Controller Setup
Cocoon Shell is built from the ground up to feel great with a gamepad. Every screen, every menu, every option — all of it works with your controller. No awkward touchscreen tapping required (though touch works too, if that’s your thing).
The Controls
Here’s your cheat sheet. We’ll use the generic names so it works regardless of what controller you’re using:
Browsing Your Games
| What you want to do | Button |
|---|---|
| Move around the grid | D-pad or left stick |
| Launch a game | Confirm (A) |
| Open game menu | Edit (Y) |
| Swap screens (dual-screen only) | Swap (X) |
| Discord friends list | L bumper |
| Status info (time, battery) | R bumper |
Menus & Dialogs
| What you want to do | Button |
|---|---|
| Move through options | D-pad up/down |
| Select an option | Confirm |
| Go back / Close | Cancel (B) |
| Adjust sliders or dropdowns | D-pad left/right |
The Dock (Bottom Bar)
| What you want to do | Button |
|---|---|
| Move between dock slots | D-pad left/right |
| Open the app or App Drawer | Confirm |
| Jump back to the grid | D-pad up |
Inside Folders
| What you want to do | Button |
|---|---|
| Open a folder | Confirm |
| Close / Go back | Cancel |
Media Picker (Choosing Artwork)
| What you want to do | Button |
|---|---|
| Switch between sources and images | D-pad left/right |
| Browse images | D-pad |
| Download the selected image | Confirm |
| Change search term | Edit (Y) |
| Go back | Cancel |
Settings
| What you want to do | Button |
|---|---|
| Switch tabs | L / R bumpers |
| Move through settings | D-pad up/down |
| Toggle or open a setting | Confirm |
| Go back | Cancel |
How Navigation Works
You might be wondering: “What if I’m in a menu inside a folder inside the settings?” Cocoon uses a layered system — pressing Cancel always takes you back one step:
- You start on the game grid.
- Navigate down to the dock.
- Open a folder (layers on top).
- Press Edit and a menu appears.
- Go into an edit dialog.
Each Cancel press peels back one layer. You can never get stuck — just keep pressing Cancel and you’ll always find your way back.
Corner Hints
You’ll notice small button labels in the bottom corners of the screen — like “X: Swap” and “Y: Menu.” These are there to help you learn the controls.
Once you’ve got the hang of things, you can turn them off for a cleaner look:
Settings → Appearance → Corner Hints
No Controller? No Problem
Keyboard
Arrow keys work as D-pad, Enter as Confirm, Escape as Cancel.
Touchscreen
- Tap a game to launch it
- Swipe to scroll the grid
- Long press for context menus
- Pinch to zoom in or out on the grid