Retro-bit's Sega controllers

The place for all discussion on gaming hardware
RaykOscuro
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Jul 28, 2020 1:33 am

Re: Retro-bit's Sega controllers

Post by RaykOscuro »

@Retro-Bit: I bought one of your Bluetooth Sega Saturn Gamepads (EU version) less than 2 weeks ago. Today I used it for the first time for a longer period of time and the D-Pad broke... it's pretty much the same problem that's described and documented in this review on Amazon: https://www.amazon.de/gp/customer-revie ... LC7I1MFTL/
So this seems to be a recurring problem... I'm really disappointed since you wrote on this forum that you would make sure that problems like those with the first wired controllers wouldn't occur again. Seems like the D-Pad is once again a very weak part in this controller. :(
mario64
Posts: 188
Joined: Sun Dec 13, 2015 5:00 am

Re: Retro-bit's Sega controllers

Post by mario64 »

Finally got one of the 2.4ghz Saturn controllers and have a question. I read the manual but oddly it doesn’t cover this. How do you wake it up? I power on my Saturn then press the Start button and it takes 5-10 seconds and sometimes fails to connect. Is this a defect? All of my 8bitdo 2.4ghz controllers connect instantly when you press Start

Do you have to press it twice or something? Thanks
User avatar
Retro-Bit
Posts: 121
Joined: Thu May 02, 2019 4:58 pm

Re: Retro-bit's Sega controllers

Post by Retro-Bit »

RaykOscuro wrote:@Retro-Bit: I bought one of your Bluetooth Sega Saturn Gamepads (EU version) less than 2 weeks ago. Today I used it for the first time for a longer period of time and the D-Pad broke... it's pretty much the same problem that's described and documented in this review on Amazon: https://www.amazon.de/gp/customer-revie ... LC7I1MFTL/
So this seems to be a recurring problem... I'm really disappointed since you wrote on this forum that you would make sure that problems like those with the first wired controllers wouldn't occur again. Seems like the D-Pad is once again a very weak part in this controller. :(
Hello! Please let our support team know at info@retro-bit.com. They will be able to send the replacement part and help you do a quick repair. :)

We are sorry to disappoint you. We are a small company of people who want to make things better and improve our quality and expectations. This DPad issue with the Saturn was a factory problem that they have addressed. Unfortunately, when an early run like that happens, it is near impossible to do a full recall especially when it affects so few controllers. The retrogaming community is tightly knit and vocal on various platforms so trust me when I say we take everyone's feedback and response seriously. Obviously, having people break and repair their controllers is NOT something we want to be the norm. We hope you can count on us in the future. :)
mario64 wrote:Finally got one of the 2.4ghz Saturn controllers and have a question. I read the manual but oddly it doesn’t cover this. How do you wake it up? I power on my Saturn then press the Start button and it takes 5-10 seconds and sometimes fails to connect. Is this a defect? All of my 8bitdo 2.4ghz controllers connect instantly when you press Start

Do you have to press it twice or something? Thanks
Press Start once to let it "search" and then Start again for it to force pair. Sometimes, you only need to press Start once to connect. This is due to the receiver signal still being paired. Extended time powered off on the receiver will set it back to search for a new controller.
mario64
Posts: 188
Joined: Sun Dec 13, 2015 5:00 am

Re: Retro-bit's Sega controllers

Post by mario64 »

Retro-Bit wrote:
mario64 wrote:Finally got one of the 2.4ghz Saturn controllers and have a question. I read the manual but oddly it doesn’t cover this. How do you wake it up? I power on my Saturn then press the Start button and it takes 5-10 seconds and sometimes fails to connect. Is this a defect? All of my 8bitdo 2.4ghz controllers connect instantly when you press Start

Do you have to press it twice or something? Thanks
Press Start once to let it "search" and then Start again for it to force pair. Sometimes, you only need to press Start once to connect. This is due to the receiver signal still being paired. Extended time powered off on the receiver will set it back to search for a new controller.
So you're saying if I press Start twice it will instantly connect even if the receiver has been powered off for an extended period?
atohmdiy
Posts: 57
Joined: Wed May 06, 2020 9:48 pm

