input-handling

name	input-handling
description	Use when implementing input — InputEvent system, Input Map actions, controllers/gamepads, mouse/touch, action rebinding, and input architecture

Input Handling in Godot 4.3+

All examples target Godot 4.3+ with no deprecated APIs. GDScript is shown first, then C#.

Related skills: player-controller for movement driven by input, godot-ui for UI input focus and navigation, save-load for persisting custom key bindings, responsive-ui for touch vs desktop input adaptation, xr-development for XR controller and hand tracking input, mobile-development for mobile sensors and app lifecycle.

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1. Core Concepts

Input Flow

Hardware Event (key, mouse, gamepad)
    ↓
Engine converts to InputEvent
    ↓
_input()              ← raw input, runs first
    ↓
_shortcut_input()     ← for global shortcuts
    ↓
UI Control nodes      ← buttons, sliders consume events
    ↓
_unhandled_key_input() ← unhandled key-only events
    ↓
_unhandled_input()    ← game input (movement, actions)

Where to Handle Input

Method	Use For	When It Runs
_input()	Camera look, global hotkeys	First — before everything
_shortcut_input()	Global shortcuts (pause, screenshot)	After _input, before UI
_unhandled_key_input()	Key-only events that UI didn't consume	After UI, keys only
_unhandled_input()	Gameplay actions (jump, attack, interact)	Last — after UI consumes
Input.is_action_pressed() in _physics_process()	Continuous movement	N/A — polling, not event-driven

Rule of thumb: Use _unhandled_input() for discrete game actions (jump, attack). Use Input polling in _physics_process() for continuous movement. Use _input() only when you need input before UI consumes it (e.g., mouse look).

InputEvent Hierarchy

InputEvent
├── InputEventKey              ← keyboard
├── InputEventMouseButton      ← mouse clicks
├── InputEventMouseMotion      ← mouse movement
├── InputEventJoypadButton     ← gamepad buttons
├── InputEventJoypadMotion     ← gamepad sticks/triggers
├── InputEventScreenTouch      ← touchscreen tap
├── InputEventScreenDrag       ← touchscreen drag
├── InputEventAction           ← synthetic action events
├── InputEventMIDI             ← MIDI devices
└── InputEventGesture          ← pinch, pan gestures
    ├── InputEventMagnifyGesture
    └── InputEventPanGesture

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2. Input Map Setup

Define actions in Project > Project Settings > Input Map instead of checking raw keycodes. This decouples game logic from specific keys and enables rebinding.

Default Project Actions

Godot ships with ui_* actions: ui_accept, ui_cancel, ui_left, ui_right, ui_up, ui_down, etc. These are used by UI controls for keyboard navigation. You can use them for gameplay but creating custom actions is preferred to avoid conflicts.

Adding Actions in Code

Actions can be created at runtime with InputMap.add_action() + InputMap.action_add_event() — typically in an autoload _ready(), guarded by InputMap.has_action(). Define actions in the editor Input Map; only add them in code for dynamically generated bindings or mod support.

See references/action-rebinding.md for the GDScript and C# snippet.

Recommended Action Names

Use descriptive, game-specific names instead of key names:

Good	Bad	Why
move_left	press_a	Decoupled from physical key
attack	left_click	Works for mouse and gamepad
interact	press_e	Rebindable without changing logic
sprint	hold_shift	Input-agnostic
pause	press_escape	Can map to gamepad Start button too

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3. Reading Input — Events vs Polling

Event-Driven (Discrete Actions)

Use _unhandled_input() for one-shot actions: jump, attack, interact, pause.

GDScript

func _unhandled_input(event: InputEvent) -> void:
    if event.is_action_pressed("jump"):
        _jump()
        get_viewport().set_input_as_handled()  # prevent further propagation

    if event.is_action_pressed("interact"):
        _interact()

    if event.is_action_pressed("pause"):
        get_tree().paused = not get_tree().paused
        get_viewport().set_input_as_handled()

C#

public override void _UnhandledInput(InputEvent @event)
{
    if (@event.IsActionPressed("jump"))
    {
        Jump();
        GetViewport().SetInputAsHandled();
    }

    if (@event.IsActionPressed("interact"))
        Interact();

    if (@event.IsActionPressed("pause"))
    {
        GetTree().Paused = !GetTree().Paused;
        GetViewport().SetInputAsHandled();
    }
}

Polling (Continuous Input)

Use Input singleton in _physics_process() for held buttons and analog axes.

