High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! In computing, DirectInput is a Microsoft API for collecting input from a computer user, via input devices such as the mouse, keyboard, joystick or other game controllers. It also provides a system for action mapping, which allows the user to assign specific actions within a game to the buttons and axes of the input devices. Additionally it handles force-feedback (input/output) devices. Microsoft introduced a new input library called XInput in DirectX 9 (December 2002) specifically for the Xbox 360 controller.