An Interesting Discovery

Have you ever been in this situation: lying in bed reading on your Kobo, constantly swiping the screen to turn pages, and your arm gets tired after a while? Or on your morning commute, holding your e-reader in one hand while gripping the subway pole with the other, making it awkward to turn pages?

Sure, there are dedicated Bluetooth page turners on the market, but they cost extra money. That’s when I saw someone share on Reddit: you can use a Nintendo Switch Joy-Con to turn pages on a Kobo!

Wait, gaming controllers can do that?

Yes! And it works surprisingly well. As someone who both loves playing Switch and reading e-books, this is the perfect crossover.

Why Joy-Con Works So Well

When you think about it, Joy-Con is actually perfect as a page turner:

  • Compact and lightweight - Comfortable to hold in one hand
  • Bluetooth connection - Wireless freedom, no cable hassles
  • Multiple buttons - Customize several page-turning shortcuts
  • One-handed operation - Just the right Joy-Con is enough
  • You already have one - No need to buy extra devices

More importantly, this “repurposing” feeling is really satisfying—something you already own, used in a different context, gains new value.

Joy-Con as Kobo page turner

Right Joy-Con transformed into a reading page turner

Quick Setup Guide

The entire setup process is actually quite simple, taking about 10 minutes. You’ll need:

  • A Kobo e-reader (Bluetooth-capable model)
  • A right Joy-Con (note: right side only!)
  • A computer (to copy configuration files)

One-Click Download Package

To make setup easier for everyone, I’ve packaged all the necessary files:

📥 Download kobo-joycon.zip (56 KB)

The package includes:

  • .kobo/KoboRoot.tgz - Bluetooth page turner software
  • .btpt/Joy-Con (R) - Ready-to-use Joy-Con button configuration
  • Detailed installation documentation

Three-Step Quick Installation

Step 1: Install Bluetooth Page Turner Software

  1. Extract the downloaded kobo-joycon.zip
  2. Connect your Kobo to your computer via USB cable
  3. Copy the .kobo folder from the package to your Kobo’s root directory
    • ⚠️ Important: Merge the folder, don’t replace it! Kobo already has a .kobo folder
  4. Safely eject Kobo and wait for automatic installation (device will reboot)

Step 2: Install Joy-Con Configuration

  1. Reconnect Kobo to your computer
  2. Copy the .btpt folder from the package to your Kobo’s root directory
  3. Safely eject Kobo

Step 3: Pair the Joy-Con

  1. On your Kobo, go to: Settings → Bluetooth
  2. Turn on Bluetooth
  3. Press and hold the small circular pairing button on the side of the right Joy-Con
  4. Find “Joy-Con (R)” in Kobo’s Bluetooth device list and tap to pair
  5. Note: The Joy-Con LED lights will keep flashing—this is normal, don’t worry

Done! You can now use your Joy-Con to turn pages.

Button Layout

Default button configuration:

  • Y button or R button = Previous page ⬅️
  • A button or ZR button = Next page ➡️

Joy-Con button layout

Clear button mapping diagram

This design is thoughtful:

  • Y/A buttons are on the face, suitable for landscape grip
  • R/ZR buttons are on the edge, perfect for portrait one-handed operation

No matter how you prefer to hold it, you’ll find comfortable page-turning buttons.

Real-World Usage Experience

After trying it for a few days, here are my thoughts:

Pros:

  • ✅ Really convenient! Single-handed operation while lying down is effortless
  • ✅ Button feel is great, much more comfortable than touchscreen swiping
  • ✅ Joy-Con is light, no fatigue from extended holding
  • ✅ Can operate blindly, no need to look at the screen to turn pages

Minor drawbacks:

  • ⚠️ LED lights keep flashing (doesn’t affect usage, but uses battery)
  • ⚠️ Only supports right Joy-Con, left one doesn’t work
  • ⚠️ Need to charge Joy-Con separately

Overall, the advantages far outweigh the drawbacks. If you happen to have a spare Joy-Con lying around, it’s definitely worth trying!

FAQ

Q: Why only the right Joy-Con?

A: Because left and right Joy-Cons have different Bluetooth identifiers, and the existing configuration file is made for the right controller. Theoretically, you could configure the left one, but you’d need to remap the button codes.

If you want to configure the left Joy-Con, here are the button code mappings for reference:

  • 304: Left button
  • 305: Down button
  • 306: Up button
  • 307: Right button
  • 312: Minus (-) button
  • 317: Screenshot button
  • 318: L button
  • 319: ZL button

References: GitHub - riking/joycon, ArchWiki - Gamepad

Q: Does it drain the battery quickly?

A: Kobo’s Bluetooth power consumption is reasonable. The main drain is the Joy-Con’s constantly flashing LED. Recommend turning off Kobo’s Bluetooth when done reading, or regularly charging the Joy-Con.

Q: Can other Bluetooth controllers work?

A: Theoretically, yes! Any standard Bluetooth game controller can work through configuration files to map buttons. The package also includes a sample configuration for the 8BitDo Micro controller.

Q: What if something goes wrong with my Kobo after installation?

A: Simply delete the .btpt folder and restart your Kobo. The Bluetooth page turner software itself is very stable and won’t affect the system.

Technical Details

The core of this solution is the open-source project kobo-btpt (Kobo Bluetooth Page Turner), which adds Bluetooth input device support to Kobo devices.

How it works:

  1. KoboRoot.tgz installation enables Bluetooth HID device support in the Kobo system
  2. Configuration files in the .btpt folder define device names and button mappings
  3. When Joy-Con connects, Kobo recognizes button events based on the configuration file
  4. Button events are translated into page-turning actions

If you want to customize buttons or support other controllers, you can edit the configuration file. The format is simple:

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prevPage EV_KEY BTN_THUMBR 0
nextPage EV_KEY 319 0
prevPage EV_KEY BTN_NORTH 0
nextPage EV_KEY BTN_SOUTH 0

Each line defines a button mapping: action event_type button_code value

Credits

Thanks to the developers of the kobo-btpt project and the Kobo community users on Reddit who shared the Joy-Con configuration. The open-source spirit makes this kind of creative crossover possible!

Conclusion

Using a gaming controller to read e-books sounds a bit absurd, but the actual experience is really great. This is the fun of tinkering—discovering new uses for existing devices, improving your experience without spending money.

If you have both a Kobo and a Joy-Con, give this combination a try. You might discover that reading can be quite “game-like”!

📥 Download the configuration package to get started

Have you discovered any other interesting crossover uses for your devices? Share in the comments!