If you're using a RetroArch based emulator core (e.g. FBneo doesn't have an input menu similar to MAME), then you may be able to do that using the 'Mapped Port' option in the core input, see https://github.com/libretro/RetroArch/pull/12534.
I haven't used it, so I don't know if it's possible to save a game input remap after setting up this options (so it will configuration will be automatically applied when the game starts).

Ok, so I feel like an idiot but it was the un-useability of the home key that was the issue. When I remapped select to the hotkey feature, it worked. Thank you to all of you. At least I learned a lot about cfg. :)

@zenoxio You can bring up the RetroArch's RGUI and check how the Pad 2 is setup - is it set to 'RetroPad' or something else ? Might be that Genesis-Plus GX has a strange default for the 2nd controller, you could try lr-picodrive and see if the same issue happens.

@nitrohepcat So...
Situation A) Do you want left shoulder to be "2" and right shoulder to be "2"?
OR
Situation B) Do you want left shoulder to be "half of 2" and right shoulder to be "half of 2"?

I'm not sure you map a controller input to "half a keyboard key".

@sgrontflix I think that the latest updates to the emulator conflict with old configs. I ran into the same problem, no matter the setting, the controller configs were wonky across all games. I had to remove all the custom settings and redownload the emulator to get default configs for it to be consistent again. I think that it has to do with moving the controller type from settings to controllers and the added mutitap menu. 🤷‍♂️

@mitu Swear I did BUT I didn't. Thanks!

@retropieuser555 Yes, that could work. It might be a little weird though. I'll have to give it a try.

solved.

@nmlnet said in Using a second controller for the hot key:

When I map the input controller buttons for the controller and get to hotkey, it doesn't recognize the keyboard input

You cannot map inputs from 2 separate input devices in EmulationStation, each one should be mapped separately. Try mapping your keyboard as well - separately from your SNES gamepad - and choose a hotkey there.

TAhis works because your 2nd device is a keyboard and it works as P1 (just as your gampead), otherwise you wouldn't be able to use a 2nd controller for hotkey - only P1 has hotkey control.

@mitu Thanks, appreciate the help.

I tried many times to autoconfigure the Nvidia controller (Manage packages -> Manage core packages -> emulationstation -> Configuration -> and run Clear/Reset Emulation Station input configuration) and recreating it, every time it created the same shorter name. Only using the Retroarch menu, the new longer file name was created. As soon as that file was created, I stopped seeing the "not configured overlay", and seeing "Nvidia controller on port 2" (or something along those lines). And the controller started working

I really think that there is something weird with the auto-creation of the Nvidia controller. It's possible that somehow Retroarch and the auto configuration use different APIs to get the device name? Or that the V1.03 controller is somehow behaving differently?

Anyway, hopefully anyone else with this problem will bump into this thread and get a possible workaround

@helloThere Well that’s weird. Mine is completely empty. Hopefully the image attaches correctly but the box has no code in it like yours. Maybe I missed a step?666C68D6-5BA0-45D6-8402-FC7B9A265938.jpeg

Press the button you mapped as A for OK.

@cameronball That's how to connect it, I want to map it out in emulationsation.
Thanks for the vote through.

@nicshoe18

I had to add usbhid.quirks=0xf000:0x0008:0x100000 to /boot/cmdline.txt and then reboot to get jstest detect the missing buttons.

It was that indeed. Sorry, I had forgotten that I had a previous emulationstation (yes, from Ubuntu repos) install in the machine. I just re-installed the machine, and got everything from the RetroPie-Setup script this time. It works like a charm!

Thanks a lot for you help!

If you are using the controller wired, it is probably in X-Input mode. Try uninstalling and reinstalling the xpad driver through RetroPie-Setup -> Manage Packages -> Manage Drivers, then rebooting the Pi once you are done.

@tspgallagher said in Brand new Pi4 2GB, controller works in Estation, not in actual games:

I just have to figure out how to get OUT of a game once I get into one.

Hotkey + start

@mitu said in Right Analog Left Configuring Issue:

Please add more info about your setup, as detailed in https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/3/read-this-first.

Try to update the packages in RetroPie after installation, as described in https://retropie.org.uk/docs/Updating-RetroPie/, then try again re-configuring the controller(s) in EmulationStation.

That is very helpful! thank you

@jdoc never mind. I just switched the USB ports and they work as expected now.