cheap vs premium controllers

brad2600

i have been using cheap usb controllers that i found on amazon with retropie. for the most part, no complaints, however, whenever i switch my controllers (ie, go from nes to snes controllers), i have to remap them. from what i've figured out, this is because the controllers are both using /opt/retropie/configs/all/retroarch-joypads/usb gamepad.cfg as their config file, which means they are overwriting each other. so, i've decided i would like to stop using cheap controllers, and start using better ones! trouble is, i have no idea which brands will get their own config, vs which ones will simply appear as "usb gamepad". is there a list somewhere? can we build one here?

brad2600

i have seen Tomee, Hyperkin, and 8-bitdo controllers recommended. i just want to avoid bringing in a pair of every one of these brands, just to figure out which ones are using "usb gampad" vs "something else".

AlexMurphy

@brad2600 That would be some mammoth / impossible task. Most of the cheap Chinese knockoffs are using chips from a few sources. They may not even use the same chips in the same controllers. And a lot of the cheap "branded" controllers are just the cheap crap with a decal attached. Literally the only way to find out is to buy one and try it. Even if you buy 2 the same they may have different IDs.

brad2600

i don't care to know which ones show up as something generic, what i'm looking for is a longer list of controllers that definitely show up with a unique cfg name.

AlexMurphy

@brad2600 Anything that is a decent / well known brand will have its' own unique identifier. They will have a custom "firmware" on the controller chip. It's only an issue with crappy / generic / no-name / off-brand controllers.

brad2600

of course! i guess i'm just looking for firsthand accounts of what is and isn't a decent/well known brand. i've heard about a few of the bigger ones, but then i see brands on amazon like kiwitata, almost no reviews, but they have a nice box, and a good price. not as cheap as obvious generics, but they have a nice box, did they put custom firmware in? who knows... i'd like to before i order...

mediamogul

@brad2600

Off-brand cheap generics should definitely be avoided, but there are ways to work around the naming issue, allowing you to use any controller you want. I've used xboxdrv to do this on a few occasions.

https://github.com/RetroPie/RetroPie-Setup/wiki/Universal-Controller-Calibration-&-Mapping-Using-xboxdrv#2c-personalizing-your-controllers-id-name

mediamogul

@brad2600

but then i see brands on amazon like kiwitata, almost no reviews, but they have a nice box and a good price.

If a suspiciously inexpensive controller has been out for a while without any reviews, it's a good sign it's a cheap generic, no matter how nice the box might appear.

AlexMurphy

@mediamogul xboxdrv must be paying you for each download... Hahahah! I hate it. It's too convoluted for anyone to get their head around in a short time. I get that if you take time to understand it that it is probably a great tool. The learning curve is just too steep for most.

mediamogul

@AlexMurphy

xboxdrv must be paying you for each download...

Ha! I do wish it was a bit easier to use myself, but it's really the only tool available for linux that handles both controller key-mapping and calibration. Besides, if we all shied away from these types of technical challenges, where would this whole project be?

AlexMurphy

@mediamogul C'mon man! You know I appreciate everything that the people here do and I try my best to help others. But xboxdrv is not for everyone, is it?

mediamogul

@AlexMurphy

Of course not. None of the recommendations made here are a perfect fit for everyone. Sometimes however, there are simply no alternatives.

AlexMurphy

@mediamogul I have met TINA and I do not like her...

TINA is an acronym for There Is No Alternative`

mediamogul

@AlexMurphy

A lack of alternatives is never great, but I'm always thankful when I have at least one option available. Building a better mouse trap would be ideal here. The list of features already outweighs anything I've seen on Mac and Windows, but the ease of use could definitely be improved. Maybe someday that will happen, or perhaps even a challenger will rise through the ranks. Until then, sometimes we just have to dance with the only available partner. Even if it is TINA.