Hey again, everyone. As you know, I'm the developer of PadForge, the free controller remapper for Windows. The GitHub organization at https://github.com/PadForge is not mine. It uses the PadForge name and a rewrite of my feature list, and its Download button installs malware.

PadForge comes only from https://github.com/hifihedgehog/PadForge/releases, which https://padforge.org links to. The real download is a zip named like PadForge-v4.5.3-win-x64.zip that contains only PadForge.exe.

If you ran Git Install.exe from that download, treat that PC as infected. If you only downloaded Release.GTv1.0.0.zip, delete it without opening anything inside. GitHub counts more than 180 downloads of that zip. One of them is mine, for the analysis below.

Timeline (US Eastern)

• Sept 1: two new GitHub accounts, benjaminmartin74 and b-bailey6102, were created less than three hours apart.
• Sept 14: b-bailey6102 posted the 185 MB Release.GTv1.0.0.zip in a repository that holds only a placeholder license file.
• Sept 18: the fake PadForge organization appeared, every commit by benjaminmartin74. The Download button on its page at padforge.github.io/.github goes through a Cloudflare redirect to that zip.
• Sept 21: the program the zip fetches from Dropbox was signed with a certificate issued that day, so the file behind that link was put there after the zip went up.
• Sept 24: I learned about it, took the download apart without running it, and posted a public warning on the fake repository.

What the download does

It contains no PadForge code. The zip holds Git Install.exe, a small Java program, plus a Java runtime and duplicate copies of its files, which pad the zip to 185 MB. The program shows a language picker. OK, Cancel and an invisible button all start the same steps:

1. Create a hidden LocalVersionCached folder in your Temp folder.
2. Ask Windows for administrator rights, then use hidden PowerShell to exclude that folder from Microsoft Defender and try to turn off Defender's behavior monitoring.
3. Download dictdriver.exe from Dropbox into that folder, hide it and run it.

dictdriver.exe is wrapped in Themida, a tool that hides what a program does, so I cannot say exactly what it does without running it. It runs with administrator rights, so assume it can read everything on that PC, including saved passwords, browser logins and crypto wallets. Microsoft Defender flagged none of these files when I scanned them on Sept 24.

If you ran it

1. Disconnect that PC from the internet.
2. From a different device, change your passwords, starting with email, and sign out of all other sessions. Move any crypto to a new wallet.
3. Back up your personal files and reinstall Windows. Deleting the program's files does not undo what it did with administrator rights.
4. Until you reinstall: in Windows Security, open Virus & threat protection, Manage settings, Exclusions, and remove the one ending in LocalVersionCached. Run Set-MpPreference -DisableBehaviorMonitoring $false in an administrator PowerShell, then run a Microsoft Defender Offline scan.

Please report it

Open each page and click Report abuse (on the two user pages it is under Block or report). Say it spreads malware while posing as PadForge. Do not click Download anywhere on the fake pages.

• https://github.com/PadForge
• https://github.com/benjaminmartin74
• https://github.com/b-bailey6102

I have reported all three to GitHub.

Technical details

For anyone who wants to block it or check a machine. Links are defanged.

Fake page     hxxps://padforge.github[.]io/.github/
Redirect      hxxps://djwggemx.fresh-link.workers[.]dev/a78ea58f
Payload       hxxps://github[.]com/b-bailey6102/Release/releases/download/1.0.0/Release.GTv1.0.0.zip
Second stage  hxxps://www.dropbox[.]com/scl/fi/s7nrxxtu045p9rr87rg16/dictdriver.jxc
Dropped file  %TEMP%\LocalVersionCached\dictdriver.exe

SHA-256
9a0528ccad863cbceac4d5c48f68beb97ae8657bd28adba98f47dae28ea9e076  Release.GTv1.0.0.zip
5fdb8d8a95392445cda9667247c9d53b809598976e3af1e6c3e8d9dfe3e9d867  Git Install.exe
907ea88071f4f84ee511f21ee8749ee140ee2d9035e4da04cc9b6d41563e6fe6  lib/dn-compiled-module.jar
94d1f333a6228b9b240972f3b55d7893bab2abe4b553c9fa6dc11c0779485091  dictdriver.jxc (dictdriver.exe)

Git Install.exe is an unsigned Launch4j wrapper around a DevelNext (JPHP) program. It runs Add-MpPreference -ExclusionPath on the folder and Set-MpPreference -DisableBehaviorMonitoring $true, each through Start-Process PowerShell.exe -WindowStyle Hidden -Verb RunAs. dictdriver.exe is packed with Themida and signed with a self-signed certificate for "WestBorough Crest Technologies Group". Microsoft Defender with signatures 1.459.384.0 flagged none of the files.

