Looking for a new GamePad

[hansolo77]

So my old Saitek P2500 is dying on me.  Actually it still works great, but the grips are rubbing thin and thumb stick rubber tops have actually dry rotted and cracked (I don't use them very often in Retro Gaming but have been getting more use from them lately for PlayStation 1 and PSP emulating).  I'm looking to upgrade and replace this thing.  Does anybody have any ideas?  I'd like to list a few specifics if I may:

• Rumble - Not necessary but nice to have! (Not a Priority)
• Thumbsticks - Prefer to have at least 2 for PlayStation and N64 gaming. (Hard not to find a controller without this!)
• Shoulder Buttons - 2 each would be great, since currently I'm limited to just 1 each.  (High Priority)
• Action Buttons - At least 6.  TG16 and Sega controllers had 6 and I need them! (High Priority)
• Central Button - Need this for calling up RetroArch or exiting Emulators, etc.  Currently the RED button works in Linux/RPi but does nothing in Windows.  Strange? (High Priority)

I was thinking about falling back and getting everybody's favorite... a USB Wired Xbox 360 controller.  However, they don't have 6 face buttons, just the 4.  Does a controller like this exist that has 6 buttons?  It should be fairly easy to find I would think.. 4 shoulder buttons, 6 face buttons, 2 thumb sticks, and a central call home button.  But I'm having trouble.

Help me out friends!

[hansolo77]

OK, via Amazon.. I found these:
(Linky!) Sabrent 12-Button GamePad
If you look (HERE) they have a picture of the back, which shows my 2 shoulder buttons.  But they don't show have a central button for "calling home".  That sucks.. so close!  I doubt the Turbo button does anything more than rapid fire on the action buttons.  Clear probably turns OFF the turbo (rather than having the Turbo being an on/off button).  Mode is used to switch between analog and digital input.

---

I'm also leaning towards this guy:
(LINK) Saitek P990 GamePad
Saitek has been a good brand for me.  I broke the D-Pad on my first one, and they sent me a replacement controller at no charge.  This new one has held up for years.  There's a few drawbacks with this controller though.  While I gain the additional 2 shoulder buttons, I lose the vibration.  I saw they have one with vibration and the extra 2 shoulders, but they cut out the 2 thumbstick buttons instead.  What crap.  In this particular case though, it meets most of my requirements, and the vibration is a novelty I don't really need.  However..... the RED button here doesn't work like it did on my old controller.  It's meant to activate a pre-programmed setting via software drivers, turning it into a FPS controller.  Though I doubt that's hardly possible.  For Linux/RPi.. this would simply be detected as a 13th button that should be map-able in RetroArch.  That's what my P2500 does now.  But for Windows, my P2500's RED button does NOTHING (probably because I don't have their software installed....  Does anybody have this controller and know if that button can be mapped to something other than a driver command?  If their software simply had a way to map that button to a keypress, that'd be a simple fix.  I don't even think anything like Joy2Key or XPadder can help either, because the Controllers setting in Windows Control Panel only shows the 10 buttons.  Such utter crap.

Any other ideas for a 12-button with a 13th "call home"?

[Draco1962]

Actually, the Xbox 360 Controller for Windows has more than 4  buttons - the 4 action buttons (top right) and the 2 stick buttons (depress sticks down), the select/back and start buttons (either side of the center Xbox button), and the two shoulder buttons and trigger button below each, and the d-pad. I have found it to be the most universal gamepad that I have owned.

[RIP-Felix]

Personally I've never found the need for a dedicated PC controller. Currently I'm using this + a PS3 controller, but this looks more versatile. My other Goto, is a wavebird and this. I can't say much about 6 buttons on the face though, other than the X-Box controller that had a white and black in addition to the standard four button diamond (SNES configuration).

Edit: I just found this, pricey though! Used is more reasonable, but you may not want to go that route.

[hansolo77]

Yeah I saw that controller too RIP-Felix.  I was kinda turned off by the whole cordless thing, and the price too.  I guess cordless wouldn't be much of a problem, but the thing looks bulky.  See (HERE) and (HERE).  And that price.. uhg.  When you go to to like Walmart and buy a Generic DualShock wannabe for $10.

[Adultery]

$35 for an Xbox One controller. What more do you really need?

[Draco1962]

I haven't used the Xbox One controllerwith the PC  but my son has one with his XbO and it has a good feel to it.

[Kustom Kid]

The new xbone controllers are going to have Bluetooth built in which is nice. I might pick one up just to free up a USB port.

