Can't connect PS3 controller with sixaxis

retrodaniel

Hello,

I'm on version 4.7.4 of RetroPie and 5.4.83 of Raspbian. Raspberry Pi 4B.

I have:an original PS3 controller and a shanwan clone PS3 controller. I've read the official guide as well as numerous threads of this forum but I can't get them to work with sixaxis.

The original PS3 controller works using the old, not recommended ps3controller driver. No matter what I try, I can't get it to work with the new, recommended sixaxis driver.

As for the clone PS3 controller, the same applies. Works fine with the ps3controller driver but no luck with the sixaxis driver.

I'm trying to use the sixaxis driver because I want to be able to have both controllers connected at the same time. With ps3controller I'm only able to have the driver (or whatever it actually installs) of the official controller or the driver for the clone controller, not both at the same time. To make it worse, I only have a bluetooth keyboard and mouse, and when using the shanwan controller the keyboard and mouse can not connect to the Raspberry.

Has anyone been able to successfully connect their PS3 controllers with sixaxis? If so, how?

retrodaniel

bump

The Doctor

@retrodaniel I am using a pi 2 and the only problem i have with that is you have to keep it pluged in since pi 2 does not have built in bluetooth, other than that, all you have to do is plug it in, and play... after configuring it!

The Doctor

@retrodaniel if it helps at all, check this out: https://www.reddit.com/r/RetroPie/comments/kw7q49/connecting_knockoff_ps3_controllers/

Crush

@retrodaniel Have you tried resetting your ps3 controllers with a pin before trying to make the new connection?

retrodaniel

@crush yes, many times. They work correctly with ps3controller but not with sixaxis. I don't get it. Isn't the latter supposed to be better and with better compatibility?

Efriim

Not sure if it will help, but try removing the bluetooth device for the controller and then resync.

Crush

Ok i just paired 2 PS3 controllers to the pi, both were paired to my PS3 so they were new to the Pi.
1 i reset with the pin, and one i didn't reset at all, both worked.

1st plug in the controller while in Emulation Station, then go to the Bluetooth settings and select pair a device.
If you have sixaxis installed then a text should appear in the screen that tells you to unplug the controller, press the home button, and then re-plug your controller, it is important you do this while this text is displayed, once you do this the next screen will automatically popup and you can select your controller.

I find the order is very important here, if you do it wrong, you can still find and pair your controller but it wont work even though it says it paired successfully.

Hope this helps you out.

PS: i used the built in bluetooth of the Pi, external dongles sometimes may cause issues.

retrodaniel

@crush thanks for the step by step instructions! That worked for the original PS3 controller, but it's not working for the clone one I have :/, and I have support for third-party controllers enabled. The weird thing is that the shanwan controller is being displayed as a keyboard and not a controller in the bluetooth list of devices.

retrodaniel

Update: I have been able to connect both controllers (original PS3 and shanwan PS3 clone).
What I did:

Install both the sixaxis and ps3controllerdrivers.
Pair the original PS3 controller via sixaxis.
Set up the ps3controller to pair a shanwan controller.
Pair the clone controller with ps3controller.

And they can be connected at the same time without any problems! I tried playing a PSX game with 2 players, and it worked perfectly.

This was just a workaround, and ideally it would have been great if both controllers could have been connected with sixaxis.

Crush

@retrodaniel
I was under the impression from other threads that when you install 1 the other gets disabled, because they are incompatible with each other.

retrodaniel

@crush I was too. AFAIK if you have ps3controller installed and you install sixaxis, then ps3controllergets automatically uninstalled. But seems like installing ps3controller works perfectly after having installed sixaxis.