Selecting controller per game

[prl]

Pi Model or other hardware: 3B+
Power Supply used: Official power supply
RetroPie Version Used: 4.8
Built From: Pre made SD Image on RetroPie website
USB Devices connected: XinMoTek Dual Arcade Controller, PS3 USB controller, USB Speakers
Controller used: XinMoTek Dual Arcade controller

Hello,

I'm using a XinMoTek Dual Arcade controller on my arcade cabinet and everything works fine. For some specific games I'd like to use a PS3 USB controller (for instance Mario on NES, Sonic on Genesis) that I have laying around. I tried configuring the controller to use through Retroarch and indeed I was able to select which controller to use: XinMoTek #1, XinMoTek #2, or PS3 USB controller. The problem is that it sets that controller to all the games in that specific system which is not what I want.

I looked around to see if there was any guide for this but haven't found any. Can someone point me to the right place or teach me how to do it?

Also, as a kind of "stretch goal", if setting a controller per game is possible is it doable to have it "default" to the arcade controller if the PS3 controller is not present?

Thanks for the help.

[mitu]

@prl said in Selecting controller per game:

I looked around to see if there was any guide for this but haven't found any. Can someone point me to the right place or teach me how to do it?

You use the core remapping menu in RetroArch and save the configuration just for the game, not for the entire core.

Also, as a kind of "stretch goal", if setting a controller per game is possible is it doable to have it "default" to the arcade controller if the PS3 controller is not present?

Not sure how RetroArch handles the core remapping in this case, I don't think it will work.

[prl]

@mitu thanks, that's what I tried actually.

But the problem is that if I go to "Retroarch > Quick Menu > Controls > Port 1 Controls" there's no option to select the controller. I can indeed Save Game Remap File, but that's no use. See here:

If I go to "Retroarch > Settings > Port 1 Controls", then I have a "Device Index" option that lists my controllers and I can choose the third one which is the USB PS3 controller. But this is a global setting, I have no Save Game Remap File at this level so this sets the USB PS3 controller as the controller to the entire system, not just the game.

[lostless]

Try using the mapped port option instead. Basically tell retroarch to treat whatever controller as whatever player you want. So if your ps3 controller is player 3, go to player 3 and set the mapped port to player 1. you should be able to save per game

[prl]

@lostless thanks, I think that did it! Will need to test some more, but it seems to do the trick.