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Controller pairing guide

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Jacques Gagnon edited this page Jan 9, 2023 · 76 revisions

Table of contents

1 - List of tested Bluetooth devices

Name Product Number Firmware Mode Mapping Src Label Mapping preset Pairing Guide Known issues Unconfirm issues
8bitdo GBros. Adapter 83GA v2.26 Xinput GameCube Default Gamepad 7
8bitdo M30 Bluetooth 80HA v1.15 Xinput Saturn Default Gamepad 7
8bitdo N30 Arcade Stick NS30 v5.10 Xinput Xbox One S / X|S Default Gamepad 7
8bitdo N64 RB8-N64 v2.00 HID Generic N64 Default Gamepad
8bitdo SF30 Pro 80DB v2.00 Xinput 8bitdo SN30/SF30 Default Gamepad 7
Exlene GameCube 2021-11 Xinput (but they call it IOS) Exlene GameCube Exlene GameCube
Hyperkin Admiral N64 MO7389-AP v1.5.010722 Switch N64 Default Gamepad
Microsoft Xbox Adaptive 1836 5.15.3168.0 Bluetooth Xbox One S / X|S Default Gamepad 4
Microsoft Xbox One S 1708 5.15.3168.0 Bluetooth Xbox One S / X|S Default Gamepad 4
Microsoft Xbox Series X|S 1954 5.15.3168.0 Bluetooth Xbox One S / X|S Default Gamepad 4
Nintendo Switch Famicom & NES HAC-033, 034, 035, 036 Switch Switch NES Default Gamepad 6 #146 #468 #473
Nintendo Switch Joycon (Dual) HAC-015, 016 Switch Switch Joycon Switch Left/Right Joycon Upright 6 #146 #468 #473
Nintendo Switch Joycon (Single) HAC-015, 016 Switch Switch Joycon Default Gamepad 6 #146 #468 #473
Nintendo Switch MD & Genesis 3btns HAC-045 Switch Switch MD / Genesis Default Gamepad 6 #146 #468 #473
Nintendo Switch MegaDrive 6btns HAC-046 Switch Switch MD / Genesis Default Gamepad 6 #146 #468 #473
Nintendo Switch N64 HAC-043 Switch Switch N64 Default Gamepad 6 #146 #468 #473
Nintendo Switch Pro HAC-013 Switch WiiU / Switch Pro Default Gamepad 6 #146 #468 #473
Nintendo Switch SFC & SNES HAC-042 Switch Switch SNES Default Gamepad 6 #146 #468 #473
Nintendo Wiimote RVL-036 Wii Wiimote Default Gamepad 5
Nintendo Wiimote + Classic RVL-005 Wii Wiimote + Classic Default Gamepad 5
Nintendo Wiimote + Classic Pro RVL-005 (-02) Wii Wiimote + Classic Pro Default Gamepad 5
Nintendo Wiimote + Nunchuck RVL-004 Wii Wiimote + Nunchuck Default Gamepad 5
Nintendo WiiU Pro WUP-005 Wii WiiU / Switch Pro Default Gamepad 5
PowerA GameCube 1511638-01 Switch GameCube Default Gamepad 6
Retro-Bit SEGA Saturn Bluetooth Xinput Saturn Default Gamepad 8
RetroFighter Brawler64 Bluetooth Xinput N64 Default Gamepad
RetroFighter Warrior Adapter Switch GameCube Default Gamepad
Sony PS3 DualShock 3 PS3 PS3 Default Gamepad 2
Sony PS3 Sixaxis PS3 PS3 Default Gamepad 2
Sony PS4 DualShock 4 PS4 PS4 / PS5 Default Gamepad 3
Sony PS5 DualSense CFI-ZCT1W PS5 PS4 / PS5 Default Gamepad 3
Valve Steam Controller Lizard KB & Mouse DC FPS for Steam ctrl lizard

2 - PS3 Pairing Guide

  • Note only official PS3 controller are supported.

2.1 - First pairing

2.1.1 - Windows

  1. Download and install Sixaxis Pair Tool
  2. Determine BlueRetro MAC address

  • Open https://blueretro.io/ in a chrome web browser (desktop/android)

  • Navigate to "BlueRetro System Manager"

  • Click on "Connect BlueRetro"

  • Pair your device

    On connection the MAC address of the device will be shown. Write it down.

