How to Set Up and Use the Hori Flex Controller | Overview Video

In this video, we will give an overview of the Hori Flex controller and share some ideas of how it can be used. We will also introduce some of the compatible peripherals that we use with the Hori Flex, here at SpecialEffect.

The Flex Controller offers a way for players to use alternative access methods with the Nintendo Switch and Windows PCs.

The Flex acts as an interface into which compatible joysticks and switches can be plugged in.

These can then be used as inputs, in place of the buttons or joysticks found on Nintendo Switch controllers such as the Nintendo Switch Joy-Con or the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller.

You are also able to position these joysticks and switches in positions that are the most accessible and comfortable for you.

Playing this way also means you could share controls with another player, playing cooperatively, which means that you both control the same player in-game.

How to Connect

The Flex Controller can be used for gaming on the Nintendo Switch and on PC. In this video we will mainly be focusing on the Nintendo Switch.

To use it on the Nintendo Switch, the device needs to be in Nintendo Switch Mode.

The Flex Controller then plugs into the Nintendo Switch dock via the USB cable on the back of the device.

To use the Flex controller on the Nintendo Switch, it needs to be used in the dock connected to the TV. It cannot be used in handheld mode.

The Flex Controller does not work with the Nintendo Switch Lite.

To use it on a PC, the Flex Controller needs to be in PC mode.

The Flex Controller is compatible with Windows 11, 10 and 8.1 PCs.

To use with Windows 8.1 you need to install the additional driver software which you can find in the description for this video.

The Flex Controller plugs into the PC via the USB cable on the back of the device.

Joysticks and Switches

Joysticks

The Flex Controller allows compatible joysticks to be used, for Left and Right Stick inputs.

This is helpful for people who find the joysticks on standard Nintendo Switch controllers difficult to use.

Compatible joysticks all plug into the Left Stick or Right Stick USB sockets on the Flex.

The USB socket that you plug your joystick into will depend on whether you want your joystick to act as left or right joystick.

You can plug joysticks into both sides if you need access to both the Left and the Right joystick.

The joysticks that we use, which are currently compatible with the Flex controller, are:

· the UltraStik joystick. We use the version from OneSwitch

· the Zik-Zak Small and Zik-Zak Large from OneSwitch

· the Optima Joystick by Pretorian Technologies.

These joysticks are some of the larger ones from the range of joysticks that we use here at SpecialEffect.

The Optima, UltraStik and Zik-Zak all offer different height and footprint options.

There is also a difference in resistance and travel distance between some of the joysticks.

The Optima and Zik-Zak have a bit more distance to travel from the middle to full range, than the UltraStik.

Whilst the UltraStik requires a little bit more force to move it from centre, than the other two.

They also have a range of different compatible toppers.

To position these joysticks, we often mount them to a table tray or a laptray using Velcro, such as a Trabasack.

For larger surfaces, we may use this tray from Ikea which we’ll put Heavy Duty Velcro on to attach equipment to.

If mounting on a wheelchair tray or a table, we’ll often use a Maxess tray.

If we need to mount the joysticks even more firmly or lower down, such as where the person’s wheelchair joystick might be situated, or if the person is using a chin joystick, we may use a mounting arm.

We use the Manfrotto Variable Friction Arm with a Super Clamp.

We use a mounting plate connected to the end, to give us a flat surface.

We then use either Velcro, Heavy Duty Velcro or Dual Lock depending on how firm the connection needs to be.

Controllers

It is also possible to plug some of Hori’s Nintendo Switch controllers into the Hori Flex to use one of the joysticks on them.

These controllers also plug into the L-Stick USB or the R-Stick USB on the Hori Flex.

When plugged in, only the joystick which corresponds to the USB it is plugged into will function.

The buttons and the second joystick on the controller will not function. For example, only the Left Stick is available when the controller is plugged into the L-Stick USB and only the Right Stick is available when the controller is plugged into the R-Stick USB.

A list of the current controllers supported this way, are available on the Flex’s website.

Switches

Switches are an option for individuals who cannot use the buttons on a standard controller and require a larger size, different force or different placement.

The type of switch you will need will depend on the amount and type of movement you have, and the game that you want to play.

The Flex Controller is compatible with digital accessibility switches with a 3.5mm jack.

