You can set one detached Joy-Con to horizontal mode on a Nintendo Switch, but Epic’s and Nintendo’s documentation does not confirm that Fortnite can be played with only that controller. To try it, pair the Joy-Con in the Switch’s Change Grip/Order screen and press SL + SR. If Fortnite does not recognize the setup or you need a full controller layout, use both Joy-Con together or a Nintendo Switch Pro Controller.
How to set one Joy-Con to horizontal mode
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From the Nintendo Switch HOME Menu, select Controllers.
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Select Change Grip/Order.
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Hold the Joy-Con sideways and press SL + SR on it to register it in horizontal mode.
This changes how the Switch configures the Joy-Con; it does not guarantee that Fortnite supports playing with one. Nintendo says the holding position available within a game depends on that software’s single- and multiplayer options. Nintendo’s Joy-Con holding-position guidance explains that distinction.
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- Two Joy Con can be used independently in each hand, or together as 1 game controller when attached to the Joy Con grip
- They can also attach to the main console for use in handheld mode, or be shared with friends to enjoy two player action in supported games
- Each Joy Con has a full set of buttons and can act as a standalone controller, and each includes an accelerometer and gyro sensor, making independent left and right motion control possible
Does Fortnite support one Joy-Con?
Fortnite is available on Nintendo Switch, but the official Epic and Nintendo information reviewed does not confirm that one detached original Joy-Con is a complete Fortnite controller. That is not the same as a documented finding that it is categorically incompatible: the available guidance simply does not establish single-Joy-Con support for Fortnite.
Fortnite’s custom controller bindings can change supported button assignments, but Epic’s instructions do not say remapping supplies all the inputs the game needs or makes a single Joy-Con sufficient.
Try custom controller bindings
If Fortnite recognizes the controller but you want to adjust its button assignments, Epic documents this route:
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Open Fortnite and press +.
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Select the Settings gear, then the controller icon.
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Choose Controller Binding Presets and set the preset to Custom.
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Assign actions to the controller inputs Fortnite recognizes.
These settings are for changing recognized inputs; they do not confirm that Fortnite will accept one Joy-Con or that every required action can be assigned to it.
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Both Joy-Con together: Use the left and right Joy-Con as a combined controller.
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Nintendo Switch Pro Controller: Nintendo documents this as a full-controller alternative. Nintendo counts the left and right Joy-Con separately when they are paired wirelessly; a Pro Controller counts as one controller.
What changes on Nintendo Switch 2?
Epic lists Nintendo Switch, Switch Lite, and Switch 2 as Fortnite platforms. On Switch 2, original Switch controllers, including the Pro Controller, can be used. However, Switch 2 mouse functionality is a separate feature: Epic says, “Mouse controls do not work with the original Joy-Con controllers.” That statement concerns mouse controls, not whether an original Joy-Con can be used in another controller configuration. Epic’s Switch 2 announcement distinguishes original Joy-Con from Joy-Con 2 mouse support.
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