🧪 Supplemental B - How to use a controller to do your Anki reviews

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Supplemental B - How to use a controller to do your Anki reviews

What is an “Anki controller”?

An “Anki controller” is any device that lets you review Anki cards using a gamepad, remote, or other external controller instead of your keyboard.

Common examples include PS5 controllers, Xbox controllers, the 8BitDo Zero 2, Joy-Cons, and other small Bluetooth remotes or gamepads.

Why should I use one?

Anki controllers can make long review sessions more comfortable, especially if you experience wrist or hand fatigue from using a keyboard or mouse for extended periods.

They can also make reviewing cards faster and more enjoyable. You can customize the buttons to match your workflow, such as mapping one button to show the answer, another to mark a card as “Good,” and another to undo or suspend cards. A great add-on for this is the Contanki add-on

Overall, an Anki controller gives you more flexibility, comfort, and control over how you review.

An in-depth guide on how to set up your Anki controller lives here: https://www.theanking.com/controller

Instructions for the 8bitdo Zero 2 Controller

MacOS

Summary

FIRST. Install the Contanki Anki Add-on.

Contanki allows Anki to be used with a gamepad or other controller device. This part is simple. Install the add-on by copying the code from its AnkiWeb page.

SECOND. Reset the buttons to ‘X mode’ (can also do ‘D mode’).

(I) With the 8BitDo Zero 2 controller turned off, press and hold ‘start’ and ‘X’ simultaneously (‘B’ for D mode). The blue light should start flashing.

(II) Then, press and hold ‘select.’ The blue light should begin flashing more rapidly. Connect to your device now.

THIRD. Reset the D-pad to left joystick.

(I) Hold Select + D-pad left, to work as left joystick hat. Hold until it flashes red for it to work.

FOURTH. Key mapping.

(I) Open Anki and access the add-on settings via ‘Tools’ on the top tab.

(II) In the settings tab, select the controller you are using (in this case, 8BitDo Zero 2 - if this doesn’t show, press a button on your controller).

(III) Then click on ‘Controls’ in the top bar and map the way you like, taking into account which Anki window the settings refer to.

(IV) If you want to use my mapping, just download one of the following files and import it (custom actions don’t get added so you’ll need to add them manually first) into Contanki.

Windows

Summary

FIRST. Install the Contanki Anki Add-on.

Contanki allows Anki to be used with a gamepad or other controller device. This part is simple. Install the add-on by copying the code from its AnkiWeb page.

SECOND. Reset the buttons to ‘X mode’.

(I) With the 8BitDo Zero 2 controller turned off, press and hold ‘start’ and ‘X’ simultaneously. The blue light should start flashing.

(II) Then, press and hold ‘select.’ The blue light should begin flashing more rapidly. Connect to your device now.

THIRD. Reset the D-pad to left joystick.

(I) Hold Select + D-pad left, to work as left joystick hat. Hold until it flashes red for it to work.

FOURTH. Key mapping.

(I) Open Anki and access the add-on settings via ‘Tools’ on the top tab.

(II) In the settings tab, select the controller you are using (in this case, 8BitDo Zero 2).

(III) Then click on ‘Controls’ in the top bar and map the way you like, taking into account which Anki window the settings refer to.

(IV) If you want to use my mapping, just download one of the following files and import it (custom actions don’t get added so you’ll need to add them manually first) into Contanki. The images below are from macOS, but represent the same mapping on Windows.

IOS

Summary

For further instructions, please check out the link above

FIRST. Reset the buttons to Switch mode.

(I) With the 8BitDo controller turned off, press and hold ‘start’ and ‘Y’ simultaneously. The blue light should start flashing.

(II) Then, press and hold ‘select’. The blue light should begin flashing more rapidly. Connect to your device now. If it doesn’t show or connect in your main bluetooth settings, you can open Settings on your device and select Accessibility > Switch control > Switches > Bluetooth devices and connect to the 8BitDo controller.

SECOND. Reset the D-pad to digital mode.

(I) Hold Select + D-pad up, to work as joystick hat. Hold until it flashes red for it to work.

THIRD. Key mapping.

(I) Open Anki Mobile and click on the gear in the top corner to access the Preferences tab.

(II) In the Preferences droplist, select Review > Gamepads.

(III) Configure the button mapping as you wish.

Android

Summary

FIRST. Reset the buttons to Android mode.

(I) With the 8BitDo controller turned off, press and hold ‘start’ and ‘B’ simultaneously. The blue light should start flashing.

(II) Then, press and hold ‘select’. The blue light should begin flashing more rapidly. Connect to your device now.

SECOND. Reset the D-pad to digital mode.

(I) Hold Select + D-pad up, to work as joystick hat. Hold until it flashes red for it to work.

THIRD. Key mapping.

(I) Open Anki Droid, and access the left tab through the top left icon.

(II) Go to Settings, then Controls.

(III) Configure the button mapping as you wish through the ‘Command mapping’ section. With the controller connected, simply select the required function and click the target button.

Useful Links

Getting Started with the AnKing Step Deck Course Index

AnkiHub Documentation Index

AnKing Step Deck Wiki