Batocera has no single keyboard-and-mouse control screen for every system. Choose the setting that matches the job: change the keyboard layout, map a Batocera gamepad to keyboard keys, adjust an emulator’s controls, or enable mouse input in a particular game or system.
Identify which controls you need to change
These settings operate at different layers. Changing the keyboard layout affects which characters keys produce; it does not remap gameplay. A pad-to-keyboard profile translates buttons on a RetroPad into keyboard presses. An emulator’s controller utility changes how that emulator interprets input, while mouse gameplay options depend on the system or game.
- Typing the wrong symbols: change the keyboard layout.
- Playing a keyboard-only game with a controller: create a pad-to-keyboard profile.
- Changing a specific emulator’s controller setup: use its configuration utility or remapping options.
- Pointing, clicking, or using a mouse as a paddle: check the game or system’s mouse settings.
Change the keyboard layout
Set the layout in Batocera’s configuration file, /userdata/system/batocera.conf, using the system.kblayout property. Keymap names are listed in /usr/share/keymaps/; enter the keymap name without its directory path or file extension.
system.kblayout=fr-latin1The example selects the fr-latin1 keymap. Batocera documents this setting on its network troubleshooting page. That page includes some version-specific guidance for terminal shortcuts, so check the instructions for your installed version if a navigation route differs.
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Use the keyboard in Batocera’s frontend
Batocera’s supported-controller guide lists these keyboard defaults in EmulationStation:
| Key | Frontend action |
|---|---|
| Space | Open the main menu |
| Backspace | Open the contextual menu |
| Enter | Select |
| Escape | Go back |
These are frontend controls, not universal in-game bindings. Batocera’s controller configuration generator does not treat a physical keyboard as a controller, so game bindings can depend on the emulator. If a game needs different keys, use its emulator’s own configuration or a pad-to-keyboard profile as appropriate. See Batocera’s supported controllers guide.
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Map a gamepad to keyboard keys
For a game that expects keyboard input but that you want to play with a Batocera RetroPad, create a pad-to-keyboard configuration for the game:
- Select the game in the Batocera interface.
- Press Select.
- Open Advanced System Configuration.
- Choose Create pad to keyboard configuration.
- Assign a keyboard key to each RetroPad button you want to use.
Batocera documents per-game mapping files such as padto.keys or game_name.keys, stored next to the ROM or in the Windows game directory. System-wide profiles can be stored under /userdata/system/configs/evmapy/system-name.keys. A game-specific configuration takes precedence: if the game has its own configuration, it will not use the system-wide profile. The full process and file locations are in Batocera’s remapping guide.
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Change controls inside an emulator
Generic Batocera controller mapping and an emulator’s own controller settings are separate. Some emulators provide a configuration utility instead of using the same remapping menu, and exact options vary by emulator.
Dolphin
To open Dolphin’s controller settings, press F1 to open Files, then go to Applications → dolphin-config → Controllers. A keyboard and mouse are needed to navigate these menus. Batocera’s remapping guide also covers core- and game-level remap options; consult the relevant emulator’s instructions for its exact controls.
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Model 2
Batocera’s Model 2 instructions say a keyboard and mouse are required to configure its controller settings. Run the game once, open model2-config from the file manager, load the ROM in that utility, and then change the controls. See the Model 2 setup page.
Use a mouse for gameplay
Mouse behavior is system-specific. A mouse might be the game’s intended input, an optional pointer, or a paddle control; a mouse used to navigate a configuration utility does not automatically become an in-game control.
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ScummVM
Batocera describes most ScummVM games as point-and-click games designed for mouse play. If you do not have a mouse, the left analog stick can move the cursor. For a game whose controls are not configured automatically, Batocera’s ScummVM guidance describes adding a pad-to-keyboard profile. See the ScummVM page.
DICE
To use one mouse as Paddle 1, select the game and open Advanced Game Options → Controls → Use Mouse Pointer for Paddle 1. Keyboard or gamepad input may still be useful for providing enough buttons. Batocera points to its input-driver settings for more advanced multiple-mouse configurations; see the DICE page.
Troubleshoot unexpected keyboard input
- Symbols do not match the keycaps: check
system.kblayout; a non-default locale can produce unexpected symbols in programs that assume a US layout. - Some simultaneous key presses are missed: anti-ghosting behavior varies by keyboard and can limit which combinations register.
- Input feels delayed: high keyboard debounce settings can add input delay.
- A mapped controller is ignored: check whether the game has its own profile, which can override the system-wide pad-to-keyboard profile.
- Mouse works in menus but not in the game: check that the game or system supports mouse gameplay and has the relevant option enabled.
Batocera’s keyboard support notes describe the locale, anti-ghosting, and debounce considerations as general behavior, not as a diagnosis for a particular keyboard.
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