Good controllers to get

[Itsme]

I'm pretty new to emulation and I plan on turning my PC into an HTPC type of set up for my living room. I wanted to put an emulator on there for (mostly) Nintendo systems so I don't have to hook up all of my systems as a way to keep it clean. I'm planning on setting up launchbox to do the task, but my only question is how would I be able to play the games on a controller. Are there 'all in one' type of controllers that I can use for most of the Nintendo consoles (at least up to Game cube anyways)? Also, would I have to configure the controller every time I switch systems (ie. going from an NES game to an SNES game) or will the configuration be remembered every time I go back to a game I played before? Hopefully that makes sense.

[Lordmonkus]

There are plenty of controller discussions here on the forums already but if you only want one for everything including more modern analog stick consoles then I would suggest something like an XBox One controller. It's easy to setup without any 3rd party hassle and will work with everything. Or you could get the 8Bitdo SN30 Pro which from all reports is very good. https://www.amazon.com/8Bitdo-Sn30-Pro-Bluetooth-Gamepad-mac/dp/B07T8JKVNT/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=8bitdo&qid=1573771980&sr=8-3&th=1

You would have to set the controller up in all the emulators you use but once it is setup you really shouldn't have to re do the bindings every time you load a game or change systems at all.

[damageinc86]

I can vouch for the SN30/SF30.  I assume the SN30 would be similar enough to be a great controller. 

[DeadVoivod]

8BitDo ones are very good. 

[Itsme]

Thanks and sorry for the redundant question. After digging up through some things, I forgot I had a wireless xbox 360 controller which I think I used for steam games at one point and I assume would work for this application. I'm going to need a second controller, so I'll go ahead and order the SN30.

[m3TTwUrsT]

I think 8bitdo controllers are the way to go 4 you. 

[Styphelus]

Since we're on this discussion, does anyone know of any good 3rd party wiimotes that work with the Dolphin Bar? Real Nintendo wiimotes are very expensive  but reading reviews on Amazon, it seems that not all 3rd party wiimotes work with the Dolphin Bar and some seem to be of poor quality. 

[Zombeaver]

I recently got the Retrobit 2.4ghz wireless Genesis controller and generally like it quite a bit after using it for about a week.

Pros:

-The face buttons and d-pad feel great, very much like the original
-Comes with adapters both for PC (and some other USB-capable consoles) as well as original hardware
-2.4ghz adapter as opposed to bluetooth means lower latency and generally less connectivity issues; it's also preferable if you're using Windows 7 which doesn't do Xinput over bluetooth unless you're using a custom driver
-Seems to last a long time on a single charge
-Has shoulder buttons, unlike a standard Genesis controller, which means you actually have enough buttons to do things like Saturn and Playstation emulation as well
-A number of switch macros (accessible by holding down certain button combinations) to change how buttons are mapped internally, change whether the d-pad corresponds to d-pad, left stick, or right stick, etc.

Cons:

-The shoulder buttons feel pretty terrible - they barely depress at all, so they don't feel like something like a SNES pad's L and R buttons at all. Mine also had a "sticky" L button at first too, although this seems to have worked itself out after using it for a while and just repeatedly pressing it.
-Unlike 360 or XB1 dongles, the controller is treated as connected at all times so long as the dongle is plugged in - regardless of whether or not the controller itself is connected to it. This is kindof a no-no as far as I'm concerned as it can cause problems with Retroarch controller order. I've gotten around this by connecting it to a USB hub that has toggleable power switches for each port, so I leave it toggled off until I'm ready to use it.
-For original hardware, while there shouldn't be any issue on the model 2 or 3 Genesis, if you're using a model 1 and are outputting your audio from the headphone jack in the front (and I mean, of course you are, because who the hell wants to listen to mono?) then the dongle creates a REALLY loud buzzing sound in the audio when it's plugged in. I've ordered a cheap $3 Genesis extension cable which I'm going to try plugging the dongle into to see if that removes it, but I can't comment on whether or not that works as it hasn't shown up yet.

[garbanzo]

If you have any of those systems, why not use the original controllers with an adapter? Grab a Bliss Box Gamer-Pro kit with just the cables you need, and you'll be set. Not wireless, but nothing beats using real controllers.

 

[Lordmonkus]

5 hours ago, garbanzo said:

but nothing beats using real controllers

That's a nice opinion there.

Too bad it's costly and far more complicated and requires a bunch of adapters and finding good condition original controllers which is not exactly easy.

Personally I will just stick with an XBox One controller for N64 and up while I will stick with the Hori FC4 for anything earlier. The Hori FC4 is by far my favourite controller, it has a long (10 ft) cord, has 6 face buttons and 4 shoulder buttons for all your button needs and is extremely low latency.