At SpecialEffect we use a range of digital switches with these connections. These include

· the AbleNet Buddy button

· the AbleNet Specs Switch

· the Marblesoft Ultra-Light HD Switch

· the Small, Large and Light Touch buttons from the Logitech G Adaptive Kit.

The Flex controller allows you to plug a switch in for every button on the Nintendo Switch.

Most of the switches plug in along the front, apart from the Left Stick and Right Stick buttons, which plug in on the sides next to the joystick USBs.

The Mode button on the top of the Flex Controller cannot currently be accessed using an accessibility switch.

The slider switch on top of the Flex Controller, which changes between PC and Nintendo Switch Mode, must also be operated manually.

The Flex Controller has additional buttons on the top of the device, which can be used by the player if they are accessible to them, or can be used by someone else supporting the player to use the device.

To mount switches, we use the same trays and mounting arms as we do for the joysticks, trying out different places and positions, to find the most controlled and comfortable way for the player to activate them.

Flex Controller Settings App

The Flex Controller Settings App is the Flex’s companion app which allows you to make changes to the joysticks and button assignments.

To access the app, the Flex needs to be plugged into a PC.

The joystick options in the app allow you to change the dead zone, sensitivity and orientation of the joysticks.

The button options in the app allow you to change the function of the button through remapping.

You can also assign 3 different buttons to one accessibility switch.

You can set it to ignore repeated inputs which is helpful if the user is prone to accidently hitting the switches.

You can also Toggle which allows up to 5 inputs to be assigned to 1 switch.

You can save up to 6 profiles on the Flex. These can be changed using the ‘Mode’ button on the top left of the Flex device.

If you’d like more information on the Flex app, we have a GameAccess article which goes into more detail on the features of the app. You can find the link in the description of this video.

Eye Gaze

The Hori Flex includes an option to connect it to the PC and use a compatible Tobii eye gaze camera with it.

With this set-up, you can still use the controls on top of, or connected to, the Flex itself, alongside the eye gaze.

For instance, here we are demonstrating using a ZikZak connected to the Flex, controlling the steering in Mario Kart on the Nintendo Switch.

Eye gaze is used with a Tobii PCEye camera, to look at the onscreen L button input. This is for the ‘Use Item’ action, in-game.

This action throws or drops the items that you collect from the boxes as you drive around the track, to sabotage your opponents.

I am using the game’s auto-accelerate option to drive the car forward, so I do not need an input for accelerate.

You could also potentially use eye gaze by itself, if an appropriate interface could be created for the game that you want to play.

Some games are more suited to this than others.

For instance, here, I am looking at the onscreen buttons to steer left and right in Mario Kart.

I am again using the game’s auto-accelerate option and steering assist, to help keep me on the track.

Another option is to play alongside someone cooperatively. One player uses eye gaze for some of the in-game controls, the other player uses joystick and buttons for the rest of them.

To use the eye gaze and the game on the same screen you will need to connect your Nintendo Switch to the PC that your eye gaze camera is plugged into.

You can do this with a game capture device, such as an Elgato, which we are using here.

The Elgato is a game capture device that allows you to display Nintendo Switch gameplay on a PC.

This device and software is usually used for streaming and recording gameplay.

In addition to connecting the display output to view it on your PC screen, you also connect the Flex itself to the PC via the additional USB socket on the back.

We can create an eye gaze interface in the Flex Controller Expansion App, by adding, editing and moving buttons around onscreen.

Considerations when using eye gaze may include – positioning onscreen buttons so they do not interfere visually with the game or any other onscreen buttons, whilst also placing them where you can look at them to select them comfortably and also, at times, quickly.

For more information on using eye gaze, please visit the Hori Flex site.

Cooperative Play

Different games on the Nintendo Switch require very different controls.

Some may allow a player to play with just one joystick and a couple of buttons, while other games will require every input on the controller.

For some of the people we work with, splitting the controls across two players can be one of the options that can be considered to help with game access.

For some, this may be controlling most in-game actions, but with somebody just pressing the occasional input when needed.

Or it could be using one switch to control one of the button inputs, with somebody else taking care of the rest of the controls.

For more information on cooperative play, please see our video on the subject on gameaccess.info.

Outro

We hope that this video has been a useful introduction to the Hori Flex.

For more information on compatible devices or alternative game controllers, please visit gameaccess.info.

For more information on the Hori Flex and its specifications, please visit the Hori Flex website.