Saturn USB controllers

[markeconrad]

Well I am looking for a Saturn USB controller for emulation purposes and I hear that people went ape nuts buying them up for their PS3 and now cost a ton. I looked through the forums a bit, but can't find anything up to date. So a few questions:

Does anyone have any experience with off brand Saturn USB controllers?
Does anyone have experience converting a Saturn controller?
Do you know where I can find those 3in1 USB converters that will convert a Saturn controller?

[gtmtnbiker]

Here's one recent thread:
http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopi ... =a&start=0

There are more. Search for "saturn usb controller"

[Hatta]

Yes, I got a couple of the PlaySega brand controllers back when they were doing a promotion. Those turned out to be the same Hong Kong knockoffs that were all over ebay at the time (thanks sega! ). Of course the d-pad broke in less than a week of light use. I went ahead and bought a couple of the originals which are so much better.

I did compare the HK product to the official Saturn controller (original and USB). The shells are identical, and the PCBs are interchangable. There's only one difference, the shoulder switches are a little shorter on the PlaySega, so the shoulder buttons have a little foam shim so they will make contact with the switch.

As a result, you can transplant the HK PCB (or probably any other HK ripoff controller) into an official Saturn model 2 controller, if you swap the shoulder buttons too, or shim up the shoulder buttons on the recipient controller, or desolder and swap the shoulder switches. Alternatively, you can swap the d-pad from a real Saturn controller into the HK controller.

I'm drawing a blank right now on the part number that's on these. But I just looked at eBay and didn't see any that show the part number, so that wouldn't help anyway. Unfortunately, there's nothing that looks like a real SLS pad anymore. Glad I got mine when I did!

[gtmtnbiker]

But I just looked at eBay and didn't see any that show the part number, so that wouldn't help anyway. Unfortunately, there's nothing that looks like a real SLS pad anymore. Glad I got mine when I did!

A couple look like real SLS pads but man, are they expensive! One is currently at $70 with 6 bids. Another is BIN for $140.

There are not too many available options anymore. Wow, did the supply dry up quickly!
Like you, I'm glad that I picked up a couple last year. I have a grey one and a white one.

[markeconrad]

Thanks Hatta. What a pain. There's gotta be somebody who is gonna step up and make some converters or something. I mean there's gotta be a market when controllers are selling for upwards of $70.

[aaron]

i got mine for ~$25 on this very forum not too long ago. just keep an eye out.

[Lodestar]

I don't recommend these one bit, I bought one for about 35 USD a couple years ago and it broke within 6 months. Lots of people report the same problem of the d-pads simply breaking off (not the d-pad itself, but the rubber underneath it with the metal contacts). They are simply not the same build quality that one could expect from the old Sega.

[gtmtnbiker]

I don't recommend these one bit, I bought one for about 35 USD a couple years ago and it broke within 6 months. Lots of people report the same problem of the d-pads simply breaking off (not the d-pad itself, but the rubber underneath it with the metal contacts). They are simply not the same build quality that one could expect from the old Sega.

I know the Play Sega controller that you can get for subscribing to the sega online game subscription is considered to be junky but that's the first complaint I heard about the SLS Sega Saturn USB Pad.

The ones that I have are:



Are yours similar to those?

[Lodestar]

The grey one, and yes it was official.

[markeconrad]

Yes, I got a couple of the PlaySega brand controllers back when they were doing a promotion. Those turned out to be the same Hong Kong knockoffs that were all over ebay at the time (thanks sega! ). Of course the d-pad broke in less than a week of light use. I went ahead and bought a couple of the originals which are so much better.

I did compare the HK product to the official Saturn controller (original and USB). The shells are identical, and the PCBs are interchangable. There's only one difference, the shoulder switches are a little shorter on the PlaySega, so the shoulder buttons have a little foam shim so they will make contact with the switch.

As a result, you can transplant the HK PCB (or probably any other HK ripoff controller) into an official Saturn model 2 controller, if you swap the shoulder buttons too, or shim up the shoulder buttons on the recipient controller, or desolder and swap the shoulder switches. Alternatively, you can swap the d-pad from a real Saturn controller into the HK controller.

I'm drawing a blank right now on the part number that's on these. But I just looked at eBay and didn't see any that show the part number, so that wouldn't help anyway. Unfortunately, there's nothing that looks like a real SLS pad anymore. Glad I got mine when I did!

So Hatta, just to clarify, I could get a fake USB Saturn controller and a regular one and change out the insides so that I have a working Saturn USB controller?