Controller Options

Justintoxicated

I need to get at least one more controller in addition to my xbox 360 controller. I would prefer bluetooth and read that the wii pro controller will work with retropie (Rpi 3 b).
Is this correct?

Would this be a better option than an X-box one controller?

I also found some N64 to USB adapters (and I still have an N64 and controllers), will these adapters work on retropie? Might be nice to plug in an original controller in addition to the wireless options?

megafacehead

The wii u pro controller is the best controller for the pi...as long as you don;t use bluetooth and instead connect it via a seperate dongle -

read this

https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/8187/gamepads-making-involuntary-movements-in-emulation-station/26

It's the best controller.Why?
-Enough buttons, including a home and l3 and r3 on the sticks.
-The triggers are digital not analogue. For the games your going to play on the pi you don't want/need analogue triggers, they turn into more of a hassle with their long travel as opposed to the short travel of a digital button.
-Ridiculous battery life, 80hrs+
-Standard nintendo abxy layout which will lineup with the snes layout, so you don't get confused when playing a snes game and it says 'press the y button'.If you use a controller with an xbox abxy layout pad, its all reversed eg when a game says press the y button you'll have to press x;your going to get confused real quick.
-see my post here
https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/9689/help-getting-brutal-doom-campaign-hellonearthstarterpack-duke3d-expansions-to-work/55
to enable full controller functionality using the wii u controller+dongle for pc ports, no keyboard needed
-typical nintendo build quality-without peer.
-full rumble capability, no flashing sync light like the 360 controller that you need to disable either.

you could use a n64 controller with adaptor, for that authentic feel i guess, but you'll have to muck around and create your own hotkey combos for quicksave/quickload/exit game etc etc as they are all 'press select + another button to quicksave etc'....which is a problem as the n64 controller has no select button....

Justintoxicated

@megafacehead said in Controller Options:

The wii u pro controller is the best controller for the pi...as long as you don;t use bluetooth and instead connect it via a seperate dongle -

read this

https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/8187/gamepads-making-involuntary-movements-in-emulation-station/26

It's the best controller.Why?
-Enough buttons, including a home and l3 and r3 on the sticks.
-The triggers are digital not analogue. For the games your going to play on the pi you don't want/need analogue triggers, they turn into more of a hassle with their long travel as opposed to the short travel of a digital button.
-Ridiculous battery life, 80hrs+
-Standard nintendo abxy layout which will lineup with the snes layout, so you don't get confused when playing a snes game and it says 'press the y button'.If you use a controller with an xbox abxy layout pad, its all reversed eg when a game says press the y button you'll have to press x;your going to get confused real quick.
-see my post here
https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/9689/help-getting-brutal-doom-campaign-hellonearthstarterpack-duke3d-expansions-to-work/55
to enable full controller functionality using the wii u controller+dongle for pc ports, no keyboard needed
-typical nintendo build quality-without peer.
-full rumble capability, no flashing sync light like the 360 controller that you need to disable either.

you could use a n64 controller with adaptor, for that authentic feel i guess, but you'll have to muck around and create your own hotkey combos for quicksave/quickload/exit game etc etc as they are all 'press select + another button to quicksave etc'....which is a problem as the n64 controller has no select button....

Looks like the USB adapter for N64 was a fail, I heard there are some that work...But $50 for two ouch... probably not enough games to bother with.

I really want something wireless so I can play from the couch without a cable running across the living room. If the Wii Pro U can't do bluetooth well what is the best bluetooth controller? 8bitdo? nintendo switch pro controller (everything works except the select buttons?)

edmaul69

@justintoxicated the raphnet link i posted in the other thread is a 2 player adapter for $25

Justintoxicated

@edmaul69 said in Controller Options:

raphnet

where do I get one? I see them on ebay for about $30? Will I need a powered hub to use it?

edmaul69

@justintoxicated you dont need a hub for any of raphnets adapters.

http://www.raphnet-tech.com/products/dual_n64_to_usb_adapter/index.php

Justintoxicated

@megafacehead said in Controller Options:

wii u pro controller

wii u pro controller sound great except that I might buy a nintendo switch in the future, and the switch pro controller would work on both the pi and switch (except for the select button not working). However the main reason I wanted a wii pro u is for it's bluetooth capability, otherwise I'm kinda ok with just saving money and getting another xbox 360 controller. (I'm already used to the buttons being backwards as in my mind I go off position rather than the letters printed on them).

