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Yes—you can turn a Raspberry Pi Pico into a leverless fightstick with a straightforward button-and-wire build. The key tasks are choosing a layout and enclosure, wiring each button to a GPIO input and ground, installing the Pico-specific GP2040-CE firmware, then testing and configuring the controller.
What you need to plan before wiring
Decide how many directional and action buttons you want and where they should sit. There is no single required layout or enclosure: choose a case that fits your buttons, Pico, wiring, and an accessible USB connection. Leave enough room to route wires without pinching them when the case closes.
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GP2040-CE is community-developed controller firmware for the Raspberry Pi Pico and other RP2040 boards. Its project documentation covers input modes, remapping, configuration, and SOCD cleaning. Start with the official GP2040-CE project repository and confirm the firmware build is intended for your exact board.
How the buttons connect to the Pico
For the documented circuit, each button connects one GPIO input to ground when pressed. As the GP2040-CE wiring documentation puts it: “GP2040-CE configures the input GPIO pins to be pulled up, expecting the button to short the pin to the ground when pressed.” In practical terms, one button terminal goes to its assigned GPIO and the other goes to ground.
#1 Best Overall
- The Raspberry Pi Pico is a beginner-friendly microcontroller board that uses MicroPython to give you a taste of the Internet of Things and microcontrollers. The RP2040 is a well-designed microprocessor that can be utilized in almost any Internet of Things project. It has enough power to complete the task quickly.
- 【Raspberry Pi RP2040 Microcontroller】Raspberry Pi Pico features Dual-core ARM Cortex M0+ processor, flexible clock running up to 133 MHz. With 264KB of SRAM, and 2MB of on-board Flash memory.Supports up to 16 MB of off chip flash memory via a dedicated QSPI bus
- 【Multiple Software Support】Pico has rich and complete software support, it comes with a complete Rasberry Pi official C/C++ SDK, Micropython SDK.The programming and burning of Pico need to be carried out on the computer. Supported operating systems and computers include:Raspberry Pie with Raspberry Pi OS,Other platforms equipped with Debian based Linux system Computer with MacOS, Computers with Windows, etc.
- 【Rich Hardware Interface】Raspberry Pi Pico has 30 GPIO pins, 4 pins for analog signal input and 26 × multi-function GPIO pins, 2 × SPI, 2 × I2C, 2 × UART, 3 × 12-bit ADC, 16 × controllable PWM channels.USB 1.1 supported by host and device, The installation mode can be flexibly selected by users to facilitate welding with other development boards.
- 【Build Project in Tiny Size】Only 2.1cm*5.1cm ( as small as your thumb). Pico has been designed to use either soldered 0.1" pin-headers or can be used as a surface-mountable 'module'.
- Run a separate GPIO connection from each button to the input assigned to it.
- Ground can be shared across buttons, commonly by daisy-chaining the ground connections.
- Check the pinout for your specific board before soldering. RP2040 boards and clones may differ in pin mapping; similar appearance does not guarantee identical wiring.
Choose arcade buttons and suitable hookup wire or crimp terminals to match your case and build method. Standard fightstick parts can be useful, but check the terminal style and available space rather than assuming every harness fits a Pico project.
Install the correct GP2040-CE firmware
- Download the Pico UF2 build from the official GP2040-CE installation instructions. Do not use a UF2 intended for a different board.
- With the Pico disconnected, hold BOOTSEL while connecting it by USB. It should appear as a drive named
RPI-RP2. - Copy the Pico UF2 file to the
RPI-RP2drive. The Pico should reboot automatically when the copy finishes.
Do not use a flash-nuke procedure casually: clearing the flash also removes custom GPIO mappings and add-ons. If you have configured the board, record or back up the settings you need before wiping it.