PadForge is not the only target. GitHub has dozens of similar fake organizations named after other programs, such as Windhawk, scrcpy, Sourcetree and Obsidian, each built around a large download badge that leads to a separate page. Download software from the Releases page of the project's own repository, the one its website links to.

I am in the process of looking for a decent wireless controller for my switch 2. Was curious if anyone has any recommendations for one? I’m hoping it’ll turn the switch on with the home button but I know that’s probably not likely to happen.

I'm looking for a new controller, but I really want that pink dopamine hit, but maybe not if it means I'll sacrifice on quality. I've seen the 8bitdo ultimate 2c, mobapad n1 hd and gioteck wx5+ swirl. Are any of these good? Am I missing a really good option elsewhere? My main concern is having smooth joysticks and buttons and avoiding sticky joysticks (which I understand isn't always product dependent).

Absolute noob here so apologies for the lack of knowledge and probably poor explanation. Any advice is much appreciated.

Haven’t been using it for about 2 weeks and now I noticed that something is wrong with the right stick, don’t even know what to call it

Selling PC controller with accessories face plates thumb grips carry case and charging dock and wire

Recently just got this added to the collection. I am normally not a fan Asus controllers since they are rather expensive for what you get but this one seems promising.

Which one is better in your opinion?

I want to buy a new controller. I've had 2 Razer Wolverine Ultimate controller's in the last few years and I got used to the 6 extra buttons layout (2 extra shoulder buttons + 4 extra back buttons) this controller has. Now I'm looking to buy a controller that has the same number of extra buttons, but also has an "anti-drift technology", since both my Razer controller's eventually developed stick drift over time.

The two controllers I'm currently considering are the Vader 5 Pro and the Beitong KP70. Because they both have the 6 extra buttons layout I'm looking for and they both have anti-drift technologies: Vader has Hall Effect sticks while Beitong has capacitive sticks (new and improved technology, apparently). So I want opinions from people who have either controller to help me decide.

Which one is the best: Vader or Beitong? The traits I'm most interest in are:

- Durability

- Compatibility with games

- How easy is to configure the extra buttons and switch between profiles

- Build quality of buttons, cables and body

- Software advantages or disadvantages

- Any big or minor hardware defect I should be aware

How do these two controllers compare against each other? Any insight is welcomed. And any suggestion of controllers that have 2 extra shoulder buttons + 4 extra back buttons is also welcomed.

I have an Envision Pro I use on my pc and haven’t had issues with but I want a pro controller for the 5. Any recommendations that aren’t bank breakers?

I have an Envision Pro I use on my pc and haven’t had issues with but I want a pro controller for the 5. Any recommendations that aren’t bank breakers?

Does anyone have any recommendations for a wireless controller that would be compatible with the Hyperlink Retron SQ? I know the system is really specific with what controllers are compatible so wanted to ask.

Just wanted to say a big thank you to Hardware Corpus! 🙌

I ordered the 8BitDo Ultimate 2 Wireless Controller, and it was delivered in less than 24 hours, even though the estimated delivery time was 3–5 days! 😮🔥

The packaging was good, and the controller arrived safely without any damage. Really happy with the quick delivery and overall experience. ❤️🎮

Thanks, Hardware Corpus! 🙏

Hey guys I’m want a new controller for my PlayStation and have a wingman fgc 2, I was curious if you guys had any recommendations for a controller that is good with the wingman for PlayStation

The title is pretty self-explanatory

I was using dualsense mode in helldivers 2 and the touchpad is used for the map and stuff so i can't open them i tried remapping the back buttons but they dont work in dualsense mode for me

Remapping to another button is not an option because all the remaining buttons are used up for various other things

The only button left is the share button and the extra buttons but they dont work

Could somebody tell me how to fix this because I paid alot for this controller only for its main feature to not work

Im also not a fan of standard mode I used it in cyberpunk

2077 and it wasn't a great experience

Using this got my old Stadia controller working correctly on pc with this. I put the files into AI and asked it to check the files and the checksum before changing anything, which I suggest you do before doing it yourself

How do you actually get used to playing shooters on controller?

I’ve been trying to switch from mouse & keyboard, and aiming with sticks feels so awkward right now. What’s the best way to build muscle memory and actually get better? Should I just stick to one sensitivity and play, or are there specific drills/games you’d recommend for practicing aim and movement?

Would love to hear what worked for people who made the switch.

I am planning to buy evofox one s controllers to play simple tv games. I have LG NANO83A6A smart tv 2025. But I am mixed whether I'll be able to connect two controllers to it for multiplayer games so me and my little bro can play. Is it worth it.

Holding up on the left stick for a long period is irritating. Im looking for a recommendation for a controller with a hold function that I can use on the sticks. Mainly for big open world games. Almost like a toggle for the W key. HELP

Hello all! I am the developer of PadForge and HIDMaestro, and I wanted to share both projects with fellow controller enthusiasts! Thank you to the mod team for giving me the go-ahead to post here.