Re: Retro-bit's Sega controllers

Post by atohmdiy »

Same problem, bought a saturn pad maybe a month ago, use it very lightly. Today i take it, press the down button of the dpad and i feel a crack. I open the controller and the dpad plastic cross was broken...
User avatar
Austin
Posts: 1263
Joined: Sun Aug 29, 2010 6:32 pm
Location: Fairfax, VA
Contact:

Re: Retro-bit's Sega controllers

Post by Austin »

I thought they said they had addressed that issue? If so, might have gotten one from the old stock.
User avatar
Retro-Bit
Posts: 121
Joined: Thu May 02, 2019 4:58 pm

Re: Retro-bit's Sega controllers

Post by Retro-Bit »

atohmdiy wrote:Same problem, bought a saturn pad maybe a month ago, use it very lightly. Today i take it, press the down button of the dpad and i feel a crack. I open the controller and the dpad plastic cross was broken...
We're sorry to hear about that. Please email our support team at info@retro-bit.com.


Austin wrote:I thought they said they had addressed that issue? If so, might have gotten one from the old stock.
This seems to be the case. Some folks stored it away for an extended period of time or they purchased it from an independant retailer that we were unable to get recalled inventory from. It's tough to enforce the fact that we've made changes when these cases pop up but we stand by what we said and will continue to support future issues should any arise. :)
bigbadboaz
Posts: 1135
Joined: Mon Feb 14, 2005 4:08 am
Location: Los Angeles, CA

Re: Retro-bit's Sega controllers

Post by bigbadboaz »

RB, Mr. Oscuro was quite clear he was talking about one of the new Bluetooth pads and not an original wired one. This was not something that could have slipped through that old recall or be attributed to "new old stock".

You really haven't addressed his concern.
User avatar
matt
Posts: 567
Joined: Mon May 09, 2005 5:46 am
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii

Re: Retro-bit's Sega controllers

Post by matt »

Retro-Bit wrote:Press Start once to let it "search" and then Start again for it to force pair. Sometimes, you only need to press Start once to connect. This is due to the receiver signal still being paired. Extended time powered off on the receiver will set it back to search for a new controller.
This brings up a pet peeve of mine. It is in no way a deal breaker because I love my Saturn pad, but it is annoying.

The problem I have is that pressing "start" the second time to pair the controller actually activates it on the system, which sucks if the Saturn is already running and the cursor is somewhere I don't want it to be. I have a Phoebe installed, and what usually happens is that unless I have the controller in hand already and am able to press start before the boot screen is over, there's no way to pair the controller without booting the first game on the Rmenu list. Then I'm forced to turn the system off and on again just to select the game I want to play.

If there's a way to change this in a future firmware update, it would be much appreciated.
mario64
Posts: 188
Joined: Sun Dec 13, 2015 5:00 am

Re: Retro-bit's Sega controllers

Post by mario64 »

matt wrote:
Retro-Bit wrote:Press Start once to let it "search" and then Start again for it to force pair. Sometimes, you only need to press Start once to connect. This is due to the receiver signal still being paired. Extended time powered off on the receiver will set it back to search for a new controller.
This brings up a pet peeve of mine. It is in no way a deal breaker because I love my Saturn pad, but it is annoying.

The problem I have is that pressing "start" the second time to pair the controller actually activates it on the system, which sucks if the Saturn is already running and the cursor is somewhere I don't want it to be. I have a Phoebe installed, and what usually happens is that unless I have the controller in hand already and am able to press start before the boot screen is over, there's no way to pair the controller without booting the first game on the Rmenu list. Then I'm forced to turn the system off and on again just to select the game I want to play.