@edmaul69 does the raphnet adapter also work in retroarch and ES?

I bought a 8bitdo FC30 pro. It's working ok, and paired right up. The directional pad is kinda crappy though and I have trouble keeping up in fighting games, it's also a bit small in the hand (but thats ok for some purposes). It's good enough for most games just when you have already hard moves in fighting games like Forward, Down-forward, Down-back (and not back) that I am finding it really lacking. The xbox 360 controller work WAY better for these kinds of games. But I also wonder if a nintendo direction pad would work even better than the 360 controller?

For laying on my couch 18 feet from the tv and playing secret of mana, the 8bit do is perfect. Support has been excellent on it as well, paired right up and configured perfect for every game so far. I'm considering trying the Nintendo Switch Pro controller. Maybe I'm just too picky though?

tonythetiger

shoulda got a wii pro bro, that dpad is fine, but then again its nintendo, they know how to make a dpad. I was also on the fence about waiting for the switch pro controller but was deterred in the end due to its slightly less impressive battery life and its vastly higher price tag. I currently have 2 wii u pro controllers and setting up 1 is fine, the 2nd apparently more tricky. But honestly cannot recommend highly enough especially for fighting/dpad intensive games. glhf.

edmaul69

@justintoxicated all of raphnets adapters work in retropie.

Justintoxicated

@edmaul69 said in Controller Options:

@justintoxicated all of raphnets adapters work in retropie.

after shipping I could pretty much just buy 2 of these instead (allowing me to also use playstation controllers):
https://www.amazon.com/Mayflash-Sega-Saturn-Controller-Adapter/dp/B006ZBHXEO/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1501124116&sr=8-3&keywords=N64+usb+adapter#customerReviews

Not sure if they work on retropie though.

Also I tested the 8bitdo controller over USB and it seems to work much better than on bluetooth, but I need to do more testing (playing more games hah)

I can only seem to find refurbished wii u pro conrtrollers on ebay. No new ones are really available, but I can find nintendo switch controllers.

edmaul69

@justintoxicated not sure either. I know mayflash has issues with their n64 adapters on the pi.

Justintoxicated

I decided to just get the raphnets and will return my mayflash n64 adapter. Still thinking I want to try a wii pro u, or wii pro switch controller though. I see refurbished official wii pro u on ebay for $30. Should I try one of those?

tonythetiger

they are very good battery wise mostly and great dpad, HOWEVER there are a few ghost button presses in emulation station, NOT THE GAMES so much, but emustation itself apparently not as much as an issue in attract mode or others. I have a ps3, xbox360 xbone and wii u pro. They are hands down my favourite for retro gaming. not for pc gaming but retro like nes snes dreamcast and ps1, well sometimes i use ps3 for ps1 but no honestly i think they are ideal for a pi setup, loads-a reviews on youtube say the same. I was skeptical cos of the weird 2nd analogue stick but so far the only time ive used it is for starfox 64, as a replacement for the n64 C buttons and thats perfect.

Justintoxicated

@tonythetiger I had the mayflash N64 adapter working (but only in mupen64plus emulators) it would not navigate ES unless you reconfigured it every time you exit a game (Config file would not save). Thus it was also not detected in Emulation Station. I might have been able to get it working eventually but decided to just return it and spend more money for something that was not so hard to setup.

I gotta say though. Nothing works as well as an original N64 controller for N64 stuff :) But N64 is pretty hit and miss anyways...

Tempted to try one of those refurbish wii pro u controllers. Or just wait until I can find a switch and try the switch pro controller.

tonythetiger

yeah im looking forward to the n64 classic, cos that will mean new official n64 controllers, i may actually buy 2 cos those things will be worth their weight in gold mint condition in like 5-10yrs.