USB Arcade Stick + USB Gamepad

stallion85

I hope I can articulate this correctly and I apologize if there is already a post on this, but I could not find any.

I built a small tabletop arcade (build post coming soon), and I have a couple USB joystick encoders running my regular arcade control panel. These of course are "gamepad 1 and gamepad 2".

I also added a USB hub in the front of the cabinet for some USB SNES controllers I have.

My hope was to be able to plug the SNES controllers in when I wanted to use those instead of the Arcade controls.

The problem is the SNES controllers come up as "gamepad 3 and gamepad 4". Which I understand is correct and I could play some 4 player games just fine. But I would like to be able to use them as player 1 and player 2 controllers.

Is there any way to do this? I know in mame I can add both arcade controls and SNES controls to player 1 input, so it doesn't matter which one I use they control player 1, but what about the other systems?

Thanks in advanced and sorry if I was long winded.

Graboid

I think the answer is to use a Switched USB A extension cable/lead Power ON/OFF (USB Data lines connected) that basically you can 'cut the power' to the arcade controls allowing the gamepads to then be joy 1 and 2.

I read a post somewhere that I can't find, that someone did this. I'm not sure if a reboot is needed or it works on the fly though.

Note that that switch has to have the USB data lines connected for it to work properly.

Graboid

In fact I've just ordered one, so will be able to confirm mid next week once it arrives. I need the same solution

stallion85

I appreciate your response! I was hoping it would come to that. Regardless, let me know how it goes.

Graboid

A bit late, but I only tried this last night.
I can confirm it does work.

Flicking the switch imeddiately disables the Xin-Mo controller, allowing the additional gamepads in the USB slots (usually assigned player 3 & 4) to be now used as player 1 & 2.

Darksavior

Not exactly what you were asking, but you can assign a game pad to a player # to a specific emulator or globally in configuration editor . The screenshots arent updated but they're there. https://github.com/retropie/retropie-setup/wiki/Configuration-Editor

Also, if you're using a libretro emulator, can't you change controllers in the retroarch in-game menu?

Graboid

@Darksavior said in USB Arcade Stick + USB Gamepad:

Not exactly what you were asking, but you can assign a game pad to a player # to a specific emulator or globally in configuration editor . The screenshots arent updated but they're there. https://github.com/retropie/retropie-setup/wiki/Configuration-Editor

Also, if you're using a libretro emulator, can't you change controllers in the retroarch in-game menu?

This sounds great. So I can assign the game pads (currently Player 3 & 4) to Player 1 & 2 in a specific emulator, say the lr-SNES core. I'll look into this as this would be perfect. Thanks.