Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. Guides

How to remap controller buttons on Nintendo Switch

By

In an era when gaming has started embracing accessibility options more and more, it's rather odd that some games don't feature fully customizable controls. If you're playing games on your Nintendo Switch, though, you're in luck because the console actually allows you to remap your controller at the system level. This means you can fully customize your controller's button layout in a way that suits your playstyle or accessibility needs rather simply by following just a few simple steps in this guide.

Recommended Videos

Difficulty

Moderate

Duration

5 minutes

What You Need

  • Pro Controller or Joy-Cons

Hands holding Nintendo Switch Pro Controller.
Nintendo

How to customize controller layout on Switch

You can remap the controls of the two included Joy-Cons, a Switch Pro Controller, or the buttons of a Nintendo Switch Lite. Here's how.

Step 1: Select System Settings on your Nintendo Switch home screen.

Nintendo Switch home screen
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 2: Scroll down to the Controllers and Sensors tab, then select Change Button Mapping on the right.

Nintendo Switch System Settings
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Related

Step 3: In the next menu, you can choose which controller you'd like to remap, then select Change on the right. Note that you can return to this screen and reset your controller to its default mapping at any time.

Switch button mapping menu
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 4: You can now change the mapping of each button on your controller to best suit your needs. When you've made your changes, click Done to apply them.

Switch button mapping menu
Nintendo

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Billy Givens
Billy Givens
Gaming Writer
Billy Givens is a freelance writer with over a decade of experience writing gaming, film, and tech content. His work can be…
How to get a gun in Another Crab’s Treasure
Kril has a gun

Another Crab's Treasure no doubt looks like a kid-friendly game, but hiding beneath its charming and cute exterior is a challenging soulslike experience that can test the mettle of genre veterans. Those who either can't or don't want to engage with such intense difficulty throughout this underwater adventure can make great use of a variety of assists. Among these is a rather shocking, but hilarious option that can completely negate nearly all of the game's challenge while providing some laughs along the way. Here's how to get a gun in Another Crab's Treasure.
How to get a gun
To give yourself a gun in Another Crab's Treasure, head over to the Settings menu. Navigate to Assist Mode at the bottom of the menu, then scroll to the bottom once more to a setting called Give Kril a Gun. Toggle this on, then back out and resume your game to find that Kril now has a massive pistol on his back in place of a shell.

This new gun on your back provides you with more than just a funny visual, though -- it actually allows you to shoot and kill any enemy in a single hit, nearly eliminating all of the challenge from the game. Additionally, if you're after trophies or achievements, the first time you shoot a crab with the gun will also unlock "This Kills the Crab."

Read more
Nintendo Switch 2: release date rumors, features we want, and more
Prime Day Nintendo Switch Deals

Rumors of a Nintendo Switch 2 (or Switch Pro) have been circulating for years. Whispers of the next-gen Nintendo console first started when The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was initially teased in 2019, gained steam when the Switch OLED launched in 2021, and are increasing now that the standard Switch has been out for six years.

There's no doubt that the Nintendo Switch is a fantastic console -- it has a unique and impressive game library (with more upcoming games slated for this year), the number of features included with Nintendo Switch Online is constantly improving, and it's still our favorite portable console -- but it isn't without its flaws. There's enough room for improvement to warrant an entirely new console in the near future. Nintendo recently announced that we wouldn't see a Switch upgrade in the next fiscal year, meaning the absolute earliest we get a look at a new Nintendo console would be in late 2024.

Read more
How to unlock fast travel in Another Crab’s Treasure
Kril with a coconut shell

Another Crab's Treasure is a fantastical soulslike set deep under the ocean where danger lurks around every corner. And like other games in the genre, it's often brutally difficult to overcome the various challenges you'll encounter. As such, you may find yourself wanting to backtrack for level grinding, to uncover new secrets, or to buy additional items in the game's main hub. However, you may notice early in the game that you haven't yet unlocked the ability to fast travel between the multitude of Moon Snail Shells (aka "bonfires") you've found. Here's how and when you'll unlock fast travel.
How to unlock fast travel
In the opening hours of the game, you may notice that you can access your skill tree, which will show a skill called Shelleportation. But you may be discouraged to see that you aren't able to apply any points to it yet. That's because the game doesn't open up this feature until you've advanced a few hours into the story.

To unlock fast travel, you'll need to work your way through the first few main areas of the game until you reach a boss called the Polluted Platoon Pathfinder. After beating this baddie, you'll soon find yourself teleporting to the Moon Snail's Domain. Here, you'll learn about the power of Umami, as well as unlock access to your skill tree.

Read more