Which encoder PCB for Xbox 360?

[tcancian]

Hi everyone.

I'm looking forward to updating a couple of SS Twin Sticks and DC Twin Sticks (for a total of 4) that I have to play Virtual-On Force with friends through system-link (yes, I'm starting a cult). Given that modded XBOX 360s are so cheap nowadays I was looking into upgrading the electronics for an X360-compatible joystick but it seems that for some reason close to none encoder PCB on the market actually support the Xbox 360 and the Xbox 360 itself doesn't use the same xInput library as Windows.

Apparently there's a security chip that likely handshakes so that third-party controllers would be made with oversight from Microsoft.

https://www.ogxbox.com/forums/index.php ... ontrollers

Has anyone here built a Twin Stick for the X360 and could recommend me some encoder models?

Thus far I have found the following options:

1. SJ@JX Game Controller Encoder DIY Arcade Joystick Button Gamepad Code Board for Xbox 360 Nintendo Switch Raspberry Pi PS3 PC Andriod

This one mentions explicitly the Xbox 360 console (which many xInput encoder boards don't because it's not supported) but it's close to 40 usd with no reviews anywhere as for latency-tests and etc. It seems to be a double-PCB and the controller can't be seen through the pictures. Maybe it's a Pico controller with custom firmware?

2. 360-YD XBOX 360 PC Android In 1 Arcade Game Machine Zero Delay USB Board DIY Joystick Encoder Controller Button Control Without Cable

Again, little to no reviews and no latency tests that I could find. It does seem to work on Xbox 360 because on Windows it will pop up as a directInput controller so maybe the firmware runs on something else that is compatible both with the Xbox 360 and PC (dInput) instead of solely xInput (and thus only PC). This PCB looks so cheap that it makes me wonder if it has the same latency as a "zero-delay PCB" (which is around 21 ms).

3. I'm investigating Raspberry Pico based solutions but I could not find any for the Xbox 360 yet. If I do I'll update this thread.

4. I live in Brazil and there's a local solution based on the Raspberry Pico but I haven't seen anyone using it on the Xbox 360. I've contacted the maker and will ask for latency tests and maybe give it a try soon before the others.

5. Good old pad-hacking. I might end up going this way if I don't find a solution but nowadays original wired Xbox 360 controllers are becoming hard to find and quite expensive locally. This might work well on the Saturn version because the shell is larger than the Dreamcast but I'm not sure if a Xbox 360 controller PCB would fit on the Dreamcast shell.

6. Building one with a PlayStation 2 compatible encoder (SJ@JX has those) and then using a converter to the Xbox 360.

https://produto.mercadolivre.com.br/MLB ... -input-_JM

Lastly; if you might be interested in some original PCBs for those consoles reply to this thread. I'm looking forward to selling them to cover the conversion costs.

[Porcupine]

I don't know anything about hardware so I probably don't even understand your question. Hopefully someone else can help you with this. If you just want to use Saturn and Dreamcast twinsticks on the Xbox 360, I imagine that was a relatively common procedure and commercial converters probably exist for that purpose. I assume they'd still work for modded consoles. If you were trying to make your own twinsticks from regular joysticks, then I guess that's why you are asking about this...

Do joystick PCBs generally have delay around 21 ms or more in general? Damn, that's a lot. I had no idea. Does this mean that the majority of our input devices that we have always used over the years (PS2 ~ PS5 controller pads, Xbox 360 controller pads, twinsticks, etc) all add a delay of 21+ ms to our inputs?

I need some wired Xbox 360 controllers, too. For PC use. Wish I had bought more when they were new and priced properly. Since outer condition wouldn't matter in this case, you can probably find some worn ones on Ebay for reasonable price.

[MentholMoose]

Check the Custom Twin Sticks roundup thread. Most of us hacked control pads (option 5).

The Dreamcast Twin Sticks can fit a large PCB.