![2.4 GHz Wireless USB SNES Controller for Super Classic Games, iNNEXT Retro USB PC Controller Compatible for Windows PC MAC Linux Genesis Raspberry Pi Retropie Emulator [Plug & Play] [Rechargeable]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81DUgUhVElL._AC_UL140_SR140,140_.jpg)
I bought several of these units in various colors to bundle as gifts with RetroPie units built on RPi 3B+ boards.
PROS:
These units really do exhibit great build quality. Smooth lines with a solid feel. Responsive buttons and a substantial D-Pad. I've read and watched reviews/videos analyzing the D-Pad's potential "ghosting" when rotating directions, but it is minimal at worst. If it bothers you, the good 'ol kapton tape trick makes it non-existent. (Involves opening your controller.)
Great battery life. I'm impressed with the little 480mAh battery.
Lag is unnoticeable. YMMV, but I found my devices exhibited no significant lag issues. Those that did had their reasons and took a bit of finesse and was mitigated with the right tweaks within R.Pie.
EXPERIENCES, FRUSTRATIONS, & CONS:
Pairing with the built-in Bluetooth worked just fine on the several Windows PCs and Android devices I tested on. It is a bit slow to be recognized on the R.Pi, but it does work. Based on the current 6.10 firmware, you will likely want to use D-Input mode (B button) or X-Input (X button) when pairing your controller to the R.Pie as Switch mode (Y button) now implements a Switch shortcut to Select+Start. This conflicts with the same commonly used hotkey combo to exit emulation in RetroPie. To continue using Sel+Start for exiting emulation, stick with D-Input or X-Input. iOS mode (A button) was not tested much as I initially wasn't able to map buttons in RetroPie on firmware 5.30 and opted to stay away from it altogether. I settled on D-Input.
To the rough stuff... as the one familiar with your RetroPie... and knowing how to setup, pair and operate your SN30... this should be a fine addition to your RetroPie provided you are using the RPi's built-in Bluetooth. However, using generic Bluetooth dongles (whether CSR or Broadcom based) on several different RPi 3B+ boards all exhibited the unsavory behavior of ultimately losing its BT pairing. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow... but soon. I went to the point of fresh installs with updated modules and nothing else added... and still all controllers on all diff RPi 3B+ boards with:
-fresh, updated, raw RetroPie
-different Bluetooth dongles (both Broadcom and CSR)
-different BT "security modes" (DisplayYesNo/NoInputNoOutput/etc)
-different BT"connection modes" (default/boot/background)
-trying back and forth between controller firmware 5.30 and 6.10
...all ultimately required a re-pairing sequence at some point when using BT dongles. This eventually became readily reproducible by cycling the controller on & off by tapping/holding the start button respectively. Wouldn't take too many cycles before it would no longer connect. Mind you, these same dongles had no problems with the same controllers on different computers and other controllers had no problems with these same dongles on my R.Pi's. This leads me to believe that there is something wonky with these controller's current firmware builds (or hardware) and using BT dongles with (at least) RPi 3B+ boards or the current build of RetroPie/Stretch.
OK, so generic BT dongles on R.Pi are out. Guess we'll have to setup with the on-board. Works fine and dandy... even multiple controllers at once. No problem-o. They all reconnect, all the time.
(UPDATE: We have discovered that returning to a controller that has turned OFF & pressing Start+Select when turning it on will also cause pairing to be lost. This was discovered by either pressing both on accident when powering the controller on or the more apparent scenario of attempting to exit the currently loaded game when not realizing the controller had shutoff. You will need to re-pair.)
However...
I got these awesome controllers to give to friends and family. Non-tech-savy folk who would just love to enjoy a bit of fun. Kiosk mode enabled, RetroPie menu hidden.
If they hold another button when pressing Start to turn on the controller (except that which represents the mode they are currently paired in) , it's in the wrong mode and will not connect. OK, so now I have to teach them all how turn them off and back on in the correct mode. Not too much hassle, I guess.
But... hold the Select button for too long at any point while in use, you are re-pairing. No way around it. Holding Select for a period of time triggers "pairing mode" and seems to make the controller "reset", forgetting its currently paired device and settings. We have adjusted to avoid this by pressing the corresponding hotkey button first then tapping Select to activate the hotkey command. This minimizes the amouth of time the Select button is held down.
