Remapping ControlsUpdated 2 months ago

Polycade enables you to load games from multiple different sources, i.e. our game store, Steam, ROMs, etc.

If you want to remap your controls, the process is different depending on which source it's coming from.

Arcade Games 

In Polycade AGS, arcade games use the MAME emulator. In order to remap controls for one of these games, follow these steps:

1. Launch the game.
2. Press TAB on your keyboard.
3. From here you have two options: 

• Input (general): This will remap the controls for ALL arcade games. We suggest avoiding this, as it can have many unexpected results.
• Input (this Machine): This will remap the controls only for the game you launched. 

4. Use the arrow keys on your keyboard to navigate the menu, then press ENTER on your keyboard to select an option.

5. On the next screen, you will be shown a list of the different controls. For each one you want to change, navigate to it with the arrows, press ENTER, and then press the button / joystick you want to set that control to. If you make a mistake, highlight that option and press DELETE on your keyboard, then try setting it again by pressing ENTER.

6. IMPORTANT: after remapping the controls in a MAME game, you MUST exit the game by pressing ESC on your keyboard. If you use Polycade AGS's exit feature to close the game, your remapping will not be saved and you'll need to do it again the next time you launch the game.

Console Games

In Polycade AGS, console games use the RetroArch emulator. In order to remap the controls for one of these games, follow this guide:

https://polycade.com/pages/helphq-2#/collection/2975/article/29445

Modern Games

For games that don't use an emulator, you may not be able to remap them. You can try launching the game and finding the in-game settings. Sometimes the game will offer the ability to remap the controls, but not all games allow this.

For games that don't allow remapping, you can use a 3rd party software like Xpadder, but please note we consider this an advanced configuration procedure, as it can have unexpected effects on other games if done incorrectly.

Steam Games

Steam has built-in controller remapping. We don't have a guide for this, but you can check out this one made by a Steam user:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3172761874

Resetting to Polycade Mapping

If you mess up your emulator configuration, you can reset this to the Polycade default configuration by going to the Settings in Polycade AGS. In the "Games" section, you'll find an option called "Reset Emulators". Make sure to check the "Reset Controller Maps" checkbox, along with selecting the emulator in question from the dropdown.