Controls

Homebase has two modes: in Homebase (its own menus) and in an app (a streaming app, website or program opened from Homebase). Games get your controller to themselves; only the Home button is shared.

Controller

Button	In Homebase	In an app
D-pad	Move	Arrow keys
Left stick	Move	Mouse pointer
Right stick	Move	Scroll
Left stick click		Pointer on/off
A	Select	Select, or click where the pointer is if you just moved it
B	Back	Back
X	Search	App action, such as play/pause
Y		The app's own menu (context key)
LB / RB	Previous / next section	Previous / next track in music apps; scroll elsewhere
LT / RT	Page up / page down	Click / right-click, or seek in video apps
Start (Menu)	Options for the highlighted item	Homebase menu, with Close app
View		On-screen keyboard
Home (Guide)	Go to the Home screen	Back to Homebase; the app keeps running
Hold Home	Quick menu	Quick menu
Home + A	Home screen	Home screen
Home + B	Desktop mode	Homebase menu
Home + X	Search	Search
Home + Start	Quick menu	Quick menu

Each app's own hints appear the first time you open it, and again from the Homebase menu (Controls).

Desktop, launchers and dialogs

The controller also works as a mouse and keyboard for windows Homebase didn't open:

• Desktop mode (Home + B, or the quick menu): Windows itself.
• Launchers and dialogs that appear over a game or app: an EA or Ubisoft launcher, a store sign-in, a file picker, an error message.
• Games set to Mouse & keyboard in their options.

Button	Does
Left stick	Mouse pointer
Right stick, LB / RB	Scroll
A	Click right after pointing; otherwise Enter (the highlighted button)
RT / LT	Click / right-click
B	Esc
D-pad	Arrow keys
X	Start menu
Y	Switch windows (Task View)
View	On-screen keyboard
Start	Homebase menu, with Back to … to return
Home	Back to Homebase

Full-screen programs Homebase didn't start are left alone, because they're usually games that read the controller themselves.

Staying in an app

While an app is open it stays in front. Clicking outside it or a stray notification won't drop you back to Homebase. You leave an app on purpose: Start → Close app, or Home to set it aside and come back later from the Home screen.

Remapping buttons

Settings → Controller buttons lets you change what Select, Back, Search, Options and the section buttons do in Homebase's menus. Choosing a button for an action swaps the two, so nothing is ever left unbound. Reset to defaults puts everything back. The D-pad and Home button are fixed.

Keyboard

Key	Action
Arrow keys	Move
Enter / Space	Select
Esc	Back
Ctrl+F	Search
Menu key	Options for the highlighted item
Page Up / Page Down	Page up / down
Home	Home screen
Ctrl+Alt+Home	Back to Homebase from anywhere
Ctrl+Alt+Space	Quick menu
Ctrl+Alt+End	Desktop mode
F11	Full screen on/off
Media keys	Play/pause, next, previous, volume, mute

In any text field: type normally, Ctrl+V or Shift+Insert to paste, Ctrl+C to copy, Ctrl+X to cut, Ctrl+Backspace to delete a word, Enter to finish and Esc to cancel.

Mouse

• Point at anything to highlight it and click to select it.
• Right-click opens the item's options, the same as Start on a controller.
• The mouse Back button goes back.
• The wheel scrolls lists and grids.

Remotes

Media Center (RC6) and similar remotes that Windows sees as keyboard or HID input work out of the box: arrows move, OK selects, Back goes back, Home goes to Homebase, Menu opens options, and play/pause controls media. Set up and test a remote in Settings → Input devices.