MiSTer FPGA 2024 Controller Guide! Best MiSTer FPGA Controllers, USB Adapters, Snac, Snax and More! 

Love controller guide videos! I've been using both the Retro Fighters Brawler and Hunter on the N64, Saturn, and PS and they have both performed really well. The Hunter OG Xbox layout works well for 3D games and it has Hall Effect joysticks/triggers. For arcade and console fighting games I find myself using the 8BitDo M30 (works both in wireless Bluetooth and wired USB mode) and it's D-pad can't be beat for flawless "hadoukees". Love its new(ish) Saturn colorway too. A close second would be the Retro-Bit Sega Genesis 8-Button USB Arcade Pad. Feels just the original but with added shoulder buttons and a much more functional Mode button. For SNES games, 8BitDo SN30pro is as good as it gets. And you gotta love the microswitches on the 8BitDo SNK controller.

I did get the 8bitdo PC-E pad by your recommendation before for MiSTer, and it has been excellent. I didn't grow up with a PC-E but using it for NES has been incredible. Glad to see an update!

Been a sucker for 8bitdo, good quality and cheap. Lots of retro controllers.

Great guide, the 8bitdo M30 v2 bluetooth is my go to controller, perfect for Saturn and arcade cores.

The dual sense via bluetooth is a revelation. From the testing out there i think its the quickest input latency period? Retro-bit tribute 64 with the usb receiver has been super nice too 🤙🏻

I'm a chaos gremlin who has been playing Fighters' Destiny on the N64 core with a Buffalo Pad.

Just an extra tip: those 8Bitdo wireless adapters work with any bluetooth controller and are better than regular Bluetooth dongles. They connect fast, stay reliable, and sync easily. The only downside is you’ll need one adapter for each controller, but it’s totally worth it for the better experience. They work perfectly with Nintendo switch online pads too (SNES,N64) something most generic bluetooth adapters struggle with. And you don’t need to enter Mister Bluetooth setting at all.

I have that Saturn pad, and I was planning on trying to use it for my MiSTer & SaTurn but I couldn’t get it mapped properly in the core. Works great on the actual Saturn.

I've been using the 8bitdo Neo Geo CD controller a lot lately. I love that controller for shmups!

Retrobit Sega Saturn USB (most cores I use), 3rd Party 360 Controller (Pre-2020) (Specifically N64), PS3 Qanba Drone with a Brook Zero-Pi fitted inside of it (Mainly Arcade Cores) and a NES SNAC to play NES Tetris has been my go to for years now. I need to get my hands on the iBuffalo SNES controller (If you know, you know) and Lately I'd love for the Sega Saturn SNAC to work in order to use my Saturn Controllers (including my Fight Stick).

nice collection

Mostly been going my way to get as many OG controller setups as I can, preferably wireless while shooting for decently low latency if possible. - NES + SNES I've used 8bitdo's DIY Kits for both NES/SNES Classic-controllers for comfortable wireless gaming on Nintendo-systems or even platformers on PS1 such as Rayman. - For SEGA-consoles, the Retro-Bit's Bluetooth Saturn Arcade 8-Button Pad has been a favourite pick-up + play controller in general - as of late I've also got the wired 3-Button Pad from Genesis Mini and play more earlier Genesis-titles with that sometimes. - PS1 I use Dualshock 3, though maybe someday I might wanna get SNAC for Dualshock 2 or even original Dualshock. Also do have PS Classic's wired Digital Pad, but hardly use it actually. - For N64 I actually use a red OG controller with Mayflash N64 USB Adapter V2 - the lag on it seems pretty minimal, and hopefully later on we'll be getting a firmware update that allows for Rumble Pak-support. - With Turbografx I actually went all my way to buy the PC Engine Hori Mini-controller from Ebay (cost me quite a bit tho) - not only has it been nice for TG16 but I've also come to prefer using it for Master System and MSX (helps with it's shooters especially) - With Arcade I have some interesting choices such as Taito's Egret Mini 2's wired Joystick with 4-way/8-way switch for easy transition between early 80s to 90s' classics - though I also have a Venom Arcade Stick + 3rd party NES Advantage-controller for NES Classic that I modified for 4-way games a bit.