If there's a way to change this in a future firmware update, it would be much appreciated.
I agree. This is a very bad design. 8bitdo has a much better one. You press ONCE and have an instant connection. Actually if you change to the BT version the Retrobit controller works that way. They just screwed up the 2.4ghz connection
User avatar
Retro-Bit
Posts: 121
Joined: Thu May 02, 2019 4:58 pm

Re: Retro-bit's Sega controllers

Post by Retro-Bit »

bigbadboaz wrote:RB, Mr. Oscuro was quite clear he was talking about one of the new Bluetooth pads and not an original wired one. This was not something that could have slipped through that old recall or be attributed to "new old stock".

You really haven't addressed his concern.
Oh I understood everything he said - my answer is the same regardless. If you're referring to my response to Austin, I was talking about in general when it comes to these issues.

matt wrote:If there's a way to change this in a future firmware update, it would be much appreciated.
I beleive this is programmed into the boards used on the receivers. That said, we do want to streamline our 2.4 GHz wireless offering as we go forward with upcoming wireless controllers. I can't reveal too much but we are looking at the feedback we've received to see where we can improve in the future.

mario64 wrote:I agree. This is a very bad design. 8bitdo has a much better one. You press ONCE and have an instant connection. Actually if you change to the BT version the Retrobit controller works that way. They just screwed up the 2.4ghz connection
Well, as I stated, we're looking at feedback and working to improve on this and other things users have pointed out. We definitely want to look at streamlining firmware updates, pairing, and more. :)
mario64
Posts: 188
Joined: Sun Dec 13, 2015 5:00 am

Re: Retro-bit's Sega controllers

Post by mario64 »

Retro-Bit wrote:
bigbadboaz wrote:RB, Mr. Oscuro was quite clear he was talking about one of the new Bluetooth pads and not an original wired one. This was not something that could have slipped through that old recall or be attributed to "new old stock".

You really haven't addressed his concern.
Oh I understood everything he said - my answer is the same regardless. If you're referring to my response to Austin, I was talking about in general when it comes to these issues.

matt wrote:If there's a way to change this in a future firmware update, it would be much appreciated.
I beleive this is programmed into the boards used on the receivers. That said, we do want to streamline our 2.4 GHz wireless offering as we go forward with upcoming wireless controllers. I can't reveal too much but we are looking at the feedback we've received to see where we can improve in the future.

mario64 wrote:I agree. This is a very bad design. 8bitdo has a much better one. You press ONCE and have an instant connection. Actually if you change to the BT version the Retrobit controller works that way. They just screwed up the 2.4ghz connection
Well, as I stated, we're looking at feedback and working to improve on this and other things users have pointed out. We definitely want to look at streamlining firmware updates, pairing, and more. :)
That's great to hear. Thank you. Looking forward to it :)
atohmdiy
Posts: 57
Joined: Wed May 06, 2020 9:48 pm

Re: Retro-bit's Sega controllers

Post by atohmdiy »

I really hope your team will give me an answer, no news from them after my email...
User avatar
Retro-Bit
Posts: 121
Joined: Thu May 02, 2019 4:58 pm

Re: Retro-bit's Sega controllers

Post by Retro-Bit »

atohmdiy wrote:I really hope your team will give me an answer, no news from them after my email...
Heya,

Our support team goes through each email to completion in the order receive them. If they haven't answered you yet, please send me a message with the email address you sent it from and I will forward it on. Sometimes our webmail filter will be a bit too aggressive.
Taco_Human
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Feb 26, 2020 3:29 pm

Re: Retro-bit's Sega controllers

Post by Taco_Human »

I just bought a Genesis USB pad (SGA-034) and it's not getting recognized by Windows. Hitting start + B for any amount of seconds doesn't make another USB sound occur, like how the SAturn controller sounds when it switches inputs.

