Rick Dangerous Posted March 11, 2021 Share Posted March 11, 2021 It sometimes takes me 5-10 minutes to get a controller to be recognized by the system. It's ridiculous. Is there a faster way? I hit the atari button, it starts flashing, and then it stops after 1-2 minutes. If I tap the atari button, nothing, if I hold it, it stops, if I tap A nothing. Sometimes it blinks faster and then connects I have no idea why. This problem is getting old quickly, please help. What is the suerfire way to get connected in 10 seconds like every other console. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+SabertoothRetro Posted March 11, 2021 Share Posted March 11, 2021 That must be frustrating. I have this problem with the modern controller but only if the console is sleeping. I think that's a known issue. Otherwise I haven't had any issues with pairing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeatari1 Posted March 11, 2021 Share Posted March 11, 2021 Yeah, they're still working out all the bluetooth bugs. It seems that is the biggest problem with this console. I can't get out of apps or chrome if a controller falls asleep. As long as I keep the controller on (push a button every 10 minutes or so) it works fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Dangerous Posted March 11, 2021 Author Share Posted March 11, 2021 And you can't even plug it in to sync it; because when you unplug it it goes dark again and you have to start over with the BT process. Such a pain. Any hacks worked for anyone? Proximity to console? Pointing the controller at the front of the unit, etc.? Hopefully will be rectified in a shortly incoming update. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justclaws Posted March 11, 2021 Share Posted March 11, 2021 Did you update your system to the latest firmware? Previously that used to be a problem, but my controllers now sync in about 3-5 seconds, since the first update, and the same with 2nd. One thing - you just need to tap the Atari button, if you already paired it once before. That's also the case with waking the console - tap the Atari button, and the console starts to come out of sleep immediately, the display comes on, and then it takes about 3-5 seconds to link. Holding the button until it flashes causes it to go into pairing mode, which causes problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mockduck Posted March 11, 2021 Share Posted March 11, 2021 It sometimes takes longer than it should, but nothing like an actual minute for me. Maybe 30 seconds, which feels long sometimes, and usually in about 5-10 seconds. I have had a few cases where restarting the VCS made it connect more quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Dangerous Posted March 12, 2021 Author Share Posted March 12, 2021 I always shut down my VCS; i don't sleep it. I've done all updates to the console and controllers. Takes no joke 5-10 minutes to get a controller to connect. When the atari symbol is flashing i try tapping it but nothing happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeatari1 Posted March 12, 2021 Share Posted March 12, 2021 If the VCS is sleeping, the light on the front will flash every 3 seconds or so. You can then wake the VCS by just pressing the Fuji button on the controller. The controllers should pair in about 5-10 seconds. If you are shutting the VCS off completely then it would take a little longer to pair. 5-10 Minutes is unacceptable though. Mine usually take 30 to 60 seconds from being shut off. Have you updated the controller firmware? There is an update for the controllers as well as the Bios and OS. Check into that, I believe the controller must be wired to perform the update though. If that does not work, try contacting Atari support using the link I provided to you before. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Dangerous Posted March 12, 2021 Author Share Posted March 12, 2021 Updated the firmware for both controllers and the OS. Will try again tonight and see how it goes. The only place i have room for my VCS upstairs is on top of my Athena subwoofer. I wonder if the magnets could be messing with anything? Couldn't be... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Dangerous Posted March 13, 2021 Author Share Posted March 13, 2021 It was a proximity issue. I was about 10 feet away. I just put the controller on the console now when syncing and it syncs in about 5 seconds. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeatari1 Posted March 13, 2021 Share Posted March 13, 2021 Glad you figured it out, but that raises another question. If you were only 10 feet away, why was there an issue? I am at least 15 feet away and don't have any issues. I wonder if perhaps you bumped one of the antennas off. I might open it up again and check to be sure. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Dangerous Posted March 14, 2021 Author Share Posted March 14, 2021 Antenna? Like the Wi-Fi antennas? I didn't realize they were what made the bluetooth connection.. I was %99.9 percent sure they were GTG when I sealed it back up but probably not a bad idea. I have it hooked up to the net through ethernet currently since it's upstairs near my modem. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeatari1 Posted March 14, 2021 Share Posted March 14, 2021 Hmm. I thought they were one in the same, but I could be wrong. I don't want you to think that you have to open up the machine again if you don't have to. Maybe a little more research on the subject first...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeatari1 Posted March 14, 2021 Share Posted March 14, 2021 Ok Rick, the module inside the VCS is a REALTEK RTL8822CE. It is an integrated Wifi and Bluetooth module. It supports Bluetooth 5.0 and 802.11ac as well as a/b/g/and n band Wifi. Find a full description here: https://www.realtek.com/en/products/communications-network-ics/item/rtl8821ce If you are currently using Ethernet, you may want to try using Wifi from another room just to test the module and range before opening the case again. Just my 2p. Hopefully this helps shed some light on your issue. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mockduck Posted March 15, 2021 Share Posted March 15, 2021 I have been wondering about the range, although I have not had any major issues. I did notice that I lost connection to one of my Classics last night, probably when I bluetooth sync'd it to Android or something. When I tried to Bluetooth connect, it just sat there blinking. What I did was turn the controller off (hold down Atari button), then turn it on by holding down the Atari button for a few seconds then unpressing it. The Atari button will blink differently than what it blinks at when connecting over Bluetooth, and that got the controller sync'd in a few seconds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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