Use Armoury Crate SE to remap the ASUS ROG Ally’s controls. Open Settings → Control Mode → Configure, choose Gamepad Mode or Desktop Mode, select a button and assign its new function. For a mapping that should apply only to one game, create or edit that game’s profile in the Armoury Crate SE Game Library.
Choose where the remap should apply
Ally mappings depend on the active control mode or game profile. A change made for Gamepad Mode will not necessarily affect Desktop Mode, and a game profile can take precedence when that game is active.
| Setting | Use it for | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Gamepad Mode | Games that recognize the Ally as a controller and use gamepad inputs. | Choose this when you want a replacement controller input, such as mapping A to B. |
| Desktop Mode | Windows navigation, launchers, Steam’s desktop interface, and apps or games that need mouse or keyboard input. | Controller buttons can act as mouse and keyboard inputs. A game expecting native controller input may behave differently. |
| Auto Mode | Switching modes or profiles based on the active application. | It depends on Armoury Crate SE recognizing the app and its Game Library entry. If detection is wrong, select a mode manually. |
| Game Profile | Controls tailored to one game. | The profile is applied when Armoury Crate SE recognizes the game in its Game Library. |
ASUS explains the control modes and Auto behavior in its Control Mode FAQ. For game-specific mappings, see ASUS’s guide to Game Library profiles.
Before you start
- Make sure Armoury Crate SE is installed. ASUS’s current documentation describes the interface for Armoury Crate SE version 2.1.10.0 or later and lists support for the original ROG Ally, Ally X and newer Ally-series models. Menu labels can vary by model and software build; see the ASUS Armoury Crate SE support page for version and device details.
- If you want a game-specific mapping, launch the game at least once and check that it appears in Armoury Crate SE’s Game Library.
- Decide whether to change Gamepad Mode, Desktop Mode or a specific game profile. A mode-wide change can affect other games using that mode.
Remap a button in Armoury Crate SE
- Choose the active mode. Press the Ally’s Command Center button, open Control Mode and select Gamepad Mode for controller-supported games or Desktop Mode for mouse-and-keyboard control. You can use Auto if Armoury Crate SE correctly recognizes the app and its profile.
- Open the configuration screen. In Armoury Crate SE, go to Settings → Control Mode → Configure, then choose Gamepad Mode or Desktop Mode. This is ASUS’s documented remapping path; names or prompts may vary slightly between software versions. See ASUS’s button remapping guide.
- Select the control. Use the touchscreen, left stick or D-pad to choose a button group and then a physical button, such as A, B, M1 or M2. Select Primary Button to change the normal press.
- Choose the replacement. Select an available input category—such as Gamepad, Action, Keyboard, Numpad, Mouse or Combination Keys—and assign the desired input. The options depend on the selected mode and control.
- Test it in the intended app. Check the mapping in the game or desktop environment where you expect to use it. Test secondary combinations separately if you configured them.
What can you assign?
Depending on the control and mode, Armoury Crate SE supports remapping ABXY, the D-pad, bumpers, triggers, sticks and rear M1/M2 buttons. Available assignments include other gamepad inputs, Windows or Armoury Crate actions, keyboard and numpad keys, mouse functions, multi-key combinations, and configurable Hold to repeat behavior. ASUS documents these categories in its Armoury Crate SE FAQ.
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- Gamepad: Use a controller input when you want the game to continue receiving gamepad-style controls.
- Keyboard or Numpad: Use a key or shortcut for games with keyboard controls or for an app action.
- Mouse: Assign clicks or other available mouse functions, especially useful in Desktop Mode.
- Action or Combination Keys: Use an available Windows or Armoury Crate action, or enter a multi-key shortcut.
- Hold to repeat: Configure repeated input for supported assignments when holding a button should repeat an action.
Keyboard and mouse assignments are not equivalent to gamepad inputs. A game may show keyboard prompts, respond differently to mixed input, or handle the mapping through its own input settings.
Set up M1 and M2 rear buttons
M1 and M2 can act as modifiers: hold one paddle and press another button to trigger that button’s secondary function. They can also be mapped as independent buttons. ASUS documents holding M1 or M2 with D-pad Up as a default way to open the on-screen keyboard.
Use M1 or M2 as a modifier
- In the relevant mode or game profile, select the target button and configure its secondary function.
- Assign the desired action to that secondary function.
- During use, hold M1 or M2 and press the target button.
Map a paddle as an independent button
- Select M1 or M2 in the relevant configuration.