Rank #2
- Raspberry Pi Pico: A tiny, fast, and versatile board built using dual-core Arm Cortex-M0+ processor (Comes with pinout card and stickers)
- Detailed Tutorial: Provides step-by-step guide with MicroPython, C and Processing (Java) Code (The download link can be found on the product box) (No paper tutorial)
- Example Projects: Each project has schematics, wiring diagrams, complete code and detailed explanations (Need extra items)
- Easy to Use: Just connect the board to your computer (installed IDE) with the USB cable to program it
- Get Support: Our technical support team is always ready to answer your questions
Test every input before closing the case
Connect the controller to a computer and check every direction and action button with a gamepad tester or the host operating system’s controller test interface. Adafruit’s leverless controller software guide also demonstrates testing inputs with a gamepad tester.
- If a button does not register, inspect its GPIO connection and shared ground path.
- If it registers as the wrong control, check that button’s GPIO assignment against the board pinout and firmware mapping.
- Repeat the test after any wiring or mapping change, then close the enclosure only once all inputs behave as intended.
Set input mode and SOCD behavior
After the wiring checks out, use the GP2040-CE configuration interface to select an input mode and button mapping appropriate to your setup. The project’s usage documentation describes these configurable options. Check the current documentation for the controls and modes available in your firmware version.
Rank #3
- Latest Version: Higher core clock speed, double memory, more powerful Arm cores, optional RISC-V cores (compared to the 1 series) (This W version has onboard wireless LAN and Bluetooth)
- Switchable Cores: Allows users to choose between dual industry-standard Arm Cortex-M33 cores and dual open-hardware Hazard3 cores
- Compatibility: Delivers a significant performance boost, while retaining software- and hardware-compatible with the 1 series
- Detailed Tutorial: Provides step-by-step guide with MicroPython, C and Processing (Java) Code (The download link can be found on the product box) (No paper tutorial)
- Example Projects: Each project has schematics, wiring diagrams, complete code and detailed explanations (Need extra items)
SOCD cleaning determines how the controller handles simultaneous opposite directions, such as left and right. GP2040-CE documents Up Priority (also called Stickless), Neutral, and Second Input Priority modes. Select the behavior appropriate to the games you play, then verify it in a tester or game rather than assuming the setting took effect.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What to know about board and console compatibility
GP2040-CE’s repository lists PC, PS3, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Steam Deck, MiSTer, and Android among its supported platforms. That is project-documented firmware support, not a guarantee that every self-built Pico controller will work on every console without additional setup or authentication. Check the project’s current release notes and the target console’s requirements before building around a specific platform.
Rank #4
- This breakout board is specially made for Raspberry Pi Pico, with additional pin headers, which are fully compatible with the board
- The product needs to be soldered by itself, and the pico can be inserted after successful welding
- The breakout board is gold-plated on both sides and holes are plated, and the material of the PCB board is excellent
- The breakout board is equipped with Raspberry Pi pico, which is convenient for users to develop and integrate flexibly
- Note: The package does not include Raspberry Pi pico. This product needs to be soldered and assembled by yourself
The GP2040-CE usage page currently signals v0.7.12 as an available update, but firmware evolves. Use the current official documentation and the UF2 for your exact board when you install or update.
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Best Value
- RPi Pico 2 W Microcontroller Board (pre-soldered header (color-coded)), Based on Official RP2350 Chip, Dual-core & Dual-architecture Design. Upgraded hardware from Pico 2 with wireless communication, onboard antenna, features 2.4GHz 802.11n WIFI and Bluetooth 5.2.
- Adopts unique dual-core and dual-architecture design: dual-core Arm Cortex-M33 processor and dual-core Hazard3 RISC-V processor, flexible clock running up to 150 MHz.
- Onboard Infineon CYW43439 wireless chip, supports WIFI 4 wireless and Bluetooth 5.2.
- 520KB of SRAM, and 4MB of on-board Flash memory.
- Castellated module allows soldering direct to carrier boards. USB 1.1 with device and host support. Low-power sleep and dormant modes. Drag-and-drop programming using mass storage over USB.
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