diff --git a/clients/android/app/src/main/kotlin/io/unom/punktfunk/MainActivity.kt b/clients/android/app/src/main/kotlin/io/unom/punktfunk/MainActivity.kt
index 7833c9e..daf5768 100644
--- a/clients/android/app/src/main/kotlin/io/unom/punktfunk/MainActivity.kt
+++ b/clients/android/app/src/main/kotlin/io/unom/punktfunk/MainActivity.kt
@@ -79,12 +79,56 @@ class MainActivity : ComponentActivity() {
                     }
                 }
             }
+        } else if (event.isFromSource(InputDevice.SOURCE_GAMEPAD)) {
+            // Not streaming: a game controller drives the Compose UI (TV + phone). Map the face
+            // buttons to the navigation keys the focus system understands; D-pad *keys* already move
+            // focus on their own, so they fall through to super untouched.
+            val mapped = when (event.keyCode) {
+                KeyEvent.KEYCODE_BUTTON_A -> KeyEvent.KEYCODE_DPAD_CENTER // activate focused element
+                KeyEvent.KEYCODE_BUTTON_B -> KeyEvent.KEYCODE_BACK // back / dismiss
+                else -> 0
+            }
+            if (mapped != 0) return super.dispatchKeyEvent(KeyEvent(event.action, mapped))
         }
         return super.dispatchKeyEvent(event)
     }
 
+    /** Last D-pad direction synthesised from a stick/HAT — edge detection (one focus move per push). */
+    private var lastNavDir = 0
+
     override fun dispatchGenericMotionEvent(event: MotionEvent): Boolean {
-        if (streamHandle != 0L && axisMapper?.onMotion(event) == true) return true
+        if (streamHandle != 0L) {
+            if (axisMapper?.onMotion(event) == true) return true
+            return super.dispatchGenericMotionEvent(event)
+        }
+        // Not streaming: turn the gamepad HAT / left stick into discrete D-pad focus moves, so a
+        // controller navigates the menus even when its D-pad reports as axes (not key events) and
+        // for stick-based navigation. Edge-detected so a held direction moves focus exactly once.
+        if (event.isFromSource(InputDevice.SOURCE_JOYSTICK) ||
+            event.isFromSource(InputDevice.SOURCE_GAMEPAD)
+        ) {
+            val x = event.getAxisValue(MotionEvent.AXIS_HAT_X)
+                .let { if (it != 0f) it else event.getAxisValue(MotionEvent.AXIS_X) }
+            val y = event.getAxisValue(MotionEvent.AXIS_HAT_Y)
+                .let { if (it != 0f) it else event.getAxisValue(MotionEvent.AXIS_Y) }
+            val dir = when {
+                x <= -0.5f -> KeyEvent.KEYCODE_DPAD_LEFT
+                x >= 0.5f -> KeyEvent.KEYCODE_DPAD_RIGHT
+                y <= -0.5f -> KeyEvent.KEYCODE_DPAD_UP
+                y >= 0.5f -> KeyEvent.KEYCODE_DPAD_DOWN
+                else -> 0
+            }
+            if (dir != lastNavDir) {
+                lastNavDir = dir
+                if (dir != 0) {
+                    super.dispatchKeyEvent(KeyEvent(KeyEvent.ACTION_DOWN, dir))
+                    super.dispatchKeyEvent(KeyEvent(KeyEvent.ACTION_UP, dir))
+                    return true
+                }
+            } else if (dir != 0) {
+                return true // already moved for this push; swallow until the stick returns to centre
+            }
+        }
         return super.dispatchGenericMotionEvent(event)
     }
 }
diff --git a/clients/android/app/src/main/kotlin/io/unom/punktfunk/components/HostComponents.kt b/clients/android/app/src/main/kotlin/io/unom/punktfunk/components/HostComponents.kt
index 62a25dc..bf4d35d 100644
--- a/clients/android/app/src/main/kotlin/io/unom/punktfunk/components/HostComponents.kt
+++ b/clients/android/app/src/main/kotlin/io/unom/punktfunk/components/HostComponents.kt
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package io.unom.punktfunk.components
 
 import androidx.compose.foundation.background
+import androidx.compose.foundation.border
 import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.Box
 import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.Column
 import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.Row
@@ -13,6 +14,7 @@ import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.width
 import androidx.compose.foundation.shape.CircleShape
 import androidx.compose.material.icons.Icons
 import androidx.compose.material.icons.filled.MoreVert
+import androidx.compose.material3.CardDefaults
 import androidx.compose.material3.DropdownMenu
 import androidx.compose.material3.DropdownMenuItem
 import androidx.compose.material3.ElevatedCard
@@ -28,6 +30,7 @@ import androidx.compose.runtime.setValue
 import androidx.compose.ui.Alignment
 import androidx.compose.ui.Modifier
 import androidx.compose.ui.draw.clip
+import androidx.compose.ui.focus.onFocusChanged
 import androidx.compose.ui.text.style.TextAlign
 import androidx.compose.ui.text.style.TextOverflow
 import androidx.compose.ui.unit.dp
@@ -57,12 +60,23 @@ fun HostCard(
     onConnect: () -> Unit,
     onForget: (() -> Unit)?,
 ) {
+    // D-pad / controller focus highlight: a clickable card is focusable, but the default state
+    // layer is too subtle on a TV across a room — draw a clear primary-colour border when focused.
+    var focused by remember { mutableStateOf(false) }
     ElevatedCard(
         onClick = onConnect,
         enabled = enabled,
         modifier = Modifier
             .fillMaxWidth()
-            .padding(4.dp),
+            .padding(4.dp)
+            .onFocusChanged { focused = it.isFocused }
+            .then(
+                if (focused) {
+                    Modifier.border(2.dp, MaterialTheme.colorScheme.primary, CardDefaults.elevatedShape)
+                } else {
+                    Modifier
+                },
+            ),
     ) {
         Box(modifier = Modifier.fillMaxWidth()) {
             Column(