8bitdo Pro 2 LONG Start Delay

Agrajag

I just received two 8bitdo Pro 2 game controllers that seem pretty nice, but I'm having one issue with them that I'm not sure what to do about. ANY game on ANY platform that I try to load with this controller turned on takes forever to launch. It pretty quickly gets to the runcommand pop-up, but then sits at a black screen for something like 30 seconds before finally I get a little pop-up showing that it sees the controller (lower left) and then the game loads immediately thereafter.

Is this a typical bluetooth thing or some other setting I have goofed up?

SeraphisCain

@agrajag This is a problem with the previous Pro model as well. It has to do with the input type you have the controller set to. There's one of them that RetroPie just doesn't like (I think XInput?). Try switching it over to a different input type. There should be a switch somewhere on the back of the controller I think? You'll have to re-configure the controller in EmulationStation afterwards, though.

mitu

Looks like this issue, not specific to RetroPie, triggered by the controller timing out when inquired about the battery level.
You can either use a different connection mode (not XInput) as @SeraphisCain suggested or installing the xpadneo driver from the RetroPie-Setup if you with to keep the XInput connect mode and re-pair the controller. Both methods require a re-configuration in EmulationStation after pairing it via Bluetooth.

Agrajag

@mitu

Is there a benefit to using XInput over the other modes?

mitu

@agrajag Not sure, but you can look up the manual for the controller and see what's the difference between the various connection modes.

Agrajag

@mitu said in 8bitdo Pro 2 LONG Start Delay:

@agrajag Not sure, but you can look up the manual for the controller and see what's the difference between the various connection modes.

Hehehe. Not much help on that front as I've read traffic signs with more text.

nadenislamarre

@mitu if needed, i fixed it today on batocera.linux (https://github.com/batocera-linux/batocera.linux/commit/ce894a8e7730f5c0a67a507e50489ffb6614ca01)
(at least, i applied a workaround to disable battery at linux level)
because of the battery long (and incorrect) answer from the firmware, udev takes long time to applies rules (and then declare the pad as a joystick). 8bitdo should give me a firmware dev contact to work on the subject.

Agrajag

@nadenislamarre Have you reached out to them? And thanks for this!

ohmycommodore

@Agrajag Just running into this issue with my new Pro 2 controllers. Can I ask where you ended up with this? Did you find a good workaround that you've stuck with that removes the delay in launching games?

ohmycommodore

@ohmycommodore Went with mode D instead of X and yes that does seem to eliminate the delay.