Retroid Pocket 2: d pad not working during play

RetroArch Android devices
#1

Hi all. I got a retroid pocket 2 handheld recently. It used to work flawlessly for the first days, then I started facing a very strange issue.

When launching retroarch the built-in controls are recognized as playstation 3. Both the analog stick and the d pad used to work both when navigating the menu and playing. Now whenever I launch a name 2003 plus game (it’s the only core I have roms) the d pad works only until I click to dismiss the first message. From then on only the analog sticks (and buttons) seem to work.

I have no idea why it started behaving this way. I fiddled a bit with the configuration, but honestly I don’t know what I could have touched that can explain this behavior. Mapping from the input config menu works, but as soon as I start real playing nothing happens.

The only peculiar thing that I did recently was pairing an external Bluetooth 8bitdo MEP controller (the 6 button one) for fighting games. That one is recognized as a xbox controller. It has a dpad (no analog), it is recognized and working. I can even play with both the built-in controls (still no dpad) and the external controller at the same time.

I really have no clue what the problem could be. It seems unlikely that the external controller can have caused the issue. I even tried to unpair it but nothing changed.

#2

that sounds like your MAME core’s inputs have gotten screwed up (that is, within the core rather than within RetroArch). I believe in your ‘saves’ directory, there should be a MAME subdirectory that contains an ini file with its configuration stuff. You might try deleting that (assuming it exists).

#3

I found a “saves/mame2003-plus” directory. Inside that Ihave a "cfg"directory with a *.cfg file for every game I tried so far, but no *.ini file.

#4

is there a generic, non-specific cfg file?

#5

Nope. But while still experimenting I found a setting in Quick Menu -> Options -> Control mapping. It was set to “analog”. i set it to “digital” and now it seems to work.

I’m still checking but the weird thing is that even if that menu says “Change options for the currently running content” actually it seems to be kept and so it affects every content.

1 Like
#6

After some more game testing I can confirm that the problem is solved. I have no idea when or why I changed that paremeter. It must have done it by mistake.

Still, I think the menu system is quite confusing. A general setting that affects every game you load shouldn’t be available only in the Quick Menu, that pops out only when you have a game running.

#7

It only affects games you run with that core (MAME2003), right? Not, say, an S/NES game?

#8

I still don’t know because I only have MAME roms on the device at the moment. i’ll test as soon as I can and let you know.

In any case, IMHO, it’s a bit counterintuitive that a “core level” setting is accessible only when you load some content and the description says it’s specific for the current content only.

One of the problems of RetroArch is the convoluted menu. True, it has myryads of options because of it’s incredible customizations, but it could use a better reorganization. All system wide options should be in one place, and all core level options in another place IMHO. Maybe a menu accessible when you have a core loaded but separated from the quick menu, that should only refer to the game you’re currnetly running.