retroUSB Wireless Gamepad - Available Now!

[RGBSource]

retroUSB's anticipated wireless controller is now available for purchase. At $65, its priced in the same ballpark as the 8Bitdo NES30 + BT Receiver. To minimize controller lag the controller/receiver operate over RF instead of Bluetooth. Should be interesting!



Product page: http://www.retrousb.com/product_info.ph ... cts_id=154

Buttons - Using the same layout as the original NES controller (which is the only true layout) the microswitch buttons instead of rubber pads give a consistent feel. Extra attention was put into the dpad to get great diagonals without accidental presses.

Battery - The internal lipo battery charges over USB and lasts over 100 hours. The gamepad goes to sleep after a few minutes of inactivity so you don't have to worry about it being left on.

Adjustable Turbo - Need a little help in 1942? Set the turbo rate for A and B separately to get the best firing speed, like the Advantage. Hold down A or B, then press Turbo + or - to adjust the rate.

Four Players - If you have friends, they can play too! If not, go find some to play Contra. Use up to four gamepads at a time.

Latency - Sorry, you can't blame the equipment for your poor playing. We tested with top Tetris players to figure out the point where they can notice input lag, then optimized the gamepad to be under that level. This is one of the main reasons bluetooth is not used.

Distance - Rooms are much bigger than they were in the 80s, and this gamepad keeps up. By the time you are out of range you won't be able to see your TV anymore. See someone try at an expo...

[Dochartaigh]

Looks cool...but I would never personally use it. Controllers, IMO, especially for retro gaming, need to be at least a very similar shape to the real controller it's replacing with a quasi-similar color scheme (like this one roughly, kinda, maybe, looks like the NES MAX controller - which was horrible for most games FYI...but still pretty far off). That's the reason why I like the 8BitDo ones (even though their bluetooth connection sometimes, well, quite often is horrible on emulation systems like the Raspberry Pi...better on my NES and SNES consoles at least).

Maybe I'm just a stickler for keeping things original-ish, and maybe I'm the outlier here. I just think it's going to stick out like a sore thumb in many retro game rooms and just won't see use - that's my feelings at least, but I'm one of the weird ones who only uses wireless controllers when they're similar in looks to the real original controllers.

[bigbadboaz]

I'm kinda with you on that - especially when they emphasize "the only true button layout" while changing THE ENTIRE CONTROLLER.

More than that, I suppose, these just have a chintzy/ugly look to them.

Hey, they may work great. Not thrilled with what I see in the photo though.

What exactly is the lag difference between Bluetooth and RF? I've heard many a complaint about BT over the years, but major platform holders keep using it.. and I can't say I've had any trouble at all with my PS or Wii systems.

[Sumez]

Low lag wireless and microswitches? I'm actually REALLY interested in this. However, the aforementioned horrible design that makes it look like a china knockoff is genuinely keeping me from buying this. It might work well, but it doesn't look like something I'm willing to spend $65 + shipping + taxes and customs on. One could hope for a redesign, but it's probably not gonna happen.

[Xer Xian]

Yes it's quite ugly, but is still a better/more ergonomic form factor than the original controller imho. I agree that microswitched buttons are intriguing, I guess that's the first controller pad to feature that?

What exactly is the lag difference between Bluetooth and RF? I've heard many a complaint about BT over the years, but major platform holders keep using it.. and I can't say I've had any trouble at all with my PS or Wii systems.

Bluetooth operates at a 2.4 GHz radio frequency band so it is still RF.. with a specific protocol. What retroUSB meant by that is that they developed a proprietary protocol which (they claim) has lower latency than Bluetooth. That said, I actually don't know in what ballpark bluetooth latency is in (or better, how low it can be pushed).. the AptX codec has a 'Low Latency' spec of 32 ms, but that's an audio codec (and 32 ms is hardly low for gaming anyway). I guess/hope that console manufacturer implement custom protocols/profiles to reduce latency?

[bigbadboaz]

I forgot to comment on the microswitched buttons first time around. I can't judge this implementation without trying the controllers, but that aspect gives me pause as well. PDP used microswitched buttons to much hype on their fighting pads for both the 360 and current generations, and those controllers turned out pretty badly. The microswitched buttons in particular just didn't work. The added stiffness was not welcome and they did not spring back in a very responsive manner.

See also: Xbox One D-Pad. They fixed the accuracy and response issues from the 360 beautifully with this one, but the microswitch clicking and stiffness are just too much for something manipulated with only your thumb.

Maybe these will be better with a different implementation. That said, the rubber-membrane method has never seemed like a problem in the gamepad form factor. Using the PDP pads just made me think microswitches are better suited to arcade sticks, which are naturally a heavier-duty application.

[BONKERS]

While it doesn't look premium. I love the boomerang design and the idea of Microswitches makes me moist.

[Wolf_]

I hope retrorgb, mlg, or phonedork posts a lag test on this.
Also what part of the design required it to be ugly as sin? Can't picture that design being an artistic choice.

If it turns out to be perfect I hope we get a hori n64 styled one because that would be epic for everything except stuff like the atari5200 and ect.