Game Controller Advice

[stuart264]

I was looking at buying a budget wireless gamepad for my Odroid N2+ as I discovered my old MAME rom DVD’s last week and I used to be rather a fan of “Bomb Jack!” however that was a few years before I slipped in the shower and broke the Scaphoid in my right hand (not recommended!) so I don’t want to spend the earth.

I know the GameSir pads get good write ups but I found this one on Amazon and comparing the specs between that its virtually the same as the T4 just £15 less, but I wouldn’t mind some advice from more seasoned retrogamers, secondly the instructions on a lot of the pads say the vibration is turned on or off via the game / options menu, however I would need it permanently off by default or I will be screaming the place down, how is this done?

[kshi]

I’ve personally been using a modified (Changed the cable to a standard USB A Male) “knock-off” original Xbox controller for years.

I also have a Logitech F310, which works with EmuELEC out of the box, and is a fantastic controller in its own respect, I just prefer the feel of the Xbox controller. I don’t recall this one having any vibration option, so you’re good there. There is a wireless F710, but it does have vibration feedback.

I bought a pair of SNES usb knock-offs for like $15 CAD that feel and perform close enough to the originals to suit my needs. Unfortunately I can’t grab you the link for those until after Xmas for fear of exposing what the Mrs. may have bought for me in Amazon’s purchase history…

The EmuELEC wiki has a lot of solid recommendations. The F310 is at the top of their list too.

[stuart264]

I actually looked at the Logitech F310 earlier this week, though I was leaning towards the F710 as firstly its wireless which avoids the whole cat and cable issue and secondly the vibration can be turned off by a button on the controller. Though I plan to do a bit more research before I order one and probably hit up the Hard Kernel hardware forums.

As for Amazon’s purchase history, its one of the reasons I set up Family Prime and we both have our own accounts, plus it stops my better half charging my credit card for her stuff and vice versa.

[kshi]

I honestly wish I had shelled out for the the F710 at the time. I’ve read good things about the GameSir T4. I have a friend that is very happy with his. I’ve seen positive feedback on the EmuELEC discord as well. The big drawback that I can see of the one that you found on Amazon would be the additional cost/inconvenience of having to use AA batteries, rechargeable or otherwise.

Unfortunately, last I checked Amazon didn’t offer Family Prime in Canada for whatever stupid reason.

[NRG]

Since you asked a more seasoned Retrogamer, I aswer, since I play videogames of all kinds for 40 years. The Logitech Gamepads look very cheap but I never had one in my hands - they might behave decent in your hands, but you get what you pay for and they actually look overpriced to me at €50 for the F710. An official gamepad of the consoles like Xbox, Playstation or Nintendo would work also fine and cost as much or slightly more, but will feel and perform much better.

I’d never go back to wired controllers if I don’t have to. It’s ergonomically much better and for your hand especially.

Force Feedback, if it will work ;), can be turned off with every application you can game or emulate. For example Steam or RetroArch have settings for that and I can’t remember or imagine a software for (retro) gaming without it.

I personally use many game controllers for different purposes, but for PC/Linux or RetroArch/Retropie/MAME I used mostly an xbox360 wireless pad, as it is recognised always and has a wide fanbase, meaning also the drivers for Linux are mostly in the kernel, so it’s plug and play. The Xbox One/Series will be similar I guess. I know form my recent research that the best controller based on lowest input lag would be a PS4-Pad, which needs bluetooth to connect and a cable to recharge. My Xbox360 wireless has a USB dongle and a 2,4Ghz Wireless signal, plus it features removable battery packs for fast recharge switches in the middle of the action. I prefer the later, since that is true wireless and it saves you a second pad to switch to.

[stuart264]

Going to look at all options but after Christmas, the combination of Brexit and Covid is really causing some bad shipping delays, plus I am fairly sure someone in the family is going to bung me an Amazon gift card, still leaning towards F710 as first choice as the GameSir T4 seems to be in short supply though that may be down to the time of the year or a new model launch come January.

I know the Xbox 360 controllers are very compatible and very well documented as I remember that guy that made a disabled friendly controller for his daughter and ended up getting support to do it from the head of the design team.

[stuart264]

Well the Logitech F710 works straight out of the box, its just a shame my right hand doesn’t, 15 minutes gaming and I’m in agony.

[kshi]

That sucks. My sympathies. I can kind of relate. Years ago I essentially destroyed both of my wrists in an accident. The subsequent rebuild came at the cost of the majority of my range of motion. Simple things like throwing a baseball are now out of the question. Arthritis in both wrists is slowly but steadily getting worse.

Enough about me though… At the risk of asking invasive questions, Is the pain caused by how the controller is held? Like gripping the slender controller as it is aggravates your hands? I ask because I recall seeing controller mods/transplants to custom printed housings done for people with physical limitations regarding grip, etc. I’d think the F710 would be a decent candidate for modification in this regard because it’s fairly self contained. Now I just have to remember where I saw the articles…

[stuart264]

By the sound of that it was a vehicular accident, I sympathise, Arthritis sucks.

In my case its a Scaphoid fracture that never really healed right after slipping in the shower and putting my hand out, because of that I find that if I am gripping something with my hand and thumb in the way you would hold a coffee mug or can of soup (as your married you can guess my partners euphemism for it) for any length of time the pain increases and persists for hours afterward so its not really an issue adaptations would solve but thanks for the offer. As for the F710, I no longer have it as a friend of mine bought it off me for his kids to use with Stadia.

[kshi]

Ah. Gotcha! Well I hope you can find a controller that will allow you a more comfortable experience. Regardless, I couldn’t find the site I was thinking of that didn’t custom jobs but there are a plethora of others out there now, which is pretty cool.

My injuries were a pair of distal radius fractures from a fall off of a horse.

[stuart264]

I did look around myself after reading your post, I did find some open source 3D printer templates suitable for the the Xbox controllers aimed at the disabled community, its just a shame Perixx who do some amazing ergonomic kit don’t make game controllers. Though I do recommend their ergonomic mice (I use this one) as they are superb if you have any sort of hand issues.

As for your injuries the parachute reflex has a lot to answer for.