[KB-008] How do I verify my Tankstick is in keyboard mode?

Product: Tankstick | Platform: PC/Console | Confidence: High

Answer:

To confirm keyboard mode on your Tankstick:

Flip the rear switch to "Keyboard" position

Connect the Tankstick to a PC

Open a text file or Word document

Press any button or move a control

If the Tankstick is correctly set to keyboard mode, you should see keyboard characters appear in the document when you press buttons.

For Pinball FX2 on PC, the controller needs to be in Purple (Pinball) mode. When switching modes on the Arcade2TV-XR controller by holding the P1 Mode button, users will hear a beep sound in addition to the LEDs blinking three times to confirm the mode selection. And the Pinball mode is only available on controller firmware version 2.27 or above.

═══ Revision Layer (v1.2 | 2026-01-12) ═══

Additional Information (appended, not replacing original):

For Pinball FX2 on PC, the controller needs to be in Purple (Pinball) mode. When switching modes on the Arcade2TV-XR controller by holding the P1 Mode button, users will hear a beep sound in addition to the LEDs blinking three times to confirm the mode selection. And the Pinball mode is only available on controller firmware version 2.27 or above.

The Gen2 wireless dongle uses fixed internal mappings and does not inherit or sync custom keyboard mappings created via the Arcade2TV software over a USB connection.

The Gen 2 wireless dongle's mode switching functionality is completely independent of the Arcade2TV-XR controller's mode switching.

A fast blinking red light on the Gen 2 wireless dongle is a normal status indicator confirming that the dongle is successfully connected to the Arcade2TV-XR controller.

Evidence: Support thread 2025-10, keywords: mode switch, red blink, wireless dongle mode, USB-C, remappable, VPX