MiSTer FPGA Forum

Is there a best all round controller, one that just works with most cores ?
Does not have to be perfect, preferably wireless (wires and kids do not mix)

I'd say Dualshock 4 v2 is hard to beat as an all rounder.

Agreed. Dualshock 4 is a great choice. Personally, I am not a big fan of thumbsticks though and I have started using my Thrustmaster Hotas 4 PS/PC version and loving it with all the fine control. It duplicates all the functions of the DS4 minus the rumble, but you have to press three buttons on it when plugging in the USB cable to make it work right (it makes the light green instead of red so you know it worked). I think the PC or Xbox version of the Hotas would just work. I started playing Forsaken on the N64 with the Hotas and mapped the controls to my liking for the game and it's awesome, and is awesome for all kinds of thumbstick and joystick games on many cores. For some reason Forsaken on the N64 core won't save though. I haven't tried that hard to make it work yet.

Along with the DS4, the DualSense controller is pretty good. I'm also very pleased with my 8bitdo SN30 Pro+.

But no matter the controller's quality, sometimes you just can't really substitute for an original controller because of the design. For example the Intellivision or N64 controllers just don't map well to a modern gamepad (IMO).

My main pad, if I am not using pads closely related to their real hardware, is an 8Bitdo SN30 Pro USB - it's a great pad that can cover all the consoles, and computers. Works especially good for the 8-bit, and 16-bit consoles.

Bristles wrote: ↑Mon Oct 09, 2023 9:22 pm

My main pad, if I am not using pads closely related to their real hardware, is an 8Bitdo SN30 Pro USB

Same as mine, I think it's almost perfect for Mister because:

• It emulates an Xbox360, so it's compatible with everything.

• It's both wired and wireless. In wired mode, it has one of the lowest measured lags with USB

• In wireless mode it's bluetooth, so it's compatible with everything, with no risk of losing a proprietary stick.

• It has the right retro feeling, although it's modern.

I said "almost" perfect, because it doesn't have any rumble features, but their absence makes it noticeably light, and the battery lasts longer.

I said "almost" perfect, because it doesn't have any rumble features, but their absence makes it noticeably light, and the battery lasts longer.

That's strange, because mine is not only wired-only, it also supports rumble. Perhaps that is the difference ? The wireless/wired version has no rumble, while the wired-only version has rumble.
Still, like you said, it's a superb little pad for the money.

Yes, of course, that's the difference because, I didn't noticed you had the SN30 Pro, I have the SF30 Pro which looks like an SNES controller, has a detachable USB-C cable and it's wireless and wired.

The best all-round controller has to be the Google-Stadia. Its cheap and I think it has the best ergonomic shape (at least for me). The D-Pad ist not that brilliant but in advantage it has two extra buttons which I like and no other controller has.
For console gaming from NES/FC/SMS up to PS1/SAT/N64 my go to controller.
The best casual arcade controller has to be the 8BitDo Arcade Stick.

virtuali wrote: ↑Tue Oct 10, 2023 12:26 am

Yes, of course, that's the difference because, I didn't noticed you had the SN30 Pro, I have the SF30 Pro which looks like an SNES controller, has a detachable USB-C cable and it's wireless and wired.

Both the original SN30 Pro and SF30 Pro look like SNES/Super Famicom controllers respectively, and both support wired/wireless AND rumble. They were identical with the exception of the ABYX buttons (I know this because I have both). 8BitDo later redesigned these controllers, possibly as a response to legal pressure from Nintendo.

Maybe you accidentally turned your rumble off? It's toggled by pressing L+R+Select IIRC.

The HORI Fighting Commander OCTA looks nice.

Anyone used one with MiSTer?

Both the original SN30 Pro and SF30 Pro look like SNES/Super Famicom controllers respectively, and both support wired/wireless AND rumble.

Just bear in mind that there are 2 types of SN30 Pro controllers. One is wired USB only (mine), and the other is both wireless, and wired.

Bristles wrote: ↑Tue Oct 10, 2023 4:31 pm

Both the original SN30 Pro and SF30 Pro look like SNES/Super Famicom controllers respectively, and both support wired/wireless AND rumble.

Just bear in mind that there are 2 types of SN30 Pro controllers. One is wired USB only (mine), and the other is both wireless, and wired.

