A new guide in the Adafruit Learning System: JOY of Arcada — USB Game Pad for Adafruit PyGamer and PyBadge shows you how to turn an Adafruit PyGamer or PyBadge board into your very own cute game controller!

Surely you’ve played some little games right on your PyGamer or PyBadge — perhaps using CircuitPython or Microsoft MakeCode. But did you know…you can also use PyGamer or PyBadge as a USB game controller with your regular computer or with popular emulators on Raspberry Pi! Not just any game controller though. With that little screen, why not give it some personality? So we made a little animated friend and named her JOY. Joy’s eyes blink and follow the joystick, and she makes an occasional encouraging “pew pew!” as buttons are pressed.

JOY will watch and cheer you on as you play, but doesn’t have to be a game controller. She can control all manner of software or media such as YouTube, Photoshop, Premiere, Ableton Live, etc. Anything that a USB keyboard can do, JOY can operate as well.

See this guide now > > >