Tutorial
Updated
How to use Joy-con in split mode when SL/SR button are broken
It happened to many of us : SL/SR buttons doesn't work anymore for left joy-con, right joy-con or even both of them at the same time (which happened to me).
You can repair them by replacing the cable as you know, but what if you just want to play games that doesn't use SL/SR buttons ?
Or what if, like in my case, your SR button is dead on the motherboard, even than you tried a ton of fresh cables ?
Well, you have a bunch of solutions :
Just go to your Switch system settings > Controllers and Sensors > Change Button Mapping.
Then select the problematic Joy-Con and choose "Change". Now remap SL/SR buttons with whatever you want e.g. L/ZL AND remap L and ZL to whatever other button to avoid conflict and not be able to sync Joy-cons.
Then, sync your Joy-Cons with the new buttons corresponding to SL/SR ! You can save profiles to make things easier by switching between default and custom mapping.
In your Switch Home Menu, go to "Controllers" settings with your Joy-Cons attached to the Switch. Then "Change Grip/Order". Remove your working Joy-Con and sync it as a horizontal controller with SL+SR. Then attach that Joy-con back to the Switch and validate with the button (it'll quit the sync menu and will go back to controller menu). Attach that Joy-Con back to the Switch.
Now detach the other Joy-Con (the broken one, with SL/SR not working) without going to Change Grip/Order menu : your broken Joy-Con is now synced as an horizontal controller ! You just have to play any game (that doesn't need to do SL+SR at the main menu like Mario Kart 8...) and you can add the working Joy-Con as a second player.
Note that I tried this on SX OS, I don't know about other hack like Atmosphere, but in theory it should be possible.
- Install Retroarch on your SD Card.
- Launch the game you want to play in multiplayer or with a single Joy-Con
- Press "Home" (don't quit the game)
- In home menu, go to 'Album" (it's SX OS menu shortcut), then "homebrews", and load retroarch.
- In retroarch go to "Settings" > "Input", scroll down and activate "Split Joy-Con 1" and "Split Joy-Con 2".
- Now remove both of your Joy-Cons from the switch : they're both synced as horizontal controllers !!
- Now Press "Home" button on the right Joy-Con to exit Retroarch, and go back to you game
- That's it, now you can play solo or multiplayer with your broken Joy-Cons !
Of course, that method works with firmwares 10 and up, if you dontd want to remap your buttons.
If you don't have SX OS, but another hack, make sure that you're able to launch homebrews without exiting your game, and that workaround should work.
You can repair them by replacing the cable as you know, but what if you just want to play games that doesn't use SL/SR buttons ?
Or what if, like in my case, your SR button is dead on the motherboard, even than you tried a ton of fresh cables ?
Well, you have a bunch of solutions :
- Firmware 10.0 and up
Just go to your Switch system settings > Controllers and Sensors > Change Button Mapping.
Then select the problematic Joy-Con and choose "Change". Now remap SL/SR buttons with whatever you want e.g. L/ZL AND remap L and ZL to whatever other button to avoid conflict and not be able to sync Joy-cons.
Then, sync your Joy-Cons with the new buttons corresponding to SL/SR ! You can save profiles to make things easier by switching between default and custom mapping.
- Firmware 9 and under, without Switch Hack (1 Joy-Con must work)
In your Switch Home Menu, go to "Controllers" settings with your Joy-Cons attached to the Switch. Then "Change Grip/Order". Remove your working Joy-Con and sync it as a horizontal controller with SL+SR. Then attach that Joy-con back to the Switch and validate with the button (it'll quit the sync menu and will go back to controller menu). Attach that Joy-Con back to the Switch.
Now detach the other Joy-Con (the broken one, with SL/SR not working) without going to Change Grip/Order menu : your broken Joy-Con is now synced as an horizontal controller ! You just have to play any game (that doesn't need to do SL+SR at the main menu like Mario Kart 8...) and you can add the working Joy-Con as a second player.
- Firmware 9 and under, with Switch Hack (both Joy-Con can have broken side buttons)
Note that I tried this on SX OS, I don't know about other hack like Atmosphere, but in theory it should be possible.
- Install Retroarch on your SD Card.
- Launch the game you want to play in multiplayer or with a single Joy-Con
- Press "Home" (don't quit the game)
- In home menu, go to 'Album" (it's SX OS menu shortcut), then "homebrews", and load retroarch.
- In retroarch go to "Settings" > "Input", scroll down and activate "Split Joy-Con 1" and "Split Joy-Con 2".
- Now remove both of your Joy-Cons from the switch : they're both synced as horizontal controllers !!
- Now Press "Home" button on the right Joy-Con to exit Retroarch, and go back to you game
- That's it, now you can play solo or multiplayer with your broken Joy-Cons !
Of course, that method works with firmwares 10 and up, if you dontd want to remap your buttons.
If you don't have SX OS, but another hack, make sure that you're able to launch homebrews without exiting your game, and that workaround should work.
Last edited by andiandi,