# Keyboard inputs voor games

**URL:** <https://forum.arduino.cc/t/keyboard-inputs-voor-games/1362766>\
**Category:** Programming\
**Created:** [March 11, 2025, 5:30pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/keyboard-inputs-voor-games/1362766 "2025-03-11T17:30:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![laatmedoen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecd19e/32.png) [@laatmedoen](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/laatmedoen)\
**Post date:** [March 11, 2025, 5:30pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/keyboard-inputs-voor-games/1362766/1 "2025-03-11T17:30:31Z")

</div>

Hi arduino-ers

I was working on pong in my serial monitor but i wanted an input without external inputs (exept my arduino of course).  
Is there a way to just press w on my keyboard and my character goes up.  
I have al code but now i am using Serial.readString it doesn't work for some reason but I think it will be a lot cooler to just press w and you go up insted of pressing w and then send.

If there is a way to just press w and my chacater goes up or you know how my Serial.readString works then please let me know.  
This is my code by the way:

```arduino
int mx=32;
int my=24;
int yp=11;
int xb=15;
int yb=11;
bool r=0;
bool u=1;
bool d=0;
int dt=1000;
int milli;
unsigned long oldmilli;
String key;

bool game [][32]={
  {0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0},
  {0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0},
  {0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0},
  {0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0},
  {0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0},
  {0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0},
  {0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0},
  {0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0},
  {0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0},
  {0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0},
  {0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,0},
  {0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,0},
  {0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,0},
  {0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0},
  {0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0},
  {0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0},
  {0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0},
  {0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0},
  {0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0},
  {0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0},
  {0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0},
  {0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0},
  {0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0},
  {0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0},
};

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(500000);
}

void loop() {
  while(Serial.available()==0){
    key=Serial.readString();
    milli=millis()-oldmilli;
    if(milli>dt){
      oldmilli=millis();
      ball();
      schermr();
    }
  }
  if(key=="z"){
    Serial.println("hello");
    delay(100000);
    yp++;
    if(yp==0){
      yp--;
    }
    game[yp+2][30]=0;
    game[yp-1][30]=1;
  }
  if(key=="s"){
    yp--;
    if(yp==23){
      yp++;
    }
    game[yp-2][30]=0;
    game[yp+1][30]=1;
  }
}

void schermr(){
  Serial.println();
  for(int y=0; y<my; y++){
    Serial.println();
    for(int x=0; x<32; x++){
      if(game[y][x]==1){
        Serial.print("xx");
      }
      if(game[y][x]==0){
        Serial.print(" ");
      }
    }
    Serial.print(y);
  }
}

void ball(){
  game[yb][xb]=0;
  if(r==0){
    xb--;
    if(xb==1){
      xb++;
      r=1;
    }
  }
  if(r==1){
    xb++;
    if(xb==30){
      if(yb==yp){
        u=0;
        d=0;
        xb--;
        xb--;
        r=0;
      }
      if(yb==yp+1){
        u=1;
        d=0;
        xb--;
        xb--;
        r=0;
      }
      if(yb==yp-1){
        u=0;
        d=1;
        xb--;
        xb--;
        r=0;
      }
    }
    if(xb==32){
      lose();
    }
  }
  if(u==1){
    yb--;
    if(yb==-1){
      yb++;
      u=0;
      d=1;
    }
  }
  if(d==1){
    yb++;
    if(yb==24){
      yb--;
      yb--;
      u=1;
      d=0;
    }
  }
  game[yb][xb]=1;
}

void lose(){
  for(int i=0; i<300; i++){
    for(int e=0; e<30; e++){
      Serial.print("YOU LOSE ");
    }
    Serial.println();
  }
  delay(99999999999999999999);
}

```

I have tried using Serial.prints to look how far it gets but it gets after the while but my String key doesn't become "w" or "s".

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/user_avatar/forum.arduino.cc/system/32/1140315_2.png) [@system](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/system)\
**Post date:** [September 7, 2025, 5:31pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/keyboard-inputs-voor-games/1362766/2 "2025-09-07T17:31:02Z")

</div>

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