# 🔗 Modes & Pairing (HOJA Controllers)

This page covers every Hand Held Legend controller that runs HOJA firmware: GC Ultimate, ProGCC, Super Gamepad+ and others. It explains how to choose a mode and how to pair over Bluetooth.

The buttons follow the **letters printed on your controller**, not their position. On a GameCube-style controller, A is the big middle button, and it's still A for Switch mode.

## Choose a mode

Hold the button for a mode while you plug the controller in or turn it on. Keep holding until it has powered up.

 ![The mode table in HHL Gamepad Config (Gamepad page > How to connect), drawn with your controller's own buttons](https://docs.handheldlegend.com/api/files.get?sig=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJrZXkiOiJ1cGxvYWRzLzU5ZGZiY2Y1LTNjZGEtNGY4OC1hMDAyLWViYzFkNmQ5NjMyOS85YzIxYTE5MS1iNTliLTQxOTktYjBjNC00YjY2ZDdmMTY0MmIvaG9qYS1tb2Rlcy10YWJsZS5wbmciLCJ0eXBlIjoiYXR0YWNobWVudCIsImlhdCI6MTc5MzgxNzAwMCwiZXhwIjoxNzkzOTAzNDAwfQ.uuzKIYexrf2cZRJr1dHcXO2zjyR5Hwu_jnvZl8wBEcc " =560x412")

HHL Gamepad Config shows this table for your exact controller: open the **Gamepad** page and press **How to connect**.

| Mode | Hold | For | Wireless | Status LED |
|------|------|-----|----------|------------|
| Auto | No button | Detects a PC, Switch or console by itself | Connects to the first saved Switch, Wii or PC that answers | Blinks while it chooses |
| Switch | A    | Nintendo Switch, phones and tablets | Bluetooth | White      |
| Steam (SInput) | B    | PC, Steam Deck | Bluetooth | Blue       |
| XInput | X    | Windows PC (Xbox-style) | WLAN dongle (where supported) | Green      |
| Slippi | Y    | Slippi / Dolphin on a PC; on a Switch 2, the Switch 2's GameCube controller (see below) | WLAN dongle (where supported) | Cyan       |
| Wii  | D-pad Up | Nintendo Wii (as a Wii Remote) | Bluetooth | Pink       |
| GameCube | D-pad Right | GameCube, Wii (GameCube port) | WLAN dongle (where supported) | Purple     |
| N64  | D-pad Down | Nintendo 64 | WLAN dongle (where supported) | Yellow     |
| SNES / NES | D-pad Left | SNES, NES | Wired only | Red        |

Not every controller has every mode. GameCube, N64 and SNES need a controller with that port. Wii mode needs the RM2 wireless module, or an ESP32 wireless module running the HCI bridge firmware (see [Update the Wireless Module](https://docs.handheldlegend.com/doc/update-the-wireless-module-esp32-vhX2Im50kN)).

**Default mode.** Without a button, the controller starts in its default mode. On current firmware the factory default is **Auto**. You can pick separate defaults for wired and for battery on the Gamepad page of [HHL Gamepad Config](https://hoja.handheldlegend.com).

 ![Default mode on the Gamepad page: one choice for wired, one for battery](https://docs.handheldlegend.com/api/files.get?sig=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJrZXkiOiJ1cGxvYWRzLzU5ZGZiY2Y1LTNjZGEtNGY4OC1hMDAyLWViYzFkNmQ5NjMyOS9jNjk0NTQ1Yi05MTZkLTRlMGQtOWE0Yy02OWJmNDA4NjY3MTEvaG9qYS1kZWZhdWx0LW1vZGUucG5nIiwidHlwZSI6ImF0dGFjaG1lbnQiLCJpYXQiOjE3OTM4MTcwMDAsImV4cCI6MTc5MzkwMzQwMH0._uCHdkY8sXjv_dEum7XlmQB_qKKhSoaAHILv4FUv-tM " =560x337")

**Configuring.** Only **Switch** and **Steam** modes connect to HHL Gamepad Config. If your default is another mode, hold **A** or **B** while plugging in to configure the controller. The app can't switch modes for you: to play in another mode, unplug the controller and start it again with that mode's button.

