[RESOLVED] Left shoulder button on game controllers exits back to PBX?

[tabascoman77]

Here's a weird one.

While programming my son's arcade, I noticed that the Left Shoulder 2 button on Logitech game controllers (the L2 button, to be precise) kills the game and exits back to PBX.

I guess Logitech controller L2 buttons are coded to Exit with PBX somehow?

I am just wondering if there is a fix because it renders a lot of PS2, N64, and Switch games unplayable because L2 is fairly necessary to get through these games.

[scutters]

We're going to need those pinballx,ini and log.txt files attaching! 

[Draco1962]

16 hours ago, tabascoman77 said:

Here's a weird one.

While programming my son's arcade, I noticed that the Left Shoulder 2 button on Logitech game controllers (the L2 button, to be precise) kills the game and exits back to PBX.

I guess Logitech controller L2 buttons are coded to Exit with PBX somehow?

I am just wondering if there is a fix because it renders a lot of PS2, N64, and Switch games unplayable because L2 is fairly necessary to get through these games.

How about with Xbox or other controllers?

[tabascoman77]

1 hour ago, Draco1962 said:

How about with Xbox or other controllers?

I don't have any XBOX controllers because I don't own an XBOX. I have used four Logitech controllers. Three are the F710 wireless brand and I have one that's wired. All four are quitting back to PBX when you hit the L2 button. That's on both my son's arcade and on my own cab.

[tabascoman77]

3 hours ago, scutters said:

We're going to need those pinballx,ini and log.txt files attaching! 

Got it. I gotta get home first.

[Draco1962]

Definitely need to see the pinballx.ini and log.txt files as Scutters noted. Also, I ran this post by Gemini AI, and following is the response (and hence why I asked if you had an Xbox controller to test):

That specific issue pops up because of how PinballX defaults its global exit parameters and how standard controllers report their hardware IDs.

When a Logitech F710 is set to DirectInput (D) mode, the physical Left Shoulder (LB) button is registered by Windows as Button 5.

By default, PinballX often maps Joystick Button 5 as a global, hardcoded command to Exit Emulator / Return to Menu.

Because PinballX forces this layout globally unless told otherwise, the moment you press the Left Shoulder button in any emulator launched through it (whether it's Visual Pinball, a PlayStation 2 emulator, or retro console setups), PinballX intercepts the input, kills the active emulator process instantly, and drops you back to the wheel. This completely breaks games where LB/L2 is a critical function.

How to Fix It

You need to remap or disable the global joystick exit binding inside the PinballX configuration tool:

• Close PinballX completely.
• Open the PinballX Settings Application (Settings.exe in your installation folder).
• Navigate to the Joystick Settings section.
• Look for the binding labeled Exit / Quit (or "Exit Emulator"). You will likely see it assigned to Button 5.
• Clear this assignment, change it to a button combination you'll never accidentally hit during gameplay (like clicking both analog sticks simultaneously), or map it to a dedicated cabinet button instead.
• Save and exit, then relaunch PinballX.

If you are running the F710 in XInput (X) mode, standard Xbox controllers don't usually default to LB for exit, but if the mapping profile inside PinballX was manually assigned to Button 5 in the past, it will exhibit the exact same behavior. Clearing the joystick mapping out of the frontend's main controller profile fixes the issue across all of your underlying emulators.

[tabascoman77]

1 hour ago, Draco1962 said:

Definitely need to see the pinballx.ini and log.txt files as Scutters noted. Also, I ran this post by Gemini AI, and following is the response (and hence why I asked if you had an Xbox controller to test):

That specific issue pops up because of how PinballX defaults its global exit parameters and how standard controllers report their hardware IDs.

When a Logitech F710 is set to DirectInput (D) mode, the physical Left Shoulder (LB) button is registered by Windows as Button 5.

By default, PinballX often maps Joystick Button 5 as a global, hardcoded command to Exit Emulator / Return to Menu.

Because PinballX forces this layout globally unless told otherwise, the moment you press the Left Shoulder button in any emulator launched through it (whether it's Visual Pinball, a PlayStation 2 emulator, or retro console setups), PinballX intercepts the input, kills the active emulator process instantly, and drops you back to the wheel. This completely breaks games where LB/L2 is a critical function.

How to Fix It

You need to remap or disable the global joystick exit binding inside the PinballX configuration tool:

• Close PinballX completely.
• Open the PinballX Settings Application (Settings.exe in your installation folder).
• Navigate to the Joystick Settings section.
• Look for the binding labeled Exit / Quit (or "Exit Emulator"). You will likely see it assigned to Button 5.
• Clear this assignment, change it to a button combination you'll never accidentally hit during gameplay (like clicking both analog sticks simultaneously), or map it to a dedicated cabinet button instead.
• Save and exit, then relaunch PinballX.

If you are running the F710 in XInput (X) mode, standard Xbox controllers don't usually default to LB for exit, but if the mapping profile inside PinballX was manually assigned to Button 5 in the past, it will exhibit the exact same behavior. Clearing the joystick mapping out of the frontend's main controller profile fixes the issue across all of your underlying emulators.

Forgot about the Joystick Settings in Setup Wiz. All fixed up. Thanks, Draco! I figured there was a simple fix...that was so close, it could have bitten me in the butt.

[Draco1962]

8 hours ago, tabascoman77 said:

Forgot about the Joystick Settings in Setup Wiz. All fixed up. Thanks, Draco! I figured there was a simple fix...that was so close, it could have bitten me in the butt.

Anytime! Your issue was an easy one for Gemini AI to suss-out. I simply fed it a series of queries:

• First, I asked Gemini "What are the default button assignments of the Logitech F710 vs Xbox controller?" to which it gave me a lot of detail regarding Xinpu and Dinput, how the controllers are seen respectively, etc.
• Second, I provided Gemini the url to the original post, asked it "In PinballX post, Logitech F710 Left Shoulder Button is exiting game back to PinballX menu - Left shoulder button on game controllers exits back to PBX"

The first query was essential for establishing a foundation, the second zeroed-in.