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arduino IDEArduino
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KiCad 9.0 |
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Soldering iron (generic) |
Batman Gaming Controller
I built this Batman-themed gaming controller as a fun engineering project to combine my love for both electronics and gaming. Instead of buying a regular Xbox controller, I wanted to design and build one completely from scratch, with a custom PCB shaped like the Batman logo.
The controller is built around an Arduino Pro Micro, which has native USB support and uses the XInput library to communicate with the PC as a standard Xbox 360 controller. This means it works directly with PC games like Spider-Man without needing any special drivers.
The board features dual analog joysticks for movement and camera control, fourteen tactile push buttons mapped to the A, B, X, Y, Start, Back, LB, RB buttons, D-Pad directions, and analog triggers using digital switches. A single LED with a 10kΩ resistor lights up near the Batman logo as a power indicator when the controller is connected.
The biggest challenge was correctly mapping each analog joystick axis and button to match standard Xbox controller behavior, since the wiring orientation on a custom PCB doesn't automatically match software expectations. This required careful testing using tools like the Arduino Serial Monitor and an online gamepad tester to verify every direction and button before the controller worked perfectly in real gameplay.
The PCB itself was manufactured by PCBWay, with the Batman bat-wing shape cut directly into the board outline, making it both a functional and visually striking design.
This project taught me a lot about embedded systems, USB HID communication, and the value of building something myself rather than buying it off the shelf.
#include <XInput.h>
void setup() {
XInput.setAutoSend(false);
XInput.setJoystickRange(0, 1023);
XInput.begin();
pinMode(0, INPUT_PULLUP);
pinMode(1, INPUT_PULLUP);
pinMode(2, INPUT_PULLUP);
pinMode(3, INPUT_PULLUP);
pinMode(4, INPUT_PULLUP);
pinMode(5, INPUT_PULLUP);
pinMode(6, INPUT_PULLUP);
pinMode(7, INPUT_PULLUP);
pinMode(8, INPUT_PULLUP);
pinMode(9, INPUT_PULLUP);
pinMode(10, INPUT_PULLUP);
pinMode(14, INPUT_PULLUP);
pinMode(15, INPUT_PULLUP);
pinMode(16, INPUT_PULLUP);
Serial.begin(9600);
}
int applyDeadzone(int value, int deadzone) {
int centered = value - 512;
if (abs(centered) < deadzone) return 512;
return value;
}
void loop() {
XInput.setTrigger(TRIGGER_LEFT, digitalRead(0) * -255 + 255);
XInput.setButton(BUTTON_LB, !digitalRead(1));
XInput.setButton(BUTTON_BACK, !digitalRead(2));
XInput.setDpad(!digitalRead(4), !digitalRead(5), !digitalRead(3), !digitalRead(6));
XInput.setTrigger(TRIGGER_RIGHT, digitalRead(7) * -255 + 255);
XInput.setButton(BUTTON_RB, !digitalRead(8));
XInput.setButton(BUTTON_B, !digitalRead(14));
XInput.setButton(BUTTON_A, !digitalRead(10));
XInput.setButton(BUTTON_Y, !digitalRead(15));
XInput.setButton(BUTTON_START, !digitalRead(9));
XInput.setButton(BUTTON_X, !digitalRead(16));
// LEFT joystick
int leftXAxis = applyDeadzone(1023 - analogRead(A2), 50);
int leftYAxis = applyDeadzone(1023 - analogRead(A3), 50);
XInput.setJoystick(JOY_LEFT, leftXAxis, leftYAxis);
// RIGHT joystick
int rightXAxis = applyDeadzone(1023 - analogRead(A1), 50);
int rightYAxis = applyDeadzone(1023 - analogRead(A0), 50);
XInput.setJoystick(JOY_RIGHT, rightXAxis, rightYAxis);
XInput.send();
}
Batman Gaming Controller
*PCBWay community is a sharing platform. We are not responsible for any design issues and parameter issues (board thickness, surface finish, etc.) you choose.
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