How games connect to your toy: the seven connection types
There are seven ways a video game can drive an interactive toy. Lovense Game Mode, Buttplug.io, gamepad rumble routing, and more, in plain English.
When a game makes a toy buzz, there is a protocol underneath it. There are seven distinct protocols games use today. This article explains each one, which games use it, and how ToyControl fits.
If you just want a list of games and a setup guide, see Every game that works with your toy.
The short summary
| Type | What it is | Who uses it | ToyControl supports |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Lovense Game Mode (LAN HTTP) | Captain Hardcore, Wild Life, Heat VR, many | Yes, via Game Link |
| B | Buttplug.io / Intiface | LoveMachine, GHR, dozens of community plugins | Yes, via Intiface bridge |
| C | Direct in-game Bluetooth | Rare (Lovense Remote desktop) | No (game owns the connection) |
| D | Custom per-game plugin | VAM, Skyrim mods, Illusion games | Through underlying type (usually A or B) |
| E | Game Haptics Router (XInput rumble) | Hundreds of mainstream games | Through Intiface bridge |
| F | The Handy direct API | A few SLR-related setups | Coming soon |
| G | OSR / TCode (multi-axis) | OSR-2, SR-6 specialty hardware | Not today |
The rest of the article goes deeper on each one.
Type A: Lovense Game Mode (LAN HTTP)
The most common protocol in adult games. Lovense designed it as a way for any game on a local network to drive a Lovense toy without going through the cloud.
How it works: The game scans your home Wi-Fi for a Lovense Connect endpoint. When it finds one, it sends HTTP requests with commands like "Vibrate:50" or "Pump:80". The endpoint runs on either Lovense's mobile Remote app (in LAN mode) or Lovense's desktop Remote app.
Who uses it:
- Captain Hardcore.
- Heat VR.
- Wild Life.
- Dominatrix Simulator (optionally).
- vamX (the easy mode for Virt-A-Mate).
- Most VR games that mention "Lovense" in their settings.
How ToyControl fits: ToyControl's Game Link runs the same kind of endpoint on your computer. Point the game at ToyControl's IP and port instead of Lovense Remote's. The game cannot tell the difference, and your toy works whether it is a Lovense, a Tremblr, a Hismith, a KEON, or anything else ToyControl supports.
Type B: Buttplug.io and Intiface
The open-source alternative to Lovense Game Mode. Created by qDot and maintained by a vibrant community, it covers hundreds of toys across many brands.
How it works: The game (or its plugin) connects to a Buttplug.io server over WebSocket. The default port is 12345. The server holds the toy connection and translates Buttplug protocol messages into the toy's native commands. Intiface Central is the most common Buttplug server.
Who uses it:
- LoveMachine (Illusion games: HoneySelect, AI Shoujo, HoneyCome, Koikatsu, 50+ titles).
- VaMSync (Virt-A-Mate plugin).
- Telekinesis (Skyrim SKSE plugin).
- Dominatrix Simulator (alternate path).
- The Game Haptics Router (see Type E below).
- Dozens of community plugins for non-adult games (Stardew Valley, Beat Saber, FFXIV, Minecraft, Counter-Strike 2, and many more).
How ToyControl fits: ToyControl runs an Intiface bridge that speaks the Buttplug.io protocol. Games configured to connect to Intiface Central can be pointed at ToyControl instead. Same outcome, no Intiface Central required.
Type C: Direct in-game Bluetooth pairing
A few apps pair the toy themselves and skip the middleware step.
How it works: The app uses the operating system's Bluetooth stack to pair the toy directly. No relay, no helper, no LAN call.
Who uses it:
- Lovense Remote desktop app (when paired through it directly).
- A small number of specialty apps.
How ToyControl fits: It does not. The game has claimed the toy at the OS level. ToyControl cannot see a toy that another app is holding. For games using this path, you either use that app or use ToyControl with the toy paired in your browser instead.
Type D: Custom per-game plugin or mod
Game-specific plugins that under the hood use Type A or Type B.
How it works: A mod or plugin (BepInEx, SKSE, Dalamud, etc.) reads game events and translates them into Lovense Game Mode or Buttplug.io commands. From your perspective, the game has toy support; from the protocol's perspective, it is just routing one of the two main paths.
