Overview

This is a rough guide to capturing paired joycon events using python-evdev on your Raspberry Pi. I tested this on a the latest Raspberry Pi OS and on a Raspberry Pi 4 Model B. When I get my hands on a clean device, I'll do a more detailed step-by-step guide.

TL;DR

You will need to install/setup cmake, python3, python-evdev, hid-nintendo, joycond. When you pair your joycons, two new entries - Joycon (L) / (R) - will be created in /dev/input. You can then simultaneously press two triggers which should create another input called Joycon (Combined).

Rough guide

1. Update packages:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

2. Install cmake

sudo apt install cmake

3. Install python3

sudo apt install python3
sudo rm /usr/bin/python
sudo ln -s /usr/bin/python3.9 /usr/bin/python

4. Update your kernel headers.

sudo apt install raspberrypi-kernel raspberrypi-kernel-headers

5. Install python-evdev

sudo apt install evdev
python list_devices.py # check if evdev works

6. Install dkms-hid-nintendo from source

git clone https://github.com/nicman23/dkms-hid-nintendo
cd dkms-hid-nintendo

sudo dkms add .
sudo dkms build nintendo -v 3.2
sudo dkms install nintendo -v 3.2
cd ..

7. Install joycond from source

sudo apt install libevdev-dev libudev-dev
git clone https://github.com/DanielOgorchock/joycond/
cd joycond
cmake .
sudo make install
sudo systemctl enable --now joycond
cd ..

8. Pair your joycons. Run python list_devices.py again to check if they were paired successfully. Press a single trigger on both joycons to combine them into a new input. Run python list_devices.py again to check for the new input.

9. The new combined joycon will have a slightly different mapping. Run python joycon.py to test the button mappings. You may have to change the device name at the top of the file.

TODO

1. Calibration

2. Step-by-step guide from clean install