DualShock 3 controllers turning off/disconnecting with multiplayer games

[MisterMints]

Pi Model or other hardware: Pi 3
Power Supply used: Currently LG plug that came with my LG G4 phone - think this is 1.8 amps, but have official 2.5a one arriving shortly
RetroPie Version Used: 4.3
Built From: Pre made SD Image on RetroPie website
USB Devices connected: USB thumb drive for transferring ROMs, Bluetooth dongle for Acer wireless keyboard
Controller used: PS3/Dualshock 3
Error messages received: None
File: (File with issue - with FULL path)
Emulator: mupen64plus-gles2rice-highres

So I got my first Raspberry Pi (3 B) for Christmas, got it set up with RetroPie 4.3 from the website, and got 2 official PS3/Dualshock 3 controllers paired up with it.

These work great in single player, but I just cannot get them to work in multiplayer!

For example, trying to play 2 player Mario Kart 64, the first controller just turned off as the first race was starting, and wouldn't reconnect. The second controller turned off a couple of minutes later and did the same. Neither were left, they were being used so had no reason to think they were idle, and they will only reconnect to the system when on the Emulation Station homepage - not within a game.

Only way I can get everything up and running again is to turn the Pi off and then turn the controllers back on, but the same happens again when we try to play a game.

Is this a bug with the Dualshocks, or the Pi, or RetroPie, or the emulator? Is there an easy way to fix this?

Thanks

[KN4THX]

Do you get a lightning icon in the top right corner? My guess is that it has to be the charger under powering the Pi. N64 emulation takes a ton of juice for the Pi3 to run it and throwing two bluetooth controllers on top of that is possibly causing an issue.

If you can play NES/SNES/MD two player games fine without the controllers turning off then that is probably your issue. A phone charger isn't reliable as a power supply for the Pi3 but works fine for my Pi Zero because of the low power requirements.

[MisterMints]

@thedatacereal Thank you. I'll try again on Thursday when the proper charger arrives and see if that makes a difference.

I can't remember seeing the lightning on this instance mind - I have seen it before but I sort assumed that was a data transfer icon or something!

Would a Quick Charge 3 phone charger work better in the mean time? Or is it that phone chargers don't provide a constant, level supply of juice?

[edmaul69]

@mistermints no a quick charger is not the answer. A quick charge works on switching from higher and lower voltage. They arent designed to maintain a constant higher power.

[KN4THX]

The lightning symbol is a voltage warning. It means that the Pi is needing more juice than the power input is able to supply. Your official charger should fix this.

[MisterMints]

The new power plug hasn't made the slightest bit of difference (other than the lightning bolt disappearing). This is the power lead I bought: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01CCR5P8U/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

My controllers are still disconnecting randomly (in the menu for Mario Kart 64 on this occasion, before we'd even started a game) and they won't reconnect unless I restart Emulation Station.

Incidentally, I tried doing a system restart from menu, and after an hour of it starting and stopping services, I gave up. Surely it can't take that long to reboot the box?!

What else can I try in regards to getting these controllers working, staying on, and being able to play multiplayer games? I've unplugged everything except the HDMI cable, USB wired keyboard and the power lead from the Pi but it has made no difference.

Thanks

[KN4THX]

My old DS3s work nearly flawless in N64 emulation. Assuming the hanging at shutdown/boot was a one time fluke:

They almost sound like the batteries are dying. Are you sure they are charged/charging and/or have good batteries if they are not brand new? The PS3 controllers are picky about where and when they will charge if not charged on the official system.

Also, did you install the ps3 drivers?

[MisterMints]

@thedatacereal Brand new DS3 pads, fresh out of the box on Christmas Day. Both fully charged without issue.

Installed the PS3 drivers too without a problem

[KN4THX]

Do you leave the Bluetooth dongle plugged in while playing ?

[MisterMints]

@thedatacereal Nope, nothing is connected except power and HDMI.

Going back to your flat battery theory earlier, I've plugged the DS3s into my PC overnight to charge, and 8 hours later I still have 4 blinking lights. I was under the impression it should only take about 2 hours to fully charge but the lights still blinking would suggest otherwise. I'm now not sure if they are charging, or have charged at all. I don't have any other way of charging the controllers other than a USB phone charger wall plug (but the research I've done so far suggests these hardly ever work) or plugging into my PC.

[MisterMints]

I think I may have found the problem - fake DS3 controllers.

They look great, absolutely like the genuine article, but having a look at some YouTube videos they do have a few of the similarities described in some of the videos for fake controllers. For example, the top of the box they came in is light blue rather than the darker, patterned blue of a real box, approximately 1 minute in to this video

They also won't connect through the offical PS3 configuration in the menu - I have to use the Shanwam (is that the right word?) setup/driver to make them work.

When I plug them into my PC it says a PS3 Controller has been detected - would it say something else if they were genuine? Like DualShock 3 detected or similar?

Also, as above, they just don't seem to want to charge. Lights will flash when plugged into my computer using the cable that was supplied with them, but they never stops flashing, and its all 4 lights flashing rather than just one.

When plugged into the Pi they just won't stop vibrating either!

Girlfriend got them from eBay and while they look the part I'm convinced this could be the problem. Shame, as I don't really want to have to spend £50 a pop on DualShock 4 controllers!

Maybe I could get some battery packs and dig out my old Xbox 360 pads instead? They're great, but the batteries on them are dying.