Wind Waker Recomp Wiki / Controllers
Wind Waker HD Recomp controls & controllers
Default keys, the face-button setting that fixes A and B on Xbox pads, remapping, gyro aiming, rumble and the GameCube layout, plus the controls of the GameCube recompilation.
- Keyboard + mouse
- SDL3 controllers
- Gyro aiming
- GameCube layout
The port plays with keyboard and mouse, any SDL3-supported controller, or touch on Android. The Wii U GamePad’s second screen is a window (or a corner of the TV picture) that you click to touch. Below: the default keys, how to fix the face-button layout, remapping, gyro, rumble and the GameCube controller preset.
Default keyboard layout
| Keyboard | Wii U GamePad |
|---|---|
| W A S D | Left stick (move) |
| Arrow keys | Right stick (camera) |
| K or Space | A |
| J | B |
| L | X |
| I | Y |
| Q / E | L / R |
| Left Shift | ZL (target) |
| C | ZR |
| Enter / Tab | + / − |
| H | Home |
| 1 2 3 4 | D-pad up / down / left / right |
| X / V | Left / right stick click |
Keys reserved for diagnostics: P, F12, 9 and Esc. Mouse: click and drag in the GamePad window for touch; the optional mouse camera (Settings › Gameplay) captures the pointer when you click the picture, and Esc releases it.
Shortcuts
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| F1 (macOS Cmd+,) | Settings overlay; also hold Select/Minus half a second, or press Home |
| Shift+F1–F5 | Save state slots 1–5 |
| F2–F5, F6 | Load slots 2–5; F6 loads slot 1 |
| F10 | Screenshot (PNG at internal resolution) |
| F11 or Alt+Enter | Full screen (Windows, Linux) |
| Ctrl+G (macOS Cmd+G) | Show or hide the GamePad screen |
| R / 6 / 8 | Cycle resolution / 60 fps / FXAA |
Settings › Shortcuts remaps all of them, each with a key (with Shift/Ctrl/Alt), an alternate key and a controller combination such as Select + D-pad Up. Tapping Home always opens Settings.
Controllers and face buttons
- By position (Nintendo), the default: the bottom face button is the Wii U’s B.
- By label (Xbox): the button marked A is the Wii U’s A, so on an Xbox pad A accepts and B goes back (#78). Prompts turn Xbox-coloured (green A, red B, blue X, yellow Y) and shoulder prompts read R1/R2 and L1/L2.
- Automatic: follows the labels printed on the first pad you plug in, so an Xbox pad plays by label and a Nintendo pad by position.
- Since v0.5.0 each new pad gets a short setup and its own bindings; stick dead zone is 15% by default (v0.2.13), with camera inversion beside it.
- Pro Controller mode (Input menu, or
WWHD_PRO_CONTROLLER=1): keyboard and controllers act as a Wii U Pro Controller, while the GamePad window keeps its screen and touch.
GameCube controller layout
| GameCube input | HD action |
|---|---|
| A / B | A action, confirm / B sword, back |
| X / Y / Z | X / Y / R item slots (hold for the item ring) |
| L / R (full click too) | ZL target / ZR shield, crouch, rope and boat actions |
| Control stick / C-stick | Move / camera, aim and baton directions |
| Start (tap) | Plus: items, collection and maps |
| D-pad | Up baton, down, left ship cannon, right salvage |
| Hold Start + D-pad up | Right stick click: first-person view |
| Hold Start + D-pad down / left / right | Minus (Off-TV Play) / L / Home |
L and R act at 25% travel. Select a controller under Bindings for to keep its layout separate. The README notes that no real adapters have been tested yet: choose GameCube manually if an 8BitDo receiver cannot identify the attached pad.
Gyro aiming and rumble
- Gyro (Settings › Controls › Controller › Gyro…, off by default): in first person the camera turns as the virtual GamePad moves. Sources: a DualSense, DualShock 4, Switch Pro, Joy-Con or Steam Deck gyro; a Cemuhook (DSU) server such as DS4Windows or BetterJoy (127.0.0.1:26760 by default); or the mouse for Steam Input’s “gyro to mouse”.
