RewiredTM is an advanced input system for Unity

Take input to the next level! Rewired makes joysticks, the keyboard, mouse, and other controllers work as they should. Need something more than Unity's basic input system? Have you tried other solutions only to find they have too many limitations? Check out Rewired...

 

 

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A Full-Featured Input Editor

Create and edit all your Players, Actions, Input Behaviors, Maps, Categories, and more directly in the Rewired Editor. The editor is packed with features and has an intuitive workflow.

Native Input

Rewired is not just another Unity input wrapper like other packages. Rewired supports many platforms that Unity supports with extended native support on Windows, OSX, Linux, Windows 10 Universal, WebGL, Xbox One[2], Xbox Series S/X, PS4[2], PS5[2], Switch, and Stadia. Rewired leverages native libraries to access input devices directly, allowing for far more control over input. This makes possible some very powerful features such as full hot-plugging support for joysticks and support for more than 20 buttons per controller. Rewired is the only input system available for Unity with native support for these platforms and the only one to offer these advanced features. For other platforms, Rewired utilizes Unity's input system so you still get access to all the other features it provides.

What exactly does Rewired offer?

Rewired has so many great features, it's hard to list them all...

 

Features

  • Works in Unity Free and Pro.
  • Player-centric input system.
  • Full hot-plugging support on Windows, OSX, Linux, Windows 10 Universal, WebGL, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, PS4, PS5, Switch, and Stadia. (Other platforms depend on Unity's input system's support for hot-plugging on that platform.)
  • Extended native input support on several platforms.
  • Optional XInput support for Windows (mandatory for Windows 8 Store).
  • Fallback on Unity input for all other platforms. Most features still work.
  • Intelligent auto assignment and re-assignment of controllers to players on connect/disconnect with configurable options to tune the assignment to your needs.
  • Connect, pre-disconnect, and disconnect events.
  • Get input in Update, Fixed Update, and OnGUI -- you choose which loops update runs in, one or multiple as needed.
  • Customizable and saveable controller maps -- export mappings to XML or JSON and save how you choose (example included using PlayerPrefs, but save however you like.)
  • Included Control Mapper system using Unity GUI allows your players to rebind controls at runtime.
  • Unlimited mapping layouts per controller.
  • Controller Templates (see Controllers section).
  • Included on-screen touch controls for mobile platforms. (Unity 5.0+)
  • Editor GUI for creating Actions, Input Behaviors, Joystick/Keyboard/Mouse maps, categories, etc.
  • Editor GUI for creating and editing Joystick Hardware Maps (for adding new fully-supported joysticks).
  • Editor GUI for creating and editing Controller Templates (for adding new templates or adding new joysticks to a template).
  • Extremely versatile -- can be used for simple 1-player games all the way to highly complex multi-player games with complex mapping requirements. Gives the developer a high level of control and doesn't try to force you into a specific one-size-fits-all mold.

Controllers

  • Functional support for most USB and Bluetooth controllers [1] (see below).
  • Extended support for many game controllers of all types on Windows, OSX, Linux, Windows 8 Store, Windows 10 Universal, Android, iOS, tvOS, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, Switch, Stadia, WebGL, and Webplayers. You can create additional controller definitions to support more, or if you'd like you can mail me your controller and I'll add the definitions and mail it back! :)
  • Supported controllers are recognized on each platform and are fully mapable by element name and have standardized axis directions.
  • For any controller not included, you can map an Unknown controller which includes all possible buttons/axes on the platform (Windows 128 buttons & 32 axes, etc.) Regardless of whether you define a map for this, users will always be able to manually map every element on the controller. This means support for the vast majority of USB and Bluetooth controllers. [1]
  • Controller template system so you can either choose to create default maps for every controller you wish to explicitly support, or save time and just map the template. All controllers that use that template will be mapped automatically. Rewired comes with controller templates for gamepads, flight controllers, racing wheels, and 6-dof controllers. User can always map any remaining controller elements even if they're not defined on the template.
  • Named buttons and controller elements for supported controllers (for help messages and config screens).
  • Vibration (Windows, Windows 8 Store, Windows 10 Universal, OSX, Linux, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, PS4, Switch, Stadia currently)
  • Advanced controller features such as vibration, touchpad, light, and gyro on the Dual Shock 4.
  • Custom Controllers - Any source can be used to drive the controller's element values. Custom Controllers can be used for on-screeen touch controllers and more.
  • Xbox 360 and Xbox One controllers supported on OSX.