My go-to for the MiSTer is an 8BitDo Pro 2 controller over Bluetooth. Puts together a quality SNES-style D-Pad with a modern control layout, and is perfect for just about everything on the system excluding Sega Genesis games. (Even then, the controls work well enough for it; it’s just an issue of three-button control mapping to a controller with four face buttons being a bit awkward.)

Great video. My setup is Playstation 5 controller with Edimax bluetooth and 8bitdo M30 2.4G sega genesis mini controller. Seems to cover basically everything.

I’m surprised you didn’t mention the 8bitdo M30! I use the 2.4g version as my main MiSTer controller and it is an absolute dream. Feels very close to Sega Saturn and the build quality is excellent (despite the mixed build quality issues I’ve had with 8bitdo sometimes)

I went for a TP-Link AC1300 Archer T3U for the wifi adapter, you pay more but it's signal is very robust and 5GHz capable. A lot bigger of course but then more room for the antennae. Seemed to do the best in benchmarking without getting into the silly price category.

COMPLETELY off topic well, sorta.. I just got a Steam Deck off a friend. 64 GB model (I upgraded it to 2 TB NVMe & 1 TB Micro SD + GuliKit Hall Effect joysticks). Anyway the point I dug out my Steam Controller & realized how much I missed using it. I used it with the Link till I got a Shield TV 2017. I think it’s fitting . I now use it again as a controller for the deck when it’s docked.

I have a retrobit Saturn controller but ever since I got a white 8bitdo M30 it hasn't been used. The build quality of 8bitdo products is vastly superior. For non SEGA consoles I use an 8bitdo pro 2 and for neo geo and arcade cores I use an 8bitdo arcade stick

I agree about the Retrobit Sega Saturn wireless controller. It’s excellent and just as good as the original Japanese Sega Saturn pad. I prefer both the Retrobit Saturn and Genesis pads over the 8Bitdo M30. They look and feel identical to the originals.

My go to has often either been a MegaDrive Mini six button controller or a Playstation Classic controller. If I need more buttons I often find myself either springing for the old reliable XBox Common Controller for Windows, or in recent years my All Controller.

Using Obsidian 2. Works 100% perfect ❤

If Retrobit hadn't dropped the ball on that dual analog SEGA Saturn controller that could have covered everything. But no analog triggers made it a bust.

I love to use the USB controller that came with the Sega Genesis Mini. It has really low latency and feels like the original.

I still want to give a shout out to the Hori Fighting Commander pad which is basically a Saturn layout but with 4 should buttons and turbo settings. Obviously not sufficient for N64 or even some of the later psx games, but gets me 95% there.

I feel so lucky I got a iBuffalo SNES controller a decade ago. Also use an 8Bitdo Genesis / DualSense / and I got a 8Bitdo NEOGEO recently. That retro-fighters n64 controller looks nice. I kind of want to make a pelican case for all of my controllers. Or 3D print holding trays so they can go in a tool chest drawer. How do you organize your controllers?

My favorite Arcade sticks right now is the Hori Alpha. I got 2 heavily modded with Aluminum panels and Seimitsu buttons, 2lb Arcade shock spring. I use both all the time one is Xbox the other is PlayStation.

I use the 8bitdo SN30 Pro and M30 primarily with MiSTer. PS4 I use for Playstation.

The RetroBit 8 Button Genesis Controller (might only be wired? That's the one I use) is also excellent for Saturn!

I actually think the Nintendo Switch Online N64 controller makes a great controller for everything that doesn’t need dual analog. It has the 6-button arcade layout, it has shoulder and trigger buttons, it has force-feedback, it has wired and wireless operation, and it has single-stick analog appropriate for Saturn, Atari 5200, Genesis/PC Engine, and (of course) N64. It has the most flexible layout for the retro consoles and arcades covered by the MiSTer, IMO.

