Use Game Controls on your Googlebook

You can play Android games designed for touchscreens on your Googlebook using a keyboard. This feature maps physical key presses into on-screen taps or swipes, making games more enjoyable and accessible for those who prefer physical controls.

Game Controls work with most keyboard layouts (like QWERTY, AZERTY, and QWERTZ).

Find & use Game Controls

Find and use Game Controls

1. Open a game app.
2. Select the app’s name at the top left of the window Game Controls.
   1. If a preset mapping exists, it can be viewed and edited.
   2. If no preset layout exists, create one by selecting Add first control.

Tips:

• To show the app name in a full-screen game, hover your mouse cursor at the top edge of the window.
• When a game has text input (for example: chat box, in-game text field), Game Controls pauses mapped keys, which allows you to type messages freely. Game Controls are re-enabled when you exit the text box.

Turn Game Controls off on the game

1. Select the app’s name at the top left of the window Game Controls.
2. Select Settings .
3. Toggle off Enable Game Controls.

When you play a game with Game Controls enabled, you can find the configured control hints overlaid on top of the game. To turn hints on or off:

1. Select the app’s name at the top left of the window Game Controls.
2. Select Settings .
3. Select Control hints visible or Control hints hidden.

Create & customize your Game Controls

You can remap or delete Game Controls and change the layout of the controls on your screen.

Create a new control

1. Select the app’s name at the top left of the window Game Controls.
2. Select  Add control.
3. Select the type of control you want to create, Tap or Joystick.
4. Move your cursor to the desired control location. Select to place it, then assign a key by pressing it on your keyboard.
5. Assign a key to the control by pressing the key on your keyboard
   1. When making a joystick, you can assign up a different key for each direction. Press Esc on your keyboard to leave it unassigned.
6. Add a name for the control under Label Confirm to save your control.

Edit or delete an existing Game Control

1. Select the app’s name at the top left of the window Game Controls.
2. Select the key you want to change:
   1. To remap the control: Select the control and press the key or keys you want to assign to that control.
   2. To rename the control: Hover over the control and select Edit . Update the name under Label Confirm .
   3. To delete the control: Hover over the control Edit Select Delete.
3. To delete all controls: Select Delete all .

Tip: To delete a control from the main Game Controls list, hover over the row Select Delete .

Change the layout of your controls

1. Select the app’s name at the top left of the window Game Controls.
   1. To resize a control: Select the control, drag the boxes on the corners of the control to resize it.
   2. To move a control: Select the control, move it to its new location, and release to place it.

Reset to default controls

1. Select the app’s name at the top left of the window Game Controls.
2. Select Reset to default Reset.

Related resources

• Download apps & content on your Googlebook