[Feature request] Add GameControllerDB

[IAmTheRedSpy]

Quick summary

SDL support is amazing but some controller don't work with SDL. https://github.com/gabomdq/SDL_GameControllerDB provides mappings for these controllers.

Details

This feature will affect UI, specifically input handling, and will increase the number of game controllers which can be used.

gamecontrollerdb.txt contains a list of mappings which allow many controllers to be used with SDL applications. Some controllers may still require user-side remapping in RPCS3, but RPCS3 would be able to read the buttons and axes properly.

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The change would be pretty simple:

• Include gamecontrollerdb.txt under the 3rdparty folder
• Add SDL_GameControllerAddMappingsFromFile for SDL2 or SDL_AddGamepadMappingsFromFile for SDL3 to Input/sdl_pad_handler.cpp with error handling
  • SDL/test/testcontroller.c has an example of using SDL_AddGamepadMappingsFromFile for SDL3

[eVenent]

This is a great idea! GameControllerDB is the biggest list of mappings for controllers. It works well on Ryujinx. You just have to press one button and the rest of the inputs are filled automatically. For sure it's worth implementing this feature.

[Megamouse]

Wait. so is this meant for SDL to recognize controllers, or is this meant for auto-mapping ?

[eVenent]

GameControllerDB is helping auto-mapping every controller from the list. It can work like you are pressing one button, and other are automatically filled with proper buttons or the same by pressing AutoMap button.

I would recommend add somewhere version check of GameControllerDB file or button for manual update of the list, to always have the newest version. Community is updating it very frequently.

[Megamouse]

Well, I'm not gonna add an automap button for now.
Which is why I'm wondering if just adding the database helps to some degree.

[IAmTheRedSpy]

My understanding is that it applies automatically but I've never written anything using it myself. I have a controller that only works in the SDL test app using these mappings, so I can test.

[dirkNlerxst]

Thank you for looking into this, I'm hoping implementing this may also help my issue here: #13195

Will this then support controllers that are not on the GameControllerDB? This is where my issue falls, as these controllers are recognized and mappable by SDL Gamepad Tool and most emulators I've tried using SDL on macOS (dolphin, pcsx2, duckstation). RPCS3 is only recognizing them once I use SDL Gamepad Tool to map and then using "Set Mapping as Environment Variable", which then creates a shell script setenv.sh (here's an example of a controller not on the DB):
launchctl setenv SDL_GAMECONTROLLERCONFIG "03000000ba1200000002000013030000,Harmonix Guitar for PlayStation�3,platform:Mac OS X,a:b1,b:b2,back:b8,dpdown:h0.4,dpleft:h0.8,dpright:h0.2,dpup:h0.1,guide:b12,leftshoulder:b4,leftstick:b10,lefttrigger:a3,leftx:a0,lefty:a1,rightshoulder:b5,rightstick:b11,righttrigger:a4,rightx:a2,righty:a5,start:b9,x:b0,y:b3,"
Which then has RPCS3 recognize the controller. But it cannot recognize it natively without doing this.

[Darkhost1999]

Will this then support controllers that are not on the GameControllerDB?

What you're talking about is the create a new mapping feature on the game controller database github page.
It's a text file. Just edit it in your text editor and add the controller to the database. The only problem is if we ship this database file out with rpcs3 is you'll need to update it manually every single time RPCS3 updates.
Which is why most other emulators require the user to download the database file and put it in the typical location right next to the .exe.

Your information about setting the environment looks exactly like the information you just put in the text file and be done with it. Currently sounds like you may have needed to do that before this upcoming PR. But definitely shouldn't be needed after.

If you do create a new mapping you can open a pull request in the database github to get them to update their database and if RPCS3 pulls and ships the file with every update then the next RPCS3 update following the database update will have your new mappings.

[IAmTheRedSpy]

The current merge request looks to automatically update the DB while packaging RPCS3, so the latest version of RPCS3 will always have a reasonably recent version of the DB.

@dirkNlerxst your best bet is to submit an issue to https://github.com/gabomdq/SDL_GameControllerDB/issues. I've seen some mappings get added by just posting that mapping string in your comment, so you won't even need to edit the DB yourself.

[dirkNlerxst]

@IAmTheRedSpy thanks for the info, having the instruments in the DB would be the most ideal, there's just so many of them out there for all the different platforms. Certainly will start adding all the ones I have. I can't seem to find it, but I swear I saw somewhere they didn't want niche controllers like RB/GH instruments in the DB, but hey I can give it a shot at least and see if they will add them.

If it will be as easy as updating a local text file once when you have a new instrument, that's great. Right now on mac, it's having to open a separate program to get RPCS3 to recognize one SDL controller at a time, and trading out the Environment Variable depending on what instrument you want to use. The app is 5 years out of date and there aren't any other SDL Mappers on macOS (there are bugs, it tries to pull from an old database, overwrites your mappings sometimes, changing instruments requires a system reboot, etc. Not the most user friendly experience). To just have RPCS3 load the right profile anytime you boot it up would be amazing.

I only mentioned the other emulators (dolphin, pcsx2, duckstation) above because they will allow you to map via SDL directly in the emulator without having to use a separate app like SDL Gamepad Tool. Most of the instruments share the same button layout, they just will have different GUIDs. I know this isn't an issue for Win/Linux because there are other options like xinput/mmjoypad/usb passthrough, but SDL is the only option if you're not use a DS3/DS4/DualSense on macOS (other than using a joypad to key press program, but these do not work well with instruments).

Anything better than the workaround we've got now would be incredible. I know macOS has few devs vs Win/Linux, but I think implementing this will help until there is proper usb passthrough support on Mac.

And thank you to all the RPCS3 devs out there, your work is truly inspiring and a godsend to the emulating community! Much appreciated!

[Megamouse]

Please just test the PR.
So far nobody confirmed that it works.

[IAmTheRedSpy]

Is there a packaged version somewhere? I'm struggling to build it locally

[dirkNlerxst]

Just got a hold of a windows machine, I can confirm the database is pulled correctly and am testing in game.