Google Stadia Controller needs to be rebootet for every game

[Spunkee]

Hi

After Google anounced that they will shut down stadia in january 2023, i'm looking how i can use the Stadia-Controllers in the future. Because they're using HID-standard, i thought it'll be easy to use them with recalbox.

So i did some tests.
The controllers are correctliy recognized (Google LLC Stadia Controller Rev. A) in recalbox.
During configure the controllers via Main Menu / Controller Settings, everything looked fine. Basically the controllers works fine all the time i'm in the recalbox menu.
But every time i'm starting a game, i have to turn the stadia-controller off and on again, befor it's usable in game.
My 8bitDo-Controllers (SFC30, SN30Pro+) does not have this property, they work fine all the time.

Is this a known bug?
And is there a solution / workaround for this?

I'm using recalbox on a x64-system with a Intel Core i5-4590T and 8GB RAM.

Greetings,
S***kEE

[Alvin]

@S***kee

There' s some interesting Information here

SORY, BUT IT'S IN GERMAN:
https://www.heise.de/news/Stadia-Kunden-bitten-Google-um-Bluetooth-Update-fuer-den-Controller-7283261.html

It says:
"Google's Stadia controller is primarily designed for gaming via the cloud service of the same name. It therefore does not connect to the service via Bluetooth, but directly via WLAN. The built-in Bluetooth is only used for setup. There is currently no way to control local games with the Stadia controller via Bluetooth in the future.

In fact, the Stadia Controller could theoretically also be connected to devices via Bluetooth Classic. But this option is not activated, as Google reveals in the small print on its website: "The product contains the Bluetooth Classic version. The Bluetooth Classic function is currently not activated," it says there. But also: "It is possible that it will be activated at a later date."

Maybe there will be an Update from Google, but for now you have to connect the Pad with a Cable to use it.

You can also find some Information on Reddit:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Stadia/comments/xrd882/comment/iqe1b8z/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

[Spunkee]

@Alvin

Hello Alvin

Thanks for this Information (i'm Swiss, so German is not a problem ), but i know about disabled Bluetooth on stadia controllers. And i don't care about that.
Because i don't like Bluetooth, all my controllers are wired.

Connected with USB, the controller is a HID (Human Interface Device).
You can read this here for example: https://www.howtogeek.com/712967/how-to-use-a-stadia-controller-with-another-platform/

if i dis- an re-connect my controller, i can see this on recalbox via dmesg:

usb 3-2: USB disconnect, device number 2
usb 3-2: new high-speed USB device number 5 using xhci_hcd
usb 3-2: New USB device found, idVendor=18d1, idProduct=9400, bcdDevice= 1.00
usb 3-2: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3
usb 3-2: Product: Stadia Controller rev. A
usb 3-2: Manufacturer: Google LLC
usb 3-2: SerialNumber: xyz
input: Google LLC Stadia Controller rev. A as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:14.0/usb3/3-2/3-2:1.1/0003:18D1:9400.0004/input/input13
hid-generic 0003:18D1:9400.0004: input,hidraw0: USB HID v1.11 Gamepad [Google LLC Stadia Controller rev. A] on usb-0000:00:14.0-2/input1

As i wrote, the controller works fine in the recalbox menu. I can map all the buttons as i like.
And after starting a game, turning the controller off an on again, it also works in games. Also, unplug and replug the USB-Cable after starting a game, makes the controller working in game.
I'm just wondering about this behavior.
For me, it doesn't look like a specific stadia-controller problem. It feels more like a generic HID-Problem, but actually that's just an assumption.

I also tried to set the Controller-Driver from "Automatic" to "System Driver" or "Game Library Driver".
With "System Driver" the Problem is still the same, and with "Game Library Driver" the controller don't need a reboot but the buttons are mapped wrong.

Greetings,
S***kEE

[Alvin]

@S***kee
In your first post you didn't mentioned that your Controller is connected with an USB-Cable, and you mentioned the 8bitDo-Controllers SFC30 and SN30Pro+ (both are Bluetooth-Controllers) so I assumed that it was a Bluetooth-Problem

Question:

1.) Did you try to reset the Controller ?
Look here
https://support.google.com/stadia/answer/9584135?hl=en#zippy=%2Creset-your-controller-hardware-reset%2Cfactory-reset-your-controller

Scroll down to "Reset your Stadia Controller"
and than
Reset your controller (hardware reset)
or
Factory reset your controller

2. You wrote "I'm using recalbox on a x64-system with a Intel Core i5-4590T and 8GB RAM."

Did you connect the Controller to an USB 3 or an USB 2 Port ?

On your second Post it says:
"recalbox via dmesg
usb 3-2: new high-speed USB device number 5 using xhci_hcd
input: Google LLC Stadia Controller rev. A as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:14.0/usb3/3-2/3-2:1.1/0003:18D1:9400.0004/input/input13"

I looked up the Internet and there I found that xhci is a Driver for USB 3 so I wound suggest to connect the Controller to an USB 2 port (if your system has one) and see if this works.

[Spunkee]

@Alvin

Yes, SFC30 and SN30Pro+ are both bluetooth-controllers, but i use them wired. That works fine with recalbox.
Sorry for not mention my connection-type, of course this is important information.

1. I did a factory reset, but that didn't change anything, the problem still exists.
2. Yes, it's USB3, and i don't have any USB2-Port in this computer. I actually also have no USB2-Hub here to do some testing.

Greetings