Controllers not working in emulators

[crockin]

Pi Model: B, quad-core, 1.2ghz, 1gb ram
Power Supply used: official univeral power adapter
RetroPie Version 4.6
Built From: Pre made SD Image on RetroPie website - retropie-buster-4.6-rpi2_rpi3.img
USB Devices connected: a 120GB SanDisk SSD Plus, connected via USB 3.0 SATA to USB adapter on port 3 on the Pi, used purely as a mounted drive containing ROMs
Controller used: OG Sony Dualshock, model SCPH -1200, connected via USB adapter ("DIGIFLEX PS2 to Sony PS3 USB Game Controller Converter Adapter" on Amazon), also original official non-dualshock PSX controller, model SCPH-1080 connected via anidentical adapter.

Hey, might be a long one...

So to start I was using an Xbox 360 pad, which seemed to work on most things I tried, maybe messed around here and there. It eventually did get to the point where I couldnt hotkey out of games with it, and was getting very annoyed with it... BUT...

I then bought the Playstation controller adapters and plugged in the Dualshock into port 0 on the Pi, and it worked 100% flawlessly, in Emulationstation and all emulators off the bat, didn't have to mess with anything, even had games like Ape Escape working correctly with it recognizing it as a Dualshock.
HOWEVER, should probably mention that it has always been recognised as two controllers by EmulationStation and Retroarch? Calls it 'Twin Stick USB controlle'r and recognises it in ports 0, and 1?? When 2 are plugged in it says plugged into ports 0, 1, 2 and 3... but moving on..

Then next I tried to start up Crash Team Racing in 2 player, to play with the wife, plugging in the original PSX controller (no analogue sticks) into port 1 on the Pi...

Didn't work. Player1 controller still worked completely fine, controller 2 - nothing. Opened Retoarch menu and had a look at some settings to try and figure it out... no idea. Checked the forums here and read about changing the controller order in Retropie settings I think? changed it there to what i would have liked, my Dualshock as port 0, OG controller as 1, still no cigar. Restarted the game and it loaded a save state where as player 1 I had already picked a character, and the same Dualshock controller was then set as player 2, and i could pick player 2's character and begin the game... so I started it up and of course, the player 1 dualshock worked as player 1 and controller 2 did nothing.

Next i tried changing ports, plugging both the controllers in all different combinations of ports etc, at this point NEITHER seemed to work - not even hot-keys etc. Note, i didn't move the USB hard-drive from port 3. Had to plug keyboard in to exit games using the ESC key.

So then i basically followed this video -

Cleared/reset the Emulation Station input configuration via Retropie Setup etc. etc. In the end even removed and then re-installed Retroarch as per the video.

Now NO controllers are working at all in emulators, not even my keyboard. The PSX controllers do nothing, and the keyboard, seems the odd button has been mapped, and i can do a little bit in game, i.e. Enter key seems to be Start, and the up arrow key seems to be the 'A' button, but I can't see any other button doing anything at all, and i can't Start + Select out of games at all.
I should note that everything works completely fine in EmulationStation and also Drastic still works 100% as I mapped it myself, in game and opening the menu to exit, etc.

Basically, would like to be able to use both PSX conrollers at the same time for multi-player games, but at this point I would even take just the Dualshock working by itself again, including hotkeying out of games lol.

Any ideas? Thanks! :)