new controller advice/discussion
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Until now I've been using a logitech F710. It's a wireless controller that connects with a usb dongle. I am very satisfied with it, however, it has worn out a lot. So now I am in search for my next controller.
Something that caught my eye is the N30 Pro from 8bitdo. Design-wise I love it. I have a couple of questions though, in case some of you have any experience with it.
- Is it able to connect to the rpi3 bluetooth like the ps3 controllers or do I need a bluetooth dongle for it?
2)If it can connect on my rpi3 without a dongle, will the metal case I am using hurt the communication and introduce extra input lag?
cheers and thanks!
- Is it able to connect to the rpi3 bluetooth like the ps3 controllers or do I need a bluetooth dongle for it?
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@coldnpale said in new controller advice/discussion:
Is it able to connect to the rpi3 bluetooth like the ps3 controllers or do I need a bluetooth dongle for it?
It works directly via Bluetooth.
2)If it can connect on my rpi3 without a dongle, will the metal case I am using hurt the communication and introduce extra input lag?
Can't say I have enough experience to judge, it seems to me that people's opinion is mostly "get a BT dongle to reduce input lag". I have the SN30 older model, plastic case and using onboard BT and I don't perceive the input lag, and in all fairness I haven't got yet to play the precision jumping platformers for any kind of input lag to be noticeable.
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I love microsoft Xbox 360, you dont need to configure the dongle and goes perfect, with AA battery too, so it doesnt take much Amps of the raspi.
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I have played with and tested a LOT of controllers with the retropie and other platforms. This may be sacrilege, but the 8Bitdo brand is one of my least favorite with the pi.
I have tried two different models of their contollers, wireless SNES clone (SNES30?) and the NES30 Pro. I test two different units of each of those models.
Both models had occasional signal loss and double inputs on all the units I had (at an unobstructed range of two meters.) The d-pads are oddly crisp and not terribly responsive. Also, the thumbsticks on the pro controller have such a short throw that they are more like a digital input than analog.
The F710 you had was a much better, reliable, and compatible controller. I frequently use that same model for modern and retro gaming. The most reliable are the Xbox 360 controllers, those damn things will maintain good signal strength through a lead wall it seems like (just don't play Ninja Gaiden with that d-pad.)
My personal favorites are: Logitech F710, Dualshock 4, and Hori Pokken (wired).
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Thank you guys for your input and advice. I also own a hori fightpad that I use on pc for street fighter V and I love it. However, for the retropi I need a controller that has analog thumbsticks. The reason I am not buying blindly another F710 is because I don't love the Dpad. Not that it is bad, but I would prefer a simple cross instead of a circular one.
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I would second @Beldar's recommendation about the DS4 - it's sturdy, well supported bluetooth controller and I think the D-pad is better than on the 8Bit - I had one briefly and I liked it. Speaking of Hori, I wonder if this is really produced by them, it could be a perfect combination of the Hori's quality and wireless freedom.
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@coldnpale I use a pair of Logitech F710's in my setup and I find they are more than adequate most of the time. Any reason why you are not simply considering just getting another one? My only complaint is the range is lacking on the F710, but it may be because I'm living in a particularly noisy environment for 2.4 GHz signals, or is at least a contributing factor. I doubt your metal case will be an issue if you weren't having problems with the F710, but it's certainly possible if you are using the in-built bluetooth as metal is a radio signal reflector. All the cases I have used are plastic. I've heard some good things about 8bitdo controllers as far as ease of pairing so I imagine bluetooth will work for you, though I haven't tried it myself.
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@mitu
This does look kinda interesting. I have good experience with Hori's quality products. -
@drake999
Well, as I mentioned if there would be a reason not to buy it again, it has to be the round dpad. I much prefer the cross-shaped ones. Not saying, however, that f10 has a bad dpad. -
I have tried a number of controllers for my Pi, including a the cabled Logitech F310, the Logitech PS2 wireless controller via adapter, Steam Controller, and PS3 controller via the Pi's onboard bluetooth. The PS3 via the Mayflash has been the most reliable, no lag, good quality, and replaceable. The cabled controller worked, but is not ideal since it was not wireless. Also bluetooth via the Pi's onboard chip is iffy at best. I have heard you can disable wifi to get the bluetooth connection to lag less. It still means replacing the bluetooth driver in RetroPie though, so the only bluetooth device is the PS3 controller.
I am quite content with my PS3 + Mayflash PS3 Bluetooth Adapter. The Mayflash adapter can act as an Xbox 360 controller or a generic DirectInput controller, so there is no extra setup. It also supports up to 4 controllers in DirectInput mode. The PS3 controller is highly compatible with all sorts of games due to the number of buttons, analog sticks, and style of D-Pad. I really prefer using it's style of D-Pad for 16-bit and older games.
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@coldnpale if you are not against wired controllers, i would definitely recommend the switch horipad : 20$ for a gamepad with analog sticks built by hori, is there any reason to not give it a try ?
https://www.amazon.com/Nintendo-Switch-HORIPAD-Controller-Officially-Licensed/dp/B01NAUATSM -
@barbudreadmon
As much as I love hori, I recall reading some mediocre reviews about this dpad. As it essentially is a cap that is placed over a 4-button dpad if I am not mistaken. -
Been through so many controllers on the Pi, but got rid of loads when I discovered the F710. To me it covers all the bases so well. Never had an issue with the d-pad either. It's very responsive and tight and never let me down in SF2/3. Outside of the F710 I like to try out all sorts of knock off SNES pads. Currently on the Innext ones which are actually pretty good approximations, though they are light.
I'm not a snob when it comes to controllers. I've read just as many negative reviews of the 8Bitdo ones as I have the cheapo ones. Build quality isn't necessarily everything when it comes to a playable d-pad in my experience.
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Kinds starting to lean towards a new f710 again.... :)
Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences! -
@coldnpale said in new controller advice/discussion:
As much as I love hori, I recall reading some mediocre reviews about this dpad. As it essentially is a cap that is placed over a 4-button dpad if I am not mistaken.
I never saw a bad review about it. Though i remember seeing a lot of comments on those reviews or reddit saying "there is a cap on the dpad, it's definitely bad", but that seemed more like mere speculation from people who didn't even try the product.
I don't own the product myself, simply because i have no need for it (i guess i already have enough controllers to play 16P games, with spares), but from the reviews i read and its price, it's definitely not a bad buy.
And btw, by design, a dpad IS a cap over buttons.
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I just got myself a Speedlink XEOX gamepad controller, loaded up the xbox drivers and the PS drivers just in case. Connected to the Pi and it works a treat. It has two analogue joysticks so I can finally play Operation Wolf. It also has a switch at the back that allows for either DirectInput control or Xinput control, which is a nice option to have, although at the moment I have only used the Xinput option.
I got it from Maplin, here in the UK as they were closing down, so instead of it being over £20 I got it for £17. It can also be used on a laptop, and has a rapid fire button, but I feel that is a bit of a cheat, so don't use it.
Will post again in a few weeks to give a proper appraisal, but so far so good. -
@Impman66 how you set up your speedlink controller? I have SL-6566-BK xeox pro analog gamepad-wireless-black, retropie detected it but when i press&hold A to set up nothing happened.. please help
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