Customizing Button Layouts for Gaming Controllers on Any System

Adjusting button layouts in video games is a crucial feature that enhances gaming comfort, improves your skills, and makes the experience more inclusive for new players. However, not every game supports full control customization, and some provide only limited options. Even when games allow extensive input adjustments, modifying settings for each title can become repetitive.

Fortunately, most modern gaming systems come with built-in accessibility features that let you remap controls universally, applying to all games and apps on the device—even those without native customization support.

Here are straightforward instructions for remapping button inputs on the following platforms:

• PlayStation 4

• PlayStation 5

• Xbox One and Series X/S

• Nintendo Switch

• PC

• Android

• iOS/iPadOS/tvOS

Before diving into the steps, a quick heads-up: System-level control remapping is handy but can lead to in-game confusion. While newer games may adjust on-screen prompts to match your settings, older games won’t update their instructions.

For instance, if you remap the “X” button to the “R1” trigger, the game might still prompt you to press “X.” Despite this, the remapped controls will function as intended—pressing “R1” will execute the action even if the game says “X.” Just keep this in mind before launching a game after adjusting your controller settings.

Nintendo Switch

These steps apply to Switch Joycons, the Pro Controller, and the Switch Lite.

1. Press the Home button, then choose the gear-shaped Settings icon from the bottom menu.

2. Navigate to System Settings > Controllers and Sensors > Change Button Mapping.

3. Pick the controller you wish to remap from the list, then click “Change.”

4. Follow the on-screen instructions to remap your Switch controller’s buttons (Note: the Home, Sync, power, and volume buttons cannot be remapped or disabled).

5. Once you’re happy with your new configuration, select “Back,” then “Done” to save your changes.

Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One

Standard controller

1. Press the Xbox button to open the Xbox Guide menu.

2. Choose Profile and System.

3. Go to Settings > Ease of Access > Controller > Button Remapping.

4. Follow the instructions to remap your controller’s buttons.

Xbox Elite controller and Xbox adaptive controllers

1. Press the Xbox button to bring up the Xbox Guide menu.

2. Navigate to My games & apps > See all > Apps.

3. Launch the “Xbox Accessories” app.

4. Scroll to your controller and click “Configure.”

5. Choose an existing profile or create a new one.

6. In the profile menu, go to the “Mapping” tab and follow the on-screen instructions to remap your controls.

PlayStation 5

1. Press the PS button on your DualSense controller to access the PS5 home screen.

2. Scroll to and select “Settings.”

3. Go to Accessibility > Controllers > Custom Button Assignments.

4. Turn on “Enable Custom Button Assignments.”

5. Choose “Custom Button Assignments” and follow the on-screen guide to remap your buttons.

6. You can also select “Switch the Left and Right Analog Sticks” to reverse their functions.

PlayStation 4

1. Press the PS button on your DualShock 4 controller, then navigate to Settings > Accessibility.

2. Select “Customize Button Assignments.”

3. Use the menu to remap your controller’s buttons.

4. Click “Confirm” to save your changes.

Apple (iOS, iPadOS, Apple TV)

Apple devices are compatible with a wide range of Bluetooth gaming controllers, and the company is gradually introducing features like button remapping in the Settings app. While Xbox controllers now have full customization support on iOS, many other gamepads can also be reconfigured.

1. Pair a compatible controller with your Apple device using Bluetooth.

2. Launch the Settings app and navigate to General > Game Controller > Customizations.

3. Enable “Enable Customizations.”

4. Adjust the input settings as needed. The options will differ based on the controller model. For instance, Xbox controllers will display A, B, X, and Y buttons, while PlayStation controllers will show triangle, square, circle, and cross buttons.

5. You can also set up custom input profiles for specific games by scrolling to the bottom of the customization menu, tapping “Add app,” and selecting the desired app or game.

Android

Android lacks extensive built-in controller customization options, and there’s no native way to remap buttons through the Settings app. To fully customize your Bluetooth controller on Android, you’ll need third-party apps like Mantis Gamepad or 8bitDo’s remapper tool (for compatible controllers).

PC

There are numerous ways to remap controls on a PC. For simplicity, we’ll focus on the two easiest methods: utilizing Steam’s controller settings and the Windows 10 Xbox Accessories app. These options should handle most games and controllers. If these don’t work, there are other solutions available, including official and unofficial apps or in-game settings.

Remapping controls in Steam

Note: Steam simplifies the process of applying custom controls, but you’ll need to configure them individually for each game.

1. Connect a Steam-compatible controller to your PC via USB or Bluetooth (check Steam’s supported controller list here).

2. Launch Steam and enable Big Picture Mode. If it’s your first time using the controller, go to Settings > Controller Settings > Add Controller, then follow the setup instructions.

3. Navigate to the Library tab and select a game.

4. Click Manage Game > Controller Configuration.

5. Customize the layout or choose “Browse” to import a user-created layout.

6. Save your changes and repeat these steps for other games.

Customize button layout in the Xbox Accessories App for Windows

This method is compatible with Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox Elite, and Xbox Adaptive controllers when connected to a PC.

1. Download the Xbox Accessories app from the Microsoft Store.

2. Connect your Xbox controller to your PC.

3. Launch the Xbox Accessories app and choose your controller.

4. Click “Configure.”

5. Pick an existing profile or create a new one.

6. In the Configure menu, use the drop-down menus to set your preferred inputs or choose from pre-defined mappings.

7. Click “Back” to save your changes.

8. Ensure the controller profile is assigned to Slot 1.

9. Close the app and start gaming.

Updated 3/4/22 with new details.