VibePad

What is VibePad?

VibePad is a lightweight macOS menu bar app that lets you control AI coding assistants using a gamepad. Its core purpose is to help you move through AI chat and coding workflows—accepting suggestions, sending prompts, and navigating responses—without reaching for the keyboard.

The app is designed to work with Claude Code and Codex CLI, mapping common controller actions to actions like submitting prompts, browsing chat history, and navigating UI elements.

Key Features

• AI chat controls via gamepad: accept or cancel AI suggestions, submit prompts, cycle through chat history, and manage chat responses from the controller.
• Voice input using controller hold: hold L2 to activate voice-to-text and dictate prompts and code using your preferred transcription tool.
• Smart paste for clipboard content: auto-detects what’s on your clipboard and pastes it as visual context or as text-as-code, depending on the content type.
• Mouse & scroll navigation: use the right stick to move the cursor and the left stick to scroll, with adjustable sensitivity and dead zones for precision.
• Tab and app switching with layered controls: use the D-pad to navigate tabs and panels; hold L1 for a second layer that supports app switching and window management.
• Fully customizable button mapping: remap every button via a JSON config, including creating custom layers, adjusting dead zones, and tailoring shortcuts.

How to Use VibePad

1. Install VibePad for macOS and connect a compatible gamepad (the app supports PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo, MFi, and generic HID controllers).
2. Open the app and start using it from the macOS menu bar.
3. In your AI coding workflow with Claude Code or Codex CLI, use the mapped controller actions to send prompts, navigate suggestions and history, and apply paste/voice input where needed.
4. Adjust behavior by remapping buttons in the JSON configuration, including changing sensitivity/dead zones and building additional layers for your preferred shortcuts.

Use Cases

• Coding with AI chat while hands stay on the controller: submit prompts, browse chat history, and accept or cancel suggestions without moving to the keyboard.
• Dictating prompts and code with voice: hold L2 when you want to speak, then dictate prompts or code and continue your AI interaction using controller inputs.
• Pasting mixed clipboard content into an AI workflow: paste images as visual context or paste text as code, depending on what the clipboard contains.
• Navigating within AI UIs and panels: use the D-pad for tabs and panels, and use the second layer to handle app switching and window-related actions.
• Cursor-driven interaction from a distance: move the cursor with the right stick and scroll with the left stick, tuning sensitivity and dead zones to match your controller.

FAQ

Which AI tools does VibePad support?

VibePad is described as a menu bar app for Claude Code and Codex CLI.

What macOS version is required?

The page lists macOS 14+.

What controllers work with VibePad?

Compatibility is listed for PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo, MFi, and generic HID controllers.

Can I customize how buttons behave?

Yes. The app supports remapping every button via a JSON config, including creating custom layers and adjusting dead zones.

How does “smart paste” work?

VibePad auto-detects clipboard content and pastes images as visual context or text as code, selecting the appropriate action based on what’s copied.

Alternatives

• Controller-based input mappings for macOS: instead of an app dedicated to AI coding tools, general-purpose controller-to-keyboard/mouse utilities can provide similar hands-free navigation, though they may not offer chat-specific actions like accept/cancel.
• Keyboard-and-mouse-only workflows for AI coding assistants: many users may choose to keep a traditional workflow (keyboard navigation, shortcuts, and built-in chat controls) for full compatibility, but it doesn’t provide controller-first interaction.
• Terminal-focused input automation: if you primarily use Codex CLI via terminal, terminal productivity tools and shortcut frameworks can reduce keystrokes, but they typically don’t replicate the gamepad chat navigation and layered UI control described for VibePad.
• Separate voice-to-text tooling plus manual prompt submission: for voice dictation, standalone transcription tools can handle speech input, but you would still need to manage sending prompts and navigation without the controller mappings.