VibePad is a macOS menu bar application designed to enable developers to control their AI coding assistants using a gamepad from their couch. The primary purpose is to provide an alternative input method for coding workflows that typically involve repetitive actions like accepting or rejecting AI-generated code suggestions, scrolling through content, and navigating interfaces.

Key features include AI chat control for accepting, canceling, and navigating AI suggestions, submitting prompts, cycling through history, and managing chat without a keyboard. Voice input is activated by holding the L2 trigger to use voice-to-text for dictating prompts and code. Smart paste automatically detects clipboard content to paste images as visual context or text as code. Mouse and scroll functionality allows moving the cursor with the right stick and scrolling with the left stick, featuring analog precision with adjustable sensitivity and dead zones. Tab and app switching uses the D-pad to navigate tabs and panels, with L1 held for a second layer including app switching and window management. The app is fully customizable with JSON configuration for remapping buttons, creating custom layers, adjusting dead zones, and tailoring shortcuts.

The product works by mapping gamepad buttons to specific keyboard shortcuts used in AI coding tools. It provides base and L1 layers for commands, with analog sticks handling cursor movement and scrolling. Configuration is done through a JSON file for users who want to remap controls.

Benefits include enhanced productivity by allowing coding from a couch without a keyboard, natural dictation integration, and customizable controls tailored to individual workflows. Use cases involve controlling AI coding assistants like Claude Code and Codex CLI in terminal environments.

Target users are developers who use AI coding tools on macOS. The app supports PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo, MFi, and generic HID controllers, and integrates with terminal applications, Claude Code, and Codex. It is built natively in Swift and is open source.