Do you accessorize your RetroArch experience?

General Off-Topic
#1

I’ve always had a thing for different controllers. I’m sure if you’ve seen me around the forums you’ve seen me mention it once or a thousand times >.> haha. Anyway, earlier this year I managed to get my hands on the Arcade Racer and Mission Stick for my Sega Saturn to play OutRun and Space Harrier; which was really cool and I enjoyed that a lot.

As a result of that though, I started to wonder what it would be to take these controllers and apply them to RetroArch and my emulation library. I pondered over it for a few months and eventually settled on just straight up getting a PC Flightstick and also a racing wheel. After some research I picked up the Thrustmaster T.Flight One HOTAS and the Logitech G920 w/ the optional Gear Shifter.

I don’t really see much talk about using serious accessories with RetroArch, and after getting it all hooked up (Which was actually super easy - and props to the dev team on making input mapping as versatile as it is) Anyway I think that’s really strange because OMG this is INCREDIBLE.

Playing games like Rogue Squadron or Crazy Taxi with accessories that fit the experience was like playing them for the first time. It feels like I’ve been playing them wrong until now haha, which is obviously hyperbolic, but I was literally exclaiming in excitement out loud and pointing at the screen and trash talking NPCs… I don’t know it just really brought me into it.

My Quest 2 was an accessory I used previously to play RetroArch off my PC so I could lay flat in bed and play. Def looking forward to the thing being charged so I can try it in tandem with these controllers.

So I find myself asking, does anyone else enjoy accessorizing the experience? I’m riding HIGH on this experience, so I’d love to hear of any cool things you folks have done.

6 Likes
#2

I used a Thrustmaster wheel for Outrun and other racing games and it was incredible. I did not have much luck configuring wiimotes for light gun games but that´s about it. I have my Vewlix arcade controller for MAME but would like to get one with a spinner and trackball for older games that need those.

1 Like
#3

I keep looking at the 8bitdo arcade stick since it’s wireless and has that retro design, hadn’t considered a spinner or trackball. A trackball would be awesome for SegaSonic the Hedgehog. I hate trying to play that with a controller haha.

I have managed to get wiimotes working, but I kept running into walls after-the-fact and forgetting to circle back. Like I was working on Resident Evil Gun Survivor, but you have to fire off-screen to walk and because it’s operating like a mouse you can’t move it off-screen XD XD XD.

I keep hoping the newer styles of lightguns will come down in price so we can get a more plug & play solution.

2 Likes
#4

No doubt, the original experience especially in arcade is very valuable, because racing type games are not designed to be used with gamepad. A long time ago I had a Microsoft steering wheel (with game port) to play Daytona on model 2, it was amazing, also a stick that I used 2 times, more recently I had a very good Momo steering wheel. If I would like in the future to have all those toys again, I would like to make a home arcade.