Cross posted from
my blog.
I knew for a long time that this is something I'd be able to do, to an extent. I just wasn't sure about being able to use the PS3 controller to do it.
What you see above is my setup for playing SNES emulators on my 42" TV from across the room with my PS3 controller. Here's how it works:
• My PS3 controller is connected to my MacBook Pro, using the driver I downloaded
here.
• Since I use Macs, it's very easy for me to screen share from my MacBook Pro (sitting in bed across the room) to my iMac (which outputs video to my 42" LCD as a secondary display).
• I screen share to my iMac and run the emulator in full-screen mode on the secondary display (my TV).
• Since the PS3 controller driver won't work across screen sharing, I use
Gamepad Companion to re-map the button presses on the controller to keyboard inputs, which I then map accordingly in the emulator's preferences on my iMac.
• So, when I press buttons on my PS3 controller, they get sent to my MacBook Pro and are recognized by the driver mentioned above. Gamepad Companion remaps those button presses into keyboard strokes which are sent to my iMac wirelessly via screen sharing, and the iMac feeds those keyboard strokes into the emulator, whose keyboard preferences are mapped to match the button presses the iMac is telling it (which are, in turn, coming from my PS3 controller on my MacBook Pro). The emulator runs on my TV (as a second display for the iMac) and the button presses on my PS3 controller control the game displayed on my TV.
• In short, I sit in bed with my PS3 controller, and play Super Nintendo games on my TV across the room.
I'm not sure I can explain it any more in-detail than that, but I hope I made it simple enough for everyone to understand. The only issues I ran into involved the PS3 controller driver and Gamepad Companion (I had to restart the computer and turn off / on Gamepad Companion).
I've been having a blast playing A Link to the Past on my big-ass TV, and using the PS3 controller is pretty close to a SNES controller. It's bringing back a lot of memories. Once I get through LttP, I'm going to tackle Earthbound, since I never did finish that game way back when.
If anyone has questions regarding my setup, or has suggestions for simplifying it, let me know!
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I read about this and thought about doing it for a while. I'm glad your having fun with it but I'm waiting for someone to hack the PS3 firmware so I can play roms directly.
Damnit.
Still waiting for a patch so I can use my PS3 controller on my 64 bit Vista.
@danaxelpants
Just buy a 360 controller. The wired ones, since they're about 15-20 bucks cheaper than the wireless ones. Microsoft has 64-bit drivers for it. I'm planning on getting one soon just for emulation sakes, and maybe for the occasional non-fps game.
I know, but still...Imma cheap bastard.
Well, at least (most) Steam games is guaranteed to work with Xbox 360 controllers.
You just can't play Psychonauts with a keyboard and mouse.
I still use my old PS2 controller with a USB adapter and it works great and cuts out any lag that may be from a wireless connection. Im not gonna use a 360 controller in playing emulation cause the D-pad sucks.
That is cool. Didn't know about using the PS3 controller for Macs, now I wanna try that out.
Cool!
Some people find emulation wrong, but damn is it fun!
Sometimes it's the only easy way to play older games...
Who wants to wait for PSN or Wii Shop channel to have this game or that game?! No one...
Hmm i have all those things needed to test this out :-) MBP(check), awesome HDTV(check) PS3(check) and the controller awesome :-) will take sometime but look forward to trying it thanks
you can use the ds3 in windows, you just need the drivers and a can google sixaxis in windows and easily get them. my shitty windows xp laptop has some kind of problem with the one of the downloads and won't let me synch it.
but i got linux on my ps3 as well and have a snes emulator and mednafen (best emulator ever!) and the sixaxis works plug and play.
@redzie
I do the exact same thing. It's the best method; I would throw up all over myself trying to retro game with the 360's dpad.
Why do you even need the laptop? Can't you just plug you PS2 controller on the desktop machine that's connected to the TV?
@Narishma
I COULD, except I don't have a USB cable that goes across the room. This way, I can play from wherever I want.