Software Alternatives & Reviews

SDL2 Gamepad Tool VS xow

Compare SDL2 Gamepad Tool VS xow and see what are their differences

SDL2 Gamepad Tool logo SDL2 Gamepad Tool

It's a simple GUI tool to create/modify gamepad mappings for games that use SDL2 Game Controller API. Created to be an alternative to Steam Bigpicture gamepad configurator.

xow logo xow

Linux user mode driver for the Xbox One wireless dongle. It communicates with the dongle via libusb and provides joystick input through the uinput kernel module. The input mapping is based on existing kernel drivers like xpad.
  • SDL2 Gamepad Tool Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-01-19
  • xow Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-25

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to SDL2 Gamepad Tool and xow)
Gaming
56 56%
44% 44
Controller Mapping
58 58%
42% 42
Gaming Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Game Reviews
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using SDL2 Gamepad Tool and xow. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, xow should be more popular than SDL2 Gamepad Tool. It has been mentiond 48 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

SDL2 Gamepad Tool mentions (10)

  • Controller not supported on Athersx2
    Ah! If you have used your controller on your Mac to play PS1, then I think you'll absolutely be able to use it on AetherSX2! Here's what you do -- grab this app: https://generalarcade.com/gamepadtool/ If it detects your controller, then select it from the drop-down menu, then Create New Mapping and press the corresponding buttons when they're highlighted (if your controller doesn't have a certain button, just skip... Source: over 1 year ago
  • Controller support on macOS?
    What do you currently have? If it gets recognized by the SDL2 Gamepad Tool, it IS possible to get it to be recognized on Ryujinx. I just left my hack-y solution over here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Ryujinx/comments/zcap6c/comment/iz8eyey/?utm\_source=reddit&utm\_medium=web2x&context=3. Source: over 1 year ago
  • MacOS Controllers Not Working
    Hey, I just successfully added my Wii Classic Controller through DolphinBar to Ryujinx! I bet this technique would work for your controller, too. I figured since my controller was functional with the SDL2 Gamepad Tool, it'd work in Ryujinx... Source: over 1 year ago
  • Have some questions about mac gaming!
    Just find out if your game has an offline mode, some games do not, its best to download and play it in airplane mode to see if you have issues. Also you can easily use a PS4 controller, if you have issues with game mapping I suggest using SDL2 Gamepad Tool (https://generalarcade.com/gamepadtool/) to help. I use it whenever I am using my PS5 controller. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Controller Calibration not working (MacOS)
    I had the same issue, until I tried remapping via - https://generalarcade.com/gamepadtool/. Source: about 2 years ago
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xow mentions (48)

  • Making Xbox One wireless adapter work in LibreELEC on rpi4
    Https://github.com/medusalix/xow (deprecated). Source: 8 months ago
  • X Box series X controller with USB Dongle on Steam Deck?
    It needs a driver, looks like there is one here: https://github.com/medusalix/xow. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Recommended Controllers?
    Been using Xbox One Elite controllers (both gen 1 and 2) for a couple years now without issue and I even use the proprietary Xbox wireless USB dongle. If you use this "xone" driver then it just works as it does in Windows. It's an evolution of the older "xow" driver where you'd just have to run a command to invoke the pairing process, if anyone was familiar with that driver. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Has anyone tried using an Xbox Series X/S controller chatpad as a keyboard yet?
    You need an Xbox wireless dongle, disabling read-only mode and install xow driver. https://github.com/medusalix/xow. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Xbox wireless controller adapter on Linux
    I own 2 Xbox controllers, and I'm wondering if the wireless adapter works on Linux natively, or if I need to install other drivers, like xpadneo or XoW? Source: over 1 year ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing SDL2 Gamepad Tool and xow, you can also consider the following products

Gamepad Test - Now you can test one or more controllers for malfunctioning or failures via this online gamepad controller test and monitor their performance.

JoyToKey - JoyToKey enables users to control the keyboard using any USB compatible controller (Dualshock 3, Xbox 360, etc.)

Joystick Mapper - Joystick Mapper, An app for Mac OS X that allows you to use gamepads in any app or game

AntimicroX - AntiMicroX is a program used to map keyboard and mouse actions to gamepad/joystick buttons. It is useful for playing games with poor or no gamepad support. It is a new fork of discontinued AntiMicro

Controllers - Controllers turns your Mac into a console gaming experience.

DS4Windows - DS4Windows is an open-source gamepad input mapper and virtual emulator designed to use and connect your PlayStation controller (DualShock 3/4 and DualSense 5) to a Windows 10 & 11 PC.