Introduction
Video games are fun! And they get better with arcade buttons! You may be surprised how easy it is to build a simple but functional wireless game controller; if you have a BBC micro:bit and a few buttons lying around, give it a try!
The controller pretends to be a keyboard and connects to a device via Bluetooth; on the computer/tablet/phone side, you can simply map the appropriate characters to game functions as you would with any other keyboard. The program is a few blocks of MakeCode, plus a handy micro:bit Bluetooth keyboard library.
Prerequisites
This tutorial assumes a basic working knowledge of the BBC micro:bit and MakeCode. Nothing fancy! You just need to be comfortable assembling basic block-based programs and uploading them to the board. If you are new to the micro:bit and/or MakeCode, run through our micro:bit Basics tutorial, or head to the micro:bit MakeCode Tutorials and complete the first one (helpfully labeled “New? Start Here!”).
Build It!
Things You Will Need
Construction
Programming
Install the Bluetooth Keyboard Library
Hello World!
Bluetooth Pairing
A Basic Controller Program
Testing
work-in-progress