Trying to set up different controllers to use on different emulators

RetroArch General
#1

I’m working on the Raspberry Pi version of RetroArch. I want to use my SNES controllers for all emulators except PSX, which I’d like to use PS2 controllers for. I thought I might be able to set them up as controllers for players 1-4, and in the PSX config file, I’d override which controller index corrosponds to each controller.

It isn’t working well, and I hoped one of you could offer help. I’ve confirmed that all the equipment I’m using works on its own, so I can rule out hardware problems. Here’s what happened:

I used: One powered hub. Two retro-link USB SNES controllers (I’ve been using these ones for months) Two PS2 to USB adapters Two PS2 Sony-brand controllers.

I ran the es input configuration with all four controllers running through the hub. The two SNES controllers were used for players one and two. The PS2 controllers were for players three and four. I’m assuming that means they’re indext 0, 1, 2, 3 respectively.

Ran joyconfig once with the SNES controller, once with the PS2 controller. Neither one would work through the hub, so they were plugged in directly to the Raspberry Pi when I did that.

I wrote down the outputs, then manually entered them in retroarch.cfg, with the SNES inputs for players one (index 0) and two (index 1) and the PS2 inputs for players three and four (2 and 3).

I altered the retroarch.cfg file in the PSX folder to read:

input_player1_joypad_index = 2 input_player2_joypad_index = 3 input_player3_joypad_index = 0 input_player4_joypad_index = 1

Here are my results:

All four controllers work in emulationstation, whether running through the hub or plugged into the pi directly.

The SNES controllers work in-game, but only if they were plugged directly into the pi when it boots up. Snes controllers have control over PSX games (which would be fine except for R2 and L2 buttons), despite the change in index. (I even tried overriding the ‘input_player1_btn’ lines to match the PS2 controls)

The PS2 controllers don’t work in-game at all.

[Ideally, I’d like to not have to use the hub at all. I’ll never need more than two players, so I’ll either boot up with the PS2 controllers for PSX, or the SNES controllers for everything else. However, I’m not adverse to using the hub if there are no other options]

Thanks for your help, as always.

#2

In my experience, the hub matters with regard to which buttons are mapped where. That is, on my Ubuntu machine, I keep 3 controllers plugged-in via a hub and if one of them is unplugged, it screws up mapping for all of them.

If you only plan on having 2 of them plugged up at once, map them like that.

If anyone else has any other/better advice, feel free to chime in.

#3

Thanks for your response. Just to clarify, you’re suggesting I plug in the two controllers to run retroarch-joyconfig, then unplug them and run the ps2 controllers? (should I unplug the keyboard when I do this to plug in the second controller?)

Thanks, again.

#4

Yeah, set it up exactly like you’re planning to use it when you do the mapping. The keyboard shouldn’t matter either way.