Brewser DocsControls Reference
Gamepad mapping, touch, keyboard, and how to exit an app
This page is the reference for how the Switch's controls reach your app, and how players move around Brewser. For the sensor side (motion, orientation), see Input & Sensors.
Gamepad mapping
Joy-Cons and the Pro Controller surface through the standard Gamepad API
(navigator.getGamepads()), following the Standard Gamepad layout — so gamepad-aware web games
generally work unmodified.
| Index | Button | Index | Button |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | A | 8 | − (Minus) |
| 1 | B | 9 | + (Plus) |
| 2 | X | 10 | Left stick press |
| 3 | Y | 11 | Right stick press |
| 4 | L | 12 | D-pad Up |
| 5 | R | 13 | D-pad Down |
| 6 | ZL | 14 | D-pad Left |
| 7 | ZR | 15 | D-pad Right |
Axes: four, in order left X, left Y, right X, right Y (Y is inverted, per the Standard Gamepad convention — up is negative).
Nintendo A/B, X/Y. Index 0 is the button physically labelled A (bottom-right on a Switch), which is the primary/accept button — and index 1 is B (cancel). This matches the Standard Gamepad's "index 0 = primary" convention, but note the physical positions are mirrored compared to an Xbox pad: A and B are swapped, and X and Y are swapped. If you print button prompts, use the index-to-label mapping above rather than assuming Xbox positions.
Touch
The touchscreen fires standard Touch and Pointer events (and synthesises click).
Remember touch works only in handheld mode — a docked console has no touchscreen — so always
provide a gamepad path too.
Keyboard
Text input uses an on-screen keyboard overlay, driven by the controller: move the cursor, A activates the key under it, B cancels, and + submits. It's invoked automatically when a web form field needs input.
Your manifest can also declare a buttonMapping that maps keyboard
keys to Switch controls, so a keyboard-driven web game can be played with the controller.
Exiting an app
There's no single universal quit combo; instead:
| To do this | Press |
|---|---|
| Go back to the catalogue | L (the left shoulder) — pops you out of the app back to Brewser |
| Exit the app | + — published apps are configured to exit on Plus |
| Quit Brewser entirely (to the Homebrew Menu) | HOME |
| Leave an app's ad-hoc fullscreen (e.g. a video or canvas that went fullscreen) | L + R together |
Docked vs handheld
- Resolution. Apps render at 720p; docked output is scaled up to the TV. Design for 720p and it looks right everywhere — see Performance.
- Touch is handheld-only (above).
- The software cursor (for mouse-style interaction) can be shown or hidden per dock state via
the manifest's
hideMouseDocked/hideMouseUndockedflags.
Related
- Input & Sensors — motion and orientation.
- Manifest Reference —
exitGame,buttonMapping, cursor flags. - Hints & Tips — designing for the couch.