8bitdo gamepads Xbox360 compatibility on Windows

[PowerGod]

Hi, I found out that my "SN30 Pro" is recognized as "Xbox360 for Windows" only when plugged with USB, and in this way all the games that require an Xbox360 controller works ok out of the box (even vibration works).

Instead, if I connect it as X-input via Bluetooth, it is recognized as "Xbox Bluetooth Controller", the Windows test utility shows it's working correctly, but the games (that requires an Xbox360) don't recognize it.

I only see people complaining about this thing around the internet, but can't find solutions... even the 8bitdo documentation doesn't speak about this.

So I'm wondering, could it be something related to my Bluetooth dongle ?

I see that there is a "8Bitdo Wireless USB Adapter", that has a "Compatibility for Xbox bluetooth controllers"... could this make the 8bitdo gamepads appear as a proper Xbox360 controller even when connected via Bluetooth ?

Thanks

P.S.: by the way, the gamepad firmware is already updated at the last version (v1.33)

 

[elvissteinjr]

There are software solutions to make DirectInput gamepads be recognized as Xbox 360 ones.
If you don't mind using Steam for that, Steam Input should handle it if you set up your controller for Big Picture mode.

Otherwise, I tend to use XOutput if I need it.
X360CE also exists, but doesn't work with Unity-based games and maybe others.

No idea if the 8bitdo pad should just work via Bluetooth as Xbox360 one, though.

 

[flowen8]

I think that this might work. https://forums.terraria.org/index.p...etooth-controller-problem.75672/#post-1694683

 

[PowerGod]

@elvissteinjr : I know about X360CE and used it before to make a PS2 gamepad be recognized as Xbox controller, but require "every" game to be "hacked" by that executable... I was hoping in a more "one for all" solution.
Also, I like very much how STEAM manages controllers, but it only works with STEAM games.
I'll have a look at XOutput, never head of it before.

@flowen8 : I'm already using it as X-input, that's the issue.

On a side note, I read a lot of things about wireless Xbox360 controllers... and while the documentation is really scarse, seems like that the needed drivers are ONLY found in the original Xbox360 controller itself...
...in the Microsoft site, there are only drivers for older Windows... I just wanted to try a forced subtitution of the 8BitDo bluetooth driver, but seems like I can't even try...

Also, I have the suspect that the original Xbox360 controller uses a proprietary protocol... a little different from the standard X-input...

 

[elvissteinjr]

Steam Input should also work when you add the games in question as a non-Steam game, I think.
I tend to not use it in general though as it can get in the way of applications trying to access the DirectInput gamepad when you have it set up. Probably not an issue for most people, though.

 

[PowerGod]

I had a go with XOutput+ViGem and now it is recognized as a Xbox360 controller even when wireless, but seems like it doesn't recognize force feedback motors... even x360ce seems to do nothing when I try the force feedback...
The motor is recognized only when I connect it via USB...

A guy on the internet say that the motor works even wireless, and he uses the "8Bitdo Wireless USB Adapter"... so my OP question still stand...

Is the "8Bitdo Wireless USB Adapter" required to use all the features of the gamepad via bluetooth ?

EDIT:

I found this text "*It supports DS4 Motion and Rumble features wirelessly." in the "8Bitdo Wireless USB Adapter" page, but it's over the PS4 controller, and nowhere is specified that it's supported even specifically for 8bitdo controllers...

I read all the reviews linked in the 8BitDo main site about the SN30 Pro, and NO ONE mentions that the Rumble feature doesn't work via Bluetooth... so I'm not sure what to think right now

 

[PowerGod]

I contacted directly the 8BitDo, and they told:

- the "Force Feedback" via Bluetooth works only in Switch / X-input mode, and only in the latest Windows 10 versions (the "8Bitdo Wireless USB Adapter " is not required.)
- "XBox360 compatibility" via Bluetooth works only in the latest Windows 10 versions

Can anyone confirm this ?

I don't have Windows 10, and they keep telling that Windows 8.1 only supports D-input, but that's not true... I can use X-input too... maybe it is just missing some features ?

 

[Djoga'Ro]

I'd love to try, got the controller, the adapter, but only Win7 that fell out of the update loop years ago and my pc crashes in 3d apps within minutes, since I put it together. :\

 

[kuru]

Can you guys recommend the D-Pad on the SN30pro? Since I've played through Bloodstained I learned to hate the d-pad on the Xbox one controller. I could only pull off one in four Hadoken-style moves. And my thumb joints hurt. It seems you need quite some force to get the d-pad to register. I don't get those pains when using analogue sticks. I'd really love a modern dual analogue controller with a Saturn-style d-pad :-/

 

[PowerGod]

Can you guys recommend the D-Pad on the SN30pro?

