Refresh Virtual HID keyboard and mouse path

Renamed the license-state refresh flow from mouse-only to shared virtual input so Sunshine now recreates both libvirtualhid keyboard and mouse devices, including resetting keyboard/mouse state before refresh. Added explicit keyboard refresh support in the virtualhid input context and wired config HTTP license updates to trigger the full refresh.

Updated Windows-facing messaging and docs to describe Raw Input keyboard + mouse support, added troubleshooting guidance for keyboard detection, and adjusted tray/UI localization strings accordingly. Also bumped the minimum supported Virtual HID Driver version to 2026.826.2024.22, updated related unit tests, and advanced the libvirtualhid submodule.

Author: ReenigneArcher

docs/getting_started.md

@@ -476,10 +476,10 @@ and enter its device name in the [audio_sink](configuration.md#audio_sink) field
 ### Windows
 Sunshine uses libvirtualhid for virtual input on Windows. You must install the
 [Virtual HID Driver](https://github.com/LizardByte/libvirtualhid/releases/latest) separately for a driver-backed Raw
-Input mouse and full virtual gamepad support. ViGEmBus is detected only as a limited fallback for Xbox 360 and
-DualShock 4 gamepads when libvirtualhid is unavailable.
+Input keyboard and mouse plus full virtual gamepad support. ViGEmBus is detected only as a limited fallback for Xbox
+360 and DualShock 4 gamepads when libvirtualhid is unavailable.
 
-Sunshine requires Virtual HID Driver version `2026.823.352.3` or newer. Earlier releases use incompatible Windows
+Sunshine requires Virtual HID Driver version `2026.826.2024.22` or newer. Earlier releases use incompatible Windows
 control and broker protocols and must be upgraded together with Sunshine's embedded libvirtualhid library. Local
 development driver builds using a `0.0.0.*` version remain supported.
 
@@ -488,15 +488,21 @@ Pro, and Generic gamepads in addition to Xbox 360 and DualShock 4. It can also e
 as motion, touchpads, LEDs, and adaptive triggers when supported. Virtual HID Driver is actively developed and
 supported by the LizardByte team.
 
-With a compatible driver and active license, relative mouse movement, buttons, and scrolling are exposed as a real HID
+With a compatible driver and active license, normal key transitions are exposed through a real HID keyboard so
+applications using Raw Input can receive them. Unicode text input and keys outside the supported HID keyboard page
+continue to use Windows input injection. When the driver-backed keyboard cannot be created because the driver,
+broker, or license is unavailable, libvirtualhid retains its legacy SendInput fallback.
+
+Relative mouse movement, buttons, and scrolling are exposed as a real HID
 mouse so applications using Raw Input can receive them. Absolute mouse positioning continues to use Windows input
 injection. When the driver-backed mouse cannot be created, libvirtualhid retains its legacy SendInput fallback.
 
 The Virtual HID Driver requires an active machine license for driver-backed devices, including gamepads and the Raw
-Input mouse. Sunshine shows the current license status and actions on the Web UI Troubleshooting page and in the
-**Virtual HID Driver** system tray submenu. When Sunshine starts on an unactivated machine, select its tray notification
-to open the activation and purchase options in the Web UI. Sunshine recreates the shared mouse after a successful
-license action, so switching between the HID and SendInput paths does not require restarting Sunshine.
+Input keyboard and mouse. Sunshine shows the current license status and actions on the Web UI Troubleshooting page and
+in the **Virtual HID Driver** system tray submenu. When Sunshine starts on an unactivated machine, select its tray
+notification to open the activation and purchase options in the Web UI. Sunshine recreates the shared keyboard and
+mouse after a successful license action, so switching between the HID and SendInput paths does not require restarting
+Sunshine.
 