The new Saturn Pro pad makes a surprisingly decent N64 controller. The six-button layout maps well to A, B and the C buttons, and it has analog and d-pad both in easy reach. I do wish they'd mapped the second shoulder buttons to stick click instead of the C/Y buttons.

My favorite part of the MiSTer is that it's by far the easiest platform to set controllers up on. I honestly wish that literally any other emulation platform on the planet had a controller configuration menu as good as MiSTer's. Heck, I'd pay for something like "GroovyMAME" style integration but just for the controller I/O.

Hey VGE!! Great video! Could you possibly do a video on what port/setup has the least lag? Is the reflex adapter to USB better or is the SNAC adapter? @whatskenmaking did a video on this but didn't really didn't answer the question. He also talked about the Blister add-on. I'm all about a lag free experience. Thanks again and keep up the good work. Your videos finally convinced me to get a Mister and I love it!

I ended up getting the blister setup. I got the adapters for it. For retro controllers. LLPA. There is snak as well. probably the same. Now has 2 to 4 inputs. good stuff. before only 1 reason i got the blister. Is usb newer controller just as good? I haven't even tried. Your kinda using a old controller with snak, blister. like a switch or ps5 controller. (why is the ps5 controller so big.) Enjoying the MiSTer. good stuff. Id probably not get a chance in getting a neogeo. Now i can play it. one of the best retro console for sure.

The retro-bit Tribute 64 is another decent n64 option

Are you me? We have almost the same stuff I have way too may controllers but I'm ready for 6 player X-Men!

Ive been using 8BitDo M30 BT controller with the MiSTer. I absolutely LOVE this controller!! I also have a SN30 Pro, but i actually hate the analog sticks and never use it because of them. I wish 8BitDo would make a proper SNES controller with a home and fav button (I have the older one, without the home and fav button. But don't use it with the MiSTer because of the lack of those buttons). I have been back and forth on getting a second M30 for 2 player. I have been curious about getting the 8BitDo Arcade Stick. I also have a Wii Mote for Light Gun games!! Playing Duck Hunt on a 65" modern 4k TV. Freaking Amazing!!! Tho, you didn't cover anything about controller config or how to use multiple controllers for multiplayer in the video :( (something I specifically was looking forward to, as NO ONE covers this). How do you connect multiple controllers to a MiSter for Multiplayer? How do you know what controller is what player? Does changing the config of one of the controllers affect the others? Does player assignment change when opening and closing cores / games? You just kinda ran thru a bunch of controllers saying that they work... You didn't really explain anything about how to actually USE controllers with the MiSTer :( You talked about SNAc/SNAX and showed them and the adapters for pluggin controllers, but didn't show how to use them? Are they core specific? Can you use a SNES controller via SNAC with cores other than SNES? Something I have been grappling with is controller config for N64 games. As different games want to use the controller differently IE: Crusin USA (Z for Gas) vs Crusin World/Exotica (A for Gas). How do you setup multiple controller configs in a single core for situations like this?? I was hoping you would cover this as well and not a mention of it (other than that the N4 controller is different and creates some difficulties).

Would the RetroFighter N64 controller work well for Saturn and other 6 button consoles? I'm thinking of keeping my controller collection simple for now, so getting the 8bitdo Pro for 4 button consoles, and one of the N64 inspired controller for 6 button consoles (haven't decided on which one yet).

I've had issues getting my Saturn 3D Control Pad working and I am not sure if it's an issue with the controller itself or something in my configuration. Should it just work or is there some hoop jumping required to get it to work right? I am trying to use the SNAC version of the core and a Saturn adapter with my MiSTerCade.

Awesome video as always!! Thanks! Totally off topic, but wondering if someone might see this. Playstation core seems to have some crazy slowdown happening while I'm playing through Castlevania SOTN. Especially in the reverse castle. Anyone else have this issue? I know it's a long shot, and I'm 98% it doesn't have the slowdown on OG hardware from what I remember. Thanks! 😊

I’ve been using Raphnet dual N64 to USB adapters, which are generally great except it uses the analog stick as either Dpad or stick (switchable in menu) and forces Right on the actual Dpad as the Mister menu button :/

I took your advice and ordered a pc engine controller from 8bitdo. I have a neogeo x arcade stick and I need to make a db15 to usb adapter with pi pico via the GP-2040-CE project. I need to look into an n64 controller.

