Gamepad Receiver PS4/PS5 × Arduino I2C (universal I2C edition)

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The universal I2C edition of the Gamepad Receiver PS4/PS5 speaks MBC I2C protocol v2: write one id, read 2 bytes = one int16 little-endian value; consecutive ids can be read in one go. This page has the value table, commands and wiring for this product; the shared rules (F0~F5 version & status, F8 re-address, EF reboot) are on the universal I2C protocol page.

SPIKEEV3Arduino I2CmBlockMATRIXmicro:bit

Tip

New to coding? Start with the Arduino examples; every sketch is copy-and-upload. The six-host reading of every value is in the reference.

Basics

Wiring

Works directly with 5 V hosts, no level shifter; two products with the same address cannot share a bus (re-address one with F8 first).

Value table

Each id returns one int16; click an id for the six-host reading and figure.

Write commands

Status flags F3

Shared registers

Single-file helper functions

No library to install. Paste it in two parts: part ① (2 lines) at the top of the sketch, part ② at the bottom. #include <Wire.h> and MBC_NONE must appear before setup() uses them; pasting everything at the bottom will not compile.

① At the top of your sketch (before setup())

#include <Wire.h>

const int16_t MBC_NONE = -32768;   // no answer / undefined id

② At the bottom of your sketch (after loop())

// read k consecutive values (k ≤ 16) starting at id, int16 little-endian
bool mbcReadMany(uint8_t addr, uint8_t id, uint8_t k, int16_t *out) {
  Wire.beginTransmission(addr);
  Wire.write(id);
  if (Wire.endTransmission() != 0) return false;
  delay(2);                                        // always wait 2 ms (ESP32 products cannot clock-stretch)
  if (Wire.requestFrom(addr, (uint8_t)(k * 2)) != (uint8_t)(k * 2)) return false;
  for (uint8_t i = 0; i < k; i++) {
    uint8_t lo = Wire.read(), hi = Wire.read();
    out[i] = (int16_t)(lo | (hi << 8));
  }
  return true;
}

// read one value; MBC_NONE when nothing answers
int16_t mbcRead(uint8_t addr, uint8_t id) {
  int16_t v;
  return mbcReadMany(addr, id, 1, &v) ? v : MBC_NONE;
}

// write a command (0~3 parameters)
// with 2 parameters whose first is 0, write (uint8_t)0, e.g. mbcWrite(ADDR, 0xF8, (uint8_t)0x00, 0xFF); otherwise it clashes with the array form below and will not compile
void mbcWrite(uint8_t addr, uint8_t id, const uint8_t *args, uint8_t n) {
  Wire.beginTransmission(addr);
  Wire.write(id);
  for (uint8_t i = 0; i < n; i++) Wire.write(args[i]);
  Wire.endTransmission();
}
void mbcWrite(uint8_t addr, uint8_t id) { mbcWrite(addr, id, nullptr, 0); }
void mbcWrite(uint8_t addr, uint8_t id, uint8_t a) { mbcWrite(addr, id, &a, 1); }
void mbcWrite(uint8_t addr, uint8_t id, uint8_t a, uint8_t b) { uint8_t p[2] = {a, b}; mbcWrite(addr, id, p, 2); }
void mbcWrite(uint8_t addr, uint8_t id, uint8_t a, uint8_t b, uint8_t c) { uint8_t p[3] = {a, b, c}; mbcWrite(addr, id, p, 3); }

// wait until ready (F3 bit0 = 1), at most ms milliseconds
bool mbcWaitReady(uint8_t addr, unsigned long ms) {
  unsigned long t0 = millis();
  while (millis() - t0 < ms) {
    int16_t st = mbcRead(addr, 0xF3);
    if (st != MBC_NONE && (st & 1)) return true;
    delay(20);
  }
  return false;
}

Example: print the whole value table

// helper part ①
#include <Wire.h>

const int16_t MBC_NONE = -32768;   // no answer / undefined id

const uint8_t ADDR = 0x42;

