ClaudePad

"Coding never changes. But your input device just did."

Vibe-code from your couch. Connect your Xbox Wireless Controller to Claude Code via MCP. Approve with A, deny with B, interrupt with X. Execute fighting game combos to commit+push. Feel haptic feedback when Claude finishes thinking.

Install

Prerequisites

macOS + SDL2:

brew install cmake sdl2

Add to Claude Code (one-liner)

claude mcp add claudepad -- npx -y claudepad

That's it. Restart Claude Code and connect your Xbox controller via Bluetooth.

Verify controller

npx claudepad-test

Button Map

| Button | Action | Description | |--------|--------|-------------| | A (green) | Approve | y + Enter | | B (red) | Deny | n + Enter | | X (blue) | Interrupt | Ctrl+C | | Y (yellow) | Skip | Escape | | LB | Scroll Up | tmux page up | | RB | Scroll Down | tmux page down | | D-pad | Navigate | Arrow keys | | Menu | Confirm | Enter | | View | Interrupt | Ctrl+C | | Xbox | Voice Input | /voice + Enter | | L3 | Autocomplete | Tab | | R3 | Slash Commands | / |

Combos

Fighting game input sequences trigger special actions:

| Combo | Sequence | Window | Action | |-------|----------|--------|--------| | Hadouken | Down, Right, A | 500ms | git commit + push | | Shoryuken | Right, Down, Right, B | 600ms | Reset conversation | | Quick Approve | A, A | 300ms | Double approve | | Turbo Mode | LB + RB | 200ms | Toggle turbo | | Konami Code | Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A | 3s | Rainbow rumble |

Haptic Feedback

Your controller vibrates to communicate state — no need to look at the screen.

| Pattern | Feel | When | |---------|------|------| | success | Gentle double pulse | Task completed | | error | Hard long buzz | Something broke | | warning | Medium single pulse | Heads up | | approval_prompt | Triple tap rhythm | Claude needs input | | task_complete | Rising crescendo | Major milestone | | combo_activated | Sharp snap | Combo detected | | voice_start | Light click | Voice recording started | | rainbow | Wave crescendo | Easter egg activated |

Architecture

Xbox Controller --Bluetooth--> macOS SDL2 --> GamepadManager
                                                  |
                                        +---------+---------+
                                        |                   |
                                   ButtonMapper       ComboDetector
                                        |
                                  KeystrokeInjector
                                   (tmux / osascript)
                                        |
                                    Claude Code

MCP Tools

When running as an MCP server, Claude gains access to:

| Tool | Description | |------|-------------| | gamepad_get_state | Read button/axis/connection state | | gamepad_wait_button | Block until a specific button press | | gamepad_get_analog | Read analog stick and trigger values | | gamepad_rumble | Send haptic feedback (preset or custom) | | gamepad_wait_combo | Wait for a combo input | | gamepad_configure_mapping | View or update button mappings |

Daemon Mode

Run standalone (no MCP, just keystrokes):

npx tsx src/daemon.ts

Or install as a persistent launchd service:

cp com.claudepad.daemon.plist ~/Library/LaunchAgents/
launchctl load ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.claudepad.daemon.plist

Development

npm test              # Run tests
npm run test:watch    # Watch mode
npm run dev           # Dev mode with file watching

Tech Stack

TypeScript + tsx | @modelcontextprotocol/sdk | sdl2-gamecontroller (SDL2 native addon) | zod | vitest | tmux

Contributing

See CONTRIBUTING.md.

License

MIT