Yes, there's been at least a half a dozen different revisions over the years. Currently they sell Bluetooth/USB, 2.4G/USB and plain USB variants. I don't know if any of those lack rumble, but I do know the original SN30/SF30 Pro models (i.e. The ones which look the most like actual SNES/Super Famicom pads) both had rumble, which is why I was wondering if it had been disabled on virtuali's controller.

Yeah, I'm a big fan of the SNES look.
This is mine,

https://www.amazon.co.uk/8Bitdo-SN30-Ga ... C49N&psc=1

I went for the PlayStation look, although it doesn't have the symbols, it does have the right colours.

The SNES and SFC color schemes are unfortunately no longer available, which is why I'm grateful that i managed to snag one before they went off-sale

lister_of_smeg wrote: ↑Tue Oct 10, 2023 5:25 pm

Yes, there's been at least a half a dozen different revisions over the years. Currently they sell Bluetooth/USB, 2.4G/USB and plain USB variants. I don't know if any of those lack rumble, but I do know the original SN30/SF30 Pro models (i.e. The ones which look the most like actual SNES/Super Famicom pads) both had rumble, which is why I was wondering if it had been disabled on virtuali's controller.

The rumble intensity and activity is crontrollable via pc software. The rumble motors could indeed be disabled.

lister_of_smeg wrote: ↑Tue Oct 10, 2023 5:25 pm

which is why I was wondering if it had been disabled on virtuali's controller.

Well, in fact, it's not. I just completely forgot about it, because I never used it to play modern games on PC that might use the Xbox rumble features and, when I want to play Mister on something with rumble (usually PSX), I just use a real Dual Shock over SNAC, so I just forgot the SF-30 has vibration.

But sure enough, I tried it on the N64 core now, and it does work with Rumble pack games.

My version has the Japan/Euro Nintendo color style, and it comes with a detachable USB-C cable for data and charging, so I guess must be one of the latest models before they changed the style.

I'm a big fan of the Dualsense as an all-rounder. I have gone through testing and trying out dozens of controllers and it's the most solidly built, very low latency over bluetooth, and just feels the best in my hand. The only time I think I need anything else is just for N64 for which I use the RetroFighters Brawler64.

aberu wrote: ↑Tue Oct 10, 2023 11:39 pm

I'm a big fan of the Dualsense as an all-rounder. I have gone through testing and trying out dozens of controllers and it's the most solidly built, very low latency over bluetooth, and just feels the best in my hand. The only time I think I need anything else is just for N64 for which I use the RetroFighters Brawler64.

Marvelous, that's what I'm talking about. I've been researching DS4 vs DS5 (already own a couple), but I had trouble with the N64 and SEGA consoles. But that Brawler solves both those problems. I can now use the buttons A,B+C(U/D/L/R) as ABCXYZ, and the N64 speaks for itself of course. So two controllers solves my current problem

Kind of shocked (hah) how many people can put up with mid d-pads for the era most Mister cores are set in. The SN30s are pretty good for that, my personal favorite is the M30, retro-fighters or hori stuff can be pretty good if you want analog and a decent d-pad. But official Sony controllers would be way near the bottom of the list for me, outside of analog control games.

I get your point, it would have been better if the d-pad and the analog were switched in the Brawler64. But I can't see a better option at the moment, but I'm always open to suggestions

I am currently using the PS5 duel sense and a 8bitdo m30 between the two I can play most games and they have the lowest latency wireless. I also have a fight stick with a working coin mech which is the go to for arcade games because there is no substitute to dropping quarters into the stick and getting credits pushing a button for credits is not the same.

Missus wrote: ↑Tue Oct 10, 2023 3:32 pm

The HORI Fighting Commander OCTA looks nice.

Anyone used one with MiSTer?

IMG_0388.jpeg

I use the Xbox version and it's not bad. The microswitch buttons are nice and the dpad is so so, it fails the Contra test though. Most dpad's fail the Contra test so don't let that turn you off. I am highly sensitive to input lag and primarily play via SNAC. I mention this because for quite some time I used this as my primary controller for NES and I didn't feel like it's input lag was a factor. MisterAddon's reported it's lag to be acceptable and I agree. It is very comfortable as well.