- Rumble: what the game asks the GamePad’s motor to do reaches any connected controller with a motor (on/off, or half strength where it alternates). Controls › Controller › Rumble turns it off;
WWHD_RUMBLE=0starts with it off. The development build fixes macOS rumble again (#464).
Steam Deck and Android handhelds
On a Steam Deck in Gaming Mode, hold View for half a second to open settings and map the back buttons to keys for save states (Steam Deck guide). On Android, the AYN Thor and Odin’s built-in buttons sit in their Nintendo positions, touch buttons hide while a controller is connected, and holding Select / − opens settings (Android guide).
GameCube Wind Waker Recomp controls
| Action | Keyboard and mouse | Controller |
|---|---|---|
| Move | W A S D | Left stick |
| Camera (C-stick) | T F G H, or the mouse | Right stick (fast camera) |
| A, B, X, Y | J, K, U, I | Face buttons |
| L, R, Z | E, R, Q | Triggers, right bumper |
| Start | Return | Start |
| Jump / Sprint | Space / Shift | Left bumper / left stick click |
| Settings | F1, or Esc | Back (Mac) |
| Save state / load latest | F5 / F8 (Windows), F9 (Mac) | — |
| Frame interpolation / frame rate | F10 / F9 (Windows) | — |
In the GameCube recompilation the right stick turns the camera directly (the game’s eased C-stick camera is an option), controllers act as a GameCube pad, and the game’s vibration is shaped by strength, with Xbox impulse triggers and DualSense trigger vibration.
Controllers that suit it Any SDL3-supported pad works; these five are well suited to it.
- Xbox Wireless Controller: set Face buttons to “by label” or Automatic for A-to-accept and Xbox-coloured prompts
- Sony DualSense Wireless Controller: its gyro drives gyro aiming and its motors take the game’s rumble
- 8BitDo Ultimate 2 Wireless Controller: a wireless pad for PC, Mac or a docked handheld
- GameSir G8 Plus Bluetooth controller: a telescopic controller for Android phones
- Backbone One (USB-C): a USB-C phone controller for Android
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Frequently asked questions
Which controllers work with Wind Waker HD Recomp?
Xbox, PlayStation, Switch Pro and MFi controllers through SDL3 (and GameController.framework on macOS, which also reads generic HID pads such as a Steam Controller). Android phones and handhelds use their built-in, Bluetooth or USB controllers. A controller acts as the Wii U GamePad’s buttons and sticks.
Why is A on the wrong button with an Xbox controller?
By default buttons map by position, as on a Nintendo pad: the bottom face button is the Wii U’s B. Switch Face buttons to “by label (Xbox)” in Settings (F1) › Controls, or to Automatic, which follows the labels printed on the first pad you plug in.
How do I remap buttons?
Input › Controls… (also in the settings overlay): click a button or stick direction on the controller drawing, then press a key or controller input. Each input has a key, an alternate key and a controller binding; right-click clears. Saved in controls.json; delete it to restore defaults.
Does gyro aiming work?
Yes, off by default: Settings › Controls › Controller › Gyro…. Sources are a controller’s gyro (DualSense, DualShock 4, Switch Pro, Joy-Con, Steam Deck), a Cemuhook (DSU) server, or the mouse for Steam Input’s “gyro to mouse”.
Can I use a GameCube controller?
Yes, with the GameCube layout preset (Controls, or the macOS Input menu), which follows the original manual’s layout. The README says no real adapters have been tested yet; v0.5.1 added the GameCube adapter on Windows (#357) and GameCube button prompts.
Where is the GamePad screen?
In its own window by default. The Display settings can put it in a picture-in-picture corner, show it automatically when it changes, hide it, or show it alone in the TV window. Click or drag in it to use the touch screen.