Rapid Prototyping w/ New Unity Input System

Objective: Learn how to rapidly prototype inputs using Unity’s New Input System

Table of Contents

· Quickly Prototype Input Types
∘ How to Do It
∘ Code Breakdown
∘ The Result

Quickly Prototype Input Types

💡 Need help setting up Input Actions? [Click here]
💡 New to the Input System? [Start here].

Prototyping inputs quickly allows you to test whether input is being detected without writing full systems or deep logic. This is incredibly useful — especially when you’re just starting out or working on complex projects with many input types. It gives you a simple way to validate that your input setup is functioning before committing to full implementation.

Unity’s official scripting API includes a helpful “How do I…?” section, where you’ll find methods for checking input states frame-by-frame. One of the most useful tools for prototyping is checking whether a specific key is being pressed on the current frame.

How to Do It

Amongst them, is the option to check if a specific key is being pressed on a given frame

The way to code this is simple:

Code Breakdown

• Access the Keyboard class.
• The Keyboard.current class allows you to check the state of any key.
• Select your key For example:
• Keyboard.current.spaceKey refers to the spacebar.
• Check the key state. Use
• .isPressed or .wasPressedThisFrame to check the key’s condition.
• Test the input
  Print a message to the console to confirm the key press was detected.

This quick and easy method can save you significant time when prototyping with Unity’s New Input System.

The Result

You now have a lightweight way to test input behavior before building out full input logic. This workflow is perfect for prototyping, debugging, or validating that your bindings are working as expected.

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