Browser play guide
Mega Man X8 16-bit controls on Mac
By RetroHours · Updated
Game by AlyssonDaPaz
On this page
Start with the game’s default keys, then change what you press in the game’s key settings or in RetroHours.
Default keyboard controls
| Action | Key |
|---|---|
| Move | Arrow keys |
| Shoot; confirm a menu choice | D |
| Jump | S |
| Dash; go back in a menu | A |
| Alternate shot | F |
| Switch weapon | Q and E |
| Back to the X-Buster | Space |
| Armor special | Z |
| Pause | Enter |
On a Mac keyboard, the Return key works as Enter. You can change these keys in the game’s key settings; your saved settings take priority over this table.
Use a controller
- Connect the controller, then press a button so the browser can detect it.
- Open Controls and check that it appears. Leave Controller sends on Auto.
- Close Controls, click the game screen and test each action.
- To change buttons, use the joypad page of the game’s own key settings.
If buttons light up in Controls but the game ignores them, the browser may not report your controller in the standard layout. Choose Controller sends → Keys and set up the rows as in the layout below.
Change keys in RetroHours
Open Controls → Buttons. Each row has three columns:
- Game gets is the key delivered to the game.
- Keyboard is the physical key you press.
- Controller is the controller input or on-screen button for that row.
To jump with a different key, find or add a row whose Game gets is S, then change its Keyboard key. Bindings follow physical key positions, so they work the same on any keyboard layout.
Layout for touch screens and Keys mode
The on-screen pad and Keys mode send the Game gets key of each row. The player’s default rows don’t match this game’s keys, so set Game gets like this:
| Player row | Game gets | Action |
|---|---|---|
| A button | S | Jump |
| X button | D | Shoot / confirm |
| B button | A | Dash / back |
| Y button | F | Alternate shot |
| Left shoulder (L1) / Right shoulder (R1) | Q / E | Switch weapon |
| Left trigger (L2) | Z | Armor special |
| Select | Space | Back to the X-Buster |
| Start | Enter | Pause |
Movement already sends the arrow keys. Try a dash jump while shooting before you settle on a layout.
Fix common input problems
Nothing responds: close Controls and click the game screen. Tab moves focus to the player buttons; click back into the game to resume.
A button does the wrong thing: check the game’s key settings first, then Game gets and the physical assignment in Controls. Change one at a time.
The stick moves by itself: check its activity in Controls, then raise the dead zone in Tuning a little at a time.
If the game never reaches the title screen, use the browser setup guide or compare Mac play methods.
Creator credit and sources
Mega Man X8 16-bit is by AlyssonDaPaz. Mega Man and its characters belong to Capcom. RetroHours is independent and has no affiliation with or endorsement from either.