diff --git a/src/core/system.cpp b/src/core/system.cpp
index d59e12894..ce6e1ca01 100644
--- a/src/core/system.cpp
+++ b/src/core/system.cpp
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ void Init(EmuWindow* emu_window) {
     Kernel::Init();
     HLE::Init();
     VideoCore::Init(emu_window);
-    InputCommon::Init(InputCommon::SDL2_JOY);
+    InputCommon::Init(InputCommon::SDL2);
 }
 
 void Shutdown() {
diff --git a/src/input_common/controller_state.h b/src/input_common/controller_state.h
index b641a45cc..85124e896 100644
--- a/src/input_common/controller_state.h
+++ b/src/input_common/controller_state.h
@@ -9,12 +9,12 @@
 
 namespace InputCommon {
 
-    struct ControllerState {
-    	Service::HID::PadState pad_state;
-        s16 circle_pad_x;
-        s16 circle_pad_y;
-        u16 touch_screen_x;
-        u16 touch_screen_y;
-    };
+struct ControllerState {
+    Service::HID::PadState pad_state;
+    s16 circle_pad_x;
+    s16 circle_pad_y;
+    u16 touch_screen_x;
+    u16 touch_screen_y;
+};
 
-} //namespace
+} // namespace
diff --git a/src/input_common/input_common.cpp b/src/input_common/input_common.cpp
index ac0b51c5b..2fb898c31 100644
--- a/src/input_common/input_common.cpp
+++ b/src/input_common/input_common.cpp
@@ -13,24 +13,24 @@
 
 namespace InputCommon {
 
-//Set to nullptr until initialized by a backend
+// Set to nullptr until initialized by a backend
 ControllerBase* g_user_input = nullptr;
 
-//Event id for CoreTiming
+// Event id for CoreTiming
 static int input_event;
 
-//Ticks for CoreTiming event, same as VBlank in GPU
+// Ticks for CoreTiming event, same as VBlank in GPU
 static u64 frame_ticks;
 
 /// Callback for CoreTiming
 static void InputCallback(u64 userdata, int cycles_late) {
 
-    //Call user input plugin Poll()
+    // Call user input plugin Poll()
     if (g_user_input != nullptr) {
         g_user_input->Poll();
     }
 
-    //Reschedule recurrent event
+    // Reschedule recurrent event
     CoreTiming::ScheduleEvent(frame_ticks - cycles_late, input_event);
 }
 
@@ -45,28 +45,28 @@ Service::HID::PadState ControllerBase::GetPadState() const {
 void Init(ControllerBackends backend) {
     switch (backend) {
         #ifdef HAS_SDL
-            //SDL2 backend selected
-            case SDL2_JOY:
+            // SDL2 backend selected
+            case SDL2:
                 g_user_input = new SDLController();
                 break;
         #endif
 
-        //No backend selected
-        case NO_JOY:
+        // No backend selected
+        case NONE:
             break;
 
-        //What?
+        // What?
         default:
             break;
     }
 
-    //Shutdown immediately if backend failed to initialize
+    // Shutdown immediately if backend failed to initialize
     if (g_user_input != nullptr && !g_user_input->activated) {
         Shutdown();
         return;
     }
 
-    //Setup CoreTiming
+    // Setup CoreTiming
     frame_ticks = 268123480 / Settings::values.gpu_refresh_rate / 16;
 
     input_event = CoreTiming::RegisterEvent("InputCommon::InputCallback", InputCallback);
diff --git a/src/input_common/input_common.h b/src/input_common/input_common.h
index 15e9b99e6..14c588b00 100644
--- a/src/input_common/input_common.h
+++ b/src/input_common/input_common.h
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@ namespace InputCommon {
 
 /// Enum defining available backends
 enum ControllerBackends {
-    NO_JOY,
-    SDL2_JOY
+    NONE,
+    SDL2
 };
 
 class ControllerBase {
@@ -55,6 +55,6 @@ void Init(ControllerBackends backend);
 void Shutdown();
 
 /// InputCommon 'plugin'
-extern ControllerBase* g_user_input;
+extern std::unique_ptr<ControllerBase> g_user_input;
 
 } // namespace
diff --git a/src/input_common/sdl_input/sdl_input.cpp b/src/input_common/sdl_input/sdl_input.cpp
index 3668f06cc..c0e9c2147 100644
--- a/src/input_common/sdl_input/sdl_input.cpp
+++ b/src/input_common/sdl_input/sdl_input.cpp
@@ -27,13 +27,13 @@ SDLController::~SDLController() {
 
 bool SDLController::Init() {
 
-    //Attempt to initialize SDL with joystick only
+    // Attempt to initialize SDL with joystick only
     if (SDL_Init(SDL_INIT_JOYSTICK) != 0) {
         return false;
     }
 
