Recommended usb/Bluetooh controllers?

Flesy_

So, in your opinion, which are the best USB & Bluetooh controllers for retropie?

Bluetooh: 8Bitdo Crissaegrim NES30 PRO/XBOX360/PS3
USB: Buffalo SNES USB/???????

chigundo

@Flesy_ good question. I'm using a PS3 controller but sometimes it just stops working and I need to unplug the pi.

theroamer

I love my 8bitdo NES30 Pro for it's retro look and portability. The larger ps3/xbox controllers may be more comfortable in the hand for long gaming sessions though. The iBuffalo is a piece of garbage IMO. I've tried 2 and both have ghost movement probs.

mrbwa1

The best controller I have used is an OEM Playstation 1 or Playstation 2 analog controller with the USB controller adapter. Other than poor quality soldering on some of the controller adapters, they plug in, configure and just work. You can usually pick these controllers up really cheap, especially if there are not "Dualshock" or the rumble function is broken. Add a controller extender and you have a very long cord.

I have the generic NES and SNES usb pads, but they aren't very solid and a decent usb extension cord is often as much as picking up an old PS1 controller at a garage sale.

I did try using Wiimotes with the Classic Controller extension, but it was nothing but headaches trying to get them working. I got tired of fiddling with controllers just to get them working.

Flesy_

Thanks all!!

By the way, i have an OEM Playstation 1 analog controller and i had issues with Reicast...

badmage

@mrbwa1
I'm getting my usb Adapter not working - I'm trying to use my PSX Controller on an USB Adapter as well but it doesn't work :(
So please if possible give me your lsmod output or describe how the things getting worked with your retropie ;)

Thanks and best Regards

edmaul69

@badmage is your adapter a 1 or 2 controller version. If it is a 1 player one the problem is they are still 2 player boards with only the 2nd player being the one you can plug into. The radio shack model is the only true 1 player adapter i have found.

Russelkm

I use three Xbox controllers with a chineese receiver. It Works perfect.

badmage

@edmaul69 no it's a twin controller Adapter. One USB cable and two Slots for the psx controllers ...

root@retropie:/# dmesg | grep Joystick
[ 2.895329] usb 1-1.4: Product: Twin USB Joystick
[ 3.927414] input: Twin USB Joystick as /devices/platform/soc/3f980000.usb/usb1/1-1/1-1.4/1-1.4:1.0/0003:0810:0001.0001/input/input2
[ 3.927819] input: Twin USB Joystick as /devices/platform/soc/3f980000.usb/usb1/1-1/1-1.4/1-1.4:1.0/0003:0810:0001.0001/input/input3
[ 3.933507] pantherlord 0003:0810:0001.0001: input,hidraw2: USB HID v1.10 Joystick [Twin USB Joystick] on usb-3f980000.usb-1.4/input0

can somebody with the same controller provide the lsmod output here? :)

mrbwa1

The twin adapters can have 2 issues:

Bad soldering causing ports not to work.
-Is there a little led on when a controller is plugged in? If not, the controller connector has bad soldering
The adapters do have a player 1 and player 2 side, so if you are using a single controller, it has to be in the correct port.

I do also have an ancient Radio Shack single controller adapter from probably around 2000-2001 and it works fine as well.

Also, I found that the twin adapters do not like a mix of Analog and Standard controllers. Also, if you are using an analog controller, you need the little analog light on to go through the ES setup.

Floob

In my opinion its the iBuffalo USB, and pretty much any 8bitdo.com device for Bluetooth.

badmage

@mrbwa1 I've two controllers both are connected to the adapter. Both lights are on.
I've tried to give signals with the Controller in analog mode and without - both without success.
As I wrote - Adapter and Controller is working with Windows 7 :(

I just think a module isn't loaded ... that's why I'm asking for the Output of lsmod ...

THX and BR

mrbwa1

Here you go:
pi@retropie:~ $ dmesg | grep Joystick
[ 2.956654] usb 1-1.2: Product: Twin USB Joystick
[ 3.164302] usb 1-1.3: Product: SideWinder Joystick
[ 3.177454] input: Microsoft SideWinder Joystick as /devices/platform/soc/3f980000.usb/usb1/1-1/1-1.3/1-1.3:1.0/0003:045E:003C.0002/input/input0
[ 3.177845] hid-generic 0003:045E:003C.0002: input,hidraw0: USB HID v1.10 Joystick [Microsoft SideWinder Joystick] on usb-3f980000.usb-1.3/input0
[ 5.267871] input: Twin USB Joystick as /devices/platform/soc/3f980000.usb/usb1/1-1/1-1.2/1-1.2:1.0/0003:0810:0001.0001/input/input1
[ 5.268880] input: Twin USB Joystick as /devices/platform/soc/3f980000.usb/usb1/1-1/1-1.2/1-1.2:1.0/0003:0810:0001.0001/input/input2
[ 5.270113] pantherlord 0003:0810:0001.0001: input,hidraw1: USB HID v1.10 Joystick [Twin USB Joystick] on usb-3f980000.usb-1.2/input0