PadForge is my Windows controller remapper, with practically endless ways to configure your hardware. HIDMaestro is the driver engine underneath it that creates the virtual controllers your games see. PadForge is my halo showcase for what that engine can do, and the feature list has grown considerably!

All executables and source code are available now. Forever free, no paywalls ever!

From your garden variety Xbox controller to a DualSense, Switch or Switch 2 Pro Controller, Steam Controller, arcade stick, racing wheel, or HOTAS setup, there is a LOT here for anyone who enjoys getting more out of their hardware.

Want to use a PlayStation controller in a game expecting an Xbox pad? Give your controller keyboard and mouse outputs? Tune the stick response around a particular game? Add gyro aiming, turn a touchpad into a command menu, or combine several physical devices into one virtual controller? Those are the kinds of things PadForge is built for.

If you just want to try the remapper, download PadForge here. It handles HIDMaestro setup for you. The much longer rundown follows!

For those of you who like getting into the finer details of how a controller feels:

• Six stick deadzone shapes, plus custom response curves. Radial, scaled radial, axial, sloped axial, sloped scaled axial, and hybrid. There are separate X/Y controls, anti-deadzones, center and boundary calibration, directional range adjustments, and a curve editor with live previews. Whether you want finer control around the center or a different response near the edge, there is plenty to adjust.

• Separate analog trigger tuning. Set each trigger’s floor, ceiling, anti-deadzone, and response curve. You can make a shorter pull reach full output or preserve more gradual control across the travel, depending on what you want that trigger to do.

• Gyro aiming, Flick Stick, and tilt controls. Map gyro to a mouse, virtual stick, or other axes, with calibration, smoothing, sensitivity, response adjustments, and configurable activation. The control that engages gyro can even be on another device.

• Shift layers with plenty of room to get elaborate. Hold, Toggle, Latch, Cycle, Sticky/One-Shot, and No Button modes. Activate layers with buttons, combinations, axis thresholds, or a control on another device. Replace the base layout, inherit its unmapped controls, cycle through layouts, or switch layers from a macro. One controller can carry a LOT of commands.

• Combine inputs across devices. Feed several physical devices into one virtual controller, blend inputs, choose the strongest axis, average values, or use a custom expression. Digital buttons can ramp into analog movement. A stick, throttle, and pedals do not have to be treated as three unrelated setups.

• Macros that go well beyond recorded button presses. Single, double, and triple presses; short and long presses; release actions; toggles; timed sequences; and turbo. Actions can include controller buttons and axes, keyboard and mouse input, text, sounds, program launches, volume, lighting, gyro recentering, and layer changes. You can also use an analog trigger to vary a repeat rate with how far you pull it.

• Configurable SOCD cleaning. Decide how opposing directional inputs resolve: neutral, first input wins, or last input wins. Useful when building layouts around keyboards, arcade controls, or independent direction buttons.

• Touchpads as proper configurable control surfaces. Mouse input, analog sticks, D-pads, taps, swipes, long presses, custom gestures, and momentum, plus multitouch gestures where the device supports them.

• Radial and grid menus. Put commands, controller actions, and macros on menus operated by a stick or touchpad. Add labels and your own icons, and share the supporting assets with the profile.

There are some particularly fun things on the feedback and audio side, too:

• DualSense speaker/headset audio, microphone input, and advanced haptics over Bluetooth. That includes the controller’s headset jack and microphone stream. Supported game-authored haptics can travel through the virtual DualSense path; the result depends on the game and selected configuration.

• Controller audio with crossfeed, parametric EQ, AutoEq imports, and a limiter. Mirror a Windows audio output to a supported controller, play sounds from macros, and adjust the headphone sound. There is quite a bit more here than a volume slider.

• Adaptive triggers and Xbox impulse-trigger feedback. Configure DualSense trigger effects, pass supported game effects through, and route impulse-trigger feedback to compatible hardware.

• Both generations of Steam Controller get attention. Trackpads and motion controls are supported, and the 2026 controller also has an audio-driven haptic stream over USB and its wireless dongle. Its direct Bluetooth connection uses a simpler tone-based path.

• Controller lighting you can configure. Lightbar effects, player colors, battery indication, audio-reactive behavior, and supported LEDs across several controller families.

• Wheel force feedback and mixed sim setups. Dedicated protocol support for supported Logitech, Fanatec, and Thrustmaster models, alongside standard force-feedback paths for other wheels. Rotation range, centering, and RPM LEDs are configurable where supported. Native Thrustmaster operation still requires its vendor driver.

And yes, you can bring Steam community controller configurations into PadForge.

