User Guide Cancel

Create prototypes with keyboard and gamepad

Last updated on Jan 4, 2022

Adobe XD User Guide
Introduction
Design
1. Artboards, guides, and layers
2. Shapes, objects, and path
3. Text and fonts
  1. Work with drawing and text tools
  2. Fonts in Adobe XD
4. Components and states
5. Masking and effects
6. Layout
7. Videos and Lottie animations
Prototype
Share, export, and review
Design systems
Cloud documents
Integrations and plugins
XD for iOS and Android
1. Preview on mobile devices
2. Adobe XD on mobile FAQ
Troubleshooting
1. Known and fixed issues
  1. Known issues
  2. Fixed issues
2. Installation and updates
3. Launch and crash
4. Cloud documents and Creative Cloud Libraries
5. Prototype, publish, and review
6. Import, export, and working with other apps

Learn how to prototype using keyboard and gamepad as triggers.

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.

Work with keyboard triggers

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.

A. Trigger set to keyboard shortcut B. Keyboard shortcut key C. Action set to auto-animate D. Destination artboard or component state

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.

A. Select trigger to gamepad B. Gamepad shortcut key C. Action set to auto-animate D. Destination artboard or component state

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:

Controller	Mac (USB)	Mac (Bluetooth)	Win (USB)	Win (Bluetooth)
Xbox (Series X/S, One)	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
PlayStation (DualSense, DualShock 4)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

Browser support:

Controller	Chrome (Mac)	Chrome (Win)	Edge Chromium (Mac)	Edge Chromium (Win)	Edge (legacy)	IE	Firefox (Mac & Win)	Safari
Xbox (USB)	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No	No
Xbox (Bluetooth)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
PlayStation (USB)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Not recommended
PlayStation (Bluetooth)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Not recommended

Prototype using keyboard or gamepad keys

Switch to the Prototype tab.
To define an interaction, click the blue connector on the source object, component state, or artboard. Set the following options in the Property Inspector:
- Trigger: Set the trigger type to Keys & Gamepad and select any key on the keyboard or a gamepad to assign a trigger except spacebar and other system level keys such as function, sleep, volume, and power.
- Type: Select any of the available action types: Transition, Auto-Animate, Overlay, Scroll to, Previous Artboard, Audio Playback, Speech Playback, Video Playback, or Lottie Playback.
- Destination: Set the destination artboard or component state from the drop-down list (not applicable for some action types).
Once the action type is chosen, set the specific options for that action type.
To define more than one interaction for an object, component state, or artboard:
1. Select it and click the + button on the artboard. Alternatively, you can also click the + button in the Property Inspector.
2. Set the properties in the Property Inspector.
Remember that you can apply Tap, Drag, Hover, and Time triggers once, and Voice, Keys & Gamepad many times.
To preview the changes on desktop, select the Desktop Preview icon.
To share your prototype with your stakeholders from the XD desktop app, select Share > View Settings > Design Review or Development.