I feel like I’m missing something basic here.
With any lightgun game, on ANY core I’ve tried, I go into the Quick Menu > Controls and change player 1 to the lightgun. Right?
When I go back into the game, there’s a cursor and I can move that cursor around… but I can’t seem to do anything else. Clicking doesn’t fire or anything, I can’t seem to do anything at all.
What am I missing?
depends on what game, and on what console. usually, lightguns are accessories so it is usually connected to port2 or player 2 port when available unless indicated. (NES for example but on VS-Nes, lightgun should be on player 1’s port)
Hi!
Remember that lightguns DO NOT work on lcds/plasmas/… any modern screens for that matter. Only on the good old CRT`s 
They’re not referring to actual light guns, just the light gun functionality (typically emulated with mice, either conventionally or with Wii remotes or Aimtrak guns).
Yes I agree with @wertz – pick one game on one console that is known to work and we can troubleshoot from there.
I suggest Duck Hunt or Chiller with FCEUmm for the NES or Area 51 with MAME 2003. Those combinations have been tested extensively and are known to work with modern lightguns in general.
Get set up with one of those combinations, start out with a fresh retroarch.cfg and no overrides, and hopefully this mystery can get solved.
I have litterally tried everything myself. Every combination and setting… The light gun works for me when I use MESEN, but that emulator does not show a cursor (I used my wii mote and i shot ducks on duck hunt, and both when I click my mouse and pull my wii mote trigger it fires). Again the emulator game cross hairs work so i know it sees the mouse…
Using FCEumm I see the mouse cursor and I can move it with both my mouse and wii mote but nothing works for the trigger, no matter what button or config I use. I set user 1 to game pad, user 2 to zapper and vice versa, every button input remap etc, nothing gets the mouse buttons to trigger a trigger(pun intended). Anyhelp would be greatly appriciated. Here is the output of my input devices, I was thinking maybe my mouse index was wrong, but I tried every # 0-20 and still nodda.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE HELP!!!
I: Bus=0019 Vendor=0000 Product=0001 Version=0000
N: Name="Power Button"
P: Phys=PNP0C0C/button/input0
S: Sysfs=/devices/LNXSYSTM:00/LNXSYBUS:00/PNP0C0C:00/input/input0
U: Uniq=
H: Handlers=kbd event0
B: PROP=0
B: EV=3
B: KEY=10000000000000 0
I: Bus=0019 Vendor=0000 Product=0001 Version=0000
N: Name="Power Button"
P: Phys=LNXPWRBN/button/input0
S: Sysfs=/devices/LNXSYSTM:00/LNXPWRBN:00/input/input1
U: Uniq=
H: Handlers=kbd event1
B: PROP=0
B: EV=3
B: KEY=10000000000000 0
I: Bus=0019 Vendor=0000 Product=0000 Version=0000
N: Name="HP WMI hotkeys"
P: Phys=wmi/input0
S: Sysfs=/devices/virtual/input/input4
U: Uniq=
H: Handlers=kbd event2
B: PROP=0
B: EV=33
B: KEY=4000000000 0 1000700000000 2102400 0 0
B: MSC=10
B: SW=0
I: Bus=0000 Vendor=0000 Product=0000 Version=0000
N: Name="HDA Intel PCH Mic"
P: Phys=ALSA
S: Sysfs=/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1b.0/sound/card1/input6
U: Uniq=
H: Handlers=event3
B: PROP=0
B: EV=21
B: SW=10
I: Bus=0000 Vendor=0000 Product=0000 Version=0000
N: Name="HDA Intel PCH Line Out"
P: Phys=ALSA
S: Sysfs=/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1b.0/sound/card1/input7
U: Uniq=
H: Handlers=event4
B: PROP=0
B: EV=21
B: SW=40
I: Bus=0000 Vendor=0000 Product=0000 Version=0000
N: Name="HDA Intel PCH Front Headphone"
P: Phys=ALSA
S: Sysfs=/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1b.0/sound/card1/input8
U: Uniq=
H: Handlers=event5
B: PROP=0
B: EV=21
B: SW=4
I: Bus=0000 Vendor=0000 Product=0000 Version=0000
N: Name="HDA Intel HDMI HDMI/DP,pcm=3"
P: Phys=ALSA
S: Sysfs=/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:03.0/sound/card0/input9
U: Uniq=
H: Handlers=event6
B: PROP=0
B: EV=21
B: SW=140
I: Bus=0000 Vendor=0000 Product=0000 Version=0000
N: Name="HDA Intel HDMI HDMI/DP,pcm=7"
P: Phys=ALSA
S: Sysfs=/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:03.0/sound/card0/input10
U: Uniq=
H: Handlers=event7
B: PROP=0
B: EV=21
B: SW=140
I: Bus=0000 Vendor=0000 Product=0000 Version=0000
N: Name="HDA Intel HDMI HDMI/DP,pcm=8"
P: Phys=ALSA
S: Sysfs=/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:03.0/sound/card0/input11
