HID Transports Supported in Windows
Windows supports the following transports.
| Transport | Windows 7 | Windows 8 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| USB | Yes | Yes | Support for USB HID 1.11+ is provided on Windows operating systems dating back to Windows 2000. |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes | Support for Bluetooth HID 1.1+ is provided on Windows operating systems dating back to Windows Vista. |
| Bluetooth LE | No | Yes | Windows 8 introduces support for HID over Bluetooth LE. |
| I2C | No | Yes | Windows 8 introduces support for HID over I2C |
Previous versions of Windows (prior to Windows 7) also included support for the following.
- HidGame.sys - HID minidriver for game port (I/O port 201) devices. The HID class driver creates a functional device object (FDO) for a game port device, and creates a physical device object (PDO) for each HID collection that the game port device supports.
- • Gameenum.sys – The gameport bus driver. The game port bus driver creates a PDO for each game port device that is daisy-chained to a game port.
They are now considered legacy as the hardware is not found on modern machines (replaced by USB and other modern transports).
Recommended transports for keyboards, mice, and touchpads
The following table shows the recommended transports for keyboards, mice, and touchpad devices on portable (such as laptops and slates) and non-portable systems (such as all-in-one and desktops).
| System Type | Portable | Non-portable |
|---|---|---|
| Legacy systems | Internal: PS/2, External: USB, Bluetooth | Internal: N/A, External: USB, Bluetooth |
| System on Chip (SoC) systems | Internal: I2C, External: USB, Bluetooth | Internal: I2C, USB External: USB, Bluetooth |
The previous table contains guidance as opposed to requirements. There are currently no Windows Hardware Certification Kit (HCK) requirements for these but this could change in a future release.