How to connect your Bluetooth Games Controller to your Raspberry Pi using RetroPie

Recent Versions of RetroPie 3+

The most contempo versions of RetroPie include the packages needed for setting upwardly a PS3 controller. Connecting over USB is Plug-and-Play–literally just plug your controller into the Pi while EmulationStation is running and it should detect a gamepad to configure. Connecting a PS3 controller via Bluetooth requires installation of a special PS3 commuter located in RetroPie setup.

Note: These controllers have been tested using the latest version of RetroPie v4.half-dozen

Configuring a PS3 controller to connect via Bluetooth

Before booting the Raspberry Pi, make sure that a supported Bluetooth adapter is continued (for the Pi iii, onboard Bluetooth works perfectly as of RetroPie four.0+). If you accept a Playstation 3 console nearly past, make sure information technology is totally powered off–either unplugged or switched off in the back–because the PS3 controller may try to automatically pair with the console otherwise. While a separate powered USB hub is not required to set up a controller, be mindful of your overall ability draw when attaching peripherals. If you are overclocking, for instance, it volition exist much safer to use a powered USB hub than drawing current from the Pi itself.

Subsequently your Pi boots upwardly, you demand to enter RetroPie setup. Y'all can exercise this one of two ways:

  • Setting upwards your keyboard or PS3 controller as a USB gamepad in EmulationStation (you lot must configure a gamepad before you can utilise EmulationStation), navigating to the "RetroPie" icon in the Domicile Screen, and selecting information technology using whatever key you mapped "A" to on your gamepad.
  • Pressing F4 to quit EmulationStation and running the Retropie script from the terminal. Once you're in the terminal, follow these instructions to run the retropie_setup.sh script.

Using the RetroPie GUI to configure the PS3 Controller Bluetooth Connectedness

Step 1 – Navigate to the "RetroPie" icon in the Home Screen and select information technology using whatever key yous mapped "A" to on your gamepad, and go to RetroPie Setup

Step two – Once in the RetroPie GUI, choose [Manage packages] > [driver].

Stride iii – Select PS3 Controller Driver ("ps3controller"), and then select [Install from source].

    • Get to [Configuration / Options] > [Install/Pair PS3 Controller (Clone support Shanwan)]

Pace four – Once installation completes, exit RetroPie setup and render to the EmulationStation Home Screen.

Step 5 – Press "Start" to enter the EmulationStation Carte, and select Configure Input.

Step 6 – Disconnect your PS3 controller from USB. You should see the lights on it flash sequentially. The controller should now exist connected via Bluetooth.

Step 7 – Emulation Station should at present notice some other gamepad connected. Concur whatever button down on the controller to brainstorm configuring it.

And you lot now have a functional PS3 controller over Bluetooth.

Note: Practise not enable other bluetooth options as these volition conflict with the PS3 specific bluetooth setup (sixad)

FAQ

Input lags or problems to connect more two players

Refer to here: Connection bug and input lags especially if you lot connect more than 1 BT device

Disconnect Bluetooth Controller

To disconnect the controller, agree down the ps3 button for 10 seconds.

Ghost inputs, controller sending cardinal presses on its own

That's a trouble with the controller itself rather than RetroPie. The controller sends very short key presses (usually d-pad directions) that are normally ignored by games, but might be noticed exterior them. Even genuine brand-new controllers may or may not suffer this issue. The same trouble has been observed on other brands like Buffalo and Wii. If analog input isn't strictly necessary to you, you tin can effort to map ane of the sticks every bit a d-pad and adjust its dead zone if you lot still have phantom menu navigation.

First published at vii:31pm on March vi, 2019
Terminal updated at 12:27pm on May 12, 2020