Retro-bit's Sega controllers

[Fudoh]

I would try to disable the Mega-SD's in-game hooks (no pun intended), like in-game reset and in-game menu. After all it does affect the game's button layout, to this could very well be the cause.

[TooBeaucoup]

I would try to disable the Mega-SD's in-game hooks (no pun intended), like in-game reset and in-game menu. After all it does affect the game's button layout, to this could very well be the cause.

I was actually excited to give this a whirl, because it did make sense that it might've caused problems, sadly, that did not fix the issue. LOL! I even just tried all 5 of the Sega CD BIOS versions that I have and it didn't help either. I'd be curious to know if other people are having this issue. I wonder if it's something weird with my Genesis model and particular motherboard or something. Just tried the Sega CD version of Hook, NHL 94 and Batman Returns. In all of these, the C button behaves as start. What's really odd is that in NHL 94, while I'm playing, the C button will randomly function as it's supposed to and will shoot the puck... But, then at other random times, it will pause the game. I'm so confused.

[TooBeaucoup]

Well it looks like this is a known issue with other people... Looks like Retro-Bit didn't fully test these that well with a Sega CD, which seems rather odd. What a bummer. I wouldn't have bought this line of controllers had I known they weren't properly functional. I'd imagine this could be remedied with some dongle updates, but maybe not. This reddit thread is 9 months old now.

https://www.reddit.com/r/SEGAGENESIS/co ... ontroller/

[bigbadboaz]

Are you within your return window?

[TooBeaucoup]

Are you within your return window?

I am not. They even sent me a replacement controller because I genuinely had no idea what was going on at first. They accidentally sent me a wireless Saturn pad instead of a Genesis one. I tried the Saturn pad with the Genesis dongle and it did the same thing, C button functioned as the Start button on Sega CD games.

[Strider77]

I'm not speaking on behalf of our development team, but the PC Engine/TurboGrafx 16 has always been an odd one for me. I do hope we get a good look at the console but there are some limiting factors to it, especially in terms of demand and cost.

*Fart noise

[Sengoku Strider]

I got the wireless Saturn pad for the Switch about a week ago...hot damn, I think this thing might've practically retired my RAP V. I've never used a dpad this good - including my old Saturn one - and I've owned almost everything from the NES to the PS4. There wasn't even an adoption curve, almost right away I was getting further in the games I've been working on than normal. It was immediately noticeable that I was making quicker & more precise micrododges.

[Aquas]

I've used Retrobits saturn controller for PC for a 100 hours of gameplay and it just suddenly stopped registering completely. Maybe the PCB connection came loose? I bought this thing like 4-6 months ago?

My first controller was the one for the Sega Saturn and the d-pad busted. I'm losing faith in this product.

[mario64]

As for the issues on the Saturn for the 2.4 GHz. YES! We are aware that Bug!, Lemmings, Mortal Kombat II, and some versions of World Heroes Perfect have a desyncing issue. Yes, we are working on a fix but we will not have it ready just yet. As to what causes it... there seems to be some sort of desyncing forced on the controller (or in this case, the receiver) - this is just my knowledge from testing our stuff on various consoles. We hope to have a fix set up soon.

@Retro-Bit
This was two months ago. Where is our firmware fix? The BT controllers don't have these issues so it shouldn't be much effort for your dev(s) to fix it and post an update. Please don't leave this unresolved. Customers base future purchase decisions on past product support. This is important.

[SeeNoWeevil]

I have had SO much bad luck with these retro controllers for use on PC. First I bought an 8-bit do 6 button pad where the first one had a sticking d-pad and the second one had really unreliable bluetooth with repeated inputs etc. Then I bought the Retrobit Saturn 2.4Ghz pad. First one, the microswitch on the left shoulder stopped clicking and the battery would drain when not in use. The second one, the battery also drains when not in use!! Someone here mentioned performing the reset on the back and then doing a full charge. Giving that a go. I really, REALLY do not want to go through another return. There's clearly a software problem here.

I'm also pretty peeved it seems to permanently be registered as a controller in Windows, even when off. When in X-Input mode, this means my main controller (Xbox One) is always the second controller, which many PC games won't acknowledge. The only workaround is to make sure I switch it back to DInput every time I stop using it. This seems to ensure XInput controllers take priority as controller one. Really silly oversight.

@Retro-Bit

[Marc]

Ah, I'm glad I found this thread. The GF got me one of clear Saturn pads (new) off eBay for Xmas.
From the off, it was kind of creaky when pressing right, but I put it down to something being slightly misaligned or whatever and figured it would settle down. Went completely last night, won't register the right input, something behind the dpad is missing.