I plugged it into my Switch, no luck. Saturn USB controller also works no problems. I checked in device manager, it says for the Genesis pad (Unknown Device; Device Descriptor request failed)

Is my controller messed up? Got it new in the mail yesterday, just testing it now. I have to wait til later to test it on an actual genesis mini, but why wouldn't it work on my Switch? The input switching doesn't seem to work.
User avatar
RetroSnow
Posts: 9
Joined: Thu Aug 17, 2017 1:50 am
Location: Holly Springs, NC
Contact:

Re: Retro-bit's Sega controllers

Post by RetroSnow »

Picked up Saturn and Genesis 2.4g recently and I have to say I'm quite impressed with them so far. Gave both a fair workout by playing through SF2 on both systems and they seem to be pretty sturdy. Must have gotten the good ones from the later batches.

Now how about a wireless PC Engine controller that works on actual hardware (pleeeeeease)? The only way around it now is to use an adapter and a Bluetooth controller. All my other systems have their own dedicated wireless pads.
Johnpv
Posts: 275
Joined: Tue Apr 04, 2017 4:46 pm

Re: Retro-bit's Sega controllers

Post by Johnpv »

Yeah I would love to see some one come out with a 2.4ghz controller for the PC Engine. PS1/2 would be damn nice as well.
BONKERS
Posts: 417
Joined: Thu Dec 11, 2014 10:41 am

Re: Retro-bit's Sega controllers

Post by BONKERS »

These controllers are super easy to disassemble.
I opened my Smoke Black one and painted it on the inside with Tamiya Transparent Red and then a layer of Tamiya Gloss top coat.
Gives it a nice deep red color
Spoiler
Image
User avatar
Retro-Bit
Posts: 121
Joined: Thu May 02, 2019 4:58 pm

Re: Retro-bit's Sega controllers

Post by Retro-Bit »

Taco_Human wrote:Is my controller messed up? Got it new in the mail yesterday, just testing it now. I have to wait til later to test it on an actual genesis mini, but why wouldn't it work on my Switch? The input switching doesn't seem to work.
Oh, please contact our support team at info@retro-bit.com. They should be able to replace it if it turns out to be faulty. :)

RetroSnow wrote:Now how about a wireless PC Engine controller that works on actual hardware (pleeeeeease)? The only way around it now is to use an adapter and a Bluetooth controller. All my other systems have their own dedicated wireless pads.
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. I think in terms of the Playstation consoles, that's another area that is on our list but we have much to work through to get there.

BONKERS wrote:These controllers are super easy to disassemble.
I opened my Smoke Black one and painted it on the inside with Tamiya Transparent Red and then a layer of Tamiya Gloss top coat.
Gives it a nice deep red color
Very nice! We do love seeing people get fancy with their controllers.
mario64
Posts: 188
Joined: Sun Dec 13, 2015 5:00 am

Re: Retro-bit's Sega controllers

Post by mario64 »

Anyone know if there is anything we can do to fix the sticky C button on the 2.4ghz Saturn wireless controller? Is it a problem with the button itself or the shell? I was thinking maybe you could swap the top shell and/or button from the BT version. No response from Retro-bit as yet. Thanks
User avatar
BazookaBen
Posts: 2077
Joined: Thu Apr 17, 2008 8:09 pm
Location: North Carolina

Re: Retro-bit's Sega controllers

Post by BazookaBen »

Retrobit, is there anything I can do about my Saturn USB pad blocking the screensaver in Windows?

Like, as long as my Saturn pad is plugged in, the screensaver will never come on. I'm trying to not to burn in my CRT! And I'm sure OLED owners want to avoid that too.

I don't remember this being an issue when I first got the pad, it seems like it may have started after the 2004 Windows update, but I may have just not noticed it before.
mario64
Posts: 188
Joined: Sun Dec 13, 2015 5:00 am

Re: Retro-bit's Sega controllers

Post by mario64 »

@Retro-Bit
I've been trying for a week to get a response from your support line. Anything you can do to help?
Also, when are you going to fix the incompatibility with Saturn games such as Bug! and MK II? You have to disconnect then re-connect the wireless receiver in order to play these games.

