Pairing the 8BitDo Micro to Plugin Player (Windows)
The whole procedure
Switch to D, hold PAIR for 3 seconds, wait.
Do it with Plugin Player open. That's it, for the first time and every time after. You never need Windows' Bluetooth settings.
- D is the mode switch on the Micro. Slide it to D (gamepad). K and S are other devices as far as Plugin Player is concerned.
- PAIR is the small button on the bottom edge. Hold it about 3 seconds, until the LED blinks fast.
- Wait a few seconds (up to about 30). The CONTROLLER card in Plugin Player goes CONTROLLER LOST → PAIRING… → CONTROLLER READY. Press any button and the controller shows up.
What the CONTROLLER card is telling you
| Card | Meaning | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| CONNECTED · PRESS ANY BUTTON | Windows has the controller connected; Plugin Player just hasn't seen a button yet. | Press any button. |
| CONTROLLER: press any button | The controller is (probably) connected, Plugin Player just hasn't seen a button yet. Windows only hands a controller to an app after its first button press. | Press any button. |
| CONTROLLER LOST: hold PAIR 3 s to reconnect | No controller. It's off, asleep, out of range, or it lost the connection. | Switch to D, hold PAIR for 3 seconds, wait. |
| PAIRING… | Plugin Player found your Micro in pairing mode and is connecting it. | Wait. Keep the Micro close. |
| CONTROLLER READY | Connected. | Press any button. |
| The controller's name | Working. | Play. |
Waking the Micro: press Start. If it reconnects by itself, great. If the chip still says CONTROLLER LOST after a few seconds, or the LED just keeps slow-blinking, hold PAIR for 3 seconds. That always works, so it's the only thing you need to remember.
The three switch positions (why it has to be D)
| Switch | What the Micro becomes | In Plugin Player |
|---|---|---|
| D | A Bluetooth gamepad. | Works. The only position Plugin Player uses. |
| S | A Nintendo Switch controller. | Not supported. |
| K | A Bluetooth keyboard (every button types a key). | CONTROLLER: press any button, forever. Windows says it's connected, Plugin Player sees no controller. |
Each position is a separate Bluetooth device to Windows. If you've used the Micro in K or S, slide it to D and hold PAIR for 3 seconds; Plugin Player pairs the D-mode one.
What each button does (D mode)
A B X Y, L R, L2 R2, −, +, the d-pad and the checkered (capture) button all reach Plugin Player. The star button does nothing in D mode: it never leaves the controller. That's the hardware, not a bug; the on-screen plate still shows it so the picture matches your controller.
Battery
Windows doesn't show a battery level for the Micro. The LED blinks red when it's low. Charge over USB-C; it charges while you play. A low Micro can connect and then drop within a second or two, so if it keeps dropping, charge it first.
If it still won't connect
Check the basics first: the switch is on D, Bluetooth is on (Windows Settings → Bluetooth & devices), the Micro is charged, and Plugin Player is open while you hold PAIR. Another device the Micro was paired with in D mode (a phone, a Pi) can grab it first; turn that device's Bluetooth off.
Then do it by hand, once. This is the old way; it fixes anything the automatic way can't.
- Windows Settings → Bluetooth & devices. If 8BitDo Micro gamepad is listed (one or more times), open each one → Remove device.
- On the Micro: switch to D, press Start, then hold PAIR about 3 seconds until the LED blinks fast.
- Settings → Add device → Bluetooth → choose 8BitDo Micro gamepad. Give it up to a minute; the Micro keeps blinking while Windows searches. Wait for Connected.
- In Plugin Player, press any button.
Still nothing? Send support the log (TROUBLESHOOTING.md says where it is): every pairing step prints a line starting [pad-pairing].