Issues with input on my Bluetooth controllers

RetroArch General
#1

Hi, I just recently got an OUYA android system and after messing around with quite a few different emulators, I found that the cores you use in RetroArch are some of the most compatible and fastest running. The only real issues I’ve dealt with so far are with the input and keybinds.

I’ve got an OUYA controller and a PS3 Dualshock that I use, and I seem to be unable to bind either of them correctly. I’m not sure if this is an ignorance issue on my part, or if something isn’t functioning properly for me. Basically, I’m not able to set keybinds for any of the emulators I’ve tried so far (namely the N64 and PSX), at least not in a way that works. The in-game (RGUI) input option for binding the buttons consecutively doesn’t work at all, as nothing happens when I press a button on either controller. Because of that, I checked the input options in the out-of-game gui and noticed the auto configuration option. So, I unchecked it and set up my binds through the “Custom binds” window and hoped that would do the trick. Unfortunately though, when I got back in-game, the only buttons that seemed to respond were the d-pad and the L2 trigger (which was strangely acting as if it were the “A” button.) I also wasn’t able to bring up the rgui anymore.

On top of that, the OUYA has a strange lag that seems to mainly effect the d-pad. I often need to press the buttons multiple times to get them to respond, and if I hold it (while running, for instance), the object I’m controlling will start glitching as if the controller is continuously losing connection – it also happens in the rgui menu. This doesn’t happen in any other emulator or app that I’ve tried so it seems to be isolated. The dualshock 3 seems to work perfectly though, without and lag at all, so I’m not really sure what to make of it.

Overall, the binding issue is the most crippling at the moment. I actually bought the Dualshock as a replacement for the lackluster OUYA controller, so I’m not as concerned about the lagging issue. Still, it would be great to find a fix for both if possible.

If you guys can shed some light on what I can do to set my binds properly, I’d really appreciate it :).

Edit: Oops, forgot to mention the build I’m using. I’m using the test build from 12-22-2013, specifically the android apk version. I was having the same issues with the version in the OUYA store, so someone suggested I download the latest test build (he thought it would fix the input lag.) Sadly, it seemed to be the same. I notice there’s a new one from the 26th. Maybe I should give that a whirl later.

#2

Sorry to bump this, but I’m still desperately trying to figure out how to set bindings to a gamepad. The N64 emulator is unplayable as it doesn’t register the d-pad or joystick as movement. Only a few buttons seem to do anything at all, and I can’t find any place to set custom binds – except for the out-of-game GUI, but the keys I set there don’t seem to register in-game and it also makes the RGUI unusable.

Is there some way to do this?

Edit: Just wanted to make a correction and say that the d-pad and joystick appear to be working in other games, it’s just that without the ability to change the binds, some games are practically unplayable (Duke Nukem, for example.) Is there a text file somewhere that I can edit the controls manually? I’m using the android version and I couldn’t find a folder for retroarch.

#3

So is there really no way to customize the controls, or is something wrong on my end? I’ve resorted to using the ePSXe emulator now (even though I like the retroarch PSX core better) and unless I can figure out how to change the controls, it’s going to have to do. Not being able to change the binds really impacts the gameplay experience to the point where some emulators are virtually unplayable (the N64 is a good example.)

This will be my last bump. I figured someone would have an answer to this. If it’s not possible to customize binds for a bluetooth controller, fine, but I’d at least like to know what the deal is and/or whether this is normal.

#4

Hey, sorry for the lack of replies. Everyone has been busy with the impending release.

If you disable autoconfiguration, you should be able to manually bind controls via the Android frontend (i.e., not RGUI). If it continues not working for you, I suggest waiting for a couple of days to see if the new release treats you any better. You could also try loading one of lordashram’s unofficial builds in the meantime.

#5

I have a similar issue, so I may as well use this thread to report it instead of redundantly creating a new one. Basically, I have an old PS3 Sixaxis controller I want to use on my phone (a Galaxy S4), and I’m trying to use it through the Sixaxis Controller app, which once worked well in the past with the previous version of RetroArch from before it got pulled from the Play Store. However, upon trying it out now, the bindings seem off. For instance, the A and B buttons are mapped to Square and Triangle for some weird reason. Of course, a quick rebinding fixes that, though it’s still odd. However, the bigger issue is that it does not detect the analog sticks whatsoever, and there seems to be no way to map them in either RGUI or the Android interface. This makes the Mupen64Plus core unusable for the most part with this controller. I don’t have a Mini USB to Micro USB cable right now, so I can’t test it without going through the Sixaxis Controller IME. I’m guessing RetroArch doesn’t fully support that particular IME?

#6

No prob, I can understand that. Thanks a ton for the response, in any case :).

Yeah I tried that pretty early on and I figured it would do the trick, but for some reason, the keybinds I set in the frontend don’t seem to register when I’m in-game. It also disables the RGUI completely (either that or it sets the menu key to something different.) It’s strange.

I’m glad to hear there’s a new release coming soon. I’ll give one of the unofficial ones you suggested a whirl, while I keep an eye out for the new release.

Thanks again for the post.

(By the way, this is a bit off-topic, but do you guys plan on supporting gamepad vibration at some point down the line? I’d love to be able to use the rumble feature of the dualshock controllers, for the PS1 games that supported it.)

Edit: I just realized that the unofficial builds you’re referring to are the test builds I’ve been messing with, heh. I see he made a new one with some added input support recently so I’ll give that a try and see if it helps.

I can confirm the binds being off. On the PSX emulator, the square defaults to what would normally be X, so it takes awhile to get used to. Of course, with there being so many different gamepads out there – and RetroArch having such a wide array of emulators – it’s not surprising that the defaults aren’t always 100% accurate to the controller. Another discrepancy I noticed is that, in the RGUI, my dualshock controller uses the triangle as the “confirm” button and my OUYA controller uses the A (square) button, which are both in different locations.

And yeah, I haven’t had any luck with the analog sticks either. I changed both controllers to “joypad w/ analog” but it had no effect. I’ve heard of other people having issues with the sticks though, so I’m not sure it’s an isolated issue. Hopefully the incoming release will help with the input issues in general.