It's not bad, considering that I hate cross D-Pads... my finger never feel hurt after use. Personally I like the one in the M30 the most... and seems like they want to release an M30 with dual analogs added too.

Also, it's not an 8BitDo gamepad, but I love the D-Pad in the XU-DH1, it's like a nest for my thumb... I'm using that gamepad (with x360ce) for every game that requires an xbox360 controller.

 

[pmprog]

Sorry, little bit of a necro here, but what's everyone's experience with 8bitdo controllers?

I've got two N30 Pros. I always remember having difficulties pairing them with devices. but every now and then lately one will stop responding until I restart the controller. I'm constantly having to re-pair them over bluetooth; Connecting via USB as Xbox is flakey (where you switch it on using Start+X), then connecting the USB. Resetting to an 8bitdo, and mapping using XPad (8bitdo software) means you now have 2 joysticks connected, which confuses several games.

The build quality of them is great, but the flakiness off them is starting to become a bit of a frustration.

 

[levi]

I've got one of the oval ones that includes joysticks in famicom colours. It seemed to work for me over bluetooth to my Pandora, playing the Emu Plus emulators that had flexibility in keyboard configuration. I can't remember now how long I played with it for, and I recalled I tried it in the mode where it simulates a keyboard, as well as the mode where it's simply some kind of joystick, and both worked for me.

 

[PowerGod]

I have different of them and I pretty much found out that the best way to use them is in d-input mode.

How I found out they behave on BT connections (on windows < 10):
x-input: once paired, they seems always connected to the system, even if turned off... also many games don't recognize them as xbox controllers, and so vibration doesn't work.
switch: this is a mixed experience, it works great for some things, and doesn't work at all for others... the arcade joystick sometimes hang in this mode...
d-input: this is the best way I found to use them, paired with a couple of software, "devreorder" (to keep a custom gamepad order) and "x360ce" (for games that only detect xbox controllers) they can work with every game, in the order you want them to be seen. (There is only some exception actually, games that uses deep DRM or CHEAT protection systems may don't like "x360ce")

I don't use XPad or virtual remap devices, except for "x360ce", and never experienced disconnections in d-input mode.

An example of an absolute awesomeness is with Retroarch, were you can create a profile for both your d-input modes (USB/BT), so to automatically map it in the right way.
So, let say you are playing in BT, and the gamepad suddenly turn off because of empty battery... no issues at all, because with devreorder you mapped both the BT and USB devices in the same spot (so same player), and when you plug it with USB, retroarch will detect the disconnection of the previous one and the connection of the USB one... so you can continue playing with exactly the same player and the right mapping.

 

[elvissteinjr]

I have a SN30 pro+. Haven't played tons, but when I played it worked like a charm. Using it with a Bluetooth dongle in XInput mode and it's been detected as an Xbox controller just fine. I had one instance where it disconnected all of the sudden (not a massive problem, got it reconnected in a few seconds and hasn't happened again so far), but apart from that no issues. Haven't tried USB mode yet.

(There is only some exception actually, games that uses deep DRM or CHEAT protection systems may don't like "x360ce")

x360ce basically doesn't work with any Unity games since that engine uses Raw Input to get controller input. For my DirectInput controllers I've been using XOutput instead to get a virtual xbox gamepad that works as such in any application.

 

[pmprog]

Hmmm... Maybe mine have just developed a fault or something. It's only one that seems to stop responding mid-use, though both exhibit the re-pairing issue.

I'll try the d-input mode and see how that goes.

 

[PowerGod]

For my DirectInput controllers I've been using XOutput instead to get a virtual xbox gamepad that works as such in any application.

I tried different versions of XOutput in different occasions, but I always suffered a lot of random disconnections/lags, not only with 8bitdo, but with all the gamepads I tried.

 

[elvissteinjr]

Mhm, I won't pretend it never disconnected to me, but not to the point where I'd not use it at all. Latency has never been a problem on my end though. Haven't used it with 8bitdo controllers (and probably won't need to), but with my good old Saitek PS2700 and even Pandora via Master Control (can be finicky to get detected, but that's unrelated) once. Worked mostly fine, so not sure what to tell you.

 

[ible]

i was trying to use a sn30 the other day that i haven't used for a while, but it wasn't being picked up as a usb controller anymore. haven't bothered to try and BT it, but i'm thinking of picking up a wired one to use instead.

 

[PowerGod]

it wasn't being picked up as a usb controller anymore

Have you tried all the input modes ?

 

[pmprog]

One of mine did that again today, so I switched off (Start for 3 sec), and reset the device using the Shoulder Buttons + Start. Even then it didn't come back right (wasn't responding in 8bitdo's XPad), so I ran the 8bitdo updater, which seemed to apply a new update. Bit of fiddling later, it was working again.
Whilst it's nice to have these input modes, I think I'd prefer just a "dumb" XInput compatible device (maybe even with the analogue shoulders too).