EDIT: they just got back to me
Last edited by mario64 on Wed Sep 02, 2020 7:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
The Zuck
Posts: 21
Joined: Fri May 04, 2018 1:59 am

Re: Retro-bit's Sega controllers

Post by The Zuck »

I'd be as patient as possible. COVID is backing up a lot of processes.
User avatar
Retro-Bit
Posts: 121
Joined: Thu May 02, 2019 4:58 pm

Re: Retro-bit's Sega controllers

Post by Retro-Bit »

BazookaBen wrote:Retrobit, is there anything I can do about my Saturn USB pad blocking the screensaver in Windows?

Like, as long as my Saturn pad is plugged in, the screensaver will never come on. I'm trying to not to burn in my CRT! And I'm sure OLED owners want to avoid that too.

I don't remember this being an issue when I first got the pad, it seems like it may have started after the 2004 Windows update, but I may have just not noticed it before.
Ok, that is absolutely a weird problem! I'll be honest - I don't think we test for screensaver issues like that. But it seems you're using an older version of Windows? In which case, I'm unfortunately not the best candidate for knowledge on that. Please let me know what version of Windows you're running and I will relay the information. :)

mario64 wrote:@Retro-Bit
I've been trying for a week to get a response from your support line. Anything you can do to help?
Also, when are you going to fix the incompatibility with Saturn games such as Bug! and MK II? You have to disconnect then re-connect the wireless receiver in order to play these games.

EDIT: they just got back to me
Heya,

Apologies to you and everyone waiting for a reply. We get TONS of emails around this time especially with new stuff coming out (people asking for info, samples, recommendations, ideas, Scott Pilgrim, etc). Plus all the new stuff we got going on has us a bit distracted BUT we will get to them!

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.

mario64 wrote:Anyone know if there is anything we can do to fix the sticky C button on the 2.4ghz Saturn wireless controller? Is it a problem with the button itself or the shell? I was thinking maybe you could swap the top shell and/or button from the BT version. No response from Retro-bit as yet. Thanks
The shells are unique for 2.4 GHz and Bluetooth, they are not interchangeable. We can offer an exchange for a working one. The issue stems from the shell as the factory made a mistake on some of them (literally less than a millimeter).
User avatar
BazookaBen
Posts: 2077
Joined: Thu Apr 17, 2008 8:09 pm
Location: North Carolina

Re: Retro-bit's Sega controllers

Post by BazookaBen »

Retro-Bit wrote: Ok, that is absolutely a weird problem! I'll be honest - I don't think we test for screensaver issues like that. But it seems you're using an older version of Windows? In which case, I'm unfortunately not the best candidate for knowledge on that. Please let me know what version of Windows you're running and I will relay the information. :)
I'm on Windows 10 version 2004, which is the most up to date version. "2004" Just means the year 2020 (20) and the month of April (04). You guys using Macs over there or something?

I think my Saturn controller was in the first wave of Switch-compatible USB pads last year. And it prevents the screen saver whether I have it in Dinput or Xinput mode.
mario64
Posts: 188
Joined: Sun Dec 13, 2015 5:00 am

Re: Retro-bit's Sega controllers

Post by mario64 »

Retro-Bit wrote:
BazookaBen wrote:Retrobit, is there anything I can do about my Saturn USB pad blocking the screensaver in Windows?

Like, as long as my Saturn pad is plugged in, the screensaver will never come on. I'm trying to not to burn in my CRT! And I'm sure OLED owners want to avoid that too.

I don't remember this being an issue when I first got the pad, it seems like it may have started after the 2004 Windows update, but I may have just not noticed it before.
Ok, that is absolutely a weird problem! I'll be honest - I don't think we test for screensaver issues like that. But it seems you're using an older version of Windows? In which case, I'm unfortunately not the best candidate for knowledge on that. Please let me know what version of Windows you're running and I will relay the information. :)

mario64 wrote:@Retro-Bit
I've been trying for a week to get a response from your support line. Anything you can do to help?
Also, when are you going to fix the incompatibility with Saturn games such as Bug! and MK II? You have to disconnect then re-connect the wireless receiver in order to play these games.

