Prompts should update when players switch between controller and keyboard/mouse

What it is

Input prompt switching means that button glyphs, action labels, and tutorial cues immediately express the executable controls of the device a player has switched to within the same session. It is more than swapping icon sets: prompts must agree with current bindings, action context, and device state so players do not have to translate symbols on screen before acting.

Why it happens

Prompts act as external memory for action. Keyboard controls use characters and spatial key positions, while controllers use button shape, colour, and grip location. A stale prompt adds recognition and recall before action, which is costly in combat, menus, and timed interactions. Choosing the active device from the most recent meaningful input keeps on-screen cues aligned with the motor plan in hand.

Where it stops holding

When both device types are accepted, tiny incidental events can make prompts oscillate: mouse drift or stick noise is not necessarily an intended switch. Raw events therefore need filtering. Some players use a controller in one hand and a mouse in the other, where one global “current device” cannot represent every available action.

Applying it

• Keep device-independent action semantics with device-specific visual prompts; refresh HUD, menus, interactables, and tutorial overlays after thresholded valid input.
• Apply switch thresholds and a brief settling period to pointer movement and stick input, preventing flicker between glyph sets.
• Verification: record alternating-input sessions in combat, dialogue, maps, and modals. Frame-check that every actionable prompt matches the device before the next required action.

Related

• Same group: W3.09.2 Prompts in mixed-input play should show the device actually in use · W3.09.3 Default sensitivity and dead zones need independent settings per device · W3.09.4 Switching devices should not interrupt an ongoing action sequence
• Nearby: W3.01 Button mapping and discoverability · W3.07 Remapping and personalized controls · W8.03 In-game tutorials
• Search terms: input prompt switching · controller glyphs · device-aware UI · mixed input