[garbanzo]

It's neither costly nor complicated. The Gamer-Pro is $40, and it's the only adapter you need. Just add a few $3 dongles for whatever controllers you plan to use and you're good to go. Plug and play on Windows, Mac, Linux, even Switch.

You can hot-swap controllers too. I can be playing SNES with a GameCube controller, pause the game, swap out for a Dreamcast controller, and keep going.

Honestly, I can't imagine it would be very enjoyable trying to play N64 games with anything other than an N64 controller...

(Hori FC4 looks like a Sega Saturn controller)

[JoJoJuJu59]

I've been using various joysticks and different controllers since the age of Atari 2600, and the best, most useful and durable one I've ever purchased was a simple Sony DualShock DS4 controller (CUH-ZCT2 bluetooth version).  Combined with recent builds of DS4Windows it's pretty much unbeatable for the price.  I always buy an extra one when they're on sale for around $25 (USD).  I've owned Xbox 360/XBOne controllers, along with Sony DS3 controllers, and this thing is supreme, imo.  Much prefer the ergonomic shape and feel over the Xbox controllers too.  Just be sure not to get a cheap chinese counterfeit one and you'll be golden.  In fact, I even have a new Gold DS4 controller in storage for backup.  Hehe.

[Itsme]

So far, the Xbox 360 I had works ok, but after using it for a bit, I just remembered how much I disliked the dpad on it. I do have the wireless nes classic controller from 8bitdo that I used on the nes mini and it’s worked great. I haven’t purchased the SN30 pro yet and am leaning towards that, but I’ll look at the other options listed before making the plunge. Thanks for all the input.

[Lordmonkus]

On 11/19/2019 at 2:27 PM, garbanzo said:

It's neither costly nor complicated

The costs do add up when you add in the costs of getting all the old original controllers plus everything else and it does get complicated, I have seen all the posts from people asking how to setup all the emulators for each and every controller. It is complicated and costly when compared to just having 1 or 2 controllers total, so yeah it is an opinion when you say "nothing beats"

On 11/19/2019 at 2:27 PM, garbanzo said:

Honestly, I can't imagine it would be very enjoyable trying to play N64 games with anything other than an N64 controller

I have zero qualms playing N64 games with a modern dual analog stick, in fact I prefer it over my original N64 controller which is hooked up to my N64 on a CRT.

3 hours ago, Itsme said:

So far, the Xbox 360 I had works ok, but after using it for a bit, I just remembered how much I disliked the dpad on it.

Yeah the dpad on it is pure trash. This is why I use an Xbox One controller for anything requiring an analog stick and the Hori FC4 for anything that just uses the dpad. The Hori is superb and really is the best all around controller for anything that doesn't require an analog stick. It has all the buttons you need, great layout, great dpad and on top of all that it has some of (if not the lowest) input latency (on the controller part of things) around.

21 hours ago, JoJoJuJu59 said:

I've been using various joysticks and different controllers since the age of Atari 2600, and the best, most useful and durable one I've ever purchased was a simple Sony DualShock DS4 controller (CUH-ZCT2 bluetooth version).  Combined with recent builds of DS4Windows it's pretty much unbeatable for the price.  I always buy an extra one when they're on sale for around $25 (USD).  I've owned Xbox 360/XBOne controllers, along with Sony DS3 controllers, and this thing is supreme, imo.  Much prefer the ergonomic shape and feel over the Xbox controllers too.  Just be sure not to get a cheap chinese counterfeit one and you'll be golden.  In fact, I even have a new Gold DS4 controller in storage for backup.  Hehe.

I'll agree with this, if I were to just use one and only one controller I would probably go with a DS4. It has very low input latency over bluetooth and feels great in the hand. The only downsides with it for me personally is the dpad, only 4 face buttons and battery life on them is awful.

[RegularRegs]

old faithful.

[RegularRegs]

or grab an xarcade tankstick. (make sure it has the new xinput pcb)

[damageinc86]

On 11/14/2019 at 2:55 PM, Lordmonkus said:

You would have to set the controller up in all the emulators you use but once it is setup you really shouldn't have to re do the bindings every time you load a game or change systems at all.

So i'm starting a new build and my motherboard now has onboard bluetooth.  so I'm thinking of adding my 8bitdo controllers.  I still have all my wired controllers plugged in (mayflash GC adapter, two snes gamepads, two playstation gamepads, and two xbox360 power-a controllers).  Soooo, big question is, once you pair the 8bitdo and map the controllers, then turn off the 8bitdo and turn it back on,...does the emulator still have the right controller order in mind when it starts looking for it?  Don't know how bluetooth works with controller order in windows.  Do things get switch around during power on/off like it would when you unplug a wired controller?  Even more curious about using two bluetooth for two player games and then turning them off and on again.  Still haven't ever really seen anybody fully deal with this and report back results.  I might just end up doing it and checking, but just wanted to see if someone might know already.

Edited January 11, 2020 by damageinc86