# Can't get my head around configuring controls

**URL:** <https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/cant-get-my-head-around-configuring-controls/1421>\
**Category:** Picade\
**Created:** [December 21, 2015, 4:36pm UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/cant-get-my-head-around-configuring-controls/1421 "2015-12-21T16:36:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![neilw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e36b37/32.png) [@neilw](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/neilw)\
**Post date:** [December 21, 2015, 4:36pm UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/cant-get-my-head-around-configuring-controls/1421/1 "2015-12-21T16:36:10Z")

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Hi guys,

I’ve searched high and low (but probably missed the obvious - apologies) for a quick and easy guide to configuring the various emulators - and the guides I did find were on RetroPie forums and didn’t really cover configuring for the Picade’s hardware.

Basically, I spent a very enjoyable couple of hours building the Picade the other day, it all worked first time which was great, I eventually got some old arcade roms running (using a USB keyboard to configure the controls in the ‘tab’ menu) - I actually own a few original arcade boards and an old Silverline cabinet, so it’s going to be cute when I photograph the Picade next to it running the same game :)

Anyway, flushed with success, I had a go at configuring the NES, SNES, CBM64 and Amiga emulators (all stuff from my childhood!) - but I could only get them to play with a keyboard which isn’t really the best experience when there is a joystick and buttons sat there looking pretty.

For the NES I did manage to find the config and was able to map buttons from a USB gamepad to it, which worked until reset and the original config is loaded over and you have to configure the gamepad each time (a bit impractical). I couldn’t seem to get it to work with the Picade’s controls at all.

Is there something I’m missing? Some config file I can just drop in which will tell all the emulators to use the built-in controls? I’d quite like the option of using the gamepad for the Nes/Snes games (as it’s a Snes type USB controller) - is it possible to get it to listen to both built-in and gamepad? Although maybe I shouldn’t run before I can walk!

Many thanks for your help…

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**Author:** ![BuZz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee59a6/32.png) [@BuZz](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/BuZz)\
**Post date:** [December 23, 2015, 12:43am UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/cant-get-my-head-around-configuring-controls/1421/2 "2015-12-23T00:43:23Z")

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Instructions are linked from the main downloads page for RetroPie

> **[RetroPie/RetroPie-Setup](https://github.com/RetroPie/RetroPie-Setup/wiki/First-Installation)**
>
> Shell script to set up a Raspberry Pi/Odroid/PC with RetroArch emulator and various cores - RetroPie/RetroPie-Setup

non libretro emulators may need manual configuration - it is all detailed on the wiki. The RetroPie forum i a good place if you get stuck as there are many users who can help.

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**Author:** ![glooobule](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/779978/32.png) [@glooobule](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/glooobule)\
**Post date:** [December 23, 2015, 11:38am UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/cant-get-my-head-around-configuring-controls/1421/3 "2015-12-23T11:38:02Z")

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For MAME ? just push TAB for configuration key menu. Perhaps the same for other ?