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Author Topic: Raspberry Pi with various USB gamepads (set up question)  (Read 3507 times)

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mike boss

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Raspberry Pi with various USB gamepads (set up question)
« on: December 28, 2016, 11:34:21 pm »
I'm working on two Pi projects.
One a bartop arcade cabinet with a Raspberry Pi 3, Zero Delay Encoder and arcade joysticks and buttons.

The second a Pi-tendo (or the likes of).
I'd like to use my second Pi for a console type build, be it housed in a classic NES or a different console.
I've seen some online and I'm really inspired to create my own.

One thing I'd like to do with this project is use various USB controllers with the different emulators.
For example, I have USB versions of the NES, SNES and N64 controller.
I'd love to find a USB version of the Dreamcast controller, but I'm yet to do so.

I picked up 2 wireless XBOX 360 controllers used today for $20 (pair).
I planned on using them with this adapter (pictured) as the main controls for the set up and the more current emulators.

My question is this, (if anyone knows) -- Can I simply plug in a game pad one time, configure it, then plug it in when needed ?
I'm not sure I'm wording this correctly.

Essentially I want to have the XBOX 360 pads as the main pads.
But when I'm playing NES I plug in the USB NES pads, when I'm playing SNES I plug in the USB SNES pads, N64 same idea.
Can this be done ?




mahuti

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Re: Raspberry Pi with various USB gamepads (set up question)
« Reply #1 on: December 29, 2016, 04:18:36 am »
If you configure them once, the config is saved and will be used the next time it is plugged in. I do what you are suggesting myself.
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mike boss

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Re: Raspberry Pi with various USB gamepads (set up question)
« Reply #2 on: December 29, 2016, 09:16:46 am »
Great. Fantastic.
The idea is (if possible) to find a USB version of every gamepad/joystick that has an emulator on the Pi.

For now I'm more focused on the system's I'd play most frequent. But I love the idea of having two of each.

I'm really excited to hear they should be plug and play once configured.

Another question. I can be playing SNES, exit the emulator, plug in the NES pads and fire up the NES emulator ? I won't have to safely remove or reboot ?

*** I tried to find a video of this on YouTube, no dice ****

smass

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Re: Raspberry Pi with various USB gamepads (set up question)
« Reply #3 on: December 29, 2016, 11:29:18 am »
Related question - I notice some input lag with my usb controller on my pi 3.  Is there any general advice on things to do to minimize the input lag?  Its not game breaking - but definitely noticeable.  I am using the standard retropie/emulation station setup...

mahuti

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Re: Raspberry Pi with various USB gamepads (set up question)
« Reply #4 on: December 30, 2016, 12:56:28 am »
You don't have to reboot to change USB devices. I do it all the time. I do a lot of changing game pads around and I'm not kind of gentle about it at all

As for lag... does your keyboard lag too? Or just one pad? Have you tried overclocking?
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Re: Raspberry Pi with various USB gamepads (set up question)
« Reply #5 on: December 30, 2016, 08:51:46 am »
You don't have to reboot to change USB devices. I do it all the time. I do a lot of changing game pads around and I'm not kind of gentle about it at all

As for lag... does your keyboard lag too? Or just one pad? Have you tried overclocking?

Now that you mention it - there is some lag with my bluetooth keyboard as well.  I will test it a bit more tonight.  Am I to assume then that input lag should not be as noticeable if things are working right?  I guess that's good news as maybe overclocking will help.  I guess it could also be the sd card I am using? 

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Re: Raspberry Pi with various USB gamepads (set up question)
« Reply #6 on: December 30, 2016, 12:25:06 pm »
Related question - I notice some input lag with my usb controller on my pi 3.  Is there any general advice on things to do to minimize the input lag?  Its not game breaking - but definitely noticeable.  I am using the standard retropie/emulation station setup...

Input lag in libretro-based emulators has been studied quite a bit. Here's a post in their forums about recommended settings for reducing input lag.

https://libretro.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5428&page=36&p=49145&viewfull=1#post49145

Here's a link to the first post, where he's linked to the posts describing his methodology and results

https://libretro.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5428

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Re: Raspberry Pi with various USB gamepads (set up question)
« Reply #7 on: December 30, 2016, 04:04:50 pm »
Just put something to ponder in here.

Depending on what screen you are hooked up to that can lag.

I get pretty large lag with a Pi connected to my tv unless I change the video mode to "game" in standard it lags like crazy!

jimmyfloyd

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Re: Raspberry Pi with various USB gamepads (set up question)
« Reply #8 on: January 04, 2017, 01:42:30 pm »
This is the exact thread I was hoping to find. I also have 2 RPi3's and an assortment of USB controllers (2x NES, 4x SNES, 2x N64) that I would like to setup so they can be used with their respective systems.

I am having 2 issues so far. The first being what do I program the 4 yellow C buttons in the upper right of the N64 controller too. The second is can the downstream games also have the ability to use a newer controller? For example, can I use the SNES for NES, or the N64 for either NES or SNES.

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Re: Raspberry Pi with various USB gamepads (set up question)
« Reply #9 on: January 04, 2017, 11:24:09 pm »
You can use any of the controllers on any game... as long as they have enough buttons to do the job. For testing purposes sometimes I have an NES usb controller and I use it on games with a lot more buttons (poorly of course) but it works. And I use a playstation usb controller for just about anything.

As for the buttons on the n64 take a look at this:
https://github.com/RetroPie/RetroPie-Setup/wiki/Nintendo-64#lr-mupen64plus-lr-glupen64

You can find a lot of good information there about mapping specific controllers.
« Last Edit: January 04, 2017, 11:26:37 pm by mahuti »
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