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ShiftPad is a compact Windows utility from publisher ShiftPad designed for users who share a single PC between a desk monitor and a television, falling into the category of display and device automation tools. Its core purpose is to simplify the transition between a workstation setup and a couch gaming or media environment: when a gamepad is connected, the utility automatically switches the video output to the TV, redirects the audio to the appropriate device, and launches Steam Big Picture or any custom launcher of the user's choosing. When the gamepad is unplugged, the display, audio, and launcher configuration all revert to the standard desktop setup without manual intervention. Typical use cases include living-room PC gaming, home theater PCs, and dual-purpose machines that serve both productivity and entertainment roles. Display switching supports target-only, extend, and clone modes, while audio switching includes HDMI auto-detection that activates after the display change completes. An optional HDMI-CEC integration is available through a Pulse-Eight USB-CEC adapter, allowing the utility to interact with compatible televisions over the HDMI cable. To prevent accidental activation, ShiftPad offers a configurable activation combo, a user-defined sequence of buttons that must be pressed before the switch occurs. The software also includes boot-time recovery, which restores the desktop configuration if a previous gaming session ended uncleanly, such as after a crash or power loss. ShiftPad is distributed as a 30-day free trial, after which continued use requires a one-time lifetime license available from https://shiftpad.ru/pro. The current release is version 2.2.0, and the catalog records one version of the application overall. In summary, ShiftPad addresses a common frustration for dual-screen PC owners by automating what would otherwise require several manual steps in Windows display and sound settings, making the move from desk to couch effectively a single plug-in action.
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