 After installing or updating virtual input drivers, it is recommended to restart your computer.
 

docs/troubleshooting.md

@@ -292,11 +292,11 @@ launchctl load -w /Library/LaunchAgents/org.freedesktop.dbus-session.plist
 ### No gamepad detected
 Sunshine uses libvirtualhid for virtual input on Windows. Install the
 [Virtual HID Driver](https://github.com/LizardByte/libvirtualhid/releases/latest) separately for a driver-backed Raw
-Input mouse and full virtual gamepad support. ViGEmBus is detected only as a limited fallback for Xbox 360 and
-DualShock 4 gamepads when libvirtualhid is unavailable. If you use the
+Input keyboard and mouse plus full virtual gamepad support. ViGEmBus is detected only as a limited fallback for Xbox
+360 and DualShock 4 gamepads when libvirtualhid is unavailable. If you use the
 [ViGEmBus fallback](https://github.com/nefarius/ViGEmBus/releases/latest), you must use version 1.17 or newer.
 
-Sunshine requires Virtual HID Driver version `2026.823.352.3` or newer. Earlier releases use incompatible Windows
+Sunshine requires Virtual HID Driver version `2026.826.2024.22` or newer. Earlier releases use incompatible Windows
 control and broker protocols. The Troubleshooting page reports an older installed package as unsupported and links
 to the current driver release. Local development driver builds using a `0.0.0.*` version remain supported.
 
@@ -305,21 +305,31 @@ controller features such as motion, touchpads, LEDs, and adaptive triggers when
 ViGEmBus project, Virtual HID Driver is actively developed and supported by the LizardByte team.
 
 An active Virtual HID Driver machine license is required before Sunshine can create driver-backed libvirtualhid
-devices, including gamepads and the Raw Input mouse. Follow the warning on the Web UI home page, the startup tray
-notification, or the **Virtual HID Driver** tray submenu to open the license section on the Troubleshooting page, where
-you can activate a key or follow the purchase link.
+devices, including gamepads and the Raw Input keyboard and mouse. Follow the warning on the Web UI home page, the
+startup tray notification, or the **Virtual HID Driver** tray submenu to open the license section on the
+Troubleshooting page, where you can activate a key or follow the purchase link.
 
 After installation, it is recommended to restart your computer.
 
+### Games do not detect keyboard input
+With a compatible Virtual HID Driver and active license, Sunshine sends normal key transitions through a real HID
+keyboard so games using Raw Input can receive them. Unicode text input and keys outside the supported HID keyboard
+page continue to use Windows input injection. When the driver-backed keyboard cannot be created because the driver,
+broker, or license is unavailable, libvirtualhid falls back to SendInput.
+
+Check the Virtual HID Driver version and license sections on the Web UI Troubleshooting page. Sunshine recreates the
+shared keyboard and mouse after a successful license activation, validation, or deactivation, so you do not need to
+restart Sunshine merely to switch between the HID and SendInput paths.
+
 ### Games do not detect mouse input
 With a compatible Virtual HID Driver and active license, Sunshine sends relative mouse movement, buttons, and scrolling
 through a real HID device so games using Raw Input can receive them. Absolute positioning still uses Windows input
 injection. When the driver-backed mouse cannot be created, libvirtualhid falls back to SendInput; the Windows cursor may
 still move even though a game that listens only for Raw Input receives nothing.
 
 Check the Virtual HID Driver version and license sections on the Web UI Troubleshooting page even when controller input
-is disabled. Sunshine recreates the shared mouse after a successful license activation, validation, or deactivation, so
-you do not need to restart Sunshine merely to switch between the HID and SendInput paths.
+is disabled. The same live refresh used by the keyboard path also switches the mouse between HID and SendInput without
+requiring a Sunshine restart.
 
 ### Permission denied
 Since Sunshine runs as a service on Windows, it may not have the same level of access that your regular user account

src/confighttp.cpp

@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ namespace confighttp {
    */
   constexpr auto CSRF_TOKEN_LIFETIME = std::chrono::hours(1);  // Tokens valid for 1 hour
 
-  constexpr auto LIBVIRTUALHID_MINIMUM_VERSION = "2026.823.352.3"sv;  ///< Minimum supported libvirtualhid driver version.  // NOSONAR(cpp:S1313): not an IP address
+  constexpr auto LIBVIRTUALHID_MINIMUM_VERSION = "2026.826.2024.22"sv;  ///< Minimum supported libvirtualhid driver version.  // NOSONAR(cpp:S1313): not an IP address
   constexpr auto VIGEMBUS_MINIMUM_VERSION = "1.17.0.0"sv;  ///< Minimum supported ViGEmBus fallback driver version.  // NOSONAR(cpp:S1313): not an IP address
 
