How to Create a Profile for the Xbox Adaptive Controller

The Xbox Adaptive Controller acts as an interface that enables you connect devices such as accessibility switches and joysticks to create a customised controller.

The hardware itself enables lots of flexibility for setting button functions, through the large number of inputs on the back which you can use to plug in accessibility switches.

This flexibility can be increased further using the Xbox Accessories App either on Xbox One or Windows 10.

In this video we are going to introduce the basics of creating a profile, which will enable you to remap these switch ports as well as double up functions on switches using a “Shift” switch.

We are going to use the example of remapping left and right directions on the d-pad to left and right on the left joystick .

While most button functions have corresponding switch inputs on the Adaptive Controller, joystick directions need to be mapped using the Xbox Accessories App to create a customised profile.

However, “X1” and “X2” sockets on the Adaptive Controller are mapped to ‘Up’ and ‘Down’ on left stick by default.

When you create a new mapping layout you can use this as a profile which can be assigned to one of three that can be stored on the Adaptive Controller.

First we select “New Profile” and make a name for it.

Here we are remapping the switch port for the “D-Pad Left” as “Left Stick Left.”

Then we map the “D-Pad Right” as “Left Stick Right.”

Once we have mapped these switch ports, we then need to save this profile to the Adaptive Controller.Here we select the profile and save it to “Slot 1.”

We can now access this profile by pressing the “Profile” button on the Adaptive Controller and selecting the Profile 1, signified by the 1st light being lit.

Now we are using the yellow “Specs Switches” to steer Left Stick in left and right directions.

The green Ultra Light HD Switch is the A button, which is Gas, and the red one is the “B” button for Brake.

In the Adaptive Controller’s profile mapping you can also add a shift button to enable you to use a switch as two functions.

Here we will add “Menu” and “Rewind” functions to our existing “Gas” and “Brake” switches.

By adding a “Shift” switch we will be able to get four button functions from three buttons.

Here we are making the “X1” button socket our “Shift” button, which is the yellow Ultra Light HD switch on our controller setup, by selecting the “Use as Shift Button” tick box.

We are adding “Menu” as the secondary function to our “A” button and we then make the secondary function on our “Brake” button “Y” which is “Rewind” in the game.

Now if I want to rewind using the “Y” button, I press the yellow switch, which is my “Shift” button and the red switch (which is the “B” button) at the same time.

If I want to bring up the menu I can now press the yellow “Shift” switch at the same time as my green “A” button.

While this isn’t part of creating a “Profile,” we will also look at how to add a standard Xbox One Controller alongside the Adaptive Controller, as it may be useful to use them together.

In the Xbox Accessories App, assign the controller you want to ad to the same profile you use with the Adaptive controller, then select “Turn on Copilot.”Now both controllers control the same player in-game.

Here, the standard controller is used for steering the left joystick, and the adaptive controller is used for button commands.

If you have any questions, please get in touch via the links on our website: specialeffect.org.uk