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How to Control a Nintendo Switch or Switch 2 with Your Face, Voice, and Any Input using PlayAbility Adaptive Software

How to Control a Nintendo Switch or Switch 2 with Your Face, Voice, and Any Input

This guide explains how to use PlayAbility Adaptive Software with a Raspberry Pi Pico W or Pico 2W, connected directly to the Nintendo Switch or Switch 2 USB port — no Bluetooth adapter needed.

With this setup, you can use any combination of inputs — facial gestures, head movements, voice commands, keyboard keys, mouse motion, or connected gamepads and joysticks — to control your Switch completely hands-free or in hybrid mode.


1) What You’ll Need

  • Raspberry Pi Pico W or Pico 2W

(Supports USB connection with the Switch.)

  • USB-C ↔ Micro USB Cable

(To connect the Pico directly to the Switch dock or Switch 2 USB port.)

  • PlayAbility Adaptive Receiver Firmware (Switch USB version)

(Download the latest .uf2 from the PlayAbility firmware releases.)

  • PlayAbility Adaptive Software

(Download from playability.gg.)

  • Webcam + Microphone

(Used for face, head, and voice control.)

  • (Optional) Keyboard, Mouse, or Gamepad

(All can be combined with face, head, or voice control in PlayAbility.)


2) Flash the Pico W Firmware

  1. Enter Bootloader Mode

Hold the BOOTSEL button and plug in the Pico via USB to your PC. It will appear as a drive named RPI-RP2.

  1. Copy the Firmware

Drag and drop the .uf2 file for the Switch USB version onto the drive. The Pico will reboot and begin running the firmware.


3) Connect the Pico to Your Switch or Switch 2

  1. Plug the Pico into the Switch dock’s USB port or the Switch 2’s USB-C port using your cable.
  2. The console should detect it automatically as a wired controller.
  3. The Pico’s LED will blink during initialization and stay solid once connected.

No adapters or pairing are required — it’s a direct USB HID connection.


4) Connect PlayAbility to the Receiver

  1. On your PC, open PlayAbility Adaptive Software.
  2. Go to the Gamepad tab and enable Serial Output.
  3. Click Connect to Receiver to link PlayAbility with the Pico.
  4. The Pico now sends all your input signals — face, voice, head, keyboard, mouse, or gamepad — directly to the Switch.


5) Map All Your Inputs

PlayAbility lets you map anything to anything — from facial gestures to mouse motion or gamepad buttons.

Example setup:

Input

Type

Switch Action

Smile

Face Gesture

A Button (Confirm / Jump)

Raise Eyebrows

Face Gesture

ZR (Accelerate / Fire)

Turn Head Left/Right

Head Movement

Left Stick (Steer)

Say “Jump”

Voice Command

B Button (Jump)

Move Mouse

Mouse Motion

Right Stick (Camera)

Press W

Keyboard Key

Up / Forward

Left Stick (Physical Gamepad)

Gamepad

Left Stick (Move)

You can edit mappings anytime in the Profile Editor inside PlayAbility.


6) Hybrid Setup: Combine All Input Types

PlayAbility lets you mix software and hardware freely:

Input Type

Device

Action

Head Yaw (Turn)

Webcam

Steer / Look

Smile

Face Tracking

Jump (A Button)

Voice Command “Fire”

Microphone

Shoot (ZR Trigger)

Keyboard Keys

Physical Keyboard

Move (WASD)

Mouse Movement

Physical Mouse

Aim / Camera

Gamepad Stick

USB Gamepad

Analog Control

This combination makes PlayAbility the most flexible control system available for Nintendo Switch and Switch 2.


7) Troubleshooting

Switch Doesn’t Detect the Pico?

Try another USB port, or confirm you flashed the Switch USB firmware version.

No Inputs Detected?

Ensure Toggle Output is enabled in PlayAbility, and that your active profile includes the inputs you’re using.

Firmware Update?

Re-flash the Pico following Step 2.


Play Any Game, Any Way

Your Raspberry Pi Pico now acts as a universal USB controller, translating all your chosen inputs — from your face, head, and voice to your keyboard, mouse, or gamepad — directly into Nintendo Switch controls.

You can:

  • Steer or aim with your head or mouse.
  • Jump or attack with a smile or key press.
  • Use voice commands for quick actions.
  • Combine everything into one seamless adaptive controller.

No adapters, no pairing, no limits — just plug in and play your way.


Tip: Start with one input type, then gradually add more as you get comfortable. You can create multiple PlayAbility profiles for different control styles and games.

🎮 Play any Nintendo Switch or Switch 2 game with your face, head, voice, keyboard, mouse, or gamepad — fully customizable and inclusive.

Updated on: 01/11/2025