    Connected to:BlueRetro_XX_XXXX
(XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX)[v.x.x.x]
  1. Connect your PS3 controller to PC using USB cable.
  2. Launch Sixaxis pair tool and type in the address found in step #2.
  3. Click update, once done disconnect the controller from PC.
  4. Boot up BlueRetro and press the PS button, the controller should connect to BlueRetro.

2.1.2 - OSX

  1. Install Prerequisites (macOS)

  • Install Homebrew https://brew.sh

  • Install required libs & packages

    brew install wget libusb libusb-compat

  1. Compile sixpair binary

    mkdir ~/Documents/sixpair
cd ~/Documents/sixpair
wget -O sixpair.c https://gist.github.com/wouterds/4ab5715966812009d634e3d034abc7fc/raw
gcc -o sixpair sixpair.c -lusb

    If everything went well you should now have a sixpair executable at ~/Documents/sixpair.

  2. Determine BlueRetro MAC address

  • Open https://blueretro.io/ in a chrome web browser (desktop/android)

  • Navigate to "BlueRetro System Manager"

  • Click on "Connect BlueRetro"

  • Pair your device

    On connection the MAC address of the device will be shown. Write it down.

    Connected to:BlueRetro_XX_XXXX
(XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX)[v.x.x.x]

  • Open a shell terminal and set the master PS3 address to BlueRetro MAC address

    .~/Documents/sixpair/sixpair XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX

2.2 - Reconnect

  1. Simply press PS button to reconnect to BlueRetro.

3 - PS4 & PS5 Pairing Guide

3.1 - First pairing

  1. Boot up BlueRetro and make sure adapter is in inquiry mode (LED pulsing)
  2. Press & hold simultaneously Share & PS buttons until the LED blink white.
  3. Color on controller will change once pairing is complete.

3.2 - Reconnect

  1. Simply press PS button to reconnect to BlueRetro.

4 - Xbox Pairing Guide

As of v1.2.1 the minimum required Xbox FW for controller are:
Xbox One S: 4.8.1923.0
Adaptive: 4.5.1680.0
Series X|S: 5.9.2709.0

Update via the Xbox accessories Win10 app.

4.1 - First pairing

  1. Boot up BlueRetro and make sure adapter is in inquiry mode (LED pulsing)
  2. Power on controller via Xbox button and then hold the black sync button until the logo blink.
  3. Logo will stop blinking on controller once pairing is complete.

4.2 - Reconnect

  1. Simply hold Xbox button for a small moment to power on controller and it will reconnect to BlueRetro.

5 - Wii & WiiU Pro Pairing Guide

  • 1+2 pairing is not supported.

5.1 - First pairing

  1. Boot up BlueRetro and make sure adapter is in inquiry mode (LED pulsing)
  2. Press red Sync button
  3. LEDs will stop blinking on controller once pairing is complete.

5.2 - Reconnect

  1. Simply press any button on controller and it will reconnect to BlueRetro.

6 - Switch Pro & Joycon Pairing Guide

6.1 - First pairing

  1. Boot up BlueRetro and make sure adapter is in inquiry mode (LED pulsing)
  2. Press and hold sync button until LEDs move in a left/right pattern.
  3. LEDs will stop pattern on controller once pairing is complete.

6.2 - Reconnect

  1. Simply press any button twice on controller and it will reconnect to BlueRetro.

7 - 8bitdo Pairing Guide

Update firmware via the 8bitdo Upgrade tool Win10 app.

7.1 - First pairing

  1. Boot up BlueRetro and make sure adapter is in inquiry mode (LED pulsing)
  2. Power up 8bitdo controller in Xinput mode (Start + X or set switch to X) (Only Xinput mode supported!!)
  3. Press and hold sync button until LEDs flash.
  4. LEDs will stop pattern on controller once pairing is complete.

7.2 - Reconnect

  1. Simply press Start on controller and it will reconnect to BlueRetro.

8 - Retro-Bit Pairing Guide

8.2 - First pairing

  1. Boot up BlueRetro and make sure adapter is in inquiry mode (LED pulsing)
  2. Power up Retro-Bit controller in Xinput mode (Home + X) (Only Xinput mode supported!!)
  3. If done properly 2 LEDs will flash.
  4. LEDs will stop flashing on controller once pairing is complete and rumble will trigger.

8.3 - Reconnect

  1. Simply press Homeon controller and it will reconnect to BlueRetro.

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