Game Controllers for Tesla

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I tried out a few game controllers that work in the Tesla. 

 

• $15 Logitech Gamepad F310 for Windows
• $47 Playstation 4
• $25 PDP Wired Controller for Xbox One
• old Logitech RumblePad 2 I had lying around

 

One thing to note right off is even if a controller is plugged in the position of the steering wheel is still read.  So make sure the wheel is straight or you'll have trouble playing your game.

 

They all worked great for Beach Buggy Racing 2. The onscreen labels show A, B, and Y for the power-ups regardless of which controller was plugged.  The PS4 controller used X, O, and Δ respectively. The RumblePad 2 likewise used 2, 3, and 4, so the button locations for all controllers were mapped to the same physical positions. When a controller is used the game does not auto-accelerate your buggy, use the right trigger for that.  Left trigger for brakes.

 

They all worked about the same for the arcade games.  Main issue with all of them is the analog stick is not calibrated well.  For Asteroids, Lunar Lander, Gravitar that's not a problem.  For Centipede, Millipede, Missile Command, and Tempest you do not have fine-control, so you'll easily overshoot your position.  Super Breakout is flat out unplayable.

 

Secondary issue with the arcade games is the button mappings are not consistent between controllers.  For most games that's not an issue, but it is for Missile Command because the position of the bases does not correspond to the position of the buttons on the PS4 controller:

• □ middle
• X right
• O left

 

Nor on the RumblePad 2

• 1 middle
• 2 right
• 3 left

 

For the other two they're fine:

• X left
• A middle
• B right

 

 

For me that's a shame because as a longtime Playstation owner (original, 2 and 3) I prefer the PS4 controller for both how it feels in my hands and how the controls themselves are laid out.  The PDP controller feels fine to me, but the layout is odd. The F310's layout is fine, but the shape doesn't feel as nice as the other two.

 

Because of Missile Command I recommend going with a controller for Xbox or Windows. For Windows make sure it's buttons are laid out like the Xbox, so not like the RumblePad 2.

 

I decided to keep two of the F310 controllers in the car.  While I've not played it head to head yet, I did test out 2-player Beach Buggy Racing with 2 controllers plugged in.  Strangely enough both players auto-accelerated at the start, but once I hit the left trigger for brake I had to hit the right to resume moving.  I initially used an old USB 1 hub to plug them into a single port, it worked fine.  I now have a Jeda USB Hub, which I highly recommend.

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Spotted this on the revised Model S pages.  With estimated delivery in March, it seems likely that an upcoming Tesla update will add wireless bluetooth controller support to the existing fleet.

 

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Bluetooth game controller support coming to the 3 & Y with the next software update! 😁

 

 

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Ran across the 8Bitdo SF30 Pro controllers I'd picked up back in 2018 for a Raspberry Pi Retro gaming project. Haven't fired up that Pi in a long time, so decided to charge the controllers up and try them out with the car now that it has support for bluetooth game controllers.

 

 

They're nice and compact compared to the Logitech F310 USB controllers I've been using in my car, which would be great for storage:

 

 

First one paired with the car just fine; however the car wouldn't let me pair the second one as I already had 2 devices connected, the other being my phone. Was surprised at this as I thought bluetooth had a 7 device limit.

 

 

Controller worked well in Beach Buggy Racing 2; though the button labels are swapped, X <--> Y and A <--> B, vs the Logictech controllers. The on-screen instructions use the Logitech layout, so if they refer to a specific button you have to remember to use the other one - such as button B if instructions say A.