v4.8.23 now available

Your controller,
your rules.

TrueAxis turns any DirectInput wheel or gamepad into a virtual Xbox 360 controller on Windows. Remap buttons, tune deadzones, use square input, record macros, and set the hardware steering range on supported wheels.

Windows 10 / 11 Free and open source 58 MB download

What it does

One app for input remapping, wheel tuning, macros and Xbox controller emulation.

Xbox emulation

Presents your device to games as a virtual Xbox 360 controller through the ViGEmBus driver.

Button remapping

Map any device button to an Xbox controller button or a keyboard key. Per device profiles are saved automatically.

Square input

Reach full output before the physical limit of your stick or wheel. The threshold is adjustable.

Deadzone control

Add or remove a center deadzone, adjustable from 0 to 30 percent.

Wheel tuning

Set the real hardware steering range on supported Logitech and MOZA wheels, with center spring control where the wheel protocol allows it.

Macros

Record input sequences and play them back with a button trigger, or build them step by step with custom timing.

Compared to other tools

Feature overview against common controller tools.

Feature TrueAxis reWASD DS4Windows x360ce JoyToKey Xpadder
Free to use Paid Paid Paid
Open source
Any controller support PS only
Racing wheel support Limited
Hardware steering range control Logitech, MOZA
Square input transform
Deadzone customization Basic
Xbox controller emulation
Button remapping

Setup

Four steps from download to playing.

1

Run the setup

Download the setup and pick an install folder. It creates a Start Menu shortcut and verifies the download with SHA-256.

2

Install the driver if asked

TrueAxis checks for the ViGEmBus driver at startup and offers to install it for you. This driver provides the virtual Xbox controller.

3

Pick your device

Select your wheel or gamepad and a profile on the Drive tab. Button mapping and macros are on the Setup tab.

4

Activate

Press Activate and start your game. The game sees a standard Xbox 360 controller with your settings applied. Updates install from inside the app.

Help keep TrueAxis free

TrueAxis is built and maintained independently. If it improves your setup, you can support ongoing development and future wheel compatibility on Ko-fi.

Support on Ko-fi

Frequently asked questions

Analog sticks are limited by their circular range: pushed diagonally, each axis only reaches about 70%. Square input maps the circular range to a square, so diagonals reach 100%. In TrueAxis the threshold is adjustable.
Many games are built for Xbox controllers and support other devices poorly: reduced input range, wrong button mapping, or no detection at all. TrueAxis presents your device as a virtual Xbox 360 controller, which games treat like a standard Xbox controller.
Any controller or input device that appears as DirectInput or XInput on Windows. This includes racing wheels (Logitech G29, G920, G923, Thrustmaster T150, T300, TMX Pro), PlayStation controllers (DualShock 4, DualSense), generic gamepads and arcade sticks. If Windows detects it, TrueAxis can map it to an Xbox controller.
The Drive tab has a deadzone toggle with an adjustable slider from 0 to 30 percent. Reduce it for more responsive input, or increase it if your controller drifts.
TrueAxis is free and open source. It installs to a folder you choose, updates are verified with SHA-256 before installing, and the complete source code is published on this site.
Yes, for supported hardware. TrueAxis can set steering range directly on supported Logitech and MOZA wheels. Center spring control is available on compatible Logitech wheels. Other brands are detected and reported clearly, but some require their own vendor app because they do not expose a public Windows range API.

Community reviews

Written by users of TrueAxis.