Not sure what my rights are here, do I return to the seller or contact retro-bit directly? Was defo brand-new, box was still sealed, I still even have the cable ties.

Pretty bummed about this, it was infinitely superior to the 8bitdo SP30 I own (dpad on that still doesn't feel like the SNES original), but I've never had a piece of hardware fail on me after such little use (maybe 20 hours since Xmas).

[TooBeaucoup]

Ah, I'm glad I found this thread. The GF got me one of clear Saturn pads (new) off eBay for Xmas.
From the off, it was kind of creaky when pressing right, but I put it down to something being slightly misaligned or whatever and figured it would settle down. Went completely last night, won't register the right input, something behind the dpad is missing.

Not sure what my rights are here, do I return to the seller or contact retro-bit directly? Was defo brand-new, box was still sealed, I still even have the cable ties.

Pretty bummed about this, it was infinitely superior to the 8bitdo SP30 I own (dpad on that still doesn't feel like the SNES original), but I've never had a piece of hardware fail on me after such little use (maybe 20 hours since Xmas).

Most companies will only honor their warranty if you buy from an authorized dealer. However, I had one of my pads malfunction and I emailed them and all they asked was what kind of pad it was and they sent me a new one for free. They didn't ask for proof of purchase or where I bought it. Obviously, this might vary depending on who answers your email, but it's worth a shot.

[Marc]

Dropped them an email, thanks for that.

[hellbelly]

I had a faulty second hand Saturn pad and the dpad right direction stopped working. They sent me 2 x spare parts for free, easy to replace with just a screwdriver and a little time.

[Konsolkongen]

Yeah hats off to Retro-bit. They shipped me a brand new Saturn controller free of charge. I don't even remember what issue I was having with the original one

I've bought six MD and Saturn controllers in total now and generally they are quite good.

[mario64]

Noticed a couple games that the Saturn Wireless pad just doesn't seem to work on.

3D Lemmings and Bug! - Start button doesn't work to get into the game. However with an original controller it works just fine.

I believe I ran across a couple other games, but I need to check them again first.

Yep, we're aware of these titles having issues. We're looking into it. It is a very odd issue but we hope to address it in a future update.

It's been 8 months Retro-Bit. Can you give us an update on this? Why have we still not received a firmware update to fix these issues???

[SeeNoWeevil]

The battery on my Saturn pad seems to be improving. It's just a hunch but I wonder if the drain only happens if the pad shuts down in XInput mode as I've been making sure to set it to DInput before it turns off (to prevent it staying registered as controller 1 in Windows). It's odd the controller stays active in Windows, even when powered off.

[bigbadboaz]

Interesting. Lots of posts about the battery issue but no one's had that thought yet. Please update us!

Would be nice if the RB rep would come back, too..

[SeeNoWeevil]

Interesting. Lots of posts about the battery issue but no one's had that thought yet. Please update us!

Would be nice if the RB rep would come back, too..

Well, the battery ran out with probably no more than 3-4hrs of use (rough guess). The fact that it always runs out right after switching it on and never while in use suggests it is draining while 'off'. There's definitely a problem with the firmware. I've had two of these now and they're both the same. I have emailed Retrobit but no reply yet.

[SeeNoWeevil]

Has anyone got a response from Retrobit support? This battery issue is driving me nuts and they're not replying to emails.

[TooBeaucoup]

Has anyone got a response from Retrobit support? This battery issue is driving me nuts and they're not replying to emails.

Nobody who I have seen mention it has gotten an official response. I'm guessing they don't know how to fix it. If they did, they'd be answering people or have put out an official response.

[bigbadboaz]

You need to return that before you run out of time. There are plenty of pads out there with working batteries and this clearly isn't one of them.

[SeeNoWeevil]

You need to return that before you run out of time. There are plenty of pads out there with working batteries and this clearly isn't one of them.

Just arranged another return. This will be the third pad now. Retrobit suggested the lithium-ion batteries may have been damaged in air-freight. How plausible this is I do not know.

[bigbadboaz]

Considering I can't remember a single other gaming controller suffering this issue consistently: not likely.

It's so sad we have yet another product we have to play the defect lottery with. I hope the next one you get is the charm.

[Mattstapiece]

I've pinpointed the source of the battery issue for myself. I'm hoping this will either help someone out there, or help Retrobit in updating the firmware to eliminate it. I bought a 2.4ghz Saturn and 2.4gz Genesis controller, both of which would continue to drain their batteries while being in "sleep mode". I would pick the controllers up to use them a day or two after receiving a full charge, and they would only turn on for a moment before powering down.