EDIT: they just got back to me
Heya,

Apologies to you and everyone waiting for a reply. We get TONS of emails around this time especially with new stuff coming out (people asking for info, samples, recommendations, ideas, Scott Pilgrim, etc). Plus all the new stuff we got going on has us a bit distracted BUT we will get to them!

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.

mario64 wrote:Anyone know if there is anything we can do to fix the sticky C button on the 2.4ghz Saturn wireless controller? Is it a problem with the button itself or the shell? I was thinking maybe you could swap the top shell and/or button from the BT version. No response from Retro-bit as yet. Thanks
The shells are unique for 2.4 GHz and Bluetooth, they are not interchangeable. We can offer an exchange for a working one. The issue stems from the shell as the factory made a mistake on some of them (literally less than a millimeter).
Thank you for the responses. So glad to hear you’re working on the 2.4ghz issue. Support is going to replace my sticky C button controllers. All good now. Really appreciate it :)
User avatar
Retro-Bit
Posts: 121
Joined: Thu May 02, 2019 4:58 pm

Re: Retro-bit's Sega controllers

Post by Retro-Bit »

BazookaBen wrote:I'm on Windows 10 version 2004, which is the most up to date version. "2004" Just means the year 2020 (20) and the month of April (04). You guys using Macs over there or something?

I think my Saturn controller was in the first wave of Switch-compatible USB pads last year. And it prevents the screen saver whether I have it in Dinput or Xinput mode.
We have a variety of Mac and Windows machines (and a couple Linux PCs) here. I've asked our team to check it out and see if there's anything we can do about it or if there's a Windows setting we can do to prevent it.
uberpolka
Posts: 23
Joined: Sat Feb 01, 2020 12:27 am

Re: Retro-bit's Sega controllers

Post by uberpolka »

One of the shoulder buttons on my genesis wireless controller stopped working, a month out of the warranty period.
I reached out on twitter to see if there was a part number I could find online to replace the switch that's bad; was told to email in, which I did, but I haven't heard back since I sent it to info@retro-bit.com

I think the warranty is a bit short, but all I'm looking for is info on the specific momentary switch that is used so I can replace it myself.
Probably order a few as I'm not sure how long the others will last.

hell, I don't even use the shoulder buttons but knowing it's broken requires me to replace it.
GojiFan90
Posts: 92
Joined: Fri Sep 22, 2017 1:28 am

Re: Retro-bit's Sega controllers

Post by GojiFan90 »

Has there been any update on when we can expect to see the Dreamcast controllers and accessories that were teased a ways back?
User avatar
TooBeaucoup
Posts: 398
Joined: Fri Jun 09, 2017 1:31 am

Re: Retro-bit's Sega controllers

Post by TooBeaucoup »

I'm having a weird problem with two Retro-bit controllers, both are brand new. I have a wireless Genesis and Saturn pad. When playing my model 1 Genesis with a VA-7 motherboard and using the TerraOnion MegaSD, when playing certain Sega CD games, my wireless controller buttons will be messed up. For instance when playing the Sega CD version of Hook, the C button acts as the start button and pauses the game, and the start button does nothing. There is no way to progress in the game because C is supposed to be jump. Both of my controllers do this when trying trying to play via the wireless Genesis dongle. However, playing the regular Genesis version of Hook, the buttons behave correctly. In fact, the buttons behave correctly in all of the Genesis games I've tested, but the Sega CD version of Hook, as well as other Sega CD games will have the C button acting as start. I'm wondering if it's an issue with the Mega SD (I'm not really sure why it would be). I don't have an actual Sega CD unit to use and see if it has the same problem. Or perhaps it's a problem with my model of Sega Genesis VA-7 motherboard. I've updated the dongle with the latest firmware as well. Maybe this has already been talked about, but this thread is pretty long to go through every single post. Still great controllers, but this is so weird for me and I'm completely baffled as to why both controllers behave this way. The controllers work great on my PC as well.
Post Reply