Quad Ultimate CX-W Help

iCode Quad Ultimate CX-W

Pick a guide below. The newest firmware, its release notes and the user manual are always on the Quad Ultimate downloads page, and you can update in one click with iCodeHub.

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Guides

Getting started

1. Plug the Quad into any USB port. The start-up menu appears — pick Game Adapter, or wait 8 seconds. No drivers are needed: it appears as one standard USB gamepad for each active port.
2. Connect your Atari controllers. The four ports are numbered 1 to 4 from left to right, and all four work at once.
3. Start playing. The default preset detects joysticks and paddles automatically: joystick directions go to the left analog stick and the fire button to gamepad button 0.
4. Visit iCodeHub in Chrome or Edge to remap buttons, fine-tune paddles and trackballs, back up presets and update the firmware.
5. To play wirelessly, turn the CX-W on and pair it like any Bluetooth controller — see Bluetooth.

The start-up menu and the Games menu

Each time the device powers up, the start-up menu appears with four choices: Game Adapter, Arcade Games, Atari Games and Built-in Games.

• Move up and down to choose, then click the stick or press Red or Green to start. Press Menu to go straight to the Game Adapter.
• The item with the yellow star is the default — it starts by itself after 8 seconds. To change the default, highlight another item and press Yellow or Blue, or push left or right.
• Coming back from an arcade or Atari game skips the start-up menu.
• To turn the menu off, open Menu → General and set Start-up Menu (and Start-up Default).
• The Games menu is always one step away: hold Yellow + Menu, or choose Games at the top of the main menu.

Game controls

Arcade games

Press White to insert a coin, then Black to start. Xevious, Super Cobra and Scramble use both buttons: A for the first, B for the second.

Atari computer games

In the game list, press Fire, Red or Black to play on an 800XL, or White to play on a 400/800. For four-player games such as M.U.L.E., start with White — the 400/800 has four joystick ports. Turn each paddle from end to end once so the device learns its range.

Atari 5200 games

Adding games: see How to Add Arcade and Atari Games.

Bluetooth

The CX-W connects over Bluetooth as up to four standard gamepads — one per player — plus a Bluetooth mouse. It has a built-in rechargeable battery and a power switch, and charges whenever it’s plugged into USB.

• Pairing. Wireless is On out of the box. While it isn’t connected, the BT indicator at the top right blinks blue. Open Bluetooth settings on your computer or phone, add a device, and choose iCode Quad Ultimate. It reconnects on its own after that.
• Wireless Players (Menu → USB Settings → Wireless): 4 (default), 2 or 1 gamepads. Each appears as its own Bluetooth device — iCode Quad Ultimate, … – Dual, … – Single — so pair the one you want once.
• Priority. USB First (default) uses USB whenever the Quad is plugged into a computer and keeps Bluetooth on standby. Wireless First stays on Bluetooth while it’s connected — handy for charging from your computer while playing wirelessly.
• Battery. The level shows at the top right (green while charging, red at 10% or less). When it runs out, the display shows Battery Low — Please Charge until you plug it in.
• After a firmware update, the Quad updates its wireless module automatically the first time it starts — leave it powered until it finishes.
• USB Emulation modes and keyboard output apply to USB only. Consoles such as the Nintendo Switch and the Atari Gamestation Pro use USB.

Troubleshooting

• Your controller isn’t detected. Make sure it’s firmly plugged in. Press Menu, open the port settings and check the device type. Menu → System → Diagnostics shows what the device reads.
• Your computer or console doesn’t recognize the adapter. Try another USB cable or port. Then try another mode in Menu → USB Settings → USB Emulation: Standard works for most, some need Classic, Nintendo, Legacy, iOS or Classic 2.
• No arcade games are listed. Check that the zip files are on the ARCADE ROMS drive with the exact names in the ROM list. A game in red has the wrong ROM set.
• An Atari game crashes or shows a blank screen. Some early games need the original Atari operating system: copy ATARIOSB.ROM and ATARIXL.ROM onto the drive, or start the game on a 400/800 (see the controls above).
• Arcade high scores were lost. Scores are saved when you leave a game by holding Menu. Return to the game list before switching off.
• The display is blank. Hold Green + Menu to cycle the display modes — it may be set to Off.
• You see several gamepads on your computer. That’s normal: one USB gamepad per active port. Use Ports Active in USB Settings if you want fewer.
• The device won’t start or won’t go into update mode. See recovery in the firmware guide.

• Ports 3 and 4 don’t respond. Open Menu → USB Settings → Ports Active and make sure Ports 3 & 4 is On. Ports 3 and 4 take joysticks and driving controllers; paddles, trackballs and keypads work on Ports 1 and 2.
• The Quad doesn’t show up in Bluetooth. Check that Wireless is On (Menu → USB Settings → Wireless) and that the battery is charged or USB is plugged in. The BT indicator blinks blue while it’s ready to pair. If you changed Wireless Players, pair the new device name once.
• Controls go over USB instead of Bluetooth. With Priority set to USB First, USB takes over whenever the Quad is plugged into a computer (BT shows yellow). Set Priority to Wireless First to stay on Bluetooth while charging from a computer.
• Your computer lists the controllers twice. Normal when it’s connected by both USB and Bluetooth — only one set is active at a time.

Still need help?

Still stuck? Ask in the community forum or on Discord, or contact iCode Support. Register your device and manage its settings at hub.icode.com.