Xbox controller?

Sardtok · January 2013

The docs suggest you use an Xbox controller during development. Does anyone have any experience with developing for an Xbox360 USB controller on a tablet? I was considering picking up a Nexus 7 and a micro USB host mode OTG cable to test things.

The alternative for me is to write a library that uses LWJGL on PCs and the ODK and Android on the OUYA. I didn't buy the dev console, so I won't have an OUYA to test on until the official release.

tgraupmann · January 2013

On some tablets you can plug in the full sized xbox 360 controller. Others take s usb adapter to micro-usb.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005GGBYJ4/ref=oh_details_o08_s00_i00

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005FUNYSA/ref=oh_details_o09_s00_i00

mjoyner · January 2013

The following is the correct controller to get?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003ZSN600/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwcherokeele-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003ZSN600

Arruku · January 2013

mjoyner said:
The following is the correct controller to get?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003ZSN600/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwcherokeele-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003ZSN600

Yep, just make sure you pick the wired one. You can't connect wireless ones to a PC without an adaptor, and the adaptors are no longer in production (except for fakes that don't work so well). I don't know about tablet support (I've heard tablets can work with Bluetooth controllers like DualShock 3), but if you're testing on Windows, thats the way to go.

mjoyner · January 2013

Windows? ACK. NEVER. I am Linux Mint w/ MATE desktop (at this point in time).

Arruku · January 2013

mjoyner said:
Windows? ACK. NEVER. I am Linux Mint w/ MATE desktop (at this point in time).

Hah. Me neither (using Mac OS X until Apple runs it into the ground). In which case, you probably don't have to get an Xbox 360 controller. I plan on using my DualShock 3 with my Mac since it works just fine and it means I don't have to buy another controller :3.

Sardtok · January 2013

I have a wired Xbox360 controller which I've used with my PC since around the time the 360 was released. At that time they were easy to get, and they didn't cost much in Japan where I lived back then.

I was wondering how easy it is to program for the controller on a tablet, though. I've never looked into using gamepads in Android before, so I mostly only know of the touch and keyboard interfaces. Is there an extension for the Android SDK that I need to be able to access the gamepad? If it is difficult to work with the gamepad on a tablet (programming-wise), then I might as well just write a cross-platform Java library and test these things on my PC with the gamepad instead.

tgraupmann · January 2013

It's a piece of cake. You just override some events on your activity and it works out of the box.

	@Override
	public boolean onKeyDown (int keyCode, KeyEvent event)
	{
		return true;
	}

	@Override
	public boolean onKeyUp (int keyCode, KeyEvent event)
	{
		return true;
	}

	@Override
	public boolean onGenericMotionEvent (MotionEvent event)
	{
		return true;
	}

	@Override
	public boolean onTouchEvent (MotionEvent event)
	{
		return true;
	}

	@Override
	public boolean onTrackballEvent (MotionEvent event)
	{
		return true;
	}

Sardtok · January 2013

Thanks! I did not know that the ordinary Android events had mappings for controller buttons, but looked at the docs now that the axes can be polled and that there are own key codes for the buttons.

Now all I need is an OTG cable, and I'll be able to try this for real! :)

chamberlin · January 2013

I can confirm this XBox-compatible controller definitely works: http://www.amazon.com/Rock-Candy-Xbox-360-Controller-Pink/dp/B008U2XJP8

mjoyner · January 2013

Some of the reviews on those scared me (analog sensitive, or lack there of). Received an email from supplier on genuine controllers they are back ordered, so canceled and order from this vendor via Amazon instead:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003ZSN600/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwcherokeele-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003ZSN600

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