## GameCube controller on a Switch 2

**With a cable:** start the controller in GameCube mode with the Slippi combo, holding **Y** while you plug it in. What it becomes depends on what it's plugged into:

* **Nintendo Switch 2:** the Switch 2's own GameCube controller (for Nintendo Switch Online GameCube games), with **Home**, **Capture** and rumble.
* **Nintendo Switch:** a GameCube controller adapter (8 ms).
* **PC:** Slippi mode, for Slippi / Dolphin.

**Wireless:** on controllers that support the WLAN dongle, a **HOJA dongle** on current dongle firmware works too. Plugged into a Switch 2, the dongle shows up as the Switch 2's GameCube controller.

Either way, it doesn't take up one of the Switch 2's controller pairing slots.

With current firmware, GameCube mode's button mapping (the **Input** page in HHL Gamepad Config) also offers **ZL**, **Minus**, **Home**, **Capture**, **C**, **LS** and **RS**, marked **Switch 2 only**. Real GameCube consoles and Slippi ignore them.

## Pair over Bluetooth

Unplug the controller first. Then hold the mode button **plus Start (+)** while you turn it on.

### Nintendo Switch


1. On the Switch Home menu, open **Controllers > Change Grip/Order** and leave that screen open.
2. Hold **A + Start (+)** while you turn the controller on. It pairs and connects.
3. Next time, just turn the controller on. It reconnects to the same Switch.

Controllers with the RM2 wireless module (GC Ultimate 2) can also pair with the cable. Plug it into the Switch once in Switch mode, then unplug it, and it connects over Bluetooth from then on.

### Phone or tablet

Use **Switch mode**. Phones and tablets support the Switch Pro Controller natively.


1. Hold **A + Start (+)** while you turn the controller on.
2. Pair it from the phone's Bluetooth settings.

### PC or Steam Deck


1. Hold **B + Start (+)** while you turn the controller on.
2. Pair it from the device's Bluetooth settings.

Steam mode is meant for PCs and Steam Deck, where Steam or SDL reads it. It isn't a good fit for phones.

### Nintendo Wii


1. Hold **D-pad Up + Start (+)** while you turn the controller on. The very first time, D-pad Up alone also works. The status LED turns pink.
2. Press the **SYNC** button on the Wii. The controller pairs as a Wii Remote.
3. Next time, hold **D-pad Up** while you turn it on to reconnect to the same Wii.

In Wii mode:

* A short tap of the power button switches between **Upright** (Wii Remote with Nunchuk), **Sideways** (Wii Remote alone) and **Classic** (with a Classic Controller). The LED flashes white, yellow or blue to show which.
* **Capture** plugs in or unplugs the Nunchuk or Classic Controller, for games that ask you to remove it. The LED flashes green when it's attached and red when it isn't.
* It works as a Wii Remote Plus with MotionPlus built in, so games like Wii Sports Resort work.
* The controller turns itself off a few seconds after the Wii is switched off.

### Good to know

* The controller remembers **one host per mode**: one Switch, one PC and one Wii. Pairing again replaces it. The Wireless page in HHL Gamepad Config shows them.
* A **Start fresh** firmware install erases pairings, so pair again afterwards. So does **Reset settings** with **Everything, including pairings**, which also gives the controller a new Bluetooth address.
* After the wireless module moves to the **HCI bridge** firmware, pair your Switch and other devices again once.

## Wired play on a Switch

On the Switch, open **System Settings > Controllers and Sensors** and turn on **Pro Controller Wired Communication**. Without it, the Switch only charges the controller over USB and ignores its buttons.