Can I use a generic PS3 Bluetooth controller in Retropie?

[DxFx]

I recently ordered a generic controller on Amazon the one with no logos and the genereic P3 button and I was wondering if it will work when I get it. I don't think it will work with the normal setup for PS3 controllers but idk. If that is the case though I would just set it up under Bluetooth devices instead?

[DxFx]

A picture for reference. I'm not really worried if it doesn't. I have a wired 360 and an authentic PS3 cntroller. I just wanna know so I can buy a few more to have around.

[danbishop]

Drop to a terminal, plug it in via usb and then type "dmesg". You can unplug the controller for now, which is probably vibrating non-stop.

You should see information about your controller in the last few lines of output. This will either show the manufacturer to be shanwan, or gaisa.

Once you've established which of the two, you can select the appropriate ps3 driver from the retropie-config menu. Go to the RetroPie menu option, then choose "Retropie Setup". This will drop you into a text based menu, from here select "Setup / Configuration (to be used post install)". Now "Install/Pair PS3 Controller". Finally, select the option with either clone support gasia, or clone support shanwan.

Let it download and compile.

It will then prompt you to connect the controller by usb again. Do this for a few seconds, then remove the connection and hit the Playstation Logo button in the middle of the controller. After a few seconds you'll be connected. Yay!

But wait... if you're using a raspberry pi 3 with integrated bluetooth, when you reboot... it will not reconnect :(

So...

sudo nano /usr/bin/sixad

Then look for the following section:
else
echo "No bluetooth adapters found on the system!"
echo "sixad will now quit"
exit
fi

Place a # in front of the word exit, so it now looks like this:

else
echo "No bluetooth adapters found on the system!"
echo "sixad will now quit"
#exit
fi

The check the script uses to ensure a bluetooth adapter is present fails at the time it is executed during boot. I'm going to have a look at how I might be able to help fix this upstream, but in the meantime the above workaround should do just fine.

[danbishop]

Looking at your picture, I'm going to guess it's a shanwan... but do the dmesg step anyway!

[DxFx]

Sweet thanks for the quick response! I'm glad I now know it'll work. I watched a video on setting up an 8Bitdo controller to get a feel for what to expect setting it up as a regular Bluetooth controller and it mentioned something about the failing to connect on reboot so thanks for clearing that up. Also I'm glad I can just use the PS3 driver by choosing the appropriate clone support! Thanks again for your knowledge and expertise!

[DxFx]

Well I got my controller a few days ago and didn't have any problems setting it up! It's a Gasia controller. I went through the process of setting it up and chose the Gasia clone support instead of Gasia only. It didn't shake or do the knight rider led pattern. I remember all the leds lighting up and when I pressed the P3 button the fourth one turned off then just the first stayed on like is customary. I exited with my keyboard then opened the ES menu to select the controller configuration. It showed 1 gamepad detected. I pressed X until PS3 (R) controller detected appeared and proceeded to configure the buttons. The interesting thing is when I shutdown the system and plugged it back in the controller was still recognized. I pressed the P3 button and it connected. I didn't change anything in the terminal. It wasn't a fluke either as it works every time. I'm using a card I had set up on the Pi2 in my Pi3. I don't have a BT dongle for my Pi2 and was using a wired controller so no Bluetooth options were ever set up previously. I didn't run an an update/upgrade either.

[luetzel]

Please have a look at this tread. It describes how to pair a PS3 shanwan clone using bluez.
https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/998/shanwan-pi3-pairing-success