VMware ESXi and vSphere Cluster Management

Connect USB Human Interface Devices to a VMware Player Virtual Machine

Learn how to expose USB HID devices in VMware Player, connect keyboards, mice, and controllers to a guest, and return them to the host safely.

USB Human Interface Devices, or USB HIDs, are USB peripherals designed for user input. Common examples include keyboards, mice, and game controllers. VMware Player can assign these physical devices to a virtual machine, allowing the guest operating system to use them directly.

The physical device must first be detected by the host system, meaning the physical computer and operating system running VMware Player. It must then be assigned to the guest operating system, the operating system installed inside the virtual machine. Plugging a device into the host does not automatically attach it to the guest.

How USB HID passthrough works in VMware Player

USB passthrough is the process of assigning a physical USB device from the host to a virtual machine. VMware Player shows eligible removable devices in its Removable Devices menu, where you can connect or disconnect them.

By default, some USB input devices may work on the host but be omitted from that menu. The USB Controller configuration includes an option to expose all USB input devices, which makes these HIDs available for selection.

• Plugged into the host: The physical connection exists, and the host may detect the device.
• Visible in VMware Player: VMware can offer the device in the Removable Devices menu.
• Connected to the guest: The virtual machine owns the device, and the guest can use it.

Prerequisites and power-state requirements

You should be able to select a virtual machine in VMware Player, open its settings, and safely shut it down. The virtual machine must be powered off before you change its USB Controller configuration.

• Running: The guest operating system is actively executing. Do not change the required USB Controller setting in this state.
• Suspended: The guest state is saved so it can resume later. This is not the same as being powered off for this configuration change.
• Powered off: The guest has shut down completely. Use this state before editing the USB Controller settings.

If the guest is running or suspended, shut it down through the guest operating system or VMware Player's normal power controls. Do not simply close the window if that action suspends the virtual machine.

Enable USB HID visibility

1. Open VMware Player and select the target virtual machine in the library.
2. Open the virtual machine's management or settings area.
3. Open Virtual Machine Settings or the equivalent hardware configuration window.
4. Select the USB Controller hardware entry. The USB Controller is the virtual hardware component that manages USB support and device exposure for the guest.
5. Enable the option that exposes or shows all USB input devices in the removable-device list.
6. Save or apply the setting.
7. Start the virtual machine only after the setting has been saved.

The exact wording can vary between VMware Player versions, but look for the USB Controller setting that makes all USB input devices available in the removable-device list.

Connect a USB HID after startup

1. Start the virtual machine and wait for the guest operating system to finish loading.
2. Open VMware Player's Removable Devices menu.
3. Locate the keyboard, mouse, game controller, or other USB input device.
4. Choose the device and select the command to connect it to the virtual machine.
5. Wait for the guest operating system to detect the newly attached device.
6. Test the device in the guest's input settings or the application that needs it.

A device listed in the menu is only available for assignment; it is not necessarily attached already. You must select the device and connect it to the guest.

Example: USB game controller

1. Power off the guest completely.
2. Open the virtual machine settings and select USB Controller.
3. Enable the setting that exposes all USB input devices.
4. Apply the setting and start the guest.
5. Open the Removable Devices menu and connect the game controller.
6. Open the guest's game-controller or input-device settings and verify that buttons and axes respond.

Example: secondary USB keyboard

Keep a separate keyboard available for the host before passing through a keyboard. With the guest powered off, enable HID visibility under USB Controller. After startup, connect the secondary keyboard from the Removable Devices menu. While it remains attached to the guest, that keyboard will not provide input to the host.

Host and guest device ownership

USB passthrough gives control of the physical device to one system at a time. When VMware Player connects a HID to the guest, the guest owns the device. The host may still show the device as physically present, but it generally cannot use that device while the guest connection remains active.

To return a device to the host, open the Removable Devices menu, select the connected HID, and choose the command to disconnect it from the virtual machine. Confirm that the host can use it again.

USB HID connection workflow

Verify the connection

1. Confirm that the HID appears in the Removable Devices menu after enabling the USB Controller option.
2. Check that the menu shows the device as connected to the guest after you select it.
3. Open the guest operating system's device, keyboard, mouse, or controller settings.
4. Test actual input, such as typing, moving the pointer, pressing buttons, or moving controller axes.
5. If the guest recognizes the device but an application does not, check that application's input configuration.

Troubleshooting

The device is plugged into the host but absent from the menu

• Shut down the guest completely; do not leave it running or suspended.
• Open the virtual machine settings and select USB Controller.
• Enable the setting that exposes all USB input devices.
• Apply the change and start the guest again.
• Confirm that the host operating system recognizes the keyboard, mouse, or controller.
• Reopen the Removable Devices menu and look for the device.

If the host cannot detect the peripheral, VMware Player cannot reliably pass it through to the guest. Check the physical connection and host-level device detection first.

The HID works in the guest but no longer works on the host

This is expected when VMware Player assigns the physical device to the virtual machine. Open the Removable Devices menu and disconnect the device from the guest. It should then become available to the host again. For a passed-through keyboard or mouse, use a secondary host input device while managing the connection.

The device appears in VMware Player but does not work in the guest

• Check the Removable Devices menu to confirm that the device was actually connected, rather than merely listed.
• Disconnect the device from the guest and connect it again.
• Wait for the guest operating system to finish detecting the device.
• Check the guest's device and input settings.
• Verify that the guest has suitable driver support where the device requires it.
• Test the HID in another guest application to distinguish a device problem from an application configuration problem.

Quick checklist

• The guest is powered off before changing USB Controller settings.
• The option to show all USB input devices is enabled.
• The setting has been saved or applied.
• The guest has been started after the change.
• The desired HID is selected in the Removable Devices menu.
• A separate keyboard or mouse is available if the host still needs input.
• The device is disconnected from the guest when host access is required again.

For the configuration entry point, see the USB HID virtual-machine connection guide.