Something wrong with button assignment with 8BitDo M30

RetroArch Windows devices
#1

Hi there, I really hope I am in the right sub forum, please forgive me if not as I very rarely post here.

I have been using Retroarch on Windows 11 for about 3 years now, and I use my M30 for every core where the real hardware doesn’t have a diamond button layout controller, and for those cores I use an Xbox One X controller. I exclusively use the M30 in Bluetooth X Input mode and I triple checked it was in X Input mode before making this topic. I checked in Steam controller settings and also the online controller tester, where every button pressed matched 8BitDo’s X input mapping from the factory as per the manual here (check the x input section):

Also, when I turn the controller on, Retroarch flashes an “x input controller in port 1” message.

The trouble shooting i have done is completely uninstall Retroarch and all associated folders and a registry cleaning with Revo Uninstaller, rebooted and done a fresh install in a new folder. I believe this happened with one of the recent RA updates and maybe it thinks the controller is something else?

The issue:

Well, I have NO idea what is going on. Retroarch has reversed the A and B buttons, and then the X and Y buttons.

My 8BitDo Pro 2 and Xbox One X controller work as normal in that regard.

The thing is, I have made custom layouts for all cores I use it in, and up until the latest release, A was A and B was B, X was X and Y was Y.

I just do not understand it, cause if I use this tool https://hardwaretester.com/gamepad

And I press A, it shows A, B, B, X, X, Y, Y, LB shows LT, RB shows LT as it’s supposed to. It’s just Retroarch.

I updated the firmware just in case.

I reset the controller by putting it into Switch mode, then turned it off and put it back into X input mode.

Lost on this one, and since Retroarch is like a portable install and a non invasive app, everything gets deleted on an uninstall anyway, so it’s not that, as I am writing this to you after a fresh install.

It also means I have to engage the “swap menu buttons” option so A goes forward and B goes back (and how my mind is tuned to work lol).

Ok it might not sound like a huge deal, but I have to swap that every time I use a diamond button layout controller, and I also have to change all these cores now and I don’t want to do that just yet if there’s some other idea I can try or if it’s a known issue. I really hope I have explained it correctly, thank you!

Cheers

#2

Sorry I just wanted to also add that I checked 2 different games with steam controller input disabled about an hour ago, so I used games that natively support X input, and both A and B were A and B in the first 2 button platform game, and in the more complex game all 4 buttons matched their correct names in the game’s native input mapping tool.

#3

Ok I have worked something out if that helps. When I use the other controllers the app comes up with “unrecognized x input device, going to fallback”. It’s been doing this all this time for years and I never noticed until it STOPPED doing it for the M30, So someone must have added a built in config for it and they simply put it in it wrong but only when via bluetooth. When wired, it comes up as an “Xbox 360 controller” and works correctly.

So my question is, is there any way to set ANY controller to be recognized as an “xbox 360” controller in retroarch, within RA itself? i.e. without extra apps.

Cheers

#4

Have you tried manually remapping your gamepad to the way you want? Go into Settings > Input > RetroPad Binds and experiment with it. You can even save your configuration afterwards, which will take precedence over the autoconfiguration.

#5

Hi, I finally worked out what is going on. I don’t know how to fix this at all, sorry, and I will explain why. BTW thanks for you suggestion md2mcb!

Now, remember, this never used to be this way, it’s only with the recent build.

I have now confirmed this with the 8BitDo Pro 2 in Bluetooth mode, the Gulikit KK Pro 2 in Bluetooth mode and the M30 in Bluetooth mode. All these controllers are in X input mode via Bluetooth. Triple checked and confirmed. The A&B and X&Y buttons are only reversed when connected via x input Bluetooth. The reason the 8bitdo ultimate doesn’t have the issue is that it’s not recognized and goes to the “fallback” setting.

If any of those three controllers are wired, they are fine again. So something is really up here, and I did try remapping the M30 myself and then the core overrides ruined everything so I have to start from scratch. One thing I noticed, if I re bind the buttons on the M30, A still goes back and B forward (with RA default settings otherwise), AND when I open a new core, it’s still seen as B and B as A. So I have absolutely no idea, and have to watch some tutorials.

But please believe me when I say that I have gamed around 90% over Bluetooth since about 2017, and only ever gamed wired when charging.

It seems Bluetooth x input on RA has swapped those 4 buttons but only RA, not any other x input app or game, and it’s a visual thing too cause the buttons are corresponding to the wrong inputs.

I promise you, for years I never once configured my controller in RA, all I did was assign mapping for cores that I didn’t like the default, like Saturn for example - but PS1/SNES etc I never touched as they were always perfect by default. They are wrong TOO now.

Isn’t it entirely possible that a bug crept in with the update and only X input when in Bluetooth mode? It has to be cause it’s NOT giving me the “controller not recognized” for any of the main three I just mentioned, and the buttons are reversed on all 3.

PS the reason I don’t know how to fix it is every time I plug the controller in, those 4 buttons will swap again, and all my individual core remaps will once again be wrong. However, I will see if I can somehow make it stick with a manual main remap of RA before I do any core remapping. I have reset everything to default again, all I can do is try.

Honestly, I noticed this when I went into the menu after update and the confirm and cancel had reversed, and then in multiple cores when I realized the X and Y were too. it’s saddened me a bit cause I am not an RA expert by any means, and I had to really learn just how to do core remapping, and it’s been flawless then suddenly everything just flipped.

Obviously, if ANY games in raw x input mode were seeing A as B and Y as X and vice versa, and Steam (I even tried closing steam entirely, and Playnite as well just to make sure they weren’t interfering), I would say it might be a bug in a Windows update. But it’s just RA.

#6

BTW cause the above post is long and some may decide to skip it (I understand), if anyone is using X input over bluetooth and it’s working correctly, please let me know which controller and RA version. That would be a big help. TIA!