   /**
@@ -1958,7 +1958,7 @@ namespace confighttp {
 #endif
 #ifdef _WIN32
       if (result.status.ok()) {
-        input::refresh_virtual_mouse();
+        input::refresh_virtual_input();
       }
 #endif
       send_response(response, build_virtualhid_license_status(result));

src/input.cpp

@@ -2091,11 +2091,16 @@ namespace input {
     });
   }
 
-  void refresh_virtual_mouse() {
+  void refresh_virtual_input() {
     dispatch_input_task([]() {
       if (platf_input) {
+        task_pool.cancel(key_press_repeat_id);
+        key_press_repeat_id = nullptr;
         reset_mouse_buttons();
-        platf::virtualhid::get_input_context(platf_input).refresh_mouse();
+        reset_keyboard_keys();
+        auto &context = platf::virtualhid::get_input_context(platf_input);
+        context.refresh_keyboard();
+        context.refresh_mouse();
       }
     });
   }

src/input.h

@@ -63,12 +63,12 @@ namespace input {
   bool probe_gamepads();
 
   /**
-   * @brief Recreate the shared libvirtualhid mouse after a license-state change.
+   * @brief Recreate shared libvirtualhid keyboard and mouse devices after a license-state change.
    *
-   * The work is serialized with streamed input so the mouse backend can switch
+   * The work is serialized with streamed input so both backends can switch
    * safely between the Windows HID and SendInput paths.
    */
-  void refresh_virtual_mouse();
+  void refresh_virtual_input();
 
   /**
    * @brief Allocate and initialize platform input state for a stream.

src/platform/virtualhid_input.cpp

@@ -421,21 +421,27 @@ namespace platf::virtualhid {
       return;
     }
 
-    const auto &capabilities = runtime->capabilities();
-    if (capabilities.supports_keyboard) {
-      lvh::CreateKeyboardOptions options;
-      options.profile = lvh::profiles::keyboard();
-      options.stable_id = "sunshine-keyboard";
-      auto created = runtime->create_keyboard(options);
-      if (created) {
-        keyboard = std::move(created.keyboard);
-      } else {
-        log_failure("create libvirtualhid keyboard"sv, created.status);
-      }
-    }
+    refresh_keyboard();
     refresh_mouse();
   }
 
+  void input_context_t::refresh_keyboard() {
+    keyboard.reset();
+    if (!runtime || !runtime->capabilities().supports_keyboard) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    lvh::CreateKeyboardOptions options;
+    options.profile = lvh::profiles::keyboard();
+    options.stable_id = "sunshine-keyboard";
+    auto created = runtime->create_keyboard(options);
+    if (created) {
+      keyboard = std::move(created.keyboard);
+    } else {
+      log_failure("create libvirtualhid keyboard"sv, created.status);
+    }
+  }
+
   void input_context_t::refresh_mouse() {
     mouse.reset();
     if (!runtime || !runtime->capabilities().supports_mouse) {

src/platform/virtualhid_input.h

@@ -35,6 +35,11 @@ namespace platf::virtualhid {
      */
     explicit input_context_t(lvh::BackendKind backend);
 
+    /**
+     * @brief Recreate the shared keyboard using the runtime's current driver and license state.
+     */
+    void refresh_keyboard();
+
     /**
      * @brief Recreate the shared mouse using the runtime's current driver and license state.
      */

