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Best Wired USB Sega Saturn Controller Clone and Other Controller Options

Posted: Sun Mar 05, 2023 6:12 pm
by Max-fpga

I'm planning to make DaemonBite adapters for most of the controllers I own (SNES/NG/PCE etc) but I don't have a spare Sega Saturn controller and wondered if anyone could recommend a decent USB WIRED clone to save making another adapter?

Also is it not possible to make Daemonbite work with an original PSX analogue controller as I cannot see it on github?

And if I make a Daemonbite for the original NG 4 button stick can it also be used with an arcade type 6 button stick (for SFII etc)?

Finally (sorry not really MiSTer but figured someone will know!) - if running Redream on a Pi4 what options do I have to use an original DC controller connected to it?


Re: Best Wired USB Sega Saturn Controller Clone and Other Controller Options

Posted: Sun Mar 05, 2023 6:18 pm
by Atohmdiy

Try the powera fusion fightpad, it's the best in my opinion. Build quality is good. It's a little expensive but worth it


Re: Best Wired USB Sega Saturn Controller Clone and Other Controller Options

Posted: Sun Mar 05, 2023 6:38 pm
by Chilli_Vibes

Retro-Bit USB Saturn Controller ?


Re: Best Wired USB Sega Saturn Controller Clone and Other Controller Options

Posted: Sun Mar 05, 2023 8:03 pm
by colonel panic

It's not a 1:1 clone, but I really like the 8bitdo M30 2.4g. It's comfortable, has low latency in both wired and wireless modes (I always use it wired though), has all the buttons you'd need for Saturn in all the right spots, and has a few extra buttons that can be mapped to bring up the menu and stuff


Re: Best Wired USB Sega Saturn Controller Clone and Other Controller Options

Posted: Sun Mar 05, 2023 8:35 pm
by Retro-Nerd

The M30 is great, but it lacks the real Saturn shoulder buttons. The M30 shoulder buttons are cloned C & Z buttons iirc.


Re: Best Wired USB Sega Saturn Controller Clone and Other Controller Options

Posted: Sun Mar 05, 2023 9:35 pm
by Deadsaint
Retro-Nerd wrote: Sun Mar 05, 2023 8:35 pm

The M30 is great, but it lacks the real Saturn shoulder buttons. The M30 shoulder buttons are cloned C & Z buttons iirc.

The L R are completely independent buttons, at least in the BT model.


Re: Best Wired USB Sega Saturn Controller Clone and Other Controller Options

Posted: Sun Mar 05, 2023 9:40 pm
by colonel panic

The M30 shoulder buttons are cloned C & Z buttons iirc.

When hooked up to an actual Genesis/Mega Drive yes, but not over USB. They map to ZL and ZR on the Switch controller. But on MiSTer of course they can be independently mapped to anything


Re: Best Wired USB Sega Saturn Controller Clone and Other Controller Options

Posted: Sun Mar 05, 2023 9:49 pm
by Retro-Nerd

Max-fpga wants to use a Daemonbite adapter. So it means you would have to use the 2.4GHz version of the M30 pad. And with this original DB9 pin version the C & Z Buttons are cloned to the shoulder buttons. Mapping in MiSTer won't help here.

The Retro-Bit wired Saturn Controller is probably good enough. The 2.4GHz version, which ist bundled with an USB dongle, has maybe too much latency.


Re: Best Wired USB Sega Saturn Controller Clone and Other Controller Options

Posted: Sun Mar 05, 2023 9:57 pm
by colonel panic

https://support.8bitdo.com/faq/m30-2-4-g.html
From 8bitdo's FAQ page for the 2.4g version:

What do the two shoulder buttons do?
When it is used with Mega Drive:
L = Z
R = C
On USB connection:
C = R1
Z = L1
L = L2
R = R2

I know they work independently because I use that exact model wired over USB all the time, even on the PSX core where I have every button independently mapped to different things


Re: Best Wired USB Sega Saturn Controller Clone and Other Controller Options

Posted: Sun Mar 05, 2023 10:06 pm
by Retro-Nerd

edit: Ah, now it get it. Read it wrong. He wants a wired USB Pad for the Saturn Core. Yep, that way the M30 is just fine. I confused myself for a minute. :lol:


Re: Best Wired USB Sega Saturn Controller Clone and Other Controller Options

Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2023 7:38 am
by IRONBERG
Max-fpga wrote: Sun Mar 05, 2023 6:12 pm

I'm planning to make DaemonBite adapters for most of the controllers I own (SNES/NG/PCE etc) but I don't have a spare Sega Saturn controller and wondered if anyone could recommend a decent USB WIRED clone to save making another adapter?