I'm watching the video as I'm typing and realized you mentioned the RetroFi. I have one too (N64 variant), you mind doing a video on that? I'm having a hard time getting it to work with the RMG emulator. I haven't tried it with RetroArch as RMG (to me) has a better n64 emulator. My PC recognizes it but I can't assign the buttons. I don't know if I need a DInput related software installed.

My retro-bit wireless Saturn controller broke after a couple of uses. A pivotal piece under the d-pad snapped. But I contacted them and they sent me a new part which I replaced, so fingers 🤞

You didn't show the Saturn like you have but with the 2 analogue sticks, i have one and use it for most cores.

Where's the link to the USB dongle referenced in 1:18 am I blind?

Can you connect new original Nintendo Mini and their Bluetooth controllers?

No mention of blisster or the bliss box pro adapter has me a little bummed out.

The Brawler64 is seriously my favorite controller. Until this one arrived, I was struggling to find decent 6-button controllers.

Is it possible to use those official Nintendo Switch Online NES, SNES & Genesis controllers, but with a detachable wired USB cable with MiSTer? If so, how much latency would those controllers add? I plan on using Wired USB cabled controllers like the 8BitDo SN30 Pro, Origin8 and Retro-bit's 6-button Genesis Controller. I've heard some of these add an additional 1-2ms of lag, but I'm not entirely sure. The goal is to pair a MiSTer(For playing 8-16 bit games) using it's analogue port and connecting that to a CRT(27" Sony WEGA Trinitron). That would mean zero lag coming from MiSTer's analogue port & zero lag from the CRT. All that's left is USB controller latency. :P

9:58 There's also Raphnet's Turbografx-to-USB controller adapters. Or is there some advantage these SNAC/Reflex HDMI adapters have over USB converters?

Do the NSO SNES and N64 controllers work with that Bluetooth dongle?

Can't you use the 2.4ghz dongles that come with most of those controllers?

You can't beat a Super Famicom pad for nearly all situations. I play Street Fighter II, Truxton, Super Mario World and Castlevania with one. Dual Shock 3 is my top pad for 3D games. BTW, I'd like to buy that Saturn USB pad with the sticks that was released last month. I want it for Steam, specifically to play KOFXV but I don't want to waste money on it if it doesn't work with Steam fighting games. Can anybody confirm it works? Thank You.

Here are all my best friends and where they come in to help 8bitdo N30 - NES, Game Boy, PC Engine 8bitdo SN30 Pro - SNES, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, PSX N64 Controller with 8bitdo Mod Kit - N64 Dualsense 3 - PSX 8bitdo M30 - Master System, Mega Drive (and friends), Sega Saturn 8bitdo LIte 2 - General Use 8bitdo N30 Arcade Stick - Arcade games 8bitdo NeoGeo Pad - Neo Geo Nintendo Switch Pro Controller - General Use

I am planning to buy a Mister this year. Every recommended build I find on RU-vid says I need the analog IO. I dont and wont have any CRT TV or monitor. Do I need the analog IO for anything besides video out?

Where is the link to the Bluetooth adapter?

I'm kinda surprised that there seems to be almost no custom gaming controllers outside the custom arcade stick / hitbox clone style controllers. I suppose we already have so many "good enough" options out there, almost nobody is really itching to have a single controller that could work as a "one size fits all" solution, if that's possible, that is... I'm not sure what would be actually considered a desirable controller to play PSX, N64, Saturn and arcade games.

I have a shockingly high number of controllers...

What’s up with the dust?

hmmm no one is talking about Blisster anymore

I cant recommend the ibuffalo classic controller enough it has the lowest latency of any wired controller ive seen on Mister Fpga

2.4g USB adapters Im sure will work...

Discord link is expired

you better clean your controllers before you develop skin problems