-    //Attempt to open joystick with SDL
-    //TODO - Use DiscoverDevice to generate a list of available joysticks, then open the correct index
+    // Attempt to open joystick with SDL
+    // TODO - Use DiscoverDevice to generate a list of available joysticks, then open the correct index
     jpad = SDL_JoystickOpen(index);
 
     if (jpad == nullptr) {
@@ -42,12 +42,12 @@ bool SDLController::Init() {
 
     device_name = SDL_JoystickNameForIndex(index);
 
-    //If joystick successfully opened, load up keymap from input configuration
-    //TODO - Make it NOT hardcoded
+    // If joystick successfully opened, load up keymap from input configuration
+    // TODO - Make it NOT hardcoded
     joypad_id = KeyMap::NewDeviceId();
     SetupKeyMaps();
 
-    //TODO - Make it NOT hardcoded
+    // TODO - Make it NOT hardcoded
     SetDeadZone(8000);
 
     return true;
@@ -56,14 +56,14 @@ bool SDLController::Init() {
 void SDLController::DiscoverDevices() {}
 
 void SDLController::Shutdown() {
-    //Attempt to close joystick with SDL
+    // Attempt to close joystick with SDL
     if (jpad != nullptr) {
         SDL_JoystickClose(jpad);
     }
 }
 
 void SDLController::Poll() {
-    if (SDL_PollEvent(&input_event)) {
+    while (SDL_PollEvent(&input_event)) {
         if (input_event.type == SDL_JOYBUTTONDOWN || input_event.type == SDL_JOYBUTTONUP
         || input_event.type == SDL_JOYAXISMOTION || input_event.type == SDL_JOYHATMOTION) {
             ProcessInput();
@@ -72,13 +72,13 @@ void SDLController::Poll() {
 }
 
 void SDLController::ProcessInput() {
-    //Use a unique id for joystick input
+    // Use a unique id for joystick input
     int pad_id = 0;
     int val = 0;
 
-    //Generate the id based on input from an event
+    // Generate the id based on input from an event
     switch (input_event.type) {
-        //Joystick button press events
+        // Joystick button press events
         case SDL_JOYBUTTONDOWN:
             pad_id = 100;
             pad_id += input_event.jbutton.button;
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ void SDLController::ProcessInput() {
             controller.pad_state.hex |= KeyMap::GetPadKey({pad_id, joypad_id}).hex;
             break;
 
-        //Joystick button release events
+        // Joystick button release events
         case SDL_JOYBUTTONUP:
             pad_id = 100;
             pad_id += input_event.jbutton.button;
@@ -94,24 +94,24 @@ void SDLController::ProcessInput() {
             controller.pad_state.hex &= ~KeyMap::GetPadKey({pad_id, joypad_id}).hex;
             break;
 
-        //Joystick axis motion events
+        // Joystick axis motion events
         case SDL_JOYAXISMOTION:
             pad_id = 200;
             pad_id += (input_event.jaxis.axis * 2);
             val = input_event.jaxis.value;
 
-            if (val > 0) {
-                pad_id += 1;
-            }
+            // Make pad_id even or odd depending on positive/negative value
+            // Differentiates the direction of analog input
+            if (val > 0) pad_id += 1;
 
-            //If analog input is beyond dead zone, set it
+            // If analog input is beyond dead zone, set it
             if (CheckDeadZone(val)) {
                 controller.pad_state.hex |= KeyMap::GetPadKey({pad_id, joypad_id}).hex;
             } else {
                 controller.pad_state.hex &= ~KeyMap::GetPadKey({pad_id, joypad_id}).hex;
             }
 
-            //Release opposite axis
+            // Release opposite axis
             if (pad_id % 2 == 0) {
                 controller.pad_state.hex &= ~KeyMap::GetPadKey({pad_id+1, joypad_id}).hex;
             } else {
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ void SDLController::ProcessInput() {
 
             break;
 
-        //Joystick hat motion events
+        // Joystick hat motion events
         case SDL_JOYHATMOTION:
             pad_id = 300;
             pad_id += input_event.jhat.hat * 4;
@@ -228,11 +228,9 @@ void SDLController::SetDeadZone(int range) {
 }
 
 bool SDLController::CheckDeadZone(int range) const {
-    if ((range < -dead_zone) || (range > dead_zone)) {
-        return true;
-    } else if ((range > -dead_zone) && (range < dead_zone)) {
-        return false;
-    }
+    // See if the absolute range is beyond dead zone
+    if (std::abs(range) > std::abs(dead_zone)) return true;
+    return false;
 }
 
-}//namespace
+}// namespace
diff --git a/src/input_common/sdl_input/sdl_input.h b/src/input_common/sdl_input/sdl_input.h
index 3ef8bae43..4e78404f0 100644
--- a/src/input_common/sdl_input/sdl_input.h
+++ b/src/input_common/sdl_input/sdl_input.h
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ private:
     SDL_Event input_event;
 
     /// Index of joystick, used for opening/closing a joystick
-    int index;
+    u32 index;
 
     /// Keymap id for this controller
     int joypad_id;
@@ -54,4 +54,4 @@ private:
     int dead_zone;
 };
 
-} //namespace
+} // namespace