I've narrowed the issue down to where it only occurs when using either of the controllers on PC. I charged both controllers at the same time, paired one controller to the usb dongle on PC, and paired the other to a genesis dongle on original hardware. The one on PC had completely drained its charge in a 2 day period, while the other continues to hold a charge. There has to be some issue that is preventing the controller from engaging sleep mode while using it on PC.

For the time-being, your best bet would be to unplug the dongle from your PC in order to prevent the charge from being drained, but I couldn't in good conscience recommend these controllers for now. I sent 2 emails to Retrobit and didn't receive a response back either time. This is really disrespectful customer service, and I imagine Sega wouldn't be happy if they knew this is how issues regarding their licensed products are being handled.

[mario64]

I've pinpointed the source of the battery issue for myself. I'm hoping this will either help someone out there, or help Retrobit in updating the firmware to eliminate it. I bought a 2.4ghz Saturn and 2.4gz Genesis controller, both of which would continue to drain their batteries while being in "sleep mode". I would pick the controllers up to use them a day or two after receiving a full charge, and they would only turn on for a moment before powering down.

I've narrowed the issue down to where it only occurs when using either of the controllers on PC. I charged both controllers at the same time, paired one controller to the usb dongle on PC, and paired the other to a genesis dongle on original hardware. The one on PC had completely drained its charge in a 2 day period, while the other continues to hold a charge. There has to be some issue that is preventing the controller from engaging sleep mode while using it on PC.

For the time-being, your best bet would be to unplug the dongle from your PC in order to prevent the charge from being drained, but I couldn't in good conscience recommend these controllers for now. I sent 2 emails to Retrobit and didn't receive a response back either time. This is really disrespectful customer service, and I imagine Sega wouldn't be happy if they knew this is how issues regarding their licensed products are being handled.

Good luck getting them to update the firmware. We’ve been waiting 9 months for them to fix the problems with Bug!, MK2, etc. They’ve just ghosted us and are focused on their new products. I for one will never again purchase a Retrobit product.

[Konsolkongen]

Maybe Retro-bit is affected by the Covid19 pandemic like everyone else? The timing seems to match.

[SeeNoWeevil]

I've pinpointed the source of the battery issue for myself. I'm hoping this will either help someone out there, or help Retrobit in updating the firmware to eliminate it. I bought a 2.4ghz Saturn and 2.4gz Genesis controller, both of which would continue to drain their batteries while being in "sleep mode". I would pick the controllers up to use them a day or two after receiving a full charge, and they would only turn on for a moment before powering down.

I've narrowed the issue down to where it only occurs when using either of the controllers on PC. I charged both controllers at the same time, paired one controller to the usb dongle on PC, and paired the other to a genesis dongle on original hardware. The one on PC had completely drained its charge in a 2 day period, while the other continues to hold a charge. There has to be some issue that is preventing the controller from engaging sleep mode while using it on PC.

For the time-being, your best bet would be to unplug the dongle from your PC in order to prevent the charge from being drained, but I couldn't in good conscience recommend these controllers for now. I sent 2 emails to Retrobit and didn't receive a response back either time. This is really disrespectful customer service, and I imagine Sega wouldn't be happy if they knew this is how issues regarding their licensed products are being handled.

This makes sense. I'm just testing my third controller on PC. If it drains in a couple of days then this has to be a firmware issue. I noticed when I first turned it on, it had charge, which implies it was holding charge initially as I'm pretty sure it's been a good while since it left the factory. I mentioned previously that you can see the controller is registered in Windows even when off which also suggests it's still communicating with the dongle while in sleep mode which seems fishy to me.

I also sent several emails to Retrobit with no response. Eventually, after bugging their twitter person, they contacted support to get back in touch with me (who claimed they were having problems with their mail system). I have his direct email if anyone wants to dm me.

[mario64]

Maybe Retro-bit is affected by the Covid19 pandemic like everyone else? The timing seems to match.

That argument doesn't hold water. They're managing to release new products so clearly they have bandwidth. This is a matter of them prioritizing new products over fixing their old ones.

[bigbadboaz]

Thanks for giving us your idea - sounds pretty solid to me.

The RB rep has been gone from here far too long to write it off to COVID. That was the beginning line and was perfectly plausible. But now, this - and other - issues have simply been going on way longer than is excusable. They've left their customers stuck with faulty product.

Unless the PR guy was actually laid off - and I hope not - he could have been back in here once or twice by now to patch things up.