As a Roblox developer, it is currently too hard to use non-Xbox game controllers and USB HID input devices (e.g., RC transmitters, flight sticks, custom hardware) directly in experiences.
I have been exploring the idea of creating a drone flight simulation experience that would be compatible with real RC transmitters (for example, devices commonly used for FPV drones like my “RadioMaster Boxer”). The intent would be to let players train using the same physical controller they use in real life so that stick feel, axis behavior, and switch inputs translate directly into the simulator.
However, these transmitters typically present themselves to the operating system as generic USB HID or DirectInput devices rather than Xbox-style controllers. Roblox does not consistently detect or expose these inputs through UserInputService, which makes native integration impractical.
Currently, the only viable workaround is to use external remapping software that emulates an Xbox controller and translates transmitter inputs into XInput signals. This introduces multiple problems:
- Adds a required dependency outside Roblox that developers cannot control or standardize.
- Increases setup friction for testing and for eventual players.
- Reduces reliability across machines and operating systems.
- Compresses or loses access to richer input data (additional axes, switches, and fine control resolution).
- Prevents experiences from accurately mirroring real-world hardware behavior.
This limitation affects more than drone transmitters. Many modern controllers and peripherals — including flight sticks, HOTAS setups, steering wheels, accessibility devices, and custom-built hardware — present themselves as standard HID devices rather than Xbox-mapped gamepads.
If this issue is addressed, it would improve my development experience because it would allow Roblox experiences to directly support real-world control hardware without requiring external remapping tools.
This would enable:
- Drone and aviation simulators that match real training hardware.
- Robotics and hardware-interfacing experiences.
- Accessibility use cases involving custom input devices.
- More precise control schemes by exposing full axis and switch data.
- More reliable, consistent input handling across platforms.
Developers can currently approximate this by mapping devices to emulated Xbox controllers, but this adds friction, reduces fidelity, and limits what kinds of input-driven experiences can be built. Native support for generic HID and DirectInput devices would remove this barrier and significantly expand the types of experiences possible on the platform.
