation differently. It applies to every computer you connect to.
Check that it worked¶
A check mark appears next to the controller or On-Screen Controller in Devices, and the game responds to the controller.
Limitations¶
- The on-screen controller has no D-pad, Guide button, or stick clicks, and its triggers are either fully pressed or released.
- The on-screen controller has no size or transparency settings, and no way to reset a rearranged layout.
- Controllers don't work in a web browser or with Linux remote computers.
Related¶
Icons: Material Icons by Google, licensed under the Apache License 2.0.