In RemNote you can use a gamepad controller to improve your flashcard practice sessions. A controller is easier on the wrists in comparison to using a keyboard, especially for long practice sessions, and faster than using a mouse.
Use the official Gamepad 
plugin (recommended)
The official RemNote Gamepad plugin lets you use most controllers without special keyboard modes or external remapping software. Simply install the plugin, connect your controller, and study!
For the most up-to-date supported controllers, default mappings, and known issues, check the GitHub README.
Quick Start
Install the RemNote Gamepad plugin
Connect your controller to your device (USB or Bluetooth)
Open a Flashcard Queue
Start Studying
Customizing Gamepad Controls
To change controller bindings:
Leave the Flashcard Queue
In RemNote, open the Command Palette / Omnibar
Search for: “Customize Controls (Gamepad)”
Select the action you want to change
Press the controller button you want to bind
Troubleshooting
If your controller does not work:
Click inside the RemNote window and press any controller button once
Test whether your controller is sending gamepad inputs here
If you just edited bindings, close and reopen the Flashcard Queue
Try USB instead of Bluetooth (or vice versa)
Still not working? If you find your controller is not working with the Gamepad plugin, please let us know! You can tell our support team at [email protected], via in-app support chat, or through the GitHub repository.
Alternative: Connecting a Gamepad in Keyboard Mode (8BitDo and others)
If the official plugin doesn’t work for your controller, you can still use a controller by mapping its buttons to keyboard keys.
Many controllers (such as 8BitDo models) support a Keyboard Mode, where each button sends a keyboard key to your device. This works on Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android.
To connect a gamepad in Keyboard Mode, you need to:
Press the syncing button on your gamepad (this will vary depending on your controller).
Controllers with multiple modes will usually have a specific combination of buttons to turn on each of its modes (For example: to start syncing an 8BitDo controller in Keyboard Mode, you need to press Start+R). Please check your controller’s manual for details on these combinations.
Go to your Device’s Bluetooth Connection Settings and select Add Device.
If you correctly set the gamepad to sync in Keyboard Mode, then you will see a Keyboard Icon with your controller’s name on it in the list of devices.
Connect to your controller.
You only need to do this process once. The next time you use your controller it will automatically connect to your device.
How to configure the controller’s buttons to answer flashcards
With your controller connected in Keyboard Mode, you can now set your shortcuts for answering flashcards to match your controller buttons.
To do that:
In RemNote, go to Settings > Keyboard Shortcuts.
Open the Flashcard Queue section.
Edit a shortcut and press the controller button you want to assign.
For example: You can set each of the face buttons (ABXY) of the controller to correspond to the 4 rating options: Easily Recalled, Recalled With Effort, Partially Recalled and Again.
Note that RemNote provides two sets of shortcuts for the ratings. This makes it easy to keep one set of shortcuts for when using the keyboard, and another set for when using a controller.
Alternatively, if your controller has a way to edit its button assignments to specific keyboard keys (not all controllers have this option), then you can edit those buttons to correspond to your already existing shortcuts. For example: you could assign the ABXY buttons to the 1,2,3 and 4 keyboard keys. Refer to your controller’s documentation for details.