Disconnect issues with iOS

RetroArch Apple devices
#1

I’ve been having an issue with retroarch on a jail broken iOS 8.1.2 iPad air where the PS3 controller frequently disconnects, and I’m hoping someone has an idea about what could be causing it.

The frustrating part is that the issue is fairly intermittent. Sometimes I can load up retroarch and play ps1 games for hours on end with no trouble. However, about half the time I have the case where I successfully pair the devices, play for like 15-30 seconds and then the input locks in the same direction (as in, stuck moving left or something) while the light on the controller still shows the connection. It will then keep repeating the same behavior despite iOS restarts and Bluetooth setting restarts. I’ll set it aside for a few hours, and then I come back and sometimes it works again.

Super frustrating… Anybody seen anything like this, or is there any other info I can share to help track down a root cause?

#2

Wow, might have actually “solved” it. The disconnects happen in cases where I have used the load state feature, particularly when I start the app, load the game, pair the controller and then load the game state. Non always mind you, but sometimes this order of operations results in the input lock about 15-30 seconds later.

To work around, I now make sure to load the state first before I pair my controller, then everything seems fine. However I’m still left with a situation where loads later on could kill the input again.

Nobody else has seen this kind of behavior?

#3

Weird. This is the first I’ve heard of it, but perhaps others have had the same experience and just not reported it.

#4

I’ve had this exact same symptom but with a different cause (I almost never use save states). Whenever another bluetooth device is nearby my PS3 controller will freeze after about 15 seconds of playing. I know this because after every controller freeze on my iPad, my nearby iPhone displays a message saying “can’t connect to device”. For some reason my iPhone tries to intercept the PS3 controller while I’m playing/connected on my iPad.

If I disable all other Bluetooth devices nearby then it’ll work again. But if I’m playing on an airplane then I’m doomed because everyone else has Bluetooth on! :slight_smile:

It couldn’t be BTstack itself because my other emulators stay connected to the controller no matter what. Even in public, on airplanes, etc… Try disabling all nearby Bluetooth and see if that works.

#5

Update: I’ve reverted back to Retroarch 0.9.9.6 and my PS3 controller now remains connected and works perfectly. Even on iOS 8.3!

I downloaded it from the link at the bottom of this forum: http://libretro.com/forums/showthread.php?t=978

It finally fixed everything. Huge thanks to MrSeven X!!!

#6

[QUOTE=benjapo;36028]Update: I’ve reverted back to Retroarch 0.9.9.6 and my PS3 controller now remains connected and works perfectly. Even on iOS 8.3!

I downloaded it from the link at the bottom of this forum: http://libretro.com/forums/showthread.php?t=978

It finally fixed everything. Huge thanks to MrSeven X!!![/QUOTE]

Hold on I’m confused. The 10-15 second then disconnect problem, as well as the issue of having other bluetooth devices nearby causing the PS3 remote to drop constantly… was a RetroArch version issue?

Are you SURE this wasn’t because of BTStack? This doesn’t sound right.

I’m too worried to try uninstall and reinstall an earlier version.

#7

Yes, I’m fairly certain. Because the other emulators i run on my iPadMini would never disconnect or drop. And I’ve had the same version of BTstack this entire time, Version 1.1-1. (see below) It was only after I installed 0.9.9.6 that things changed. The biggest clue for me was this posting on GitHub: https://github.com/libretro/RetroArch/issues/471

FYI, I had to manually install the Mupen64 core because it wasn’t included. But everything else was straightforward after that.