Hotkeys work only on the controller that's player 1 (P1), if your Bluetooth controllers is the 1st one detected - hence P1 - then the subsequent/other controllers will be P2/P3 and their hotkey enable button is disabled.

@dankcushions Did that, no effect. I'll google to see how else I can get a verbose log, but last time I didn't see anything.

hey @icebear81!

I'm facing a similar problem. As RetroPie/Emulationstation do not rely on X11, most libraries to emulate a virtual keyboard input don't work.

I'm trying to send key presses to a running game. The following python3 script works in the emulationstation menu, but doesn't in game (lr-gambatte).

Do you have any idea how I can send virtual keystrokes (via a python script, started on an SSH session) to a running game?

import time import uinput def main(): events = (uinput.KEY_LEFT, uinput.KEY_DOWN, uinput.KEY_D) with uinput.Device(events) as device: time.sleep(1) device.emit_click(uinput.KEY_LEFT) time.sleep(0.2) device.emit_click(uinput.KEY_D) time.sleep(0.2) device.emit_click(uinput.KEY_D) time.sleep(0.2) device.emit_click(uinput.KEY_DOWN) time.sleep(0.2) if __name__ == "__main__": main()

@kal318 Yeah, I think you are exaggerating problems with hotkeys. Retropie does not have a problem with hotkeys. This forum is filled with people who have questions, and questions about hotkeys come up often, but the issues come from a misunderstanding of retroarch/libretro framework combined with the fact that none of us use the same hardware. I use a keyboard controller (IPAC) with arcade controls while you might use a particular gamepad, and we both made different choices at first-run about what buttons we map to what functions, or what changes we made in our .cfg files. It is a source of confusion, and a configuration choice that needs to match the need, but I would not call it a problem.

Case in point, you say keyboard hotkeys are working for you. It probably means you have a keyboard key assigned as the hotkey which would be perfectly normal for me since I use a keyboard controller. It is not a problem, just a a different configuration. It would be like me saying there is a problem with sandwiches because of all of that disgusting mayonnaise I always find. Add me to the list of dry sandwich lovers who cannot find a solution to this mayonnaise problem.

In any case, Your question is a good one and we can probably get you straightened out, but you need to add a lot more detail about your configuration as @mitu suggests above. For example, how did you build your system? We have seen a lot of time wasted on misconfigured third party images where we have no clue how someone else might have messed up choices for you.

@contoso normally we suggest using select as hotkey, but you could use the PS button. it would just mean all your hotkey actions would be using that button. for example, save state would be PS button + R1, load state PS button + L1, and so on.

Would that cause me to not have access to the retroarch joypads directory?

how are you trying to access it? via command line or?

@Dominus
For the Metroid games where you need to keep pressing the Select button or like Wrecking Crew on the NES where it kicks you out of the current game when pressing Select, I made a config file with the same name as the rom with .cfg appended to it (like Metroid.zip.cfg) and then setup the Guide/Logo button as Hotkey on my Xbox 360 controller just for those games:

# Hotkey button input_enable_hotkey_btn = 10 #Guide

Or you can change it for every game on 1 system (like for MAME2003) by added the above to this file:
/opt/retropie/configs/mame-libretro/retroarch.cfg