Create prototypes with keyboard and gamepad

Adobe XD lets you use keyboard shortcuts and gamepad triggers to simulate native desktop applications and prototype an enriched game experience or design. When wiring a prototype, you can select Keys & Gamepad from the Trigger drop down list and assign any key. You can then play back or record these animations in the preview window, web browser, or mobile applications and share them with your stakeholders for collaborative reviews. This helps you tell a better prototype story while adding a rich layer to the overall user experience.

You can choose Keys & Gamepad to:

• Wire an individual object or an artboard to another artboard.
• Wire two component states.
  
• Wire a component state to another artboard.
• Play back speech, audio, video, or Lottie.

When prototyping certain desktop apps, accessibility, shortcuts, or games, you need a keyboard to interact with the prototype. In the prototype, use keyboard shortcuts as triggers to transition across screens or component states, or play back speech, audio, video, or Lottie.

When wiring a prototype, select Keys & Gamepad. Then press any key on the keyboard to assign it as the trigger to an individual object, a component state, or an entire artboard. This means that you can have multiple triggers from the same artboard.

You can also combine a key along with a modifier to define triggers using shortcuts like CMD S, CTRL R. You cannot use spacebar and other system level keys such as function, sleep, volume, and power. When you assign multiple triggers with the same shortcut on the same artboard, the last trigger is assigned and triggers during a preview.

Work with gamepad triggers

The best way to test a game prototype is to use the actual game controller hardware. In the prototype, use gamepads as triggers to transition across screens or component states, or play back speech, audio, video, or Lottie. Then, interact with the prototype in a desktop player or a web browser using a connected gamepad controller.

Connect an Xbox controller (Series X/S or One) via Bluetooth or a PlayStation controller (DualSense or DualShock 4) via Bluetooth or USB, and select Keys & Gamepad. You can then press any key on the connected gamepad to assign it as a trigger to an individual object, a component state, or an entire artboard.

 Ensure that you use the same controller to design and preview the prototype. For example, you can test a prototype with an Xbox controller on desktop or web if it was designed using an Xbox controller.

Mobile app and mobile web experience

XD supports keyboard gamepad support in the desktop preview app and web prototypes. If you are previewing the prototype on a mobile app or a mobile browser, you can tap to transition between artboards (since they would not have a keyboard or gamepad device attached).

Supported game controllers and browsers

USB and Bluetooth support:

Browser support:

Prototype using keyboard or gamepad keys