- Deselect Set as Secondary Function.
- Assign the paddle’s direct action, such as a gamepad input or keyboard key.
Making a paddle independent changes its modifier role, so combinations that relied on that paddle may no longer work. ASUS describes the setting in its Control Mode FAQ.
Create a game-specific profile
- Open Game Library in Armoury Crate SE and find the game. Add or launch it through Armoury Crate SE if it is missing.
- Highlight the game and use the on-screen command to create or edit its Game Profile. ASUS’s guide identifies X for profile creation in the interface it describes; follow the prompt shown on your device if it differs.
- Configure the game’s control mode and button assignments, then launch the game in a way Armoury Crate SE recognizes.
Auto Mode uses the relevant profile when Armoury Crate SE recognizes a listed program. ASUS says that when no profile exists for a game in the library, Auto uses Gamepad Mode by default. If a game is not recognized or Auto selects the wrong behavior, choose Gamepad or Desktop Mode manually. See the ASUS FAQ on Auto and control modes.
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Useful mapping examples
Swap A and B in one game
- Open that game’s profile and select A → Primary Button → Gamepad → B.
- Select B → Primary Button → Gamepad → A.
- Test both actions in the game. Some games keep fixed Xbox-style prompts even when the physical behavior has changed.
Map a paddle to sprint or push-to-talk
In the game’s profile, select M1 or M2, turn off Set as Secondary Function if you want the paddle to work independently, and assign the game’s sprint or push-to-talk input. The correct key depends on the game; for example, Left Shift is used for sprint in some games, but it is not universal.
Open the on-screen keyboard with a combination
Keep M1 or M2 as a secondary-function modifier and use the configured button combination for the keyboard action. ASUS documents M1 or M2 plus D-pad Up as a default shortcut. You can also open the keyboard from the touchscreen taskbar or Command Center.
Use the Ally as a mouse in Windows
In Desktop Mode, one possible layout is A → left click and X → right click. ASUS also documents right-stick cursor movement, right bumper as left click, and right trigger as right click. Set these in the Desktop Mode configuration if you want to change the defaults or use a different layout. ASUS’s remapping guide shows A and X click assignments; its Control Mode FAQ covers desktop mouse behavior.
Buttons you cannot remap
ASUS’s dedicated guide says the Command Center, Armoury Crate, Volume and Power buttons cannot be remapped through this system. If one of these is the control you are trying to change, it is not an available assignment in the documented remapping interface.
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Fix a remap that does not work
The button has no effect in-game
- Confirm that the active Control Mode matches the mode you configured.
- Check whether the game’s profile overrides the mode-wide assignment.
- Switch from Auto to Gamepad Mode or Desktop Mode manually and retest.
- Close and relaunch the game, then verify it is listed in the Game Library.
- Test the mapping in another app to distinguish a mode or profile issue from the game’s own input handling.
ASUS says Auto selects behavior based on the active program and available profile; detection can therefore make a valid assignment appear inactive. See its Control Mode FAQ.
Steam Big Picture works, but the desktop interface does not
Open Command Center and switch to Desktop Mode manually. ASUS says the Ally’s controls act as a mouse in Steam’s ordinary desktop interface after this switch; Big Picture Mode is treated differently.
M1 or M2 triggers an unwanted second action
Open the relevant profile, select the paddle and deselect Set as Secondary Function if you want it to stop acting as a modifier. Assign it a direct function if needed.
Armoury Crate SE is missing or Desktop Mode mouse input is unavailable
ASUS says Armoury Crate is required for the documented controller-as-mouse behavior in Windows Desktop Mode. If the app was removed, use the touchscreen to visit the ASUS support route and download the Armoury Crate SE Installer for your device.
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- Versatile compatibility: supports Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One X/S consoles and PC Win10 and above (including the game platform Steam).
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The on-screen keyboard does not appear
Try the touchscreen taskbar keyboard icon or the keyboard control in Command Center. ASUS also documents holding M1 or M2 and pressing D-pad Up as a keyboard shortcut.
The interface changed after an update
Use the current on-screen labels rather than relying on an older screenshot. Keeping screenshots of working profiles and noting which assignments are primary or secondary can make it easier to reconstruct a layout if an update changes how it appears.
Undo a mapping
Return to the same mode or game profile, select the button you changed, and assign its original input again. Verify whether the change was made to a mode-wide configuration or only to a game profile before editing. This avoids altering another profile when restoring one game’s controls.
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