Local parties, gamepads and phone controllers in PlayDrop games

{
  "types": ["solo", "party"],
  "party": { "local": [1, 2, 3, 4] },
  "controller": { "support": "optional", "type": "simpler" }
}

• controller.support is off, optional or required. Declare it on every game, including off.
• controller.type names the minimum controls the game needs: any (directions, Confirm and Cancel), simpler (one stick, four face buttons and Menu; phone controllers qualify) or standard (D-pad, two clickable sticks, four face buttons, two shoulders, two triggers and Menu).
• party.local lists the exact player counts on one screen; a 1 requires the solo type. With controller support on, every listed count must be playable with controllers.

await sdk.device.enableControllerInput().catch(() => { /* keep keyboard and touch */ });

const stop = sdk.device.onButton(({ playerIndex, button, pressed }) => {
  if (button === "south" && pressed) jump(playerIndex);
});

function update() {
  for (const slot of sdk.device.localPlayers) {
    const pad = sdk.device.gamepad(slot.playerIndex);
    if (pad?.connected) move(slot.playerIndex, pad.axes[0], pad.axes[1]);
  }
  requestAnimationFrame(update);
}
update();

• Call enableControllerInput() once after init(). It rejects with controller_input_unavailable or controller_input_timeout when the host cannot provide input; the game keeps running.
• gamepad(playerIndex) returns a snapshot in the browser's standard layout: axes (left x/y, right x/y from -1 to 1), seventeen buttons, source (physical or virtual) and id. playerIndex 0 is player 1.
• Buttons have positional names such as south and east. pad.label("south") gives the prompt to show: "A", "Cross" or "B" depending on the controller. pad.has("dpad") tells whether a control exists.
• Menu and Home belong to PlayDrop and always read released.
• Never call navigator.getGamepads(): phone controllers only reach games through the SDK, and PlayDrop logs a warning.

sdk.device.localPlayers lists the slots players chose, { playerIndex, gamepadKey }, and onLocalPlayersChange(callback) reports changes. A disconnected controller keeps its slot. When the roster changes or becomes empty, return to a sensible menu instead of crashing. One controller on its own is ordinary input, not a party.

From a button, sdk.social.openParty({ mode: "local" }) opens PlayDrop's pairing window with the phone QR code and connected gamepads. Offer only the modes you declared.

The host starts a game either as a local party or an online one, never both: local players cannot join online rooms. For online play with friends see online parties and voice.

Show each player's color and controller prompt, let anyone press a button to join, and keep the HUD readable from a sofa. Keep touch and keyboard controls for solo play.