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cam8001/8bitdo-ultimate.json

Created December 6, 2025 06:05
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Configure 8bitdo Ultimate Controller for Plex HTPC on Bazzite
Raw
8bitdo-ultimate.json
{
"name": "8BitDo Ultimate Controller",
"idmatcher": "8BitDo Ultimate.*",
"mapping": {
"KEY_BUTTON_0": "enter",
"KEY_BUTTON_1": "back",
"KEY_BUTTON_2": "play_pause",
"KEY_BUTTON_3": "info",
"KEY_BUTTON_4": "cycle_subtitles",
"KEY_BUTTON_5": "cycle_audio",
"KEY_BUTTON_6": "skip_previous",
"KEY_BUTTON_7": "skip_next",
"KEY_BUTTON_8": "home",
"KEY_BUTTON_9": "search",
"KEY_AXIS_0_DOWN": "left",
"KEY_AXIS_0_UP": "right",
"KEY_AXIS_1_DOWN": "down",
"KEY_AXIS_1_UP": "up",
"KEY_HAT_LEFT": "left",
"KEY_HAT_RIGHT": "right",
"KEY_HAT_UP": "up",
"KEY_HAT_DOWN": "down"
}
}
Raw
README.md

Plex HTPC Controller Setup for Bazzite

This configuration enables 8BitDo Ultimate C controller support for Plex HTPC on Bazzite Linux.

  1. Grant device access - Allowed Plex HTPC Flatpak to access input devices:

    flatpak override --user tv.plex.PlexHTPC --device=all

  2. Create custom inputmap - Added controller button mapping in JSON format to:

    ~/.var/app/tv.plex.PlexHTPC/data/plex/inputmaps/8bitdo-ultimate.json

Installation

Copy the 8bitdo-ultimate.json file to:

~/.var/app/tv.plex.PlexHTPC/data/plex/inputmaps/

Restart Plex HTPC to load the mapping.

Controller Layout

  • A Button: Enter/Select
  • B Button: Back
  • X Button: Play/Pause
  • Y Button: Info
  • LB: Cycle Subtitles
  • RB: Cycle Audio
  • LT: Skip Previous
  • RT: Skip Next
  • Select: Home
  • Start: Search
  • D-pad: Navigation
  • Left Stick: Navigation

How It Works

Plex HTPC uses custom inputmap JSON files to map controller buttons to actions. The inputmap:

  • Identifies the controller using a regex pattern (idmatcher)
  • Maps SDL button/axis events to Plex HTPC commands
  • Supports both D-pad (HAT) and analog stick (AXIS) navigation

Troubleshooting

If the controller doesn't work:

  1. Verify Flatpak has device access: flatpak info --show-permissions tv.plex.PlexHTPC
  2. Check controller is detected: Look for "8BitDo Ultimate" in ~/.var/app/tv.plex.PlexHTPC/data/plex/Logs/Plex HTPC.log
  3. Press buttons and check log for Input received entries to verify button numbers
  4. Restart Plex HTPC after any inputmap changes
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