[RESOLVED] Help mapping for Dual Sense Edge Controller with RetroArch

Hello all! I am new to RetroBat, and have installed stable version 5.3.0. I am having issues getting my controller to work properly.

I tried searching and found a topic that had expressed a similar issue, but it doesn't seem to have been resolved there, and I've run into it now so I thought it couldn't hurt to ask again.

I like to use a Dual Sense Edge. I would imagine it shouldn't behave any differently from a regular Dual Sense controller, but I don't have one of those so I suppose it might. I'm also aware that Steam "takes over" the controller and puts it into Enhanced mode, so I have a couple of batch scripts that allow me to toggle the environment variable SDL_JOYSTICK_HIDAPI_PS5_RUMBLE to 0 (which keeps Steam from enhancing it and leaves it in regular Dinput mode) and 1 (which allows Steam to enhance it if I want to use it for a Steam game), so I don't think that's the issue.

When I open RetroBat, the controller is recognized and it seems to work fine to navigate Emulation Station, with Cross being the Confirm button and Circle being the Cancel button as you'd expect, etc.

When I open a game that uses RetroArch (I haven't tried anything else, so it may be a problem with other emulators too for all I know), the button mapping is very odd. I can only move using the left analog, and the mapping seems to be something like this for the SNES layout:
Triangle -> X
Square -> B
Circle -> Y
Cross -> A
L1 -> Select
L2 -> Start

I've tried manually mapping the controller for the system in Emulation Station, but that didn't seem to make any difference. If I use the RetroArch menu to map it, it does seem to work, but the RetroArch menu itself still has the same problem (e.g., I can only navigate with the left analog, Square is Confirm, Cross is Cancel), and it still treats L1 as the hotkey even though I have set it to Select. This customization also reverts after closing and reopening the game; I did try saving the mapping but that didn't seem to work to retain on reload either.

I thought updating to the latest SDL2 driver might help, so I backed up the one that comes with RetroBat and did that, but RetroBat wouldn't start with the latest driver. I'm not sure what version of SDL2 RetroBat ships with as the filename doesn't include the version number, but based on the update date it seems to be a relatively recent version, so I'm not sure if updating it to some intermediate version would even help.

If anyone has gotten this to work I would appreciate the assistance, as I think I've tried about everything I can think of.

Thanks in advance for any help!

Hello,

Did you try without Steam opened or without your batch ?

We use sdl2 2.26 if I remember well (as we are currently with 2.28 for latest tests) but you can change this by just overwriting the dll with the newest one (you need to take the x86).

Standard dual sense is working perfectly with Retrobat and emulators.

This issue looks like either Steam is messing with it or it isn't recognized by sdl...

Also can you show the content of your es_input.cfg file located in retrobat\emulationstation ?

Deleting the above environment variable and closing Steam made no difference, it behaves exactly as if the variable was set to 0 and Steam was open (that's why I use that, so I don't have to close Steam every time I want to use an emulator).

I tried both 2.28 and 2.28.1 SDL drivers (I didn't realize I needed to use the x86 executable, which is why it wouldn't open before). The intro video plays, then RetroBat just crashes before it ever opens, so I reverted back to the stock driver it comes with.

Here is the es_input.cfg. These should all be stock, as I deleted RetroBat and reinstalled it sometime last night, then I didn't manually map the buttons since it didn't seem to make any difference anyway.

The Xbox One Elite 2 controller with the xinput driver worked fine, but the d-pad is in a more awkward spot where I don't like using it for 2D games. The Xbox 360 controller here confuses me, but that is probably the Dual Sense Edge with the above variable set to 1 and Steam open, so Steam has "taken over" the controller. I did try that just to see if it made a difference, and it had the result I expected: it worked fine to navigate the menu, but I don't think any buttons in the game did anything.

Code:


<?xml version="1.0"?>
<inputList>
 <inputConfig type="keyboard" deviceName="Keyboard" deviceGUID="-1">
 <input name="a" type="key" id="120" value="1" />
 <input name="b" type="key" id="122" value="1" />
 <input name="down" type="key" id="1073741905" value="1" />
 <input name="hotkey" type="key" id="1073742052" value="1" />
 <input name="l2" type="key" id="1073741898" value="1" />
 <input name="l3" type="key" id="1073741897" value="1" />
 <input name="left" type="key" id="1073741904" value="1" />
 <input name="pagedown" type="key" id="1073741902" value="1" />
 <input name="pageup" type="key" id="1073741899" value="1" />
 <input name="r2" type="key" id="1073741901" value="1" />
 <input name="r3" type="key" id="127" value="1" />
 <input name="right" type="key" id="1073741903" value="1" />
 <input name="select" type="key" id="8" value="1" />
 <input name="start" type="key" id="13" value="1" />
 <input name="up" type="key" id="1073741906" value="1" />
 <input name="x" type="key" id="113" value="1" />
 <input name="y" type="key" id="115" value="1" />
 </inputConfig>
 <inputConfig type="joystick" deviceName="Xbox 360 Controller" deviceGUID="030000005e0400008e02000000007200">
 <input name="a" type="button" id="0" value="1" />
 <input name="b" type="button" id="1" value="1" />
 <input name="down" type="hat" id="0" value="4" />
 <input name="hotkey" type="button" id="6" value="1" />
 <input name="joystick1left" type="axis" id="0" value="-1" />
 <input name="joystick1up" type="axis" id="1" value="-1" />
 <input name="joystick2left" type="axis" id="2" value="-1" />
 <input name="joystick2up" type="axis" id="3" value="-1" />
 <input name="l2" type="axis" id="4" value="1" />
 <input name="l3" type="button" id="8" value="1" />
 <input name="left" type="hat" id="0" value="8" />
 <input name="pagedown" type="button" id="5" value="1" />
 <input name="pageup" type="button" id="4" value="1" />
 <input name="r2" type="axis" id="5" value="1" />
 <input name="r3" type="button" id="9" value="1" />
 <input name="right" type="hat" id="0" value="2" />
 <input name="select" type="button" id="6" value="1" />
 <input name="start" type="button" id="7" value="1" />
 <input name="up" type="hat" id="0" value="1" />
 <input name="x" type="button" id="3" value="1" />
 <input name="y" type="button" id="2" value="1" />
 </inputConfig>
 <inputConfig type="joystick" deviceName="Xbox One Elite 2 Controller" deviceGUID="030000005e040000000b000000007200">
 <input name="a" type="button" id="0" value="1" />
 <input name="b" type="button" id="1" value="1" />
 <input name="down" type="hat" id="0" value="4" />
 <input name="hotkey" type="button" id="6" value="1" />
 <input name="joystick1left" type="axis" id="0" value="-1" />
 <input name="joystick1up" type="axis" id="1" value="-1" />
 <input name="joystick2left" type="axis" id="2" value="-1" />
 <input name="joystick2up" type="axis" id="3" value="-1" />
 <input name="l2" type="axis" id="4" value="1" />
 <input name="l3" type="button" id="8" value="1" />
 <input name="left" type="hat" id="0" value="8" />
 <input name="pagedown" type="button" id="5" value="1" />
 <input name="pageup" type="button" id="4" value="1" />
 <input name="r2" type="axis" id="5" value="1" />
 <input name="r3" type="button" id="9" value="1" />
 <input name="right" type="hat" id="0" value="2" />
 <input name="select" type="button" id="6" value="1" />
 <input name="start" type="button" id="7" value="1" />
 <input name="up" type="hat" id="0" value="1" />
 <input name="x" type="button" id="3" value="1" />
 <input name="y" type="button" id="2" value="1" />
 </inputConfig>
 <inputConfig type="joystick" deviceName="DualSense Edge Wireless Controller" deviceGUID="030000004c050000f20d000000006800">
 <input name="a" type="button" id="0" value="1" />
 <input name="b" type="button" id="1" value="1" />
 <input name="down" type="button" id="12" value="1" />
 <input name="hotkey" type="button" id="4" value="1" />
 <input name="joystick1left" type="axis" id="0" value="-1" />
 <input name="joystick1up" type="axis" id="1" value="-1" />
 <input name="joystick2left" type="axis" id="2" value="-1" />
 <input name="joystick2up" type="axis" id="3" value="-1" />
 <input name="l2" type="axis" id="4" value="1" />
 <input name="l3" type="button" id="7" value="1" />
 <input name="left" type="button" id="13" value="1" />
 <input name="pagedown" type="button" id="10" value="1" />
 <input name="pageup" type="button" id="9" value="1" />
 <input name="r2" type="axis" id="5" value="1" />
 <input name="r3" type="button" id="8" value="1" />
 <input name="right" type="button" id="14" value="1" />
 <input name="select" type="button" id="4" value="1" />
 <input name="start" type="button" id="6" value="1" />
 <input name="up" type="button" id="11" value="1" />
 <input name="x" type="button" id="3" value="1" />
 <input name="y" type="button" id="2" value="1" />
 </inputConfig>
</inputList>


Hello,

es_input file is ok and is similar to mine with the non-edge DS, what systems/emulators are you having trouble with ?

The only things I've tried thus far are the Donkey Kong Country games for SNES through RetroArch, as I have taken a Jonesing to play through those yet again. I would have to check, but I'd imagine it's using the Snes9x - Current core.

In those games, the left face button is attack / throw, the bottom face button is jump, the right face button lets you put your partner up on your shoulders to throw them, and I think the top face button is also attack if memory serves, but I don't really use it.

What I'm seeing is that the left face button is jump, the right face button is attack, the bottom face button lifts your partner up onto your shoulders to throw them, and L2 and L1 are Start and Select respectively.

This is what i have in Retroarch when RetroBat autoconfigures my controller:

Looks to be the same for me.

And if i play for example Aladdin, i jump with SOUTH, throw an apple with EAST.

Which is in accordance with the manual:

You do not have by any chance a remap file active for the game in retrobat\emulators\retroarch\config\remaps ?

PraetorXyn wrote:Looks to be the same for me.

Which is completely correct.

As for SDL buttons:
0 is SOUTH
1 is EAST
2 is WEST
3 is NORTH
4 is SELECT
6 is START
7 is LEFTSTICK
8 is RIGHTSTICK
9 is L1
10 is R1
11 is DPAD up
12 is DPAD down
13 is DPAD left
14 is DPAD right

L2 and R2 are +4 and +5 axis

So i would say there is something interfering with your controller input catching, as RetroBat is correctly injecting settings into RetroArch.

Try disabling DS4Windows, STEAM totally...

Or at least ensure that this is switched off:

In the remaps folder, there's an Snes9x folder in there, but it is itself empty.

I hadn't gone to the trouble of verifying the buttons by number, but I'm not surprised it matches. That's why this is so perplexing. It's all just very odd.

I have been considering getting a "regular" Dual Sense anyway so I wouldn't have to unpair / repair every time I wanted to connect the Edge to another device, so I might pick one of those up just to see if it makes any difference at this point.

90% chances are that you just have Steam Input or another program overriding what RetroArch receives.

Also very strange that 2.28.1 makes your RetroBat crash, as i have updated myself (just replacing the dll) and do not have this behaviour.

You are likely correct, but Steam is closed, and I don't have InputMapper, DS4Windows, etc., installed. In trying to follow up on this, I am checking out the controller in the Windows controller settings.

Do you see Xbox360 controller for windows in the Properties there like I do?

When I go to Properties on the DualSense Edge in that window there, this is the mapping I see between buttons and numbers:
1 Square
2 Cross
3 Circle
4 Triangle
5 L1
6 R1
7 L2
8 R2
9 Select
10 Start
11 L3
12 R3

I'd appreciate if you can confirm whether or not this matches what you see. Working under the assumption that something else is interfering with it before it gets to RetroArch, that seems a reasonable place to start.

Under Properties for the Xbox 360 controller there, nothing works. I imagine this might be because of Steam Input or something installing it there.

You have 2 controllers connected ? right

- a dualsense
- a XBOX controller

On my side i have only 1 line:


And yes, mapping is the same, as this is dinput buttons number for this controller (knowing that dinput button number can be different for different brands of controllers...).

I usually only have one controller connected at a given time, but I have multiple controllers. For 3D games, I prefer to use the Xbox One Elite 2. For 2D games, I prefer to use the DualSense Edge. I also have a couple of Fenek wireless controllers that came with a Sen Pi, and the only real reason I have one of those connected is because they have a Turbo functionality and I thought that might be useful in the future if I wanted to just tape a button down in a JRPG or something and let the game grind for me or play the slot machine etc. while I sleep.

In the Hardware and Devices, I see:
DualSense Edge Wireless Controller
XBOX 360 For Windows
Xbox One Wireless Controller

The above screenshot was taken after right-clicking and going to Properties on the DualSense Edge Wireless Controller.

On the SDL driver, this is what I tried after you mentioned 2.28.1 was working for you.
I had already downloaded SDL2-2.28.1-win32-x86.zip from the Releases page on GitHub.
I opened the archive, and told it to extract SDL2.dll in RetroBat\emulationstation and told it to overwrite.

When I start RetroBat, the splash video plays, but as soon as it's over it doesn't actually open Emulation Station, and the RetroBat icon in the taskbar goes away, so I'm assuming it's crashing.

I see this in es_log.txt:

Code:

2023-07-10 13:42:02 ERROR Interrupt signal SIGSEGV received.