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(115200);
  Wire.begin();
#if defined(WIRE_HAS_TIMEOUT)
  Wire.setWireTimeout(25000, true);   // AVR: never hang when the module is silent
#endif
  if (!mbcWaitReady(ADDR, 2000)) Serial.println("module not found: check wiring and address");
  Serial.print("ID 0x"); Serial.println(mbcRead(ADDR, 0xF0), HEX);   // low byte address, high byte hw[0]
  Serial.print("FW ");    Serial.println(mbcRead(ADDR, 0xF2));
}

void loop() {
  Serial.print("buttons16: "); Serial.println(mbcRead(ADDR, 0x01));   // 16 buttons
  Serial.print("dpad: "); Serial.println(mbcRead(ADDR, 0x02));   // D-pad
  Serial.print("shapeKeys: "); Serial.println(mbcRead(ADDR, 0x03));   // shape buttons
  Serial.print("shoulderKeys: "); Serial.println(mbcRead(ADDR, 0x04));   // shoulder buttons
  Serial.print("funcKeys: "); Serial.println(mbcRead(ADDR, 0x05));   // function buttons
  Serial.print("connected: "); Serial.println(mbcRead(ADDR, 0x06));   // connected
  Serial.print("battery: "); Serial.println(mbcRead(ADDR, 0x07));   // battery
  Serial.print("l2Analog: "); Serial.println(mbcRead(ADDR, 0x08));   // L2 analog
  Serial.print("r2Analog: "); Serial.println(mbcRead(ADDR, 0x09));   // R2 analog
  Serial.print("sysKeys: "); Serial.println(mbcRead(ADDR, 0x0A));   // system buttons
  Serial.print("padType: "); Serial.println(mbcRead(ADDR, 0x0B));   // gamepad type
  { int16_t a[4]; mbcReadMany(ADDR, 0x10, 4, a); Serial.print("stick: "); for (uint8_t i = 0; i < 4; i++) { Serial.print(a[i]); Serial.print(' '); } Serial.println(); }
  Serial.println();
  delay(200);
}

// paste part ② of the helper functions below

Sources and assumptions

Generated by _build/gen-reference.mjs from _build/protocol/ps4.json (single source of truth, transcribed from the 2026-10-21 protocol decisions).

• 值表、命令、旗標與 PS2 完全相同（mBlock 定案「兩款相同」＋I2C 定案 §3／§4）；只有 hw0 = 2、model = PS4、E5／E6 有作用。
• D3：SPIKE 模式 0 教育版 byte 6~7、模式 6 v[2]、模式 9 v[6] 的 button16 都是 PSX 排列（#65 已把 PS4 改成 PSX，盤點檔寫的 Bluepad32 排列已過時）。
• 0x22 命令 4 同時裝方向鍵（低 nibble）與形狀鍵（高 nibble）、命令 5 裝肩鍵（低）與功能鍵（高）；JSON 只能把一個命令掛在一個值上，所以掛在 02／04，03／05 的 ch22 = null（內容寫在 02／04 的 note）。SPIKE 模式 0／1／2／9 的 nibble 也用同樣方式在 note 說明。
• 搖桿：I2C／mBlock 送 ±100；EV3／0x22送 099（50 = 中間）、SPIKE 送 19（5 = 中間），不是線性 offset，主機端各自換算（網站範例已是這樣）。
• EV3 模式 3 = 方向鍵 | 形狀鍵<<4 | 已連線<<8（#67 新增 bit8）；模式 4 內容不變（[方向鍵, LX, 形狀鍵, LY]）；模式 5 改送裝置 ID 格式 B [0x42 | 2<<8, 韌體版]。
• SPIKE 模式 3 改 [已連線, 電量, 0]（3×int8）、模式 8 改 [0x42 | 2<<8, 協議版 2, 韌體版, 更新序號]；其餘空模式 1、2、4、6 維持現狀。
• ESP32 從機不能時脈延展：I2C v2 在 onReceive 就預載從該編號起 32 B；0x22照 MATRIX 定案 §5 #2 預載最新一包，待上機。
• I2C 0A 系統鍵 b1 = 擷取鍵（v1 0x15 放在 b3，v2 改 b1，照 I2C 定案 §4）。
• Pin table uses each board's common defaults (ESP32: change with Wire.begin(sda, scl)).