
Size
11.69 MB
Android
8.0+
Downloads
22
Architecture
Universal
Security Scan
Verified Safe
✓ Scanned with ClamAV, APKiD, and Quark-Engine
Description
USBoss is a USB controller bridge between Android and Linux.
It lets an Android device act as the USB host, forwards supported controller traffic over the local network, and recreates the controller on Linux as a local input device.
Android host app
Linux client
HID support through /dev/uhid
Xbox 360 style XInput support through /dev/uinput
Local-network operation with automatic reconnect support
USBoss is well suited to setups like an NVIDIA Shield or Android phone/tablet hosting a USB controller dongle and forwarding it to a Linux gaming or streaming machine.
Tested working with:
NVIDIA Shield / Android TV as host
Linux as client
8BitDo Ultimate 2C Wireless Controller via 2.4G dongle in XInput mode
How It Works
The Android app enumerates supported USB controller interfaces and opens them through the Android USB host APIs.
The Linux client connects over TCP and attaches to one or more advertised controllers.
Linux sees a local virtual controller created through uinput or uhid
Current Status
Supports Android host to Linux client controller forwarding
Prefers Xbox 360 style XInput when available
Also supports USB HID controllers
Supports long-running attach mode and attach-all for multi-controller setups
Supports rumble on the tested Linux XInput path
Runtime Notes
attach-all is the recommended mode for normal use
attach is useful when you want to pin a specific controller manually
XInput devices use /dev/uinput
HID devices use /dev/uhid
If needed, install the udev rule from docs/99-usboss-uhid.rules to avoid running the Linux client as root
After an Android reboot, the USB host service can restart automatically with Boot: On
Android USB permission may still need to be re-approved after a reboot before controllers become available again
If you are using Moonlight and Sunshine, avoid double input by disabling duplicate gamepad forwarding on one side of the session
Limitations
Generic USB forwarding is out of scope
Xbox One / GIP devices are not implemented
Rumble support is currently focused on the tested Xbox 360 style XInput flow
With multiple controllers already powered on during an Android reboot, the second controller may require one manual Grant USB action before it reconnects
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