Setup & Calibration

01 Initial setup

Download Sinden software

Grab the latest Sinden Lightgun software package from sindenlightgun.com. The bundle includes the camera driver, the Sinden app (border overlay manager), and config tools for single and dual gun setups.

Always use the latest release — border tracking algorithms are updated frequently. Older versions have known latency issues on high-refresh displays.

Install driver & plug in gun

Run the installer as administrator. Plug the Sinden in via USB after install completes — Windows should recognise it as a HID device and a camera. Both entries need to appear in Device Manager before continuing.

# Verify in Device Manager under:
Human Interface Devices → Sinden Lightgun
Cameras → Sinden Camera

Set white border in Sinden app

Launch the Sinden app and enable the white border overlay. The border must be visible around the full perimeter of your screen at all times during play — this is how the camera tracks position. Border width depends on your TV size and viewing distance.

# Recommended starting values
Border width: 8–12px on a 55" TV at 2–3m
Border colour: pure white (#FFFFFF)
Recoil trigger: left mouse button (default)

If tracking feels jittery, increase border width by 2px increments. Ambient light changes can affect tracking — recalibrate in your actual play environment.

Test with Sinden test app

The Sinden package includes a built-in test target. Fire at the on-screen targets and verify the crosshair tracks accurately. Adjust camera exposure if the border isn't being detected reliably in your room lighting conditions.

02 Platform configuration

MAME

Steam

DuckStation

Dolphin

MAME lightgun setup

MAME has native lightgun axis support. The Sinden presents as a mouse device — map it to MAME's lightgun inputs via the input config tab.

# mame.ini — lightgun section
lightgun 1
lightgun_device mouse
offscreen_reload 1
mouse 1

# Per-game input config (Tab in-game)
P1 Gun X → MOUSE X AXIS
P1 Gun Y → MOUSE Y AXIS
P1 Trigger → MOUSE LEFT
P1 Reload → MOUSE RIGHT

Enable the white Sinden border in the Sinden app before launching MAME. The border must remain visible — MAME full-screen mode should not cover it.

Steam lightgun games

Most Steam lightgun titles treat the Sinden as a standard mouse. Enable the Sinden border overlay before launching, and disable Steam Input for the gun device to avoid axis conflicts.

# Steam Input — disable for Sinden
Controller settings → disable Steam Input
for Sinden HID device

# In-game settings
Input mode: Mouse / Lightgun
Sensitivity: match to border calibration

Note: Some Steam titles (notably House of the Dead: Remake) have their own camera calibration step — run it with the Sinden border active.

DuckStation (PS1)

DuckStation supports GunCon and Justifier lightgun types. Map the Sinden mouse axes to the appropriate port in Controller Settings.

# DuckStation controller config
Port 1 → Namco GunCon
Pointer X → Mouse X
Pointer Y → Mouse Y
Trigger → Mouse Left
Side button → Mouse Right

# Games: Point Blank, Time Crisis,
# Die Hard Trilogy, Elemental Gearbolt

Dolphin (Wii)

Dolphin's Real Wiimote mode doesn't apply — use emulated Wiimote with mouse pointer mapping for Sinden compatibility.

# Dolphin Wiimote config
Wiimote 1 → Emulated Wiimote
IR → Cursor (mouse)
Point X → Mouse X
Point Y → Mouse Y
A button → Mouse Left
B button → Mouse Right

# Games: Ghost Squad, House of the Dead 2&3,
# Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles