Create a per-core controller remap in RetroArch on Android
Connect one controller, confirm its autoconfig profile, assign it to the intended RetroPad port, then change controls in Quick Menu → Controls. Save a Core Remap only when every game using that core should inherit the mapping; use Game Remap for an exception. A remap changes the core-facing controls, not Android's device profile.
Do this in order
- 01
Record the RetroArch package, core and version, controller model, Android connection method, and one authorized test game.
- 02
In Settings → Input, confirm the device is recognized and assigned to the intended RetroPad port before opening core controls.
- 03
Launch the test game, open Quick Menu → Controls, and change one core action while keeping a known menu-access route.
- 04
Save Game Remap for one title, Content Directory Remap for a curated folder, or Core Remap only for the whole core.
- 05
Close content, relaunch, and test directions, simultaneous buttons, hotkeys, and a second game that should or should not inherit the change.
- 06
Export the remap and record its scope; restore defaults before diagnosing an Android autoconfig failure.
Decision and diagnostic table
| Layer | Controls | Use when |
|---|---|---|
| Android/autoconfig | Physical device to RetroPad | Device is missing or misidentified |
| Port assignment | Which player receives input | Input reaches the wrong player |
| Core remap | RetroPad to core actions | A core needs a shared layout |
| Game remap | One title's exception | Only one game differs |
A remap is not an autoconfig profile
Autoconfiguration describes the physical controller. A core remap sits later in the input chain and changes what the selected core receives.
Choose the narrowest scope
Start with a game remap while testing. Promote it only after a second authorized game proves that the layout is genuinely core-wide.
Keep an escape route
Do not overwrite the only menu control until an external keyboard, gesture, or known hotkey can restore defaults.
Use only game, firmware, artwork, and configuration files you created, dumped lawfully, or received under permission covering your use. Emulator compatibility never grants content rights; do not use unauthorized ROM, BIOS, CHD, artwork, or music mirrors.