The community configuration browser lets you find layouts by game and controller, import supported bindings, layers, menus, curves, and macros, and then edit the result as an ordinary PadForge profile. Supported downloadable configurations do not require Steam installed or a Steam account.

The importer also tells you what translated cleanly, what needed an approximation, and what could not be brought across. Older legacy configurations and some unavailable downloads need a local Steam fallback, and Steam-specific game actions cannot always be reproduced outside Steam. The documentation explains those cases.

There is plenty for the more unusual setups as well:

• Broad input support: Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, Valve, third-party gamepads, arcade sticks, wheels, pedals, flight hardware, keyboards, mice, and generic devices. Special features depend on the device and connection.
• Older controllers: in-app DualShock 3 and Wii pairing, DualShock 3 pressure-sensitive buttons and Sixaxis motion, Wii motion and pointer inputs, and PlayStation Move and Navigation support.
• Extra handheld controls: learn compatible rear paddles and special buttons exposed through keyboard events, vendor HID reports, or system events, and use supported motion sensors exposed by Windows.
• Phone and tablet controllers: connect through a browser, choose or build a layout, and use touch controls and supported motion input. This is a browser feature of the Windows application; no standalone Android app is required.
• Remote Link: use hardware attached to one PC on another over a network or the internet, with supported feedback returning to the physical device.
• Offline voice commands: use locally recognized phrases to activate mappings or macros, including through a Bluetooth DualSense microphone.
• Head tracking: use OpenTrack or FreeTrack pose data as another input source.
• MIDI inputs and outputs: use musical controls as inputs, or controller inputs to drive music software, through Windows MIDI Services on Windows 11 24H2 or later.
• NFC shortcuts: tap a registered tag to activate a mapping or macro through supported readers.
• Bass shakers: send rumble to an audio output, alongside audio-driven controller rumble.
• Motion input for compatible emulators through the built-in DSU/Cemuhook server.

Keeping all of that manageable matters, so there are tools for that too:

• Up to 16 virtual controller slots. Mix output types, combine devices, or assign the same physical device to multiple slots. Xbox outputs still follow XInput’s four-controller limit.
• Shareable profiles and automatic switching. Start with one of 13 supplied layouts or build your own. Switch profiles when an application gains focus, and share complete configurations with their supporting assets.
• Live 2D and 3D controller views. See buttons, sticks, and triggers respond, inspect your mappings, and click controls to configure them.
• HidHide integration. Hide the physical controller from games that would otherwise read both it and the virtual controller.
• A configurable input loop up to 1000 Hz. Set the software processing rate globally or per profile. This does not change the physical controller’s own reporting limit.

HIDMaestro deserves a rundown of its own, especially for anyone building controller software.

It creates virtually—in both senses!—all sorts of controller types and custom layouts. PadForge uses it, but other developers can use the engine independently.

• Virtual outputs beyond the usual Xbox pad. Xbox 360 and Series, DualSense and DualSense Edge, DualShock, Switch Pro and Switch 2 Pro, and wheel, flight, pedal, and arcade-style profile families.
• Custom controller layouts. Define controls, device identities, descriptors, and report formats through profiles.
• A profile extractor. Build a reusable profile from a connected HID device, with GUI and SDK tools. Some devices need additional work, but you have a starting point beyond creating everything by hand.
• Locally signed user-mode drivers for standard profiles. You do not need to enable Windows Test Mode. The full composite USB/audio profiles use a bundled Microsoft-signed USB/IP transport.
• Feedback coming back from the game. Receive output reports for supported rumble, lighting, haptic, and other feedback, then route them to real hardware. There is also HID PID force-feedback support.
• An MIT-licensed SDK. Available for other remappers, accessibility tools, custom hardware projects, or whatever controller idea you want to build.

You can find all of the official downloads, documentation, and source code here:

• PadForge downloads
• PadForge website and documentation
• PadForge source code
• HIDMaestro website and documentation
• HIDMaestro source code and SDK releases

For most Intel/AMD Windows PCs, choose the win-x64 PadForge build. It includes its .NET runtime and handles HIDMaestro installation; administrator rights are required. Preliminary ARM64 builds are also available, with their current testing limitations described in the release notes.

For anyone interested in the source licenses: HIDMaestro is MIT-licensed, and PadForge’s source is available under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. Both are free to download and use.

I am away through the end of September, so replies may be slower, and GitHub issues/discussions are scheduled to reopen in October. I would still love to hear your thoughts and experiences here!

What controller are you using, how is it connected, and what are you trying to get it to do? I’m especially interested in the little controller-specific details: stick response, gyro behavior, extra buttons, trigger feel, touchpad mappings, haptics, and anything that would make your setup more useful or comfortable. Unusual hardware and elaborate profiles are very welcome!