8Bitdo 64 Controller - rumble not working, haptic device not found

[IcySlurpee]

Hello!

I use an 8bitdo 64 controller on my Linux desktop with emulators using SDL. The controller buttons and stick work perfectly, but rumble/haptics seem to be missing. This is a bluetooth controller, but I always use it connected via USB.

When I run the testhaptic and testrumble test programs with the controller plugged in, they both report "0 Haptic devices detected". Just to make sure it wasn't a system issue, I tested a PS5 Dualsense, which is detected by the test programs and rumbles correctly. The test programs also report the Dualsense uses the SDL_JOYSTICK_HIDAPI_PS5 driver, which is NONE on the 8bitdo.

Let me know if you need any other info!

System information:

• Linux kernel version: 6.17.7
• SDL3 - 3.2.26

testcontroller output:

$ ./testcontroller 
Using udev for HIDAPI joystick device discovery
Added HIDAPI device '8BitDo 64 Bluetooth Controller' VID 0x2dc8, PID 0x3019, bluetooth 0, version 512, serial 000000000003, interface 0, interface_class 0, interface_subclass 0, interface_protocol 0, usage page 0x0001, usage 0x0005, path = /dev/hidraw16, driver = NONE (DISABLED)
Using udev for joystick device discovery
Gamepad 5 added
Opened gamepad 8BitDo 64 Bluetooth Controller, guid 0300c4fac82d00001930000011010000, /dev/input/event11
Player index: 0
Mapping: 0300c4fac82d00001930000011010000,8BitDo 64 Bluetooth Controller,a:b0,b:b1,x:b3,y:b4,back:b10,guide:b12,start:b11,leftstick:b13,rightstick:b14,leftshoulder:b6,rightshoulder:b7,dpup:h0.1,dpdown:h0.4,dpleft:h0.8,dpright:h0.2,leftx:a0,lefty:a1,rightx:a2,righty:a3,lefttrigger:a5,righttrigger:a4,platform:Linux,
Gamepad 5 removed
Removing HIDAPI device '8BitDo 64 Bluetooth Controller' VID 0x2dc8, PID 0x3019, bluetooth 0, version 512, serial 000000000003, interface 0, interface_class 0, interface_subclass 0, interface_protocol 0, usage page 0x0001, usage 0x0005, path = /dev/hidraw16, driver = NONE (DISABLED)

testhaptic/testrumble output (both are the same):

$ ./testrumble --log all
App name: SDL Application
App version: <unspecified>
App ID: <unspecified>
SDL revision: release-3.2.26-0-gbadbf8da4
Using udev for HIDAPI joystick device discovery
Added HIDAPI device '8BitDo 64 Bluetooth Controller' VID 0x2dc8, PID 0x3019, bluetooth 0, version 512, serial 000000000003, interface 0, interface_class 0, interface_subclass 0, interface_protocol 0, usage page 0x0001, usage 0x0005, path = /dev/hidraw16, driver = NONE (DISABLED)
Using udev for joystick device discovery
0 Haptic devices detected.
ERROR: No Haptic devices found!

[TemporaryCrown]

Hope this gets fixed on Windows 11 too

[pipiwoaini]

I tested an Xbox Bluetooth controller on macOS and iOS, and the vibration also stopped working. Is anyone else experiencing this?

[slouken]

I just added support for the 8Bitdo 64 Bluetooth Controller. Go ahead and grab the latest main SDL code. D mode doesn't support rumble, so you'll need to switch it to S mode and make sure SDL has permissions to access /dev/hidraw* if you're running on Linux.

[TemporaryCrown]

@slouken can you add it for windows 11 too please?

[slouken]

@slouken can you add it for windows 11 too please?

It already works on Windows if you flip the mode switch on the back to S

[IcySlurpee]

Appreciate it! I was using D mode, hopefully that wasn't the issue to begin with. 😅

I pulled the latest main commit, recompiled, and ran the test programs. testrumble tries to rumble for 2 seconds, but the controller sort of blips for a moment instead of sustaining for the full 2 seconds (it also blips when it says "Stopping rumble").