2016-02-19, 17:00
I searched the forums and found no mention of this little program I recently discovered titled Controller Companion, so here is my little mention. I have spent ages and many $$$ purchasing every remote on Amazon, trying to come up with the perfect media remote using eventghost plugin, ahk script, etc... My media pc doubles as a gaming unit housed in a Silverstone Grandia case found here Amazon Link. The pc fits nicely in a media center in my living room, and I demand everything on it to be easily and functionally doable without the use of a keyboard and mouse. Steam Big Picture is a dream! So, my definition of the perfect remote isn't going to align with the average user on here. That being said, ease of use and reliability of what I am going to describe should at least be considered for Windows users!
A definition of the perfect remote in my world:
1. No latency or connection issues due to distance
2. Fully customizable
3. Easy to use without having to look at the remote
4. Comfortable control of mouse and scrolling so I can use Windows apps
5. No pc altering changes to keybindings and what not that can create problems for other applications and games.
The closest I ever came was through the Logitech.
6. A functional keyboard
I recently purchased an Xbox one controller with a Windows receiver. I knew Kodi had a plugin already loaded for enabling Joystick support, and was curious of the usability of an Xbox controller as a total remote. My search landed me on this little few dollar program titled Controll Companion. The program does exactly what you would expect, it gives you control of your pc with your Xbox controller. It does this perfectly! Every function on the pc is mappable, and the select button on the controller serves as a function key doubling the number of programmable keys. My left joystick controls my mouse, right joystick scrolls windows, right and left triggers are mouse, Xbox button brings up the Metro screen for selecting apps and programs, etc...
Controller companion automatically disables when a program that requires full screen is launched. This preserves Kodi, Steam, etc... control. As far as Kodi is considered though, I prefer to use Controller Companion to control it. By pressing the select and back button, you can reenable controller companion functionality. The program remembers the app won't require you to do this step on next launch. Better yet, you can create custom profile button mappings for different programs (Controller Companion detects this).
The onscreen keyboard is activated by pressing in the left stick. It works surprisingly well, but I will be looking at purchasing the attachable Xbox One keyboard.
To sum things up, I haven't encountered a singly glitch, problem, or necessary suggestion. I have emailed the developer mutliple times with questions/suggestions. Every response has been, "that actually already is possible, just do this..." At only three dollars, this program is a steal, and has me far too excited. I personally paid him more.
A definition of the perfect remote in my world:
1. No latency or connection issues due to distance
2. Fully customizable
3. Easy to use without having to look at the remote
4. Comfortable control of mouse and scrolling so I can use Windows apps
5. No pc altering changes to keybindings and what not that can create problems for other applications and games.
The closest I ever came was through the Logitech.
6. A functional keyboard
I recently purchased an Xbox one controller with a Windows receiver. I knew Kodi had a plugin already loaded for enabling Joystick support, and was curious of the usability of an Xbox controller as a total remote. My search landed me on this little few dollar program titled Controll Companion. The program does exactly what you would expect, it gives you control of your pc with your Xbox controller. It does this perfectly! Every function on the pc is mappable, and the select button on the controller serves as a function key doubling the number of programmable keys. My left joystick controls my mouse, right joystick scrolls windows, right and left triggers are mouse, Xbox button brings up the Metro screen for selecting apps and programs, etc...
Controller companion automatically disables when a program that requires full screen is launched. This preserves Kodi, Steam, etc... control. As far as Kodi is considered though, I prefer to use Controller Companion to control it. By pressing the select and back button, you can reenable controller companion functionality. The program remembers the app won't require you to do this step on next launch. Better yet, you can create custom profile button mappings for different programs (Controller Companion detects this).
The onscreen keyboard is activated by pressing in the left stick. It works surprisingly well, but I will be looking at purchasing the attachable Xbox One keyboard.
To sum things up, I haven't encountered a singly glitch, problem, or necessary suggestion. I have emailed the developer mutliple times with questions/suggestions. Every response has been, "that actually already is possible, just do this..." At only three dollars, this program is a steal, and has me far too excited. I personally paid him more.