src/system_tray.cpp

@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ namespace system_tray {
   constexpr auto LIBVIRTUALHID_RELEASES_URL = "https://github.com/LizardByte/libvirtualhid/releases/latest"sv;  ///< Latest Virtual HID Driver release.
   static std::array<struct tray_menu, 7> virtualhid_benefits_menu {{
     {.text = "Xbox One, Xbox Series, DualSense (DS5), Switch Pro, and Generic", .disabled = 1},
-    {.text = "Raw Input mouse for relative movement, buttons, and scrolling", .disabled = 1},
+    {.text = "Raw Input keyboard and mouse for physical-style input", .disabled = 1},
     {.text = "Motion, touchpads, LEDs, and adaptive triggers where supported", .disabled = 1},
     {.text = "Actively developed and supported by LizardByte", .disabled = 1},
     {.text = "-"},
@@ -435,7 +435,7 @@ namespace system_tray {
       set_virtualhid_license_menu_item(6, "Manage License", false, tray_virtualhid_license_cb);
     } else {
       set_virtualhid_license_menu_item(1, std::string {virtualhid_license_state_detail(license.state)}, true);
-      set_virtualhid_license_menu_item(2, "Driver-backed gamepads and Raw Input mouse are locked", true);
+      set_virtualhid_license_menu_item(2, "Driver-backed keyboard, mouse, and gamepads are locked", true);
       set_virtualhid_license_menu_item(
         3,
         license.service_available ? "License service: Available" : "License service: Unavailable",
@@ -470,7 +470,7 @@ namespace system_tray {
     if (notify_if_unlicensed && !license.licensed()) {
       tray.notification_title = "Activate Virtual HID Driver";
       tray.notification_text =
-        "Adds a Raw Input mouse plus Xbox One/Series, DualSense (DS5), Switch Pro, and Generic gamepads. Actively maintained by LizardByte. Click to activate or buy a license; details remain in the tray menu.";
+        "Adds a Raw Input keyboard and mouse plus Xbox One/Series, DualSense (DS5), Switch Pro, and Generic gamepads. Actively maintained by LizardByte. Click to activate or buy a license; details remain in the tray menu.";
       tray.notification_icon = tray.allIconPaths[4];
       tray.notification_cb = []() {
         launch_ui("/troubleshooting#virtualhid-license");