Mapping

  • Powerful controller mapping system that allows you to create highly complex input schemes for any style of game.
  • Unlimited maps per controller, per Player.
  • Maps stack so you can have as many maps for each controller as you need. For example: If you have multiple game modes such as Infantry, Tank, Airplane, you can have shared controls on one map, and mode-specific controls each on its own map. You can have even more maps as needed: A Menu map for when you're in the menus, a system map for controls like Save/Load and Quit, multiple maps for different players on the keyboard, etc.
  • Enable / disable maps as needed, for example, when changing game modes.
  • Multiple layouts per category. Allows you to have optional controller layouts.
  • A shared controller (the keyboard for example) can be mapped by any number of players with any number of maps.
  • All maps are owned by the player, so changes you make to one player's maps don't affect the others even if it's on the same controller.
  • Map axes to buttons and buttons to axes if you choose.
  • Split axes - allows you to map one pole of an axis to an action and the other pole to another action if you want.
  • Axis Contribution - you can choose how your button or axis affects the final Action's value. A button can generate positive or negative values on an Action's final axis value.
  • Save maps to XML or JSON.

Input

  • Standard Unity lingo: GetButton, GetButtonDown, GetAxis.
  • Poll for input as per Unity standard practice or use event-based input to get input without polling.
  • Input is handled through the Player class:
    player.GetAxis("actionName").
  • Get input directly from elements by index if necessary.
  • Get Action input by action name or action id.
  • Positive and negative buttons.
  • Double-press/click support with customizable timing.
  • GetButtonDown buffer -- allows you to make GetButtonDown respond for longer than a single frame to help with timing issues when user is pressing the button rapidly.
  • Keyboard modifier support - Map keyboard controls with up to 3 modifiers - Control, Alt, Shift, and Command (mac).
  • Axis calibration (min, max, zero, deadzone, sensitivity)

Players

  • Unlimited number of players.
  • Supports multiple controllers per player.
  • Convenient System player for handling system actions - Save, Load, etc.
  • Define starting maps for joystick, keyboard, and mouse per-player.

Actions

  • Define actions in the editor.
  • Create an action once and use it for as many players as you like.
  • Action categories for organizational convenience.
  • Set user-assignable flag on an Action or Action Category to allow or prevent certain actions from showing up in lists (useful for mapping screens.)

Input Behaviors

  • Input Behaviors allow you to set options for digital axis simulation (sensitivity, gravity, etc.), how to handle mouse axes, a GetButtonDown buffer, button double press speed, button dead zone, and more.
  • Each Action is assigned an Input Behavior, so if you have many actions that need to behave the same way, you don't have to duplicate the information, just set them to use the same Input Behavior.
  • Per-player, and run-time modifiable.
  • Save to XML or JSON.

Map categories

  • Categorize your maps by any criteria you choose. For example: System, Menu, Gameplay Shared, Infantry, Vehicle, Airplane.
  • Set user-assignable flag on a category to allow or prevent user-assignment of certain controls (system controls should be protected from change, for example).
  • Category selective conflict checking - choose to conflict check some categories with other categories, but not necessarily in both directions. (Useful for complex stacked map setups).

Performance

  • Rewired is fast, written in C#, and tuned for performace.
  • ZERO bytes of memory allocated per-frame during gameplay means no garbage collection overhead.*

    * Platforms that fallback on Unity input have periodic very small allocations as it polls Input.GetJoystickNames() every second or two to detect joystick changes.

  • The vast majority of code is included in a DLL, so it won't slow down your script compilation during development.

Misc

  • Input Manager is self-contained so you can actually have separate input managers for different levels if you choose with entirely different mappings, etc. (Not necessary but interesting!)
  • Functions for mapping conflict checking.
  • Identify joysticks by button press in Unity Fallback mode.
  • Included example of mapping screen using Unity GUI (will update when new GUI system comes out) including saving and loading of maps per-player.

