Using X-Arcade2TV with Nintendo Switch 2 through Brook Wingman XE2

Useful Answer

If the Switch 2 sees the controller but the X-Arcade buttons do not work, first turn on Pro Controller Wired Communication in Switch 2 System Settings > Controllers & Accessories, then fully restart the console.

Then check the adapter chain:

• Put the X-Arcade Tankstick in Mode 1 / keyboard mode.
• Use the current 2-in-1 adapter style with permanently attached cables; older detachable-cable versions are not compatible with this setup.
• Update the Brook Wingman XE2 to the latest NS2-supported firmware.
• Put the XE2 into NS mode with PS + Up. If the Tankstick does not have a PS/Home button, temporarily connect another controller that does, set the XE2 to NS mode, then swap back to the Tankstick.
• Confirm that the XE2 LED is solid when recognized, not just flashing.
• For player handshake, use the lower side buttons as flippers:
• left lower side button + P1 for Player 1
• right lower side button + P2 for Player 2

In the resolved case, updating the Wingman XE2 firmware was the missing step.

For Nintendo Switch 1 / original Switch pinball use with Arcade2TV-XR, support validated this wired path:

• Install the Arcade2TV-XR pinball firmware build 2.23_3.
• Use a Brook Wingman XE2 adapter.
• Put the Arcade2TV-XR into XInput mode.
• Turn on Pro Controller Wired Communication in the Switch controller settings. In one confirmed case, the adapter chain was present but the controller would not work until this Switch setting was enabled.
• Connect the Arcade2TV-XR USB-B port to the Wingman XE2.
• Connect the Wingman XE2 USB-A side to the Switch dock USB port. In one resolved original-Switch case, the adapters had not been connected to the dock USB ports; correcting that connection fixed the setup.

Using this wired Switch path does not change the normal Quest wireless path by itself; the Quest setup can continue using the wireless dongle when the controller is returned to the usual wireless configuration.

Source Context

The customer had a Tankstick that appeared paired on Switch 2 but would not respond correctly until the XE2 firmware was updated. A follow-up in a related thread clarified that the two lower side buttons are the flipper buttons used for the player handshake. Another Switch 1 pinball setup thread confirmed the Arcade2TV-XR firmware 2.23_3 + XInput mode + Wingman XE2 wired path, a separate original-Switch case was resolved by enabling Pro Controller Wired Communication, and another was resolved after support identified that the XE2 adapters were not plugged into the Switch dock USB ports.

Original Switch: distinguish the full adapter chain from direct USB

For the original Arcade2TV-XR, do not transfer the direct USB-B-to-XE2 XInput instructions above to a DB9 converter + X-Arcade 2-in-1 + two-XE2 adapter chain.

In a reviewed full-chain case on controller firmware 2.23_3, Switch displayed “paired” but neither sticks nor buttons responded in XInput. Swapping dock ports, rebooting and reflashing had already failed. Support's next recommendation was to use the USB-B data connection and hold P1 MODE about five seconds until the controller indicated red Keyboard mode, then retry the console setup. The customer did not report the result, so this is a scoped diagnostic recommendation, not a confirmed fix.

Identify the complete cable route, controller and adapter models first. Use the exact guide for that route, test each player's actual buttons/joystick after registration, and report which input responds. A paired icon alone is insufficient. Keep the separate direct-USB single-player XInput route distinct.