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How to Reset Your Gaming Controