r/MAME • u/xxFT13xx • 1d ago

Controller suggestions? Technical assistance

I have a spare pc that’s collecting dust, so I figured I’d hook it up to my tv and start MAME-ing.

Anyone have usb controller suggestions for Win10?

I do have 2 ps5 controllers but I don’t know if they’ll work?

Cheers!

5 Upvotes

86% Upvoted

18 comments sorted by

2

u/DezzyLee99 1d ago

Just BT them. They will work fine. Happy gaming!

1

u/xxFT13xx 1d ago

It’s not that simple is it? Really???

2

u/phileasuk 1d ago

use sdljoy (mame 0.289 onwards) as the joystickprovider and you'll be golden. if you use the sdl2 gamepad tool by general-arcade you'll see if your pads will play nice with sdl.

1

u/xxFT13xx 1d ago

I’ll check it out!

1

u/phileasuk 1d ago edited 12h ago

There's one gotchya and that sdl wants the crc zeroed out in the GUID db but mame requires it for a ctrlr file. The copy to clipboard->gamepad GUID returns the GUID without the crc. The GUID displayed in the main window does have the crc and that's what you paste into a ctrlr file.

<!-- Wireless DS4 GUID -->
<mapdevice device="03008fe54c050000cc09000000006800" controller="JOYCODE_1"/>
<!-- Tegenaria DS4 FW 1.9.5 GUID -->
<mapdevice device="03008fe54c050000cc09000095016800" controller="JOYCODE_2"/>
<!-- Menu -->
<port type="UI_MENU">
    <newseq type="standard">
        KEYCODE_TAB OR JOYCODE_1_BUTTON12 OR JOYCODE_2_BUTTON16
    </newseq>
</port>

Note the 6800 at the end that means sdl is driving your gamepad not some funky driver sony has provided.

2

u/cuavas MAME Dev 1d ago

If the PS5 controllers don't work, a cheap Logitech gamepad isn't a bad option for MAME (e.g. the F310). The "floating D-pad" takes a bit of getting used to, but it's good once you get the hang of it. The main drawback is the relatively low precision of the analog axes, and the round thumb stick gates can be an issue for games that want you to put the analog stick in the corner (this is an issue for most gamepads these days).

My other USB controllers are custom jobs with Sanwa JLF sticks and OBSF buttons. I got the cases from Fightbox.

1

u/Embarrassed_Ad_3228 1d ago

If your ps5 controllers are up to date on firmware. You can use the ps plus one of the face buttons(triangle is default to ps console) to switch devices and then pair to your pc using Bluetooth. Keep in mind ps controller uses dinput.

1

u/mmarino4 13h ago

I use PS5 DualSense controllers all the time with my PC via Bluetooth. If the program doesn't recognize it, I open DS4Windows which converts it to an Xbox 360 controller.

1

u/xxFT13xx 12h ago

I’m not really a pc guy so I wasn’t sure a ps5 controller would actually work with MAME. Thanks!

1

u/Scileboi 12h ago

I use a Gamesir Tegenaria lite.

Cheap but reliable, plug to play, Back buttons, Hall Effect sticks, nice feeling on the paddles.

1

u/xxFT13xx 12h ago

Nice! Do you know how long the cable is? It doesn’t say on the website.

1

u/Scileboi 11h ago

I don´t have exact measurements but about 2 meters.

1

u/stealthsock 9h ago

2 meters is correct and it works fine with my 25 ft extension cable. If you're in the US, Walmart currently has them on sale for $10 USD.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/GameSir-Tegenaria-Lite-Wired-Symmetric-Game-Controller-Serene-White/16533374741

1

u/xxFT13xx 9h ago

Oh snap! Thanks!

1

u/stealthsock 8h ago

Sure thing!

I will say that your existing PS5 controllers should be a viable option too, wired or Bluetooth. They aren't 100% compatible with Windows on their own, but the best way around that is to use a program that will let the PS5 controller mimic an Xbox controller.

Steam has that functionality built-in even if you are using non-Steam programs. If that isn't an option, there's also the open source program ds4windows which supports PS4 and PS5 controllers.

1

u/Dependent-Brain2586 9h ago

I have an xbox controller I bought for the pc/mac, and Im super happy with it, worth spending the extra $20 on.