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An XDA Developers writer reports using an ESP32-S3 microcontroller and a KY-023 analog joystick as a USB macro stick for Windows. The prototype maps joystick movements to volume changes, meeting shortcuts and screenshots, with a BOOT-button profile switch also under development. The account describes one person’s project, not a tested commercial product or a complete build guide.
An XDA Developers writer has turned an ESP32-S3 microcontroller and a KY-023 analog joystick into a USB macro stick for Windows, mapping joystick movements to volume controls, meeting shortcuts and screenshots. The project shows how a low-cost development board with native USB support can serve as a configurable PC input device, though the reported setup is a personal prototype rather than a finished product or independently tested build.
In an article published Oct. 29, Ayush Pande said the project began as a test of the ESP32-S3’s USB OTG controller. The board’s native USB capability lets it present itself to a PC as an input device. Pande paired an Espressif ESP32-S3 WROOM-1 with a KY-023 joystick module and wrote code to send keyboard and consumer-control inputs to a Windows computer.
The joystick’s press action was first assigned to Win+E, which opens File Explorer in Windows. Pande then used its directional inputs for four more actions: moving up or down changes headphone volume by two increments, moving left sends Ctrl+D for the microphone shortcut in Google Meet, and moving right sends Ctrl+E for the camera shortcut. A separate function triggers Win+Shift+S, the Windows screenshot shortcut. Pande said the actions worked after the code was flashed to the board and connected over USB.
The article also describes plans to make the device more adaptable by adding task profiles. Pande said a press of the board’s BOOT button would switch between profiles, including one for video calls and another intended for work in text files or spreadsheets. The supplied account stops while that broader build is still in progress; it does not provide a finished profile implementation or a complete parts-and-cost breakdown.
DIY PC Input · XDA Developers · Oct. 29, 2026
A $10 ESP32 That Pretends To Be A Macro Board Is The Most Useful Gadget On My Desk
One ESP32-S3, one analog joystick, and a handful of mapped shortcuts turn a personal prototype into a compact Windows macro stick. Its creator reports that the controls worked in his setup; the profile feature is still in development.
One stick, several shortcuts
The joystick’s press and four directions are mapped to familiar Windows and meeting controls through custom code.
Open File Explorer
The joystick press sends Win + E, a direct route to browsing files.
Adjust volume
Each vertical movement changes headphone volume by two increments.
Meeting controls
Left sends Ctrl + D for Google Meet microphone control; right sends Ctrl + E for camera control.
What each movement sends
The account describes keyboard and consumer-control inputs sent over USB after code was flashed to the board.
Launch File Explorer
Raise or lower headphone volume
Google Meet microphone shortcut
Google Meet camera shortcut
Windows screenshot shortcut
Video calls, text files, or spreadsheets
Native USB makes the board an input device
The ESP32-S3’s USB capability is the key ingredient: it can communicate with a PC as a peripheral, allowing the project to send inputs directly.
From board to desk shortcut
A simple chain connects the physical input to the Windows action. The custom software defines what each input means.
ESP32-S3
Native USB capable microcontroller board.
KY-023
Analog stick provides a press and four directions.
Custom code
Maps movements to keyboard and media inputs.
Windows PC
Receives shortcuts over the USB connection.
Useful prototype, incomplete recipe
The report is a snapshot of one creator’s setup. Several details readers would need to reproduce or evaluate it are not included.
The headline says $10, but the supplied account does not itemize the full board, joystick, wiring, or total build cost.
Results are reported for one Windows setup. Other ESP32-S3 boards, computers, and operating systems are not independently tested.
BOOT-button profile switching is a planned next step. Complete code, wiring details, and a finished build guide are not provided here.
What the project does—and does not show
What does it control?
Windows keyboard shortcuts and volume commands, including Google Meet microphone and camera shortcuts and a screenshot command.
Which parts are named?
An Espressif ESP32-S3 WROOM-1 board and a KY-023 analog joystick. A complete parts list is not included.
Is this a finished commercial product?
No. It is a personal DIY prototype. The creator reports the programmed actions worked in his own setup.
Are profiles ready?
The article describes multiple profiles and BOOT-button switching as future development; completion is not confirmed.
A Joystick Adds PC Shortcuts
The project illustrates a practical use for a microcontroller with native USB: sending familiar keyboard and media-control inputs without buying a dedicated macro pad. For someone who already owns or can source the components, one small joystick can provide several shortcuts while taking up little desk space. Its directions also let the author add controls without wiring a separate button for every action.
It remains a modest, personal-use example rather than evidence that an ESP32-S3 is a drop-in replacement for a commercial macro keyboard. The setup depends on custom code and the user’s chosen shortcuts, and the report gives no independent reliability, compatibility or long-term-use testing. The broader value is the flexibility: the same input hardware can be remapped for different workflows, if the software and profile switching are completed.
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Why Native USB Matters
ESP32 boards are commonly used in DIY electronics projects, including home-automation devices built with software such as ESPHome. The XDA article focuses on a different capability of the ESP32-S3: its USB support can let the board communicate with a computer as a peripheral. Pande noted that this could also support other kinds of DIY PC accessories, though the reported project specifically demonstrates keyboard and media-control actions.
The first version was deliberately simple: a joystick press triggered one Windows shortcut. Because the KY-023 can also detect movement in four directions, Pande expanded the prototype to cover meeting controls and volume adjustments. That progression—from a single shortcut to several mapped inputs—is the project’s central development, rather than a claim that the board has a fixed or universal macro-pad function.
“My ESP32 doubles as a makeshift macro pad during my meetings.”
— Ayush Pande, XDA Developers
Build Cost and Compatibility
The headline describes the ESP32 as a $10 device, but the article excerpt does not itemize the total cost of the board, joystick, wiring or other materials. It also does not establish that every ESP32-S3 board has the same USB hardware or will work with the same code. The reported success applies to Pande’s specific setup, and details such as operating-system compatibility beyond the described Windows use are not given.
The article says profile switching was the next part of the project, but the supplied material does not show that feature completed. It is also unclear how the final profiles would be selected, saved or customized, or whether the author intends to publish a full build guide and code. No independent tests of the prototype’s reliability or behavior across different PCs are described.
Profile Switching Is Still Ahead
Pande’s next stated step is to develop multiple task profiles and switch between them with the BOOT button. The proposed profiles would let the joystick serve different purposes beyond video calls, including work in text documents and spreadsheets. The source does not give a release date or confirm that these profiles are finished.
Readers looking to reproduce the build would need the complete code, wiring details and a breakdown of compatible components; those are not all included in the supplied account. Any later guide or code release could clarify how to configure the shortcuts and whether the profile feature works as intended.
Key Questions
What does the ESP32-S3 macro stick do?
It sends Windows keyboard shortcuts and volume commands from an analog joystick connected to an ESP32-S3. The reported mappings include volume changes, Google Meet microphone and camera shortcuts, and a screenshot shortcut.
Which parts did the writer use?
The account names an Espressif ESP32-S3 WROOM-1 and a KY-023 analog joystick. It does not provide a complete parts list or a detailed total build cost.
Is the project a finished commercial macro pad?
No. It is a personal DIY prototype described by its creator. The article says the programmed actions worked in the writer’s setup, but does not report commercial testing or independent verification.
Are the task profiles available now?
The article describes profile switching as a planned development, using the board’s BOOT button. The supplied material does not confirm that the profiles or switching feature are complete.
Source: XDA Developers
