Controls · Xbox · DualSense · Switch Pro · 8BitDo
Switch 2 emulator controller setup
Connect a controller, map it once, save a profile. This page is the short version, with what is and is not verified for each kind of pad.
Set up a pad in five steps
Connect it first
Pair or plug in the pad before you start the emulator, so it exists when the Controls dialog opens.
Open Controls
Emulation → Configure… → Controls. Choose the pad for Player 1.
Map the buttons
Use the on-screen prompts. If the pad is not listed, try its Xbox (X-input) mode, which 8BitDo and some other pads offer, or add it to Steam and use Steam Input.
Save a profile
Press New, name it, then press OK. Profiles can be assigned per game from the game’s Properties → Input Profiles.
Check in the game
Test movement, A and B, the shoulder buttons and the menu button in Ocarina of Time before you judge speed.
Longer notes, including Steam Deck specifics: the controllers handbook page (inherited from upstream) and gyro controls.
What we know about each pad
| Pad | What to try | Verified by us |
|---|---|---|
| Xbox (wired or wireless) | Select it in Controls; it is the common baseline | No published test yet |
| DualSense (PS5) | Select it in Controls; if it is not listed, present it through Steam Input as an Xbox pad | No published test yet |
| Switch Pro and Switch 2 Pro | Select it in Controls. Upstream issues report A/B not working in Zelda gameplay with a Switch 2 Pro and lost motion after reconnecting | No published test yet |
| 8BitDo | Put it in its X-input (Xbox) mode, then select it in Controls | No published test yet |
| Handheld built-in controls | Windows handhelds usually appear as an Xbox pad. On Steam Deck, use the Steam Virtual Gamepad | No published test yet |
The table says what to try, not what is proven. Tell us what worked: add the pad to a device report.
Questions people ask
How do I set up a controller in a Switch 2 emulator?
Open Emulation, then Configure, then Controls, pick your pad for Player 1 and map the buttons. Save it as a profile if you want to reuse it, and assign profiles per game from the game's Properties. The next release's installer sets up your controller automatically.
Does a DualSense, Xbox, Switch Pro or 8BitDo controller work?
We have not published a tested-controller list yet. The emulator reads pads through SDL, as upstream does, so a pad Windows sees as a gamepad should appear in the Controls dialog. If one does not, try the pad in its Xbox (X-input) mode or present it through Steam Input, and tell us what you saw.
Why do the A and B buttons not work in the game?
An upstream Lichii issue reports exactly this with a Switch 2 Pro controller in Zelda gameplay while menus still work. We have not reproduced it. Try another pad or the Xbox mode as a workaround, and add details to a report.
Why did my wireless controller lose motion controls after reconnecting?
That is an open upstream report. Reconnecting can drop the motion source. Restart the game with the pad connected first, and check the gyro page of the handbook.
How do I use a controller on a Steam Deck?
The upstream handbook says to use the Steam Virtual Gamepad as Player 1 in desktop mode and keep Steam running. Guarana is untested on SteamOS, so treat that as a starting point.
Play it, then help it get better
Guarana is free and open source (GPL-3.0-or-later). It ships no keys, firmware or games: you bring your own, dumped from hardware you own.
- Download: the latest release is the only official download.
- Stuck? Ask in the Discord (bugs and device reports stay on GitHub so they are tracked).
- Test: a device report needs no code and puts your device on the leaderboard.
- Contribute with your AI agent: one sentence gets Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, Cursor or Copilot to a pull request. Start at the agents page, or see open wins with numbers.
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Updated 2026-11-13. Home · FAQ · Benchmarks · Legal