ever made your own snes usb controller?

[grittykitty]

i'm aware there are converter boxes that allow you to simply plug in your super nintendo/famicom controller and use it through usb, but i'd like to avoid dealing with this box and install one of the usb controller chips into my super famicom controller. OR, swap the shell and buttons with one of the pre-made controllers you can find on ebay - the only problem with this is that the japanese select and start buttons are horizontal, and not at a diagonal angle like the north american versions.

anyone ever installed a chip, or made one of these switches?

[ac_90]

doesn't seem like its worth the effort imo

if you make it yourself can you still use it interchangably on snes and pc?

[blackmagepwns]

Have not done it myself perse, but a friend and I were pondering this the other day and discussed what we should do about it. First of all, they do sell switches like that I'm certain, Just not sure where. Also, I'm fairly sure you can wire the usb and SNES cords together if you have enough skill in soldering.

I say you should at least try to see if you can find a way to do it, but I'm going to tell you its going to be a bit frustrating, but if you like to tinker with things like this, go for it.

[Mod_Man_Extreme]

Get a converter and save an SNES controller from death by USB.

[Dylan]

Yeah, I got a converter and it works perfectly. If you're doing this for practical reasons, I'd suggest that.

However, if you're in it for kicks, good luck.

[DCsegaDH]

I don't have a snes usb controller, but I have a PS2 to usb converter and it works great! Just get a snes to usb converter, its easier than hacking it.

[grittykitty]

people are all about digging up my old topics, it seems...

i think i posted an update on this somewhere, but maybe i'm wrong. anyway, i bought a cheap snes usb controller from ebay a few months ago and made the swap myself. in retrospect, it was a bad idea! the controller works fine for the most part... but it took many hours of being irritated, sanding down plastic (which might have been a bad idea, i later realized) and lots of screaming. the cheap controller i bought was just that - cheap, and cheaply made. the layout is a little different inside, with the rubber pads and plastic frames being different sizes from my official super famicom controller. also, at some point the black cable coming from the controller slid up, semi-exposing the colored wires it protects. not as hazardous as it sounds... just a minor cosmetic annoyance. i'd open up the controller to mess with black cable again, but i had such a hard time getting it shut after the surgery in the first place that i'd rather not open it again.

you can order the chips to solder inside the controller from retro usb, or raphnet. seems like a bit more trouble though... i may try this in the near future if i have time and i'm feeling a bit adventurous. maybe i'll post a pic of my controller later

[zxqdms]

I ordered two of the NES/SNES USB retrokits from retrousb and successfully converted two SNES controllers I had to USB.

I had similar problems getting the wires and chip situated correctly so the controller would close properly.

The first controller worked immediately after I modified it. The second one didn't work correctly at first, but it was my own fault for being too lazy to clean all of the button and control pad contacts. After I took it apart again and did that, the second one worked too. I'm not very experienced with soldering, but the pads on the board are pretty big, so it wasn't so bad.

[grittykitty]

closing up my gut-swapped controller was the hard part. there were a few times when i tested the controller before completely closing it up, only to find a button or two no longer worked by the time i closed it up completely. your experience sounds a lot less painful than mine, so i'll try that route when i need a second controller. the cost is pretty much the same in the end, and since i have no use for pieces of a cheap knockoff snes controller buying the chip seems like the right choice.