Privacy Policy
Last updated: August 2, 2026
Joypad Inc. ("Joypad," "we," "us") respects your privacy. This policy explains what data we collect, how we use it, and your rights. The short version: we collect very little, we don't sell your data, and the raw input from your controller — every button, stick, trigger, and motion reading — never leaves your browser.
1. What We Collect
Newsletter Email
If you sign up for our newsletter or waitlist, we collect your email address. That's it — no name, no phone number, no billing info at signup.
Analytics & Usage Data
We use Vercel Analytics and Google Analytics to understand how people use our site. This includes:
- Pages visited and general navigation patterns
- Browser type, device type, and screen size
- Approximate geographic region (country/city level)
- Referral source (how you found us)
This data is aggregated and used to improve the site. We don't build individual user profiles from analytics data.
Controller Input
The browser controller tester at joypad.ai (Gamepad API and WebHID) and the JoypadOS configurator at config.joypad.ai (WebUSB and WebSerial) use browser APIs to communicate with your controllers and adapter hardware. The input itself stays entirely in your browser. Button presses, stick and trigger positions, motion and touchpad readings, and adapter configuration settings are processed locally and are never transmitted to or stored on our servers.
Controller Identification
So we can recognize controllers and build our public controller library, the tester does send us a small amount of information about the device — never what you press on it:
- Vendor and product ID (VID/PID), reported product name, and connection type
- The device's HID report descriptor and its button/axis counts
- A random identifier stored in your browser's local storage, so repeat visits from the same browser aren't counted as new devices
This is what powers controller detection, the aggregate "seen in the tester" counts on controller pages, and support for controllers we haven't documented yet. It is not linked to your identity unless you are signed in. Clearing your browser storage resets the random identifier.
Accounts, Collections & Game Scores
Accounts are optional — the tester works fully without one. If you choose to sign in (with Discord or an email link), we store:
- Your account identifier, email address, and — from Discord — your display name and profile picture
- Your chosen username and avatar
- Controllers you've collected by testing them (VID/PID, product name, connection type)
- Your high scores for the in-tester mini games, including which controller set each score
- Your privacy choices, such as whether your profile and scores appear publicly
Public profiles and leaderboards show only what you've opted into; you can turn both off in your profile settings. Ask us to delete your account and we will remove it and its associated data.
2. What We Don't Do
- We don't sell your data. Not to advertisers, data brokers, or anyone else.
- We don't track you across other sites. Our analytics are limited to joypad.ai and config.joypad.ai.
- We don't collect your controller input. What you press stays local — we only record what kind of device it is.
- We don't require accounts. The controller tester works fully without signing up; an account only adds optional extras like saved scores and collections.
- We don't send unsolicited email. Only the newsletter you opted into.
3. Cookies
We use minimal cookies:
- Essential cookies — for basic site functionality: your theme preference, and, if you sign in, the session cookie that keeps you signed in.
- Analytics cookies — set by Google Analytics to measure site usage. These are standard analytics cookies and can be blocked by your browser or ad blocker. Vercel Analytics, which we also use, is cookieless and doesn't set any.
We do not use advertising cookies or tracking pixels.
4. Third-Party Services
We use the following third-party services:
- Vercel — website hosting and analytics (their privacy policy).
- Google Analytics — site usage analytics (their privacy policy).
- Discord — optional sign-in. If you sign in with Discord we receive your account ID, username, email address, and avatar (their privacy policy).
- Neon — the managed Postgres database where account, collection, and score data is stored (their privacy policy).
These services may collect data as described in their own privacy policies. We chose them for their privacy practices and don't share additional data with them beyond what their standard integrations collect.
5. Data Retention
Newsletter emails are retained until you unsubscribe. Analytics data is retained according to the default retention periods of Vercel Analytics and Google Analytics. Account data — your profile, collected controllers, and saved scores — is retained until you ask us to delete your account. Controller identification records are retained as part of our controller library.
6. Your Rights (GDPR & CCPA)
Regardless of where you live, we believe you should have control over your data:
- Access — you can ask what data we have about you.
- Deletion — you can ask us to delete your data (e.g., your newsletter email).
- Opt out — you can unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time, and you can block analytics cookies in your browser.
- Portability — you can request a copy of any data we hold about you.
- No discrimination — we won't treat you differently for exercising your privacy rights.
For EU/EEA residents (GDPR): Our legal basis for processing newsletter emails is your consent. For analytics, our legal basis is legitimate interest in understanding site usage. You can withdraw consent at any time.
For California residents (CCPA): We do not sell personal information. You have the right to know what data we collect, request deletion, and opt out of any sale (though we don't sell data).
7. Children's Privacy
Our services are not directed at children under 13. We don't knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have, please contact us and we'll delete it promptly.
8. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We'll post the updated version on this page with a revised date. For significant changes, we may also notify newsletter subscribers.
9. Contact
Questions or requests about your privacy? Email us at joy@joypad.ai.