Different controller for specific emulator

[mw]

My project uses arcade controls, joystick + 4 buttons (via iPac, so keyboard) - which works well for MAME and old consoles. But it falls short on the PS1, so I want to use a PS3 controller (preferably via USB) for this.

I see on the wiki how to override control schemes (button mappings etc) with a per-emulator retroarch.cfg, but I'm missing how to:

• Set up a separate controller - when I try doing so from Emulation Station, it then takes over as my main controller - which I don't want
• Then specify to use this USB controller instead of the keyboard for a specific emulator

Quite likely missing something obvious - but any insights much appreciated.

[herb_fargus]

Lets say you have two controllers, one in port zero, one in port one

And lets say you want the ps1 emulator to use the controller in port one. in /opt/retropie/configs/psx/retroarch.cfg you'd add

input_player1_joypad_index = "1"

above the #include line of course as mentioned here: https://github.com/RetroPie/RetroPie-Setup/wiki/RetroArch-Configuration

You can also use the built in configuration editor to make the edits. https://github.com/RetroPie/RetroPie-Setup/wiki/Configuration-Editor

[mw]

Aha - I'd missed that somehow - perfect, thanks! So just to check - sorry I'm not at the pi at the moment - even though it's technically a keyboard, does the iPac still count as a 'joypad' in this context - and I'd specify whatever port it's plugged into?

[herb_fargus]

@mw I don't own an ipac but as far as I understand it, it acts as a keyboard, so it behaves a bit different when you are trying to set a heirachy, I'm not sure what the best way to go about it is tbh as keyboard controls are defined by the overall retroarch.cfg, in theory they should be able to be overridden I would thing by system based retroarch.cfg files but you'd have to test. typically when modifying my keyboard controls I edit /opt/retropie/configs/all/retroarch.cfg so if you're trying to set a second player also on a keyboard you'd then add another section like

input_player1_a = "x"
input_player1_b = "z"
input_player1_y = "a"

to

input_player2_a = "s"
input_player2_b = "d"
input_player2_y = "f"

or whatever you are trying to set it as. (this is also how you can set two people to play on the same keyboard etc.)

[BuZz]

I own a Picade which also has the controls mapped to keyboard. Currently player 1 can be automatically configured via Emulation Station, but player2 controls have to be setup manually as described by @herb_fargus

I hope to improve automatic player2 set up for keyboard based inputs at some point in the future.

[mw]

@herb_fargus said:

@mw I don't own an ipac but as far as I understand it, it acts as a keyboard, so it behaves a bit different when you are trying to set a heirachy, I'm not sure what the best way to go about it

@BuZz said:

I own a Picade which also has the controls mapped to keyboard. Currently player 1 can be automatically configured via Emulation Station, but player2 controls have to be setup manually as described by @herb_fargus

Many thanks for the replies. I had already figured out the keyboard mapping for player 2 - working perfectly :) I was a bit stuck with the setup of the PS3 controller via USB - it was quite glitchy, I had to try many times over to get it recognised - maybe just mine? Anyway, got there eventually.

Adding to my psx retroarch.cfg

input_player1_joypad_index = "1"

Works as expected, thanks! Actually, better than expected - it maps the controller to player 1, but also leaves the player 1 keyboard map (ie iPac) intact. This is great because it means for some games - eg Tekken - that don't need the shoulder buttons, I can still use the arcade stick/buttons - but without having to make rom-specific configs.

[Drakaen391]

@herb_fargus any idea how it would work with a USB Hub?

Haven't had any issues until the update and now its goofy

(Keyboard is grabbed as port 0 and controller is port 1)

The hub is plugged into the same port it always has been

[blitzgreig]

@mw I’m having the exact same issue although I’m trying to set mine up with Bluetooth instead of usb.

How would I map the controller just for just psx but not take over as Main controls?

[jonnykesh]

@blitzgreig Start a new thread giving full info instead of a "me too" on a post that is a year and a half old. Things have changed quite a bit in that time. You'll get more responses.

[edmaul69]

@blitzgreig look into using joystick selection. It lets you assign specific controllers to specific systems.

[blitzgreig]

@jonnykesh good point thanks

[efernandezjr]

@herb_fargus said in Different controller for specific emulator:

Lets say you have two controllers, one in port zero, one in port one

And lets say you want the ps1 emulator to use the controller in port one. in /opt/retropie/configs/psx/retroarch.cfg you'd add

input_player1_joypad_index = "1"

above the #include line of course as mentioned here: https://github.com/RetroPie/RetroPie-Setup/wiki/RetroArch-Configuration

You can also use the built in configuration editor to make the edits. https://github.com/RetroPie/RetroPie-Setup/wiki/Configuration-Editor

So I used this method with one minor exception: my PSX controller is on USB 2 so I used “2” in place of “1”. It Half way worked. The PSX uses the controller (overriding the Genesis controller hooked up in USB 1) but it shows up as player 2 in games. Any idea how to force it to player 1?

[mitu]

@efernandezjr Please don't bump very old posts. Open a new topic instead and describe your setup and the problem that you encounter.