src_assets/common/assets/web/public/assets/locale/en.json

@@ -453,11 +453,11 @@
     "startup_errors": "<b>Attention!</b> Sunshine detected these errors during startup. We <b>STRONGLY RECOMMEND</b> fixing them before streaming.",
     "version_dirty": "Thank you for helping to make Sunshine a better software!",
     "version_latest": "You are running the latest version of Sunshine",
-    "virtualhid_license_required_desc": "Virtual HID Driver adds a Raw Input mouse plus Xbox One, Xbox Series, DualSense, Nintendo Switch Pro, and Generic gamepads. It is actively maintained by the LizardByte team. Activate or manage the license to unlock driver-backed input.",
+    "virtualhid_license_required_desc": "Virtual HID Driver adds a Raw Input keyboard and mouse plus Xbox One, Xbox Series, DualSense, Nintendo Switch Pro, and Generic gamepads. It is actively maintained by the LizardByte team. Activate or manage the license to unlock driver-backed input.",
     "virtualhid_license_required_title": "Virtual HID Driver License Missing",
     "virtualhid_missing_vigembus_installed_desc": "ViGEmBus is installed, but without the libvirtualhid driver Sunshine can only offer limited fallback gamepad support.",
     "virtualhid_missing_vigembus_installed_title": "Gamepad Support Is Limited",
-    "virtualhid_not_installed_desc": "Sunshine requires the libvirtualhid Windows driver for a Raw Input mouse and full virtual gamepad support. Install the libvirtualhid driver package, then restart Sunshine.",
+    "virtualhid_not_installed_desc": "Sunshine requires the libvirtualhid Windows driver for a Raw Input keyboard and mouse plus full virtual gamepad support. Install the libvirtualhid driver package, then restart Sunshine.",
     "virtualhid_not_installed_title": "libvirtualhid Driver Not Installed",
     "virtualhid_outdated_desc": "The installed libvirtualhid driver version (v{version}) is not supported. Supported versions: {supported_versions}.",
     "virtualhid_outdated_title": "libvirtualhid Driver Outdated",
@@ -576,15 +576,15 @@
     "unpair_title": "Unpair Devices",
     "vigembus_driver": "ViGEmBus Fallback Driver",
     "virtual_gamepad": "Virtual Input",
-    "virtual_gamepad_desc": "Sunshine uses libvirtualhid for a driver-backed mouse and full virtual gamepad support on Windows. ViGEmBus is detected only as a limited fallback for Xbox 360 and DualShock 4 gamepads.",
+    "virtual_gamepad_desc": "Sunshine uses libvirtualhid for a driver-backed keyboard and mouse plus full virtual gamepad support on Windows. ViGEmBus is detected only as a limited fallback for Xbox 360 and DualShock 4 gamepads.",
     "virtual_gamepad_drivers": "Windows Driver Status",
     "virtual_gamepad_drivers_desc": "Installed versions are compared with each project's latest stable GitHub release. Prereleases are ignored.",
     "virtualhid_benefit_features": "Supports controller-specific features such as motion, touchpads, LEDs, and adaptive triggers when available.",
     "virtualhid_benefit_features_title": "Modern Controller Features",
     "virtualhid_benefit_gamepads": "Creates Xbox One, Xbox Series, DualSense, Nintendo Switch Pro, and Generic gamepads in addition to Xbox 360 and DualShock 4.",
     "virtualhid_benefit_gamepads_title": "More Gamepad Types",
-    "virtualhid_benefit_mouse": "Exposes relative movement, buttons, and scrolling as a real HID mouse so games using Raw Input can receive them.",
-    "virtualhid_benefit_mouse_title": "Raw Input Mouse",
+    "virtualhid_benefit_mouse": "Exposes normal key transitions and relative mouse input through real HID devices so games using Raw Input can receive them.",
+    "virtualhid_benefit_mouse_title": "Raw Input Keyboard and Mouse",
     "virtualhid_benefit_maintained": "Actively developed and supported by the LizardByte team instead of relying only on the discontinued ViGEmBus project.",
     "virtualhid_benefit_maintained_title": "Actively Supported",
     "virtualhid_benefits_title": "Virtual HID Driver Benefits",
@@ -597,12 +597,12 @@
     "virtualhid_license_buy": "Buy License",
     "virtualhid_license_customer": "Customer",
     "virtualhid_license_deactivate": "Deactivate This Machine",
-    "virtualhid_license_desc": "An active license is required before Sunshine can create driver-backed libvirtualhid devices, including gamepads and the Raw Input mouse. Activation is handled by the local libvirtualhid service; Sunshine does not save your license key.",
+    "virtualhid_license_desc": "An active license is required before Sunshine can create driver-backed libvirtualhid devices, including gamepads and the Raw Input keyboard and mouse. Activation is handled by the local libvirtualhid service; Sunshine does not save your license key.",
     "virtualhid_license_key": "License Key",
     "virtualhid_license_key_desc": "The key is sent only to the local libvirtualhid service and is cleared from this page after successful activation.",
     "virtualhid_license_key_placeholder": "Enter your product key",
     "virtualhid_license_machine_activated": "This machine is activated",
-    "virtualhid_license_machine_activated_desc": "Sunshine can create Virtual HID Driver gamepads and a Raw Input mouse while this license remains valid.",
+    "virtualhid_license_machine_activated_desc": "Sunshine can create Virtual HID Driver gamepads and a Raw Input keyboard and mouse while this license remains valid.",
     "virtualhid_license_manage": "Manage Account and Activations",
     "virtualhid_license_not_reported": "Not reported",
     "virtualhid_license_plan": "Plan",

tests/unit/platform/test_virtualhid_input.cpp

@@ -240,6 +240,10 @@ TEST_F(VirtualHidDeviceTest, RejectsUnavailableAndInvalidGamepadSlots) {
 
   platf::virtualhid::input_context_t no_runtime {lvh::BackendKind::fake};
   no_runtime.runtime.reset();
+  no_runtime.refresh_keyboard();
+  no_runtime.refresh_mouse();
+  EXPECT_EQ(no_runtime.keyboard, nullptr);
+  EXPECT_EQ(no_runtime.mouse, nullptr);
   EXPECT_EQ(platf::virtualhid::alloc_gamepad(no_runtime, valid_id, metadata, nullptr), -1);
 
   EXPECT_EQ(platf::virtualhid::alloc_gamepad(*context(), {-1, 0}, metadata, nullptr), -1);