Controllers stop working after configuration in RetroArch

Katlamos

Pi Model or other hardware: Raspberry Pi 3 Model B
Power Supply used: CannaKit
RetroPie Version Used: 4.3
Built From: Pre made SD Image on RetroPie website
USB Devices connected: PS2 to USB converter
Controller used: PS3/Afterglow xb360/OEM PS1 Dualshock
Error messages received: N/A
Log found in /dev/shm/runcommand.log (if relevant): N/A
File: /opt/retropie/configs/all/retroarch-joypads/PLAYSTATION(R)3 Controller.cfg and /opt/retropie/configs/psx/PCSX-ReARMed/PCSX-ReARMed.rmp
Emulator: lr-pcsx-rearmed
Attachment of config files: PS3 Autoconfig / PCSX-ReARMed.rmp

So the problem I'm having is, when I first ran RetroArch, I had no issues, besides the face buttons being mapped backwards to my American sensibilities. Easily fixed via RetroArch menu when I'm in a ROM, yeah? Everything works fine just after I remap both the face buttons as well as turning on the analog for the controllers.

It only works the first time. Once I use HOTKEY+Start to exit the game, and reload it, the emulator seems to think that I am constantly pressing my HOTKEY button, so if I press Start to begin a game it exits the game, Square (being B) resets , etc.

I've also once, (and it caused me to reformat and reinstall all of RetroPie), had the controllers completely stop working after remapping. I've included Pastebin links to both my PS3 controller map as well as the .rmp file created for ReARMed when I remapped. If I need to inclue anything else let me know, this is my first time even setting up a Pi, so I'm kind of doing this half blind

mediamogul

@katlamos said in Controllers stop working after configuration in RetroArch:

the emulator seems to think that I am constantly pressing my HOTKEY button, so if I press Start to begin a game it exits the game, Square (being B) resets , etc.

It sounds like you may have disabled your hotkey entirely from the RetroArch settings. After doing so, any special function will activate without the need to press a hotkey. So 'Start' would naturally exit the game and simply pressing 'X' would also bring up the RetroArch menu. If this is the case, you can just re-enable the hotkey from the input settings and it should be good.

edmaul69

@katlamos so one problem i see with controls is you set it up wrong. You dont set up abxy how your controller shows it. When you set it up in emulationstation you need to configure the 4 face buttons like a super nintendo controller. Top button is X. Bottom button is B. Left button is Y. Right button is A. And when you get to the hotkey press select. If it wont take that hold the button down for a little bit to make it skip the hotkey. That will make the hotkey select that way.

Katlamos

@mediamogul said in Controllers stop working after configuration in RetroArch:

@katlamos said in Controllers stop working after configuration in RetroArch:

the emulator seems to think that I am constantly pressing my HOTKEY button, so if I press Start to begin a game it exits the game, Square (being B) resets , etc.

It sounds like you may have disabled your hotkey entirely from the RetroArch settings. After doing so, any special function will activate without the need to press a hotkey. So 'Start' would naturally exit the game and simply pressing 'X' would also bring up the RetroArch menu. If this is the case, you can just re-enable the hotkey from the input settings and it should be good.

Honestly I don't see where in RetroArch it has an option to disable/enable the hotkey. If you can tell me how to find that, I can check that

@edmaul69 said in Controllers stop working after configuration in RetroArch:

@katlamos so one problem i see with controls is you set it up wrong. You dont set up abxy how your controller shows it. When you set it up in emulationstation you need to configure the 4 face buttons like a super nintendo controller. Top button is X. Bottom button is B. Left button is Y. Right button is A. And when you get to the hotkey press select. If it wont take that hold the button down for a little bit to make it skip the hotkey. That will make the hotkey select that way.

I don't like the SNES key layout since I'm using this only for PSX (and I never owned a SNES so I'm not even remotely used to that layout on a controller), so I just mapped it so the buttons would correspond with how I'm used to using a PS3 controller (with X selecting and Circle being back/exit). Also, like I said, the remaps I had worked fine until I exited and re-entered a game, so that shouldn't have any bearing. I can use ES and navigate the menus with no issue. It's the actual in-game controls that aren't working.

Katlamos

Ok, so I found the "Enable Hotkeys" button, and it was set to my Select button automatically. I manually verified that it was Select, saved core options, backed out of the GUI to the game... and hey, no more auto button presses. Now the controller just... doesn't do anything in game. At least I got the sticky hotkey fixed?

edmaul69

@katlamos but setting it up backwards sets the psx buttons backwards and every other system for that matter. You should set it up correctly then edit the es_input.cfg to swap the buttons for the emulationstation menu. I think there is an easier way to swap the inputs for emulationstation but i dont know that way.

mediamogul

@katlamos said in Controllers stop working after configuration in RetroArch:

Now the controller just... doesn't do anything in game.

By that, do you mean that it doesn't control both the game and the emulator? Can you, for example, raise the RetroArch menu and quit the game?

Katlamos

@mediamogul said in Controllers stop working after configuration in RetroArch:

By that, do you mean that it doesn't control both the game and the emulator? Can you, for example, raise the RetroArch menu and quit the game?

I can bring up the RetroArch menu and do anything involving hotkey combinations, so that's still working. But I can't, for instance, press Start and have my game go to the menu to load a save. The controls to bring up RetroArch and use it are fine, I have no issues there. Just if I try to actually play the game, it does nothing.

Katlamos

I still haven't resolved this issue, if anyone else has any suggestions or ideas as to why it is happening.

mediamogul

@katlamos

Have you tried remapping your controller through Emulation Station?

KN4THX

Personally, I'd reset the inputs in the Retropie_setup.sh and then map everything correctly first. Then go into the retroarch menu for that system and change the inputs to custom mapping.

I had to do the same thing for my girlfriend. She never played much snes as a kid so wasn't used to the ibuffalo controller config which made NES games use B & A which is unnatural to hold so I switched it to Y & B which is way more intuitive.

Katlamos

@mediamogul said in Controllers stop working after configuration in RetroArch:

@katlamos

Have you tried remapping your controller through Emulation Station?

@thedatacereal said in Controllers stop working after configuration in RetroArch:

Personally, I'd reset the inputs in the Retropie_setup.sh and then map everything correctly first. Then go into the retroarch menu for that system and change the inputs to custom mapping.

I had to do the same thing for my girlfriend. She never played much snes as a kid so wasn't used to the ibuffalo controller config which made NES games use B & A which is unnatural to hold so I switched it to Y & B which is way more intuitive.

So I reset the inputs, remapped everything to the default layout(I really, really don't like it), changed the controls in RetroArch, backed out... and nothing changed. Still the same problem where the only thing I can do when in a game is access the RetroArch GUI or anything that involves hotkey input. No sticky hotkey still, got that sorted, but the game still acts like I don't have a controller plugged in.

KN4THX

You said you use lr-pcsx-rearmed but I think that emulator uses /opt/retropie/configs/psx/retroarch.cfg for controls not PCSX-ReARMed.rmp. Did you check that config? Do your controllers work in NES or others?