Not Enough Switch Controllers? Atmosphère Users Can Turn a Mac Keyboard or Phone into an Extra Controller

Friends come over on the weekend and want to play Mario Party or a four-player round of Overcooked. You count your controllers: one pair of Joy-Con. Split apart, that is just enough for two people. The third person can only watch from the side.

Buying another Pro Controller costs three or four hundred yuan, and you might only use it a few times a year. If your Switch has Atmosphère installed, there is a much cheaper option: use Pocket Gamepad to turn your Mac keyboard, or an old phone sitting in a drawer, into a third Switch controller.

To be clear about compatibility: Pocket Gamepad only supports a Switch with Atmosphère and sys-botbase installed. It cannot be used with a stock-system Switch. The reason is explained in the FAQ at the end.

What Pocket Gamepad Can Do

Pocket Gamepad is a Mac app. After installing it:

• Use the keyboard as a controller: WASD is the left stick, K/J/I/U are A/B/X/Y, and Q/E are L/R. It works in any app, and you can toggle it with ⌃`
• Use your phone as a controller: connect the phone and Mac to the same Wi-Fi, scan the QR code in the Pocket Gamepad window, and a landscape controller appears in the browser, with two sticks and all buttons. No app needs to be installed on the phone
• Keyboard and phone input can be used at the same time: both control the same controller, and input from either one counts

It does not require extra hardware or a data cable. The Mac sends button input over Wi-Fi to sys-botbase on the Switch, and the Switch sees it as a newly connected Pro Controller.

How many extra controllers you get: one. sys-botbase only provides one virtual controller, so two Joy-Con plus Pocket Gamepad means three people can play in total. The keyboard and phone control the same controller; they cannot count as separate players.

Preparation

You need three things:

1. A Switch with Atmosphère installed, and sys-botbase already installed
2. A Mac running macOS 14 or later
3. The Switch and Mac connected to the same Wi-Fi

Install sys-botbase

Skip this step if you have already installed it.

1. Download the latest version from GitHub: olliz0r/sys-botbase
2. After extracting it, copy the atmosphere folder to the root of the SD card and merge it with the existing one
3. Restart the Switch and boot into Atmosphère

sys-botbase listens on port 6000 on the Switch. Pocket Gamepad connects to this port.

Start Playing in Three Steps

Step 1: Download Pocket Gamepad

Download Pocket Gamepad for Mac (7-day free trial, then a one-time US$1.99 purchase; notarized by Apple). The product page and release notes are at app.leeguoo.com/pocket-gamepad.

The first time you open it, macOS will ask for two permissions:

• Local Network: choose “Allow”, otherwise it cannot connect to the Switch
• Accessibility: click “Enable Permission” in Pocket Gamepad. After enabling it, the keyboard can control the Switch even when you switch to another window. Without it, Pocket Gamepad still works, but its window must stay in the foreground

Step 2: Turn on “One-Click Connect”

There is a “One-Click Connect” toggle at the top of the Pocket Gamepad window. After you turn it on, it automatically finds the Switch on the local network, connects to it, and enables keyboard takeover. Once the top shows “Connected”, you are ready.

Step 3: Assign the Controller on the Switch

On the Switch, go to “Controllers → Change Grip/Order”. On the keyboard, press Q and E at the same time (equivalent to L + R). A new Pro Controller will appear on the screen. Then press K (equivalent to A) to confirm.

For friends using a phone, open the URL shown in the Pocket Gamepad window or scan the QR code, rotate the phone to landscape, and start playing.

Default Controls

All controls can be changed on the “Controls” page in Pocket Gamepad. If you need the right stick to move the camera in 3D games, choose the “3D Action” preset, and the arrow keys will become the right stick.

Which Games Are a Good Fit

It is suitable for party and turn-based games: Mario Party, Overcooked, multiplayer mode in Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Pokémon, and various board game collections. These types of games are not too demanding on controller feel, so a keyboard or phone screen is enough.

Input is sent over Wi-Fi. For very fast-paced fighting games and rhythm games, it is recommended to test the latency yourself first and see whether it feels acceptable.

FAQ

Can it be used with a stock Switch?

No. The stock system only accepts real controllers connected by Bluetooth or USB, and neither an iPhone nor a Mac can impersonate a Bluetooth controller. Pocket Gamepad relies on sys-botbase on Atmosphère, so it only supports Switch consoles with Atmosphère installed.

How many extra controllers can it add?

One. With two Joy-Con plus Pocket Gamepad, at most three people can play at the same time.

It shows connected, but button input does not work.

Most likely, after the Switch woke from sleep, the virtual controller got stuck. Click “Reset Virtual Controller” in Pocket Gamepad, then go back to “Change Grip/Order” and press Q + E again.

Does it cost money?

After downloading, you get a 7-day free trial. After that, it is a one-time US$1.99 purchase for permanent use, with no subscription. One license can activate 3 Macs.

Does the phone need an app?

Not right now. Opening it in the browser is enough, but the Mac must keep Pocket Gamepad running. A native iPhone app is in progress. Once it is ready, the phone will be able to connect directly to the Switch without needing the Mac.

Does it work on Windows?

For now, there is only a Mac version.

What if it cannot connect to the Switch?

Check the following in order: whether the Switch is awake; whether it has booted into Atmosphère (not the stock system); whether sys-botbase is installed correctly; whether the Switch and Mac are connected to the same Wi-Fi; and whether Pocket Gamepad is allowed under macOS “System Settings › Privacy & Security › Local Network”.

Can I let AI operate my Switch for me?

Yes. I also made an open-source command-line tool called switch-use. It also connects to sys-botbase, letting agents such as Claude Code and Codex read screen text, press buttons, touch the screen, and take screenshots—for example, to help you figure out why a game will not open. The development process and real-hardware pitfalls are covered in switch-use: Let AI agents operate a real Nintendo Switch. The two can run at the same time, but agent button input also uses this same virtual controller, so do not let it press buttons while you are playing.