Here is the LSMOD Output:
pi@retropie:~ $ lsmod
Module Size Used by
bnep 10340 2
cfg80211 427855 0
evdev 11396 3
hid_pl 1230 0
bcm2835_gpiomem 3040 0
bcm2835_wdt 3225 0
btusb 27628 0
btrtl 3667 1 btusb
btintel 6167 1 btusb
btbcm 5929 1 btusb
bluetooth 326105 26 bnep,btbcm,btrtl,btusb,btintel
rfkill 16037 3 cfg80211,bluetooth
uio_pdrv_genirq 3164 0
uio 8000 1 uio_pdrv_genirq
snd_bcm2835 20511 0
snd_pcm 75698 1 snd_bcm2835
snd_timer 19160 1 snd_pcm
snd 51844 3 snd_bcm2835,snd_timer,snd_pcm
joydev 9024 0
uinput 7454 0
fuse 83461 1
ipv6 347530 34

Out of curiosity, do you get anything when you run jstest and mash buttons on the controllers?

I can probably pull my configs later when I have time to dig into them if needed as well.

edmaul69

@badmage all of them are twinshock. :) As far as i know they were the first to make them and everyone has been using their design and software so they all show up as twinshock.

badmage

@mrbwa1 Thanks - but the modules listed are the same :(
So I don't know what I can do .... next days I'll try other Adapter ... if that will also not work ... I'LL buy new (USB) controllers :(

@edmaul69 I couldn't see any "twinshock" indication ... see above mrbwa1's output - same as mine but I couldn't see "twinshock" ?!

THX and BR

edmaul69

@badmage the radioshack one says green asia but everything is identical as the twinshock so obviously its a clone. All others i have seen show up as twin shock. Maybe since radio shack sold it in retail stores they needed to hide the fact it was a clone of another product. So im sure there are a few other products that dont show up as twin shock that are still a clone of it.

mrbwa1

The unit I have is one of these generic ones: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001AATQ0Y/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687682&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B000F6BGXY&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=MC1T5MJ1WW4K9NHW2YVV

@edmaul69 are you able to get any output using jstest?

I do remember that I got everything all screwed up one time trying to configure an analog and standard controller at the same time. I ended up deleting the configs and rebooting to start fresh and that got things going in the right direction.

This is the unfortunate thing about Retropie. Controllers seem to be a pain from time to time, even if others have them working properly.

edmaul69

@mrbwa1 yes. Jstest. Works perfect for me.

mrbwa1

@edmaul69 said in Recommended usb/Bluetooh controllers?:

@mrbwa1 yes. Jstest. Works perfect for me.

If jtest is working, then it's a config issue. You could try a couple things:

Delete existing configs and reconfigure from scratch (or at least pull backups then restore them if you can't get things working). With no configs, ES should boot directly into controller configuration like a fresh install would.
If you have a spare SD card, you could try a fresh SD image to see if the controllers will configure.

Also, since jstest is working for you, I dug up my current config for analog controllers. You can try this file to see if it works.

input_device = "Twin USB Joystick"
input_driver = "udev"
input_r_y_plus_axis = "+2"
input_l3_btn = "10"
input_r_x_minus_axis = "-3"
input_r_btn = "5"
input_save_state_btn = "5"
input_l2_btn = "6"
input_start_btn = "9"
input_exit_emulator_btn = "9"
input_l_y_minus_axis = "-1"
input_l_btn = "4"
input_load_state_btn = "4"
input_up_btn = "h0up"
input_r_y_minus_axis = "-2"
input_a_btn = "1"
input_b_btn = "2"
input_reset_btn = "2"
input_down_btn = "h0down"
input_r2_btn = "7"
input_l_x_plus_axis = "+0"
input_l_y_plus_axis = "+1"
input_r3_btn = "11"
input_right_btn = "h0right"
input_state_slot_increase_btn = "h0right"
input_x_btn = "0"
input_menu_toggle_btn = "0"
input_select_btn = "8"
input_enable_hotkey_btn = "8"
input_l_x_minus_axis = "-0"
input_y_btn = "3"
input_left_btn = "h0left"
input_state_slot_decrease_btn = "h0left"
input_r_x_plus_axis = "+3"

Flesy_

Here it´s mine:

$ dmesg |grep Joystick
[ 4.488206] smartjoyplus 0003:6666:8802.0001: input,hidraw3: USB HID v1.00 Jo ystick [WiseGroup.,Ltd TigerGame PS/PS2 Game Controller Adapter] on usb-3f980000 .usb-1.2/input0