Xenia Mousehook

Xenia MouseHook is a community-developed enhancement for the Xenia Xbox 360 emulator that adds native-style mouse and keyboard input—perfect for users who prefer precision aiming and WASD controls over traditional gamepad input.

Designed specifically for first-person shooters (FPS) and third-person action games, MouseHook transforms your gameplay experience by translating mouse movements into analog stick behavior. This allows for smoother, more responsive control in titles like Halo, Call of Duty, Gears of War, and more.

What is Xenia MouseHook?

Xenia MouseHook is a lightweight input modification that improves how you interact with Xbox 360 games on PC. It works by:

  • Capturing mouse and keyboard inputs

  • Converting them into controller-like signals

  • Injecting those inputs into the Xenia emulator

This effectively gives you a PC-style control scheme in games that were originally designed with only gamepad input in mind.

Key Features

  • Mouse Aiming: Replace right-stick input with precise mouse control.

  • Keyboard Input: Bind controller buttons to keyboard keys for full gameplay control.

  • Customizable Sensitivity: Adjust aim speed, dead zones, smoothing, and more.

  • Configurable Bindings: Tailor the control scheme to your play style via .ini files.

  • Compatible with Experimental Builds: Works with Xenia Canary and some community builds that support low-level input hooks.

How It Works

MouseHook operates by injecting a low-level input hook into the emulator’s input system. It:

  1. Captures mouse movement and translates it into simulated analog stick input (typically the right stick).

  2. Maps keyboard keys to emulate button presses, triggers, and D-pad inputs.

  3. Reads from a configuration file where sensitivity, axis inversion, and key bindings can be customized.

This makes the game respond to mouse and keyboard actions as if they were coming from a controller.

Best Games to Use with MouseHook

MouseHook works best with shooter and action games that use the right analog stick for aiming. These games typically see the most benefit:

  • Call of Duty: Black Ops, Modern Warfare 2

  • Halo 3, Halo: Reach

  • Gears of War series

  • Red Dead Redemption

  • Borderlands 2

  • Far Cry 2

It also performs well in games with camera-based mechanics or where precise aiming is crucial to gameplay.

How to Set Up Xenia MouseHook

To use MouseHook with Xenia:

  1. Download a MouseHook-compatible Xenia build
    – Use Xenia Canary or a pre-patched build that includes MouseHook support.
    – Visit our [Downloads Page] to get started.

  2. Place MouseHook files in the same folder as xenia.exe.

  3. Edit the configuration file (e.g., mousehook_config.ini) to set your bindings and sensitivity preferences.

  4. Launch Xenia, open your game, and start playing with mouse + keyboard input.

Configuration Options

				
					sensitivity = 2.5
invert_y = true
bind_right_trigger = mouse_left_click
bind_left_stick = WASD
bind_a_button = space

				
			

You can fully adjust movement, camera speed, input smoothing, and axis inversion to create a responsive and intuitive control scheme.

Limitations and Notes

  • Manual Setup Required: Initial setup requires placing files and editing a config file.

  • Not Supported by All Builds: Works best with Xenia Canary or other community-patched builds.

  • Not All Games Are Compatible: Some titles may still behave poorly due to hardcoded control schemes.

  • Sensitivity May Vary: Fine-tuning is often necessary to achieve a smooth and accurate feel.

Despite these limitations, many users report a significantly better experience in compatible titles.

Summary

Xenia MouseHook is a powerful tool that transforms the console-only controls of Xbox 360 games into a more familiar and comfortable mouse-and-keyboard setup. It’s perfect for FPS and action gamers who want PC-style control precision within the Xenia emulator.

By offering customizable input mapping and real-time mouse translation, MouseHook bridges the gap between console emulation and PC gameplay standards—making it easier than ever to enjoy Xbox 360 shooters the way they were meant to be played.