Maybe the licensed one by SEGA as an original controller? Hard to get any closer than that :D

https://retro-bit.com/sega-saturn-contr ... black.html


Re: Best Wired USB Sega Saturn Controller Clone and Other Controller Options

Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2023 8:59 am
by TLPD-AVW

Retro-Bit USB controller is pretty good but it has a peculiar edge case scenario flaw: it does not register Start+A or Start+X combinations as those are reserved for Dinput/Xinput mode switch functions. I know that there are games on the Saturn which use Start+A+B+C for soft reset, so that might cause an issue.


Re: Best Wired USB Sega Saturn Controller Clone and Other Controller Options

Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2023 11:22 am
by Max-fpga

Cheers guys - will look at that, a bit expensive here as imported from the US.

Can anyone help with the other Q's?

Also is it not possible to make Daemonbite work with an original PSX analogue controller as I cannot see it on github?

And if I make a Daemonbite for the original NG 4 button stick can it also be used with an arcade type 6 button stick (for SFII etc)?

Finally (sorry not really MiSTer but figured someone will know!) - if running Redream on a Pi4 what options do I have to use an original DC controller connected to it?


Re: Best Wired USB Sega Saturn Controller Clone and Other Controller Options

Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2023 11:44 am
by AngelicLiver

Also is it not possible to make Daemonbite work with an original PSX analogue controller as I cannot see it on github?

There is no official support yet. Someone has created a commit but it has yet to be merged into the main branch. You can try it but your mileage may vary (and it currently only supports digital inputs).

And if I make a Daemonbite for the original NG 4 button stick can it also be used with an arcade type 6 button stick (for SFII etc)?

Check the PIN out on the project page but probably not without reflashing the Pro Micro and/or rewiring.

Redream on a Pi4 what options do I have to use an original DC controller connected to it?

Raphnet do Dreamcast USB adapters but as with most of their stuff regularly it is out-of-stock.


Re: Best Wired USB Sega Saturn Controller Clone and Other Controller Options

Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2023 2:53 pm
by Max-fpga

Thanks guys - is there a particular PSX to USB adapter that is better than others? Latency etc. And in the UK please?


Re: Best Wired USB Sega Saturn Controller Clone and Other Controller Options

Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2023 4:15 pm
by rhester72
TLPD-AVW wrote: Mon Mar 06, 2023 8:59 am

Retro-Bit USB controller is pretty good but it has a peculiar edge case scenario flaw: it does not register Start+A or Start+X combinations as those are reserved for Dinput/Xinput mode switch functions. I know that there are games on the Saturn which use Start+A+B+C for soft reset, so that might cause an issue.

Is this confirmed? I thought you had to hold those down while pulling the controller in to switch mode but that they would behave normally 'live'.


Re: Best Wired USB Sega Saturn Controller Clone and Other Controller Options

Posted: Sat Mar 11, 2023 5:00 am
by colonel panic

Thanks guys - is there a particular PSX to USB adapter that is better than others? Latency etc. And in the UK please?

I use a SNAC adapter for PSX these days, but you need another usb controller/keyboard of some kind plugged in to navigate the menus if you want to go that route. Before that came out I used a "generic blue" dualshock adapter that I picked up in like 2006. I think they're still available new today. Rumble doesn't work and MiSTer can't identify the second controller port but I don't remember having any issues with latency


Re: Best Wired USB Sega Saturn Controller Clone and Other Controller Options

Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2023 3:10 pm
by Nickie
Retro-Nerd wrote: Sun Mar 05, 2023 8:35 pm

The M30 is great, but it lacks the real Saturn shoulder buttons. The M30 shoulder buttons are cloned C & Z buttons iirc.

so it depends on the mode, i discovered recently that the m30 has 3 different modes in which buttons do different things, xinput uses xbox mappings equivalents but Dinput has individual buttons, switch might too i haven't tested

it's basically not documented anywhere so i made me a sticker to put on the back of the controller:

1B4E8Ws.png
1B4E8Ws.png (51.53 KiB) Viewed 1826 times

newer revisions of M30 2.4G ( with USB-C) apparently ship in dinput by default