Limitations

  • Hot-plugging in Windows Webplayer is not possible because the Windows Unity Webplayer cannot access outside libraries. However, the rest of the features work just fine in Webplayer.
  • Rewired is not for those who want to make games with zero coding knowledge. Coding is required.

Requirements

  • Unity 4.3 or later, Free or Pro.
  • Unity 4.6 or later required for Control Mapper.
  • Unity 5.0 or later required for WebGL native input and Touch Controls.
  • OSX 10.5 or later is required for the OSX Unity editor and OSX Standalone builds.

Tested Platforms

Rewired has been tested on the following platforms. Others may work but have not been tested.

  • Windows Standalone 32-bit/64-bit*
  • Windows Webplayer
  • Windows 10 Universal 32-bit/64-bit (.NET and IL2CPP)*
  • OSX Standalone 32-bit/64-bit/Universal*
  • OSX Webplayer
  • Android
  • iOS
  • Linux*
  • WebGL*
  • Sony PSM (Sony PlayStation Vita)
  • Sony PlayStation 4* [2]
  • Sony PlayStation 5* [2]
  • Microsoft Xbox One* [2]
  • Microsoft Xbox Series S/X*
  • Nintendo Switch*
  • Stadia*
  • Apple TV (tvOS)
  • Amazon Fire TV

* Platform features Extended Native Support

Want more information?

  • Check out the documentation to learn more about the inner-workings of Rewired.
  • 1 Controller must be compatible with underlying system. On Windows the controller must be compatible with Raw Input, Direct Input, or XInput. On OSX, it must be compatible with I/O Kit. On Linux, it must be compatible with the Linux device system. Support for exotic controller types not guaranteed.
  • 2 These platforms make use of Unity’s special platform-specific input classes which allow for much greater control over input than with just UnityEngine.Input and are functionally equivalent to native input libraries.

Integrations with Other Assets

Videos

A few of the Games Made with Rewired

RoboCraft by FreeJam
The Long Dark by Hinterland Games
Risk of Rain 2 by Hopoo Games and Gearbox Publishing
Broforce by FreeLives Games and Devolver Digital
Gang Beasts by BoneLoaf, Published by Double Fine
Mordheim City Of the Damned by Rogue Factor, Games Workshop, and Focus Home Interactive
Shadow Tactics by Mimimi Productions and Daedalic Entertainment
This is the Police by Weappy
This is the Police 2 by Weappy
Two Point Hospital by Two Point Studios
Paint the Town Red by South East Games
Kingdom: New Lands by Noio
Kingdom: Classic by Noio
Hidden Folks by Adriaan de Jongh
Streets of Rogue by Matt Dabrowski
Bomber Crew by Runner Duck Games Limited
Darkwood by Acid Wizard Studio
Friday the 13th: Killer Puzzle by Blue Wizard Digital
Battle Chasers Night War by Airship Syndicate
Cat Quest by The Gentle Bros
Virginia by Variable State
Jotun by Thunder Lotus Games
Moon Hunters by Kitfox Games
Sundered by Thunder Lotus Games
Immortal Redneck by Crema Games
Holo Drive by Bit Cake Studio
Kingdom: Two Crowns by Noio and Coatsink
Assault Android Cactus by Witch Beam Games
Overload by Revival Productions
Caves of Qud by Freehold Games
Forgotton Anne by Throughline Games
Flashback 25th Anniversary by Microids
Sky Rogue by Fractal Phase
Brawlout by Angry Mob Games
Behold the Kickmen by Size Five Games
Black The Fall by Sand Sailor Studio
Marooners by M2H Game Studio
Invisigun Heroes by Sombr Studio
Shift Happens by Klonk Games
GoD Factory Wingmen by Nine Dots Studio
Masquerada by Witching Hour Studios and Ysbyrd Games
Hive Jump by Graphite Lab
Earthlock by Snow Castle
Aegis Defenders by GUTS Department
Tinertia by Candescent Games and Section
End Space by Justin Wasilenko
ShadowBug by Muro Studios
Die for Valhalla by Monster Couch
Super Slam Dunk Touchdown by Tipping Goat
Divide by Exploding Tuba Studios
Cloudbase Prime by Floating Island Games

 

... and many, many more.

Available on the Unity Asset Store!

 


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