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Clarify the usage of controller echo events #11950

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Clarify the usage of controller echo events #11950

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32 changes: 22 additions & 10 deletions tutorials/inputs/controllers_gamepads_joysticks.rst
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Expand Up @@ -208,16 +208,28 @@ average deadzone value from all of the actions in the vector.
"Echo" events
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Unlike keyboard input, holding down a controller button such as a D-pad
direction will **not** generate repeated input events at fixed intervals (also
known as "echo" events). This is because the operating system never sends "echo"
events for controller input in the first place.

If you want controller buttons to send echo events, you will have to generate
:ref:`class_InputEvent` objects by code and parse them using
:ref:`Input.parse_input_event() <class_Input_method_parse_input_event>`
at regular intervals. This can be accomplished
with the help of a :ref:`class_Timer` node.
Unlike keyboard input, holding down a controller button such as a D-pad direction or
moving a controller axis over a specified deadzone will **not** by default
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@Nintorch Nintorch Apr 25, 2026

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Although now that I think about it, this will conflict with the way the main project setting is set up for new projects:

  • input_devices/joypads/joypad_echo_events/send: If true, the engine will send joypad echo events after the user has pressed the joypad buttons or moved the joypad axes for long enough, false by default for existing projects and true by default for newly created projects;

We'll have to discuss it, maybe we can disable this project setting for newly created projects too.

generate repeated input events at fixed intervals (also known as "echo" events).
This is because the operating system never sends "echo" events for controller input
in the first place, and in Godot controller echo events are sent by the engine code.
Comment on lines +211 to +215
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@Calinou Calinou May 5, 2026 •
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Explain why echo events are sometimes desired:

Suggested change
Unlike keyboard input, holding down a controller button such as a D-pad direction or
moving a controller axis over a specified deadzone will **not** by default
generate repeated input events at fixed intervals (also known as "echo" events).
This is because the operating system never sends "echo" events for controller input
in the first place, and in Godot controller echo events are sent by the engine code.
Unlike keyboard input, holding down a controller button such as a D-pad direction or
moving a controller axis over a specified deadzone will **not** by default
generate repeated input events at fixed intervals (also known as "echo" events).
This can be an issue for user interfaces with sliders or long lists, as they
become harder to navigate.
This occurs because the operating system never sends "echo" events for controller
input in the first place, and in Godot controller echo events are sent by the
engine code.


If you want controller buttons to send echo events, set
:ref:`ProjectSettings.input_devices/joypads/joypad_echo_events/send<class_ProjectSettings_property_input_devices/joypads/joypad_echo_events/send>` to ``true``.
If you want controller axes to send echo events, make sure
:ref:`ProjectSettings.input_devices/joypads/joypad_echo_events/axis_echo_events/send<class_ProjectSettings_property_input_devices/joypads/joypad_echo_events/axis_echo_events/send>`
is set to ``true``.

To control the amount of time of pressing the joypad buttons or keeping the joypad axes over the deadzone
required for the engine to start sending echo events, modify
:ref:`ProjectSettings.input_devices/joypads/joypad_echo_events/wait_time<class_ProjectSettings_property_input_devices/joypads/joypad_echo_events/wait_time>`.

To control the number of times per second joypad echo events should be sent by the engine after the user
has pressed the buttons or kept the axes over the deadzone for long enough, modify
:ref:`ProjectSettings.input_devices/joypads/joypad_echo_events/count_per_second<class_ProjectSettings_property_input_devices/joypads/joypad_echo_events/count_per_second>`.

To control the deadzone that is used by the engine to determine if joypad axis echo events should be sent,
modify :ref:`ProjectSettings.input_devices/joypads/joypad_echo_events/axis_echo_events/deadzone<class_ProjectSettings_property_input_devices/joypads/joypad_echo_events/axis_echo_events/deadzone>`.

Window focus
~~~~~~~~~~~~
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