My current stance:
These fine, beautiful controllers are severely hindered by lack of dedicated Power and Pairing buttons and an apparent compatibility issue with these controllers on current RetroPie 4.4 builds / R.Pi 3B+ boards utilizing 3rd party BT dongles.
If using this on a PC or mobile device or don't mind using your RPi's on board Bluetooth and are familiar with operating your device and controller, I have no doubt you will be pleased with your fresh acquisition. I do personally appreciate the quality construction and responsiveness these bring to the table.
However, if you plan to have others use these without your supervision or want to use a BT dongle on current (2018-19) RetroPie/Raspberry Pi iterations... be wary. Generic wired controllers have given me no issues whatsoever and are much less hassle albeit tethered to the device.
Perhaps my troubles are misguided. Perhaps I'm missing something. Perhaps you know why! If you have found a solution to the BT dongle issue I've been experiencing (on Stretch/RPi 3b+ boards) or understand my issue, please do let me know your resolution as I would much prefer to use the standard dongles over the onboard. But suggesting the 8BitDo brand BT dongle is out of the question as is much too expensive for a dedicated one-controller-only BT dongle.
Suggestion for 8BitDo:
It would be nice to activate the Pairing & Mode functions via 3-button/hold combos instead or to lock its current Bluetooth mode and another to disable the pairing function for lack of dedicated pairing/mode buttons. Even if it was something excessive like hold a billion buttons and perform the chicken dance while patting your head and rubbing your belly.
Thanks for reading.
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Customer reviews
Not seeing a lot of reviews mentioning the use of these 8BitDo controllers on Mac OS, so thought I'd contribute mine here. Spoiler alert: it's awesome.Mine came out of the box fully charged, and it feels REALLY solid and good in the hand. Buttons feel and sound just like I remember from my SNES; overall the build quality is just excellent. Bluetooth pairing was dead simple as expected, and the BSNES emulator I'm currently running accepted it with no problems. Oddly, the emulator gamepad setup kept referring to it as an "unknown bluetooth controller," and the way the button inputs were labeled as they popped up in BSNES made it seem like they weren't gonna work, but it all worked perfectly.Once it was all set up, I instantly fell back into my old Mario World rhythm after many years, and I gotta say, it's amazing how much more pleasant the experience is with a proper controller. This thing looks and feels legit, and the various LED patterns to indicate on/off, charging, and pairing modes are intuitive and reliable. The wireless functionality is pretty much perfect, as I experienced no drop-outs or unexpected inputs, and noticed no lag whatsoever. It switches from wired connection to bluetooth nearly instantaneously as well, which was impressive. Obviously all of that bluetooth performance will depend on what system you're running, but I can definitively state that this thing pairs and operates beautifully with a Mac (mine specifically was a 2011 MacBook Air).The only gripe I might find with this controller is the USB cable, which is a flat-style cord as opposed to the round style from the originals, and therefore it kind of has a mind of its own as to where and how it'll lay on the table between the controller and the USB port it's plugged into. Luckily, there does not seem to be any reason to ever plug it in except for charging.Best review I can give is this: almost immediately this controller disappeared and I was just lost in Mario World, having a blast. Took a few minutes to remember that I was using a new controller and should be forming some kind of opinion on it. Basically, it's a rockstar. Love it. Will absolutely be buying a couple more of these.
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Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2019
Style: Sn EditionVerified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2018
Style: Sn EditionVerified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States on December 26, 2018
Style: GP RedVerified Purchase
Top reviews from other countries
Aloe
Dreadful d-pad.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 27, 2020Style: G ClassicVerified Purchase
Aloe
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 27, 2020
I looked around online, and it turns out that this is a long-standing and well-known issue with these pads. It's fixable (see attached image), and I'm going to fix it, but anyone thinking of buying one should go in knowing that the d-pad will require this extra work.
Images in this review
Legal Beagle
Great for Raspberry Pi Zero W play! Get your retro on!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 23, 2019Style: G ClassicVerified Purchase
RuiWen
Delayed reaction
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 11, 2020Style: GP RedVerified Purchase
Mr A J Harrison
Superb pad for retro SNES gaming
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 19, 2019Style: GP GreenVerified Purchase
Mk
Excellent little controller.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 15, 2021Style: Sn EditionVerified Purchase
