inputs
Cross-platform Python support for keyboards, mice and gamepads.
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, if you need cross-platform hardware input capture without GUI framework dependencies and can accept that the package is no longer actively maintained. The lack of recent updates means it may have compatibility issues with very recent OS versions or Python releases, so test thoroughly in your target environment before relying on it for production use.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Platform-specific input drivers must be available on the target OS; on Linux, may require udev rules or permissions to access input devices.
- Low install friction with no runtime dependencies.
- Maintenance is aging—last release was 2018-10-05 and the last commit 2025-05-26, so the package is not actively developed but remains available and functional.
License · maintenance · safety
BSD (permissive) — BSD license is permissive, allowing use in commercial and private projects with minimal restrictions.
last release 2018-10-05 (2870 days) · last repo commit 2025-05-26 · 291 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 81,355 downloads/mo, #14,234 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install inputs
from inputs import devices
# Listen for input events
for event in devices.get_gamepad():
print(event)- Whether the package works reliably with modern Python 3 versions beyond what was tested at release time
- Current state of platform-specific input handling on recent OS versions (Windows 11, macOS 14+, modern Linux distributions)
- Whether gamepad support covers modern controllers and protocols
What it is and what it does
Inputs is a library that lets your Python program listen for and capture keyboard, mouse, and gamepad events across Linux, Windows, and macOS. It abstracts away the platform-specific details of reading hardware input, so you can write input-handling code once and run it on multiple operating systems. The library has no runtime dependencies, making it lightweight to install and use.
The package is designed for straightforward use: import the devices module and start listening for input events. It supports Python 2.7 and all Python 3 versions, though development has been inactive since 2018. The library is useful for building games, interactive tools, or any application that needs to respond to keyboard, mouse, or gamepad input without relying on a GUI framework.
Use it for
- Build a simple game or interactive application that responds to keyboard and gamepad input on multiple platforms
- Create a Raspberry Pi or embedded system project that listens for user input from connected peripherals
- Capture raw hardware input events for accessibility tools or input remapping utilities
- Develop a command-line tool that responds to mouse or gamepad events without a GUI framework
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, if you need cross-platform hardware input capture without GUI framework dependencies and can accept that the package is no longer actively maintained.
The lack of recent updates means it may have compatibility issues with very recent OS versions or Python releases, so test thoroughly in your target environment before relying on it for production use.
Install
inputs on PyPI
Before you install
Low install friction with no runtime dependencies. Maintenance is aging—last release was 2018-10-05 and the last commit 2025-05-26, so the package is not actively developed but remains available and functional.
Platform-specific input drivers must be available on the target OS; on Linux, may require udev rules or permissions to access input devices.
License in practice
BSD license is permissive, allowing use in commercial and private projects with minimal restrictions.
Quickstart
pip install inputs
from inputs import devices
# Listen for input events
for event in devices.get_gamepad():
print(event)Verify before relying
- Whether the package works reliably with modern Python 3 versions beyond what was tested at release time
- Current state of platform-specific input handling on recent OS versions (Windows 11, macOS 14+, modern Linux distributions)
- Whether gamepad support covers modern controllers and protocols
Package facts
| License | BSD permissive |
| Python support | Not specified |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | None |
| Maintenance | Aging 2,870 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 81,355 / month, #14,234 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Intended Audience :: DevelopersLicense :: OSI Approved :: BSD LicenseOperating System :: MacOS :: MacOS XOperating System :: Microsoft :: WindowsOperating System :: POSIX :: LinuxProgramming Language :: Python :: 2.7Programming Language :: Python :: 3Topic :: Software Development :: Embedded SystemsTopic :: Software Development :: LibrariesTopic :: System :: Hardware :: Hardware DriversTopic :: Utilities |
Evidence: inputs-0.5-py2.py3-none-any.whl
Tags
Let your AI agent find packages like this
Example. Real query, live index.
You found this page by searching. An agent finds it by wishing: SkillFed indexes 14,416 PyPI packages by what they can do, searchable in plain language.
wish › “mouse gamepad input”
- inputsProvides cross-platform Python access to keyboard, mouse, and gamepad…
- evdevProvides Python bindings to Linux's evdev and uinput input event…
- pyobjc-framework-GameControllerProvides Python bindings to macOS's GameController framework,…
Give your agent the search over MCP, or paste the wish link into any chat.
More Libraries packages
urllib3 is an HTTP client library that provides thread-safe connection pooling, SSL/TLS verification, multipart file uploads, request retries, compression support, and proxy handling for Python applications.
Requests is a Python HTTP library that simplifies sending HTTP/1.1 requests with automatic handling of headers, authentication, cookies, and response parsing.
Pluggy provides a plugin system that lets you define hook specifications and register implementations to be called in sequence, enabling extensible Python applications without tight coupling.
Install it if you're building an extensible application or framework.
Provides parsing, arithmetic, and recurrence rule computation for dates and times, with timezone support and iCalendar RFC compliance.
Install it if you need to parse flexible date strings, compute relative dates, handle timezones, or work with recurrence rules—it's the de facto choice for these tasks.
Six provides utility functions to write Python code that runs on both Python 2.7 and Python 3.3+, smoothing over language differences between the two versions.
pytest is a testing framework that lets you write test functions using plain assert statements and automatically discovers and runs them, with detailed failure reporting.
See also evdev · pynput · pynput-robocorp-fork · keyboard · PyAutoGUI · sshkeyboard · PyDirectInput · hid · pyobjc-framework-GameController · ipyevents