xbox 360 usb controller not working in retroarch and cores

max

Hi,

I'm a first-time retropie user and feeling a bit lost here. I read the read-this-first and searched and searched but…

Specs

Pi Model or other hardware: 3B+
RetroPie Version Used: 4.4
Built From: retropie-4.4-rpi2_rpi3.img
USB Devices connected: logitech usb keyboard
Controller used: xbox 360 controller usb wired

pi@retropie:/opt $ /opt/retropie/emulators/retroarch/bin/retroarch --version
RetroArch: Frontend for libretro -- v1.7.1 -- 6fc6bfb --
Compiler: GCC (6.3.0) 32-bitBuilt: Mar 19 2018

Description

Controller works in Emulatorstation and e.g. scummvm
Starting RetroArch menu, controller input doesn't react at all
I've to SSH into the pi and manually kill it to exit
I do however see the yellow message that the controller is connected
USB connected keyboard doesn't work either, but works in normal console stuff
Various cores I tested show the same problem (lr-fceumm, lf-snes9x2010, lr-gambatte)
I did reconfigure the pad again and again
I used jstest, everything looked "normal"
checked that /opt/retropie/configs/all/retroarch-joypads points to /opt/retropie/configs/all/retroarch/autoconfig
checked /opt/retropie/configs/all/retroarch.cfg is up2dated generated (modification time)
I've no core-specific setups
I've tried updating all installed packages already
Didn't see any errors in the /dev/shm/runcommand.log

Interesting behaviour

While I started collecting/observing information, I noticed in snes/r-type iii the dpad worked but I couldn't "select" the actual option (only hover over one/two player and the option) and during this, the exit hotkey worked, too.
During this time, the exit hotkey worked from other lr-* cores, too.
But this feature stopped working during this session and even after reconfiguring the controller, restarting the pi, I can't make even that work again.

Also, ~2 weeks ago I was using the pre .4.4 images due to the 3B+ and back then it worked => but that SD image has been wiped completely with the newest.

Any idea how I can fix this?

thanks,

max

Drakaen391

Can you go to retro-setup and see if you have either Xbox driver installed?

max

Hi,
if you mean sudo ~/RetroPie-Setup/retropie_setup.sh and "Manage Packages" / "driver" then I've only xpad and not xboxdrv (nor any other driver besides).

Do I need both to actually make it work? 🤷‍♀️

I didn't change the drivers from the defaults (only emulator related packages).

mitu

@max If you remove the keyboard, does the controller starts working in the Emulators ?

max

@mitu Unfortunately no :-/

I tried disconnecting when it was already connected.

I tried booting only with controller connected.

No difference, doesn't work in either case.

I've tried the Amiga emulator (amiberry, but also uae4arm) and in in-emulator menus the controller works. With a bit of input configuration eventually in both I got games working with the controller.

max

While trying around many things for my last reply here, I changed a lot of input configs within the Amiga emulators. I didn't change anything within EmultationStation.

The net outcome was that at the point I wanted to get to into the ES menu, it didn't work anymore: the "start" button didn't react. However the DPAD as well as the "a" still seem to work correctly.

A reboot didn't fix it.

I then went in with SSH, into the setup, into "Configuration / tools" / "emulationsation" / "Clear/Reset Emulation Station input configuration", then rebooted and was prompted to configure the controller again.

DANG! Now it works in the NES emulator ?!?!

Investigating…

max

Literally no idea.

Yes, I did switch USB ports but now that it works I can connect the controller into any USB port and when being with in the RetroArch configuration application, it always gets recognized and works (it always says port #0 though; but maybe that's just the virtual management and not the actual USB port?).

Something here is very easy to break. I wonder if it's the controllers fault. Though I've been and still using it for years, in the past primarily under Windows and for all I know and see, it does work.

Shadowron

There are some major issues with Xbox controllers on 4.4. A friend run into same issues on the 3B+. Before the release of 4.4 everything worked fine, but after the update the troubles started. It looked like the config for the controllers was removed somehow. I removed all the controller configs and tried to add them again but I ran into some issues. When configuring the input both trigger buttons are recognized as axis buttons (saw axis 2 and 5). I thought it was an issue with 3B+ and Xbox One S controllers, but my own 3B with a Xbox 360 controller shows the exact same behavior.

So far I tested:

2 Xbox One S (wireless, but connected with wire) controllers on the 3B+
1 Xbox 360 (wired) controller on the 3B

All of them show same behavior as you described.

Edit: In all cases xboxdrv was installed.

max

Ok, thanks for sharing!

What I don't understand is the uncertainty. I could swear I tried for hours and nothing worked and then tried again and simply "clicked".

I'm hesitant to try again after shutdown of a few hours … 🤔

kradams67

@max I have the exact same issue as you, though I downgraded to 4.2 thinking that would help but it didn't. So would you say that all you ended up doing was resetting Emulation Station input configuration then rebooted? After reading through this thread I can't see what steps I would need to take to get the joysticks working (I have 1 xbox 360 wired and 1 generic one).
Thanks

Tricko

I'm getting similar odd behaviour with a wired 360 controller as well on 4.4 and a 3B+

Works fine in ES, but after launching a game, the start or select buttons won't do anything at first...

But - if I mash random buttons for a little bit first, then they start working in that game all of a sudden, and I can then add coins and start a game.

Exiting also works fine then, but next game I startup I have the same problem again and have to repeat the mashing trick.

TanoStaf

I have the same behavior on XBox One Rpi3 with RetroPie 4.4 onboard.
One point to add, due to I've tested different emulators - I found that gamepad works fine in particular games (Like Alladin or Worm Jim on Sega32X) but still not working in others (Like Sonic and many more - as on the same Sega32X , so on PSX), SEGA CD.
For me, it looks like an emulator-specific controller mapping failure.

tomking11

@tricko I have got the exact same issue. Xbox controller (well Afterburner clone), works fine in ES, but in Mame games, buttons don't work..

..or they don't work for a bit. Mashing random buttons brings things back to life, and then I can add coins and play

I've tried looking through the debug file, but nothing looks amiss.

Anyone else have this issue? Better still, anyone else have a solution for this issue? :-)

jasonw

Try uninstalling and reinstalling the xpad driver. That worked for me several months ago.

tomking11

@jasonw Dude - that worked! Thank you so much.

What I did was uninstall xpad driver, reinstall, reboot, reconfigure the joypad in ES. And bingo! Back in business :-)