U: Uniq=
H: Handlers=event8
B: PROP=0
B: EV=21
B: SW=140
I: Bus=0000 Vendor=0000 Product=0000 Version=0000
N: Name="HDA Intel HDMI HDMI/DP,pcm=9"
P: Phys=ALSA
S: Sysfs=/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:03.0/sound/card0/input12
U: Uniq=
H: Handlers=event9
B: PROP=0
B: EV=21
B: SW=140
I: Bus=0000 Vendor=0000 Product=0000 Version=0000
N: Name="HDA Intel HDMI HDMI/DP,pcm=10"
P: Phys=ALSA
S: Sysfs=/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:03.0/sound/card0/input13
U: Uniq=
H: Handlers=event10
B: PROP=0
B: EV=21
B: SW=140
I: Bus=0003 Vendor=25a7 Product=fa67 Version=0110
N: Name="CX 2.4G Receiver"
P: Phys=usb-0000:00:14.0-6/input0
S: Sysfs=/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:14.0/usb3/3-6/3-6:1.0/0003:25A7:FA67.0002/input/input15
U: Uniq=
H: Handlers=sysrq kbd event12 leds
B: PROP=0
B: EV=120013
B: KEY=1000000000007 ff9f207ac14057ff febeffdfffefffff fffffffffffffffe
B: MSC=10
B: LED=7
I: Bus=0003 Vendor=25a7 Product=fa67 Version=0110
N: Name="CX 2.4G Receiver Mouse"
P: Phys=usb-0000:00:14.0-6/input1
S: Sysfs=/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:14.0/usb3/3-6/3-6:1.1/0003:25A7:FA67.0003/input/input16
U: Uniq=
H: Handlers=event13
B: PROP=0
B: EV=17
B: KEY=1f0000 0 0 0 0
B: REL=1943
B: MSC=10
I: Bus=0003 Vendor=25a7 Product=fa67 Version=0110
N: Name="CX 2.4G Receiver"
P: Phys=usb-0000:00:14.0-6/input1
S: Sysfs=/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:14.0/usb3/3-6/3-6:1.1/0003:25A7:FA67.0003/input/input17
U: Uniq=
H: Handlers=event14
B: PROP=0
B: EV=100001
I: Bus=0003 Vendor=25a7 Product=fa67 Version=0110
N: Name="CX 2.4G Receiver Consumer Control"
P: Phys=usb-0000:00:14.0-6/input1
S: Sysfs=/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:14.0/usb3/3-6/3-6:1.1/0003:25A7:FA67.0003/input/input18
U: Uniq=
H: Handlers=kbd event15
B: PROP=0
B: EV=1f
B: KEY=300ff 0 0 483ffff17aff32d bfd4444600000000 1 130c730b17c000 267bfad9415fed 9e168000004400 10000002
B: REL=1040
B: ABS=100000000
B: MSC=10
I: Bus=0003 Vendor=25a7 Product=fa67 Version=0110
N: Name="CX 2.4G Receiver System Control"
P: Phys=usb-0000:00:14.0-6/input1
S: Sysfs=/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:14.0/usb3/3-6/3-6:1.1/0003:25A7:FA67.0003/input/input19
U: Uniq=
H: Handlers=kbd event16
B: PROP=0
B: EV=13
B: KEY=c000 10000000000000 0
B: MSC=10
I: Bus=0003 Vendor=045e Product=028e Version=0120
N: Name="Microsoft X-Box 360 pad"
P: Phys=usb-0000:00:14.0-2/input0
S: Sysfs=/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:14.0/usb3/3-2/3-2:1.0/input/input21
U: Uniq=
H: Handlers=event11 js0
B: PROP=0
B: EV=20000b
B: KEY=7cdb000000000000 0 0 0 0
B: ABS=3003f
B: FF=107030000 0I believe that’s working normally. That is, I don’t think mesen has a crosshair (neither did the original zapper, of course). For FCEUmm, I believe you need to go to settings > input > port 1 binds and scroll down to the bottom where there are some “gun” functions you can map.
I tried that too, there was nothing on input that was zapper/trigger related, so I mapped every single button to my mouse click (It registered there fine), but in the game, it was the exact same behavior of crosshair moved, but no trigger pull. I was mot clear, yes MESEN works as it is supposed to , but on a mouse/wii mote it is a simulated light gun so w/ no cursor it is really hard to know exactly where it is shooting. Thanks very much for your help!
Oh, wait, did you map the gun button in port 2, by chance? I believe, since the zapper goes into port 2, that’s where you need to map it.
Finally got it, and it was so simple I am embaressed to admit it! On a new retropie install the nes emulators under options have a setting there where the shooting device is set to lightgun… Didn’t realize I had to switch this to mouse… Right after that my wii mote gun and mouse both shoot now when I press the trigger.
What you need to do is open your game. At the top left of your screen click command. Next, click menu (Toggle). Go down to Options. Under Zapper device, if you are using a mouse set it to “mouse.” If you are using your laptop touchpad set it to “Pointer.” It is 10/4/2021 and the newest update does that. If it doesn’t work for you, go to Main Menu. Then, go to configuration file and click reset to defaults to reset your settings if you want.