[hansolo77]

You guys are missing the 6 face button requirement!  I mostly play Sega Genesis games when I'm emulating, because that's the system I grew up with.  Mondo Nostalgia there.  You also need 6 buttons for PC-Engine/TurboGrafx 16 and for N64 emulation.  I've also needed to use the 2 extra buttons as a Start/Select for Super Nintendo as the shoulder buttons are used for L and R (same with GameBoy Advance).  I typically currently use the shoulder buttons as Start/Select or COIN/Player 1 Start.  The extra 2 shoulder buttons is the only upgrade I'm looking to get, to help with PlayStation emulation.  Of course, having clickable thumbsticks is necessary for that too.  I have a PSX->USB adapter already, and currently use that.  But I'd like to have a single controller.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the Xbox controller.  It feels great, the shoulder/trigger buttons are perfect.  It has a Start/Select (essentially) and a Central "call home" button.  But it doesn't have the C and Z buttons I'd need for Sega Genesis!

Anyway... I'm still going to keep a look out. 

[Kustom Kid]

Hopefully something will pop up that meets your needs. It's hard finding the perfect controller. I don't think it exists.

 

 

 

[RIP-Felix]

On 6/19/2016 at 6:12 PM, hansolo77 said:

You also need 6 buttons for PC-Engine/TurboGrafx 16 and for N64 emulation.

I forgot about the N64 controller. You could just use that with the Mayflash adapter, but it only has the 1 set of shoulder buttons. It has the left D-pad and feels comfortable when used for Genesis, of course the c buttons are a little small.

Honestly, for nostalga I just use the original controller via various adapters. Most of the time I can get away with the PS3 controller, If I just want to play a game and forgo the authentic control scheme.

BTW: that PS3 to PC adapter has a switch between Xinput and Dinput. The Dinput can pair four PS3 controllers perfectly and the Xinput emulates a single X-Box 360 controller (Call Home button = PS and everything). So, this is the most robust option for controllers I could possibly recommend, but I've always been a Sony fanboy... so there's that. Admittedly, I do like the feel of the X-Box controller. Of course, the x-Box controllers arn't compatible with PS3 games since they lack the extra shoulder buttons. Otherwise I would recommend it instead.

[Krakerman]

Xbox controllers are great and work with all the latest titles and old as well but I also use MadCatz fightsticks as well!!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Draco1962]

Here ya go, Han...

Read about it here.

[Adultery]

I got that deal in my email yesterday. I dislike how the L1/L2 buttons are laid out, but fir the price I may pick one up myself.

[hansolo77]

That controller looks slick, but it lacks 6 face buttons!  I'm sticking with my current controller for the moment.  I just can't believe how hard it is to find what I'm looking for (hence the reason I started this thread!).

[Draco1962]

I only have 5 fingers so anything mutiples of 6 or more is way too many buttons.

[RIP-Felix]

Me likey that Bluetooth retro controller. Thanks for the share, I think I'll get me one. As much as I love the original controllers I hate their cords...Best of both worlds!

[hansolo77]

Let's just say I decide to go with an Xbox controller... I'm still thinking and looking, but my current one is really starting to wear me thin.  What all is involved with them?  Do I just get a USB wired controller, or do they make special wireless ones that would require a dongle (Bluetooth/etc) like device?  Also.. I plan on using this on my Pi too, so it would have to be compatible.  USB wired would be compatible no doubt, but a wireless would be great.

[Adultery]

Both. Wireless ones are great but you do need a dongle, which will run you back another $20- $30. Worth it though if you want multiple controllers.

Also I use a wired 360 pad on the RPi and it works fine... I've not tried using a wireless one (I only have one dongle and it goes to the cab) but I'm sure it probably works too.

I had to edit a conf file to get the right player number led light to work right on it but that was easy enough.

[hansolo77]

Will an existing 360 controller work with this USB dongle, or do I need a specially matched set?  I have 2 360 controllers.  Of course, I wouldn't really want to use one of them since I use them on my 360 too.  I'd just like to know for future proof, if I can use my existing controllers.  I might get the wired one though just be safe.

[Adultery]

Nope, they pair just like they would in an Xbox.

[hansolo77]

I seen some photos of their dongle.. it's a little black oval looking thing with a USB wire right?  Click a button on it and it blinks like on a 360 console, click the button the controller and it "syncs".  Is that right?  So my hurdle then would be whether or not somebody can confirm it works with the RPi...

I don't suppose you'd be willing to test out your set you have in your cabinet eh Adultery? 

[Adultery]

that's the one alright! It does indeed work. Just tried it with RetroPie. Same as a wired controller, you should be good to go.

[hansolo77]

I'm not using RetroPie though.  Since I use my pie primarily as a media center, and only occasionally for retro gaming, I run OpenELEC, Kodi, and an addon that closes down Kodi and launches RetroArch.  I was laying in bed last night waiting for my sleeping drugs to kick in.  While doing that, I was trying to research if a wireless controller would work.  Apparently it requires a special driver which doesn't work with OpenELEC.  Has something to do with the OS's language or something.  There's no way to manually install the driver either, because it fundamentally doesn't work.  So I think I'll just get a wired one.  Kinda bummed about that because I wireless would be so much better.

[ClassicGMR]

Obviously you've been discussing this for a while but have you checked out the Mayflash adapter? Every controller in my arcade setup is an OEM controller with a USB adapter connection.

There's also the obvious Genesis clone USB pads.