GDScript

func _physics_process(delta: float) -> void:
    # Movement vector from 4 directional actions
    var direction := Input.get_vector("move_left", "move_right", "move_up", "move_down")
    velocity = direction * speed

    # Check if a button is held
    if Input.is_action_pressed("sprint"):
        velocity *= 1.5

    move_and_slide()

C#

public override void _PhysicsProcess(double delta)
{
    Vector2 direction = Input.GetVector("move_left", "move_right", "move_up", "move_down");
    Velocity = direction * Speed;

    if (Input.IsActionPressed("sprint"))
        Velocity *= 1.5f;

    MoveAndSlide();
}

Key Input Methods

Method	Returns	Use For
Input.is_action_pressed()	bool	Held buttons (sprint, crouch, fire)
Input.is_action_just_pressed()	bool	One-shot triggers (jump, interact)
Input.is_action_just_released()	bool	Release triggers (variable jump cut)
Input.get_action_strength()	float	Analog pressure (0.0–1.0)
Input.get_axis()	float	Single axis (-1.0 to 1.0)
Input.get_vector()	Vector2	2D direction, normalized
event.is_action_pressed()	bool	Check in _unhandled_input callback
event.is_action_released()	bool	Check in _unhandled_input callback

Input.is_action_just_pressed() in _physics_process() can miss inputs if the physics framerate is lower than the render framerate. For reliability, catch one-shot actions in _unhandled_input() and set a flag, or use the input buffering pattern below.

Input Buffering

Buffer discrete actions so they aren't lost between physics frames: catch the action in _unhandled_input(), set a flag with a short timer (0.1 s is typical), and consume the flag in _physics_process().

See references/input-buffering.md for the full GDScript and C# jump-buffer implementation.

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4. Mouse Input

InputEventMouseMotion.relative for camera look (with Input.MOUSE_MODE_CAPTURED), InputEventMouseButton for clicks. Mouse modes: VISIBLE, HIDDEN, CAPTURED, CONFINED. Custom cursor via Input.set_custom_mouse_cursor(texture, shape, hotspot).

See references/mouse.md for the full GDScript and C# recipes (camera-look with sensitivity + invert toggle, mouse-mode switching, button events, custom cursor with shape variants).

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5. Controller / Gamepad Support

Input.get_connected_joypads() for runtime detection, Input.joy_connection_changed signal for hot-plug. Use Input Map actions with joypad button events for portability. Analog sticks: Input.get_vector("left", "right", "up", "down", deadzone) returns a length-clamped Vector2 with built-in deadzone.

See references/gamepad.md for the GDScript and C# recipes (controller detection, deadzone analog reading, vibration via start_joy_vibration, motion sensors, detecting last-input-device for UI prompt swapping).

Godot 4.7+: Joypad motion sensors — Input.get_joy_accelerometer(device) / get_joy_gyroscope(device) (both Vector3), guarded by has_joy_motion_sensors() and enabled with set_joy_motion_sensors_enabled(); recipe in references/gamepad.md. Vibration is now queryable — Input.has_joy_vibration(device) plus get_joy_vibration_strength/duration/remaining_duration(). JoyButton gains JOY_BUTTON_MISC2 (21) through JOY_BUTTON_MISC6 (25) (C#: JoyButton.Misc2…). New project setting input_devices/joypads/ignore_joypad_on_unfocused_application (default false) ignores joypad input (including motion sensors) and LED changes and stops vibration while the app is unfocused.

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6. Touch Input

InputEventScreenTouch for tap/release, InputEventScreenDrag for finger drag. Multi-touch tracked by event.index. Enable Project Settings → Input Devices → Pointing → Emulate Touch From Mouse to test on desktop.

See references/touch.md for the GDScript and C# basic touch event handling and the emulate-touch-from-mouse setting.

VirtualJoystick (Godot 4.7+)

Godot 4.7 adds a built-in VirtualJoystick Control node for on-screen touch joysticks. Add it to a CanvasLayer, point its action_up/down/left/right properties (StringName, defaults &"ui_up" etc.) at your movement actions, and it triggers those actions like a physical stick.