Who uses it:
- Virt-A-Mate (VaMSync uses Buttplug; vamX uses Lovense Game Mode).
- Skyrim (Telekinesis uses Buttplug; SexLab P+ uses Lovense API).
- Illusion games (LoveMachine uses Buttplug).
- Game Haptics Router (uses Buttplug, see Type E).
How ToyControl fits: Through the underlying type. If the mod uses Buttplug.io, ToyControl's Intiface bridge accepts it. If the mod uses Lovense Game Mode, ToyControl's Game Link accepts it.
Type E: Game Haptics Router
The Intiface Game Haptics Router is the "hack any mainstream game" path. Any game that vibrates an Xbox controller can be made to vibrate a toy.
How it works: GHR is a Windows-only application from the Intiface team. It uses EasyHook to inject into a running game process and intercept XInput (and UWP Gamepad) rumble calls. The intercepted rumble values are forwarded to Intiface Central, which drives the toy.
Who uses it:
- Cyberpunk 2077, Elden Ring, Dark Souls, GTA V, Doom Eternal, Hades, Cuphead, Hollow Knight, Resident Evil 4 Remake, hundreds of mainstream titles.
- Anything else with XInput rumble. See the GHR compatibility list.
Limitations:
- Windows only.
- Some anti-cheat systems (Valorant's Vanguard, a few others) flag process injection.
- The game must produce actual rumble. Games that disable controller rumble at the engine level will not produce GHR events.
How ToyControl fits: Through the Intiface bridge. GHR connects to "Intiface" the same way; point it at ToyControl's WebSocket endpoint instead.
See How to use Game Haptics Router for setup.
Type F: The Handy direct API
The Handy is unusual: it is a WiFi-based stroker, not Bluetooth.
How it works: The Handy connects to your home Wi-Fi and stays in touch with handyverse.com, the maker's cloud relay. Apps send their commands to that cloud (using your device's Connection Key to identify the toy), and the cloud forwards them to your Handy.
The Handy can run in different modes: a live position-by-position mode, a "play this script from start to finish" mode, and a constant-speed auto-move mode. Apps pick whichever fits what they need.
Who uses it:
- Apps and games that target The Handy directly (a few SLR-related setups, the Handy's own apps).
How ToyControl fits: Wi-Fi support for The Handy is in development. ToyControl will talk to the Handy's cloud the same way the Handy's own apps do. Coming soon.
Type G: OSR / TCode (multi-axis)
The advanced multi-axis specialty path.
How it works: OSR-2, SR-6, and similar rigs speak the TCode serial protocol over USB. TCode is a per-axis protocol: L0 for stroke, R0 for roll, etc. Scripts come in axis-specific files (.funscript for stroke, .roll.funscript for roll, and so on).
Who uses it:
- The OSR/SR-series community.
- A few advanced VR scenes designed for multi-axis hardware.
How ToyControl fits: Not today. TCode is on our long-term roadmap. If you have an OSR rig, you currently use a different player like XBVR or MultiFunPlayer.
Comparison table: which type for which situation
| Situation | Type | ToyControl path |
|---|---|---|
| VR adult game (Captain Hardcore, Heat VR, Wild Life) | A | Game Link |
| HoneySelect / AI Shoujo / Koikatsu | B (via LoveMachine) | Intiface bridge |
| Skyrim mods | B (Telekinesis) or A (SexLab P+) | Either bridge |
| VRChat plugin | B or A | Either bridge |
| Cyberpunk, Elden Ring, mainstream non-adult | E (GHR) | Intiface bridge |
| Beat Saber, FFXIV, Stardew Valley, etc. (community plugins) | B | Intiface bridge |
| The Handy with VR | F | Coming soon |
| OSR-2 / SR-6 multi-axis | G | Not yet |
So what do I actually do
Two questions:
- Does the game say "Lovense" or "Lovense Game Mode" in its settings? → Type A → use ToyControl's Game Link.
- Does the game say "Buttplug.io" or "Intiface" in its settings or installation guide? → Type B → use ToyControl's Intiface bridge.
If neither, see the specific game's setup article in our games list.