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How to Pair a Wii Remote with Dolphin Emulator

Connect a physical Wii Remote by selecting Real Wii Remote in Dolphin, refreshing, and pressing 1 + 2 together. Here’s how to troubleshoot and when other connection methods matter.
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To pair a physical Wii Remote with Dolphin, set its controller slot to Real Wii Remote, select Refresh, then press 1 + 2 together on the remote. For a -TR model, press its Sync button instead. Do not pair it through your computer’s Bluetooth settings.

Pair a Wii Remote with Dolphin

  1. Open Dolphin’s controller configuration and find the Wii Remote slot you want to use. Set that slot to Real Wii Remote.

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  2. In the Wii Remote configuration area, select Refresh.

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  3. Press 1 + 2 on the Wii Remote at the same time. On a -TR model, press the remote’s Sync button instead.

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  4. Wait for Dolphin to detect the remote. If you want Dolphin to keep looking for remotes without manually refreshing, enable Continuous Scanning. With a game running or the Wii Remote configuration window open, press 1 + 2 or Sync to connect.

Dolphin advises: “Do not pair the Wii Remote to your computer through its native Bluetooth settings.” The operating system may interfere with Dolphin’s connection. Follow Dolphin’s controller configuration guide for the current configuration controls.

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If Dolphin does not find the remote

If the remote disconnects during a game

Some games may behave as though a remote disconnected after it has been inactive, even when it remains connected to Dolphin. Reconnect it using Tools → Connect Wii Remotes → Connect Wii Remote #, the corresponding hotkey, or a button press on the remote. Dolphin does not automatically turn off Wii Remotes except on Linux; to switch one off, hold its power button.

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Other connection methods and when to use them

Method Setup and hardware Tradeoffs
Real Wii Remote Choose Real Wii Remote for the slot and connect through Dolphin’s Refresh or Continuous Scanning controls. The standard route for using a physical remote directly. Avoid OS-level Bluetooth pairing.
Bluetooth passthrough Uses a compatible Bluetooth adapter for a more direct hardware mode. Compatibility varies. Dolphin’s passthrough article reports historical testing of roughly 12 adapters: three failed altogether and two had serious issues. This is not a current compatibility ranking. Passthrough cannot be mixed with Real Wii Remotes on emulated Bluetooth, and savestates have limitations. See Dolphin’s Bluetooth passthrough guide.
DolphinBar Sync remotes to the bar using its manual, then select Real Wii Remote slots in Dolphin. It is a separate hardware route and cannot be used for Bluetooth passthrough. See the DolphinBar manual and support materials.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

Using a Wii Remote in netplay

Dolphin’s netplay guide supports emulated Wii Remotes, not the Real Wii Remote mode. A physical remote can still be connected and used as an emulated controller. See Dolphin’s netplay guide for controller setup details.

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Quick Recap

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