@onready var joystick: VirtualJoystick = $CanvasLayer/VirtualJoystick

func _ready() -> void:
    joystick.action_left = &"move_left"
    joystick.action_right = &"move_right"
    joystick.action_up = &"move_up"
    joystick.action_down = &"move_down"
    joystick.joystick_mode = VirtualJoystick.JOYSTICK_DYNAMIC  # recenters on touch
    joystick.visibility_mode = VirtualJoystick.VISIBILITY_WHEN_TOUCHED

func _physics_process(_delta: float) -> void:
    # The joystick drives the actions — normal polling just works
    var direction := Input.get_vector("move_left", "move_right", "move_up", "move_down")

private VirtualJoystick _joystick;

public override void _Ready()
{
    _joystick = GetNode<VirtualJoystick>("CanvasLayer/VirtualJoystick");
    _joystick.ActionLeft = "move_left";
    _joystick.ActionRight = "move_right";
    _joystick.ActionUp = "move_up";
    _joystick.ActionDown = "move_down";
    _joystick.JoystickMode = VirtualJoystick.JoystickModeEnum.Dynamic;
    _joystick.VisibilityMode = VirtualJoystick.VisibilityModeEnum.WhenTouched;
}

public override void _PhysicsProcess(double delta)
{
    Vector2 direction = Input.GetVector("move_left", "move_right", "move_up", "move_down");
}

Tune deadzone_ratio (default 0.0 — InputMap action deadzones apply on top), clampzone_ratio (1.0), joystick_size (100.0 px), and tip_size (50.0 px); restyle via the normal_joystick/normal_tip and pressed_joystick/pressed_tip StyleBox theme slots. The released(input_vector) and flicked(input_vector) signals report final direction and strength.

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7. Action Rebinding at Runtime

Three steps: (1) capture the user's chosen key via _input while in "rebinding" mode, (2) call InputMap.action_erase_events(action) then InputMap.action_add_event(action, new_event), (3) persist via ConfigFile and reload on launch.

See references/action-rebinding.md for the full GDScript and C# rebinding flow including ConfigFile save/load and the typical "press a key" capture UI.

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8. Consuming and Propagating Input

Input propagates in reverse scene tree order (deepest child first, root last); call get_viewport().set_input_as_handled() after consuming an event to stop it reaching other nodes. During pause, only nodes with process_mode = PROCESS_MODE_ALWAYS receive input.

See references/event-propagation.md for the GDScript and C# recipes (stopping propagation, node processing order, receiving input while paused).

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9. Common Pitfalls

Symptom	Cause	Fix
Action not recognized	Action name not defined in Input Map	Add the action in Project > Project Settings > Input Map
is_action_just_pressed() misses input	Called in _physics_process at low tick rate	Catch discrete actions in _unhandled_input() instead
Input still fires when UI is open	Using _input() instead of _unhandled_input()	Switch to _unhandled_input() so UI consumes events first
Mouse look works through menus	Mouse motion in _input() without mode check	Guard with if Input.mouse_mode == Input.MOUSE_MODE_CAPTURED
Gamepad stick drifts	Deadzone too low or not set	Set deadzone per-action in Input Map (0.2 is a good default)
Controller not detected	Not connected before game start	Connect joy_connection_changed signal, handle hot-plug
Key rebinding captures modifier keys	No filter for Shift/Ctrl/Alt alone	Skip events where keycode is a modifier key
Touch input doesn't work on desktop	"Emulate Touch From Mouse" is disabled	Enable in Project Settings > Input Devices > Pointing
Input fires during pause	Node process_mode is INHERIT (pauses with parent)	Set pause menu to PROCESS_MODE_ALWAYS
Action triggers twice per press	Same action checked in both _input and _unhandled_input	Pick one callback per action

⚠️ Changed in Godot 4.7: Mouse and keyboard device IDs changed from 0 to InputEvent.DEVICE_ID_MOUSE (32) and InputEvent.DEVICE_ID_KEYBOARD (16), because some joypads use 0 as their device ID. Code checking event.device == 0 to detect keyboard/mouse input silently breaks — compare against the constants or check the event type (event is InputEventKey) instead. See the 4.7 migration guide.

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10. Implementation Checklist

• All gameplay actions are defined in the Input Map — no raw keycodes in game logic
• Discrete actions (jump, attack) use _unhandled_input(), not polling in _physics_process()
• Continuous input (movement, sprint) uses Input.get_vector() / Input.is_action_pressed() in _physics_process()
• Mouse look guards on Input.mouse_mode == MOUSE_MODE_CAPTURED to avoid rotating through menus
• Each Input Map action has both keyboard and gamepad bindings for controller support
• Gamepad deadzone is set per-action in Input Map (default 0.2)
• Pause menu node has process_mode = PROCESS_MODE_ALWAYS to receive input while paused
• get_viewport().set_input_as_handled() is called after consuming events that shouldn't propagate
• Input device detection exists if showing keyboard vs gamepad UI prompts
• Key rebinding saves to and loads from user:// on game launch