XBOX 360 controller disappointment

[Zak]

I have a new Windows XBOX 360 controller. What a disappointment!
I can´t make WinUAE use the digital steering cross, so I have to play digital games with a weird jelly soft analogue nonsense something.
And it´s not barrier free on the bottom side. I feel that I abut with my middle fingers and that it will bent them more and more.
I am thinking about sending it back.
I definitely got a controller problem now.
Sleazy Competition Pro USB do only work for half a year and I don´t want to spend so much bargain all year on unreliable controllers.
Is there no real controller available?

[Toni Wilen]

WinUAE by default maps both xbox360 pad analog stick and d-pad automatically.

[Zak]

Originally Posted by Toni Wilen

WinUAE by default maps both xbox360 pad analog stick and d-pad automatically.

I tried any setup in WinUAE 0.9.92, do I need a new version for this?

[Retroplay]

Why do you use such an old WinUAE version (8-9 years old) ?

Try latest stable release (2.5.1 as of writing this).
http://www.winuae.net/

[Zak]

Originally Posted by Retroplay

Why do you use such an old WinUAE version (8-9 years old) ?

Try latest stable release (2.5.1 as of writing this).
http://www.winuae.net/

Thanks for info.
Why would I change something that always worked without problems? Until now that is.

[Retroplay]

WinUAE has come a long way since then.

But you're right, if it ain't broken don't fix it.

[Zak]

O.K. d-pad is much better.

Can one long-term 360 user tell about his fingers with the controller? That´s sort of a problem for me.

[Djay]

if you have an Amiga joystick/joypad... ebay link I bought 2 of these and they work brilliantly with winUAE, the seller also set one up for my Amiga mouse before shipping

[Zak]

Originally Posted by Djay

if you have an Amiga joystick/joypad... ebay link I bought 2 of these and they work brilliantly with winUAE, the seller also set one up for my Amiga mouse before shipping

Thanks for the link!

The problem I was facing with USB Competition Pro is, that the micro switches were somehow burnt inside after a while of daily gaming, like there have been electric arcs in it or something. I then took the switches from original Amiga Joysticks with the same result after half a year. You suddenly face that there is a contact problem with one of the directions. Do you think the adapter would change this? Don´t know if that´s an exclusive problem of my computer.

[Djay]

Originally Posted by Zak

Thanks for the link!

The problem I was facing with USB Competition Pro is, that the micro switches were somehow burnt inside after a while of daily gaming, like there have been electric arcs in it or something. I then took the switches from original Amiga Joysticks with the same result after half a year. You suddenly face that there is a contact problem with one of the directions. Do you think the adapter would change this? Don´t know if that´s an exclusive problem of my computer.

I originally used the USB Competition Pro joystick and found the overall build quality pretty rubbish... the adapter would allow you to use an original Amiga compo pro or my choice of the Zipstick (or any other Amiga/Sega joystick/joypad for that matter)

XBox 360 Pad is one of my favourites, shame the D-Pad is complete crap

[S0ulA55a551n]

I have been using 360 controller for years and years on both xbox and PC.

I have pretty big hands and I find the 360 very comftable even on long uses.

PS controller gives my cramps pretty quickly.

360 is one of my fav controllers after then GC and N64 controllers

[rsn8887]

Concerning 9 pin to USB Joystick adapters, I use the ones from RetroUSB. They work great.

I really like using old Playstation 1 controllers on PC. I use the adapter "Super Dualbox Pro" from Play-Asia. PS1 controllers can be found everywhere for cheap, e.g. at thrift stores, flea markets, ebay and so on. The Super Dualbox Pro Adapter is lag free. Some other brands of adapters have terrible lag. It supports up to two controllers on a single adapter, and has a bunch of other nice features, such as support for NegCon controllers, analog/digital mode support for Dualshock controllers, etc. Drivers for XP and Windows 7 are here under "PC 0038". On my XP machine, I still use the older drivers, found here, it works very well.

[Zak]

Thanks for your statements. Maybe I should consider various adapters. There is a range of old PC gameport pads I have. Most people are so happy with 360 pad, I do something wrong, I guess.

[Zak]

In the meantime, i like the x-Box controller. I just had to get used to it. I like the d-pad with my favourite game Goal! and the analogue sticks are great for driving games. My fingers didn´t seem to change since.

[tin]

I tried for a while to understand what you mean about holding it and your middle fingers, then I got it, the battery compartment is in the way!

Dunno about that I use xb360 controller on PC quite a bit but only in short bursts. Maybe the only suggestion is to get something like the super joybox mentioned but the one that does original xbox pads. They IMHO are as good as the 360, although I think the d-pad still comes in for criticism.

[Amiga1992]

Originally Posted by Zak

WinUAE 0.9.92

[Zak]

Originally Posted by tin

I tried for a while to understand what you mean about holding it and your middle fingers, then I got it, the battery compartment is in the way!

Dunno about that I use xb360 controller on PC quite a bit but only in short bursts. Maybe the only suggestion is to get something like the super joybox mentioned but the one that does original xbox pads. They IMHO are as good as the 360, although I think the d-pad still comes in for criticism.

I can show you this picture of my old controller (it´s actually taken from Ebay to be quicker). I pointed to a little barrier with red arrow. When gaming, you will get to press your middle finger against this barrier, and time after time, it will bend.



The barriers on the lower side of the XBOX-controller are rounded, but you still have these side ridges and the knuckle where the buttons are housed in. My question was, if you would come to press your fingers against those and bend them. You will not, if you learn how to grab the controller, which I had to. I have small hands and had to find a proper way to use it.

@Akira: bit weird that someone laughs about someone who uses old software on a board that mainly is about retro computing. But if it made your day, you´re welcome.

[Harry]

You can also exchange the builtin micro switches of the Competition Pro Stick with reliable ones from your local electronics shop, as i mentioned here - just spend 2-3 € for a switch (5 or, if you replace also the button 2 switch, 6 needed - the switches have a standard size so any type will fit), I have it in use since 3 years and no problems. You need a bit of soldering skill, and, as I got only micro switches with 6 mm flags, i had to file the flag of the switch replacing the one of the button so it fitted into its plastics housing. Replacing the button switches is a bit tricky, they are glued and snapped in, and you need to be careful not to break the plastics housing of it. But if it is broken anyway, it doesnt matter, I guess.

[Zak]

@Harry: if you could guide me a little!

I have no clue of electronics and the specifications needed. I guess that Amiga has 5 volts and PC has 12, but when I look for micro switches, the specifications are totally different from something like that.

[Harry]

Industrial micro switches are capable to switch 250 V and several Ampere.
Such a switch is overdimensioned, but will last very long in a joystick (10 years minimum by playing with it 20 h a week). If you are unsure if you can describe the type appropriately, print out this:
http://www.conrad.de/ce/de/product/7...1Atastend-1-St

(This one has a connect flag more than needed. Just leave it unconnected. For replacing the button you have to file it off up to the housing to make the switch fit into the plastics button housing of the Competition Pro [USB] - a time comes when also the micro switches from the original Competition Pro are worn out, I had to replace today 2 directions with new micro switches, and I have this stick since 20 years.)

There is one flag of a micro switch which is very close to a printed circuit board. When you reassemble the joystick, put a small plastics sheet (thickness about .3 mm, not the extremely thin plastics bags, we know this as electrics isolation ribbon if you want to buy that too) between the flag and the circuit board so they will be isolated.