PraetorXyn wrote:I usually only have one controller connected at a given time, but I have multiple controllers. For 3D games, I prefer to use the Xbox One Elite 2. For 2D games, I prefer to use the DualSense Edge. I also have a couple of Fenek wireless controllers that came with a Sen Pi, and the only real reason I have one of those connected is because they have a Turbo functionality and I thought that might be useful in the future if I wanted to just tape a button down in a JRPG or something and let the game grind for me or play the slot machine etc. while I sleep.

In the Hardware and Devices, I see:
DualSense Edge Wireless Controller
XBOX 360 For Windows
Xbox One Wireless Controller

The above screenshot was taken after right-clicking and going to Properties on the DualSense Edge Wireless Controller.

On the SDL driver, this is what I tried after you mentioned 2.28.1 was working for you.
I had already downloaded SDL2-2.28.1-win32-x86.zip from the Releases page on GitHub.
I opened the archive, and told it to extract SDL2.dll in RetroBat\emulationstation and told it to overwrite.

When I start RetroBat, the splash video plays, but as soon as it's over it doesn't actually open Emulation Station, and the RetroBat icon in the taskbar goes away, so I'm assuming it's crashing.

I see this in es_log.txt:

Code:

2023-07-10 13:42:02 ERROR Interrupt signal SIGSEGV received.

At the moment you took the screenshot from the controller devices, you had 2 controllers turned on and connected right ?
Because this screen only shows the connected controllers.

If the dualsense was the ONLY connected controller at that moment, you seem to have a software that generates a virtual XBOX controller from your DualSense, and this is typically what Steam Input, X360CE, DS4Windows, and such programs do.

tartifless wrote:

PraetorXyn wrote:I usually only have one controller connected at a given time, but I have multiple controllers. For 3D games, I prefer to use the Xbox One Elite 2. For 2D games, I prefer to use the DualSense Edge. I also have a couple of Fenek wireless controllers that came with a Sen Pi, and the only real reason I have one of those connected is because they have a Turbo functionality and I thought that might be useful in the future if I wanted to just tape a button down in a JRPG or something and let the game grind for me or play the slot machine etc. while I sleep.

In the Hardware and Devices, I see:
DualSense Edge Wireless Controller
XBOX 360 For Windows
Xbox One Wireless Controller

The above screenshot was taken after right-clicking and going to Properties on the DualSense Edge Wireless Controller.

On the SDL driver, this is what I tried after you mentioned 2.28.1 was working for you.
I had already downloaded SDL2-2.28.1-win32-x86.zip from the Releases page on GitHub.
I opened the archive, and told it to extract SDL2.dll in RetroBat\emulationstation and told it to overwrite.

When I start RetroBat, the splash video plays, but as soon as it's over it doesn't actually open Emulation Station, and the RetroBat icon in the taskbar goes away, so I'm assuming it's crashing.

I see this in es_log.txt:

Code:

2023-07-10 13:42:02 ERROR Interrupt signal SIGSEGV received.

At the moment you took the screenshot from the controller devices, you had 2 controllers turned on and connected right ?
Because this screen only shows the connected controllers.

If the dualsense was the ONLY connected controller at that moment, you seem to have a software that generates a virtual XBOX controller from your DualSense, and this is typically what Steam Input, X360CE, DS4Windows, and such programs do.

That depends on what Windows considers connected. The DualSense was the only one connected and powered on. I have wireless dongles connected for the Xbox and Fenek controllers, but both are powered off. Based on what I've seen with wireless headsets though, it is possible Windows would think it's connected even when it's turned off just because the dongle is plugged in.

Steam wasn't running, and I don't have any of those three installed (but I did used to have InputMapper installed for a long time, and I briefly installed DS4Windows because it was supposed to let me see the controller's battery level, but I uninstalled it).

So you're probably right in that some virtual 360 controller is interfering with it, but I'm baffled as to what could be causing it.

EDIT: Unplugging the dongle for the Fenek controller made the Xbox 360 controller go away from Game Controllers, but it made no difference.

I ended up adding RetroBat as a non-Steam game in Steam, and when I launch it from Steam the mapping works perfectly. Perhaps not the ideal solution, but Steam enhances the controller with rumble and such, so maybe it is.

Hello,
Steam does not enhanced the controller, the Dualsense has rumble and motion per default, and these work without STEAM.
I use a Dualsense and do not use Steam.

I meant that if I set SDL_JOYSTICK_HIDAPI_PS5_RUMBLE to 0 (which is the only way to keep Steam from using Steam Input with the controller aside from just closing Steam before turning it on) it doesn't have rumble.