Hi! I just ran into this myself, and thought I'd post this for anyone else who had this issue to give an alt method, If you want to configure it with the GUI (which may be easier). It takes a few steps, and you will need a mouse.

install Desktop in Raspconfig
2 use the dekstop terminal to run QT_QPA_PLATFORM=xcb /opt/retropie/emulators/dolphin/bin/dolphin-emu
3 configure your controller
4 important- while you are here, configure your hotkeys as well. Dolphin does not recognize the normal hotkey /exit button, it uses its own.

You can edit both GC and Wii controls this way

Hello @mitu

As i promised, I modify the /boot/cmdline.txt file from windows and it worked!

Thank you for your support

Hi All,

do you have any other suggestions?

Thanks,
Stefano

If it has a dongle, then it's not a Bluetooth contrller. If it's not working with a PC, then the dongle/controller may be fake or defective. Complain to the vendor and ask for a replacement/RMA.

Check if the mapping corresponds with the one described in the docs - see the previous link I posted. If you wish to change the mapping, then you can do so by using the core input remaping menus in RetroArch.
You can also try using the standalone emulator to check whether the default mapping for it is better suited for your needs.

@KingPenha

already tried, but nothing

@CDNSailor ok, so after getting home and opening my Pi up, I tried plugging the controller directly to the system. Lit up and was picked up immediately. Still can set it up, but I did run a jstest. It's definitely my splitter that is causing the issue with the pi seeing the controller. That said, now I'm going to fiddle with the drivers and see if I can get that one to work. Of that works, I'll be half way there. I just wish I could know exactly what the splitter is doing that is choking it off. If it's power or data throughput.

@terr0rgasm Enabled is the default, otherwise RetroArch's controller profile would not be created.

@mrmadcatz

UPDATE: I was able to fix the issue by going to RetroPie Setup > Core Packages and returning both the Retroarch hot keys and EmulationStation controls back to their defaults. Once I remapped the controllers again in ES, they carried over to RA.

@Tango You can look in the Core options or the Controller(s) menu, both from the RetroArch's quick menu. I think Mame2003 has a core option for spinners - https://docs.libretro.com/library/mame_2003/#mousetrackballanalog-controller-support.

Hello! I realised that maybe you guys are assuming that my usb keyboard is a gaming keyboard. It isn't. I think I'll have to buy an actual video game controller eventually. Thanks anyway for your guys' help!

@mitu Well ... looks like you are right. :D

Edit:
Fixed! ;)

OK, the crash should be fixed in https://github.com/RetroPie/RetroPie-Setup/pull/3861.

It doesn't matter how many un-configured devices are detected, one is enough to trigger the bug whenever its input is procesed by joy2key (a button needs to be pressed to trigger the bug).

@Limegreengamer9 I don't 'have' any other drivers.

You may try to see if the gamepad works with a more recent Linux kernel, with the drivers included there. Boot with a recent Raspberry Pi OS Lite and try to run jstest there to see if all inputs are properly detected. You may need to install the joystick package for the jstest command.

@Isolved: the solution of the problem was throw away 2.4 dongle and connect gamepad through standard pi Bluetooth - work fine

@retznutz I'm very interested in this! I have likewise wanted to make a cabinet version of intellivision controls. I thought about something like the stream deck (video buttons).

I was thinking of larger controls that fit the hands rather than the thumbs; one hand for the disc (3.5" disc?) and one hand for the buttons. How about the 5" screen, vertical, with the overlay 150% larger (four fingers across)? I had in mind the side buttons could be real buttons.

Staying tuned on this!

ws

@mitu Thank you very much! Updating the kernel and redownload the package did it! 🤗

@mitu Thank you, that was the problem!

I may have missed something in the documentation. I thought I had to configure input twice, once for the main box, and once for the second box. But configuring for the second box, even with all the buttons plugged into the same slots, caused the important buttons on the main box (coin, 1P, 2P) to be forgotten.

@draksus said in Boomer friendly way to exit games using a n64 controller?:

Is there a way to have the pause button function in game AND be the hotkey?

Probably yes.

Its ok if a shortpress brings up ES menu, a medium press brings up RA menu.

That's not how it works. Once a game is started, ES is no longer active and you can't open its menu(s) anymore, you'll have to exit the emulator before ES becomes active again.

If you're only interested in N64 (or maybe just in a couple of systems), you can run RetroArch directly - without EmulationStation acting as a front-end. See Lakka for a similar gaming distro that has just RetroArch running.