Guides
Anki from a controller
Reviewing flashcards is the one study task that a controller makes better rather than merely possible. Anki's whole review loop is four keys, and four face buttons under a thumb are faster and more comfortable than reaching for 1 to 4 on a keyboard for an hour. The built-in Anki preset does it, and this guide explains the layout and the small changes worth making.
The layout
| Control | Anki |
|---|---|
| A / Cross | Space: show the answer, then Good |
| X / Square | 1: Again |
| B / Circle | 2: Hard |
| Y / Triangle | 4: Easy |
| LB / L1 | Command Z: undo |
| RB / R1 | R: replay audio |
| L3 | Asterisk: mark card |
| R3 | Minus: bury card |
| D-pad | Arrow keys: scroll a long card |
| Left stick | Pointer |
| Right stick | Scroll |
| Start / Options | Y: sync |
| Back / Share | S: study deck from the overview |
Bottom is Good, left is Again, right is Hard, top is Easy. The positions match the rough order of the buttons on Anki's own answer bar, left to right, folded onto a diamond.
Why Space and not 3
Anki's Space key shows the answer on the question side and presses Good on the answer side, so one button carries the common path: press, read, press. Rating anything other than Good is a different button. That halves the number of presses in a review session.
Changes worth making
- Switch on Speak on the four rating rows for the first session, so a wrong thumb is caught immediately.
- Switch on Vibrate on Again, at a low intensity, so a lapse has a physical feel.
- Add Anki to the preset's auto-switch list so it activates when Anki opens.
- The preset carries a light bar colour; change it to your deck's colour if you like.
- For image occlusion or typed answers, dictation on a spare button types the answer into the field.
Other spaced-repetition apps
Mochi, RemNote, and the SuperMemo-style apps all rate with number keys or letters. Duplicate the preset, change the four outputs, and add the app to auto-switch.
Download
- Anki presetThe shipped preset, identical to the built-in one. 10 KB
Open a downloaded preset with InputConfig, or drag it onto the app icon. It lands in the sidebar, ready to activate or edit. Any launch target inside a preset file is cleared on import; add one yourself in the editor if you want it.
Questions
Can I use a single Joy-Con?
Yes. Four face buttons and two rail buttons cover rate, undo, and replay; that is the whole loop in one hand.
AnkiMobile on an iPad?
InputConfig is a Mac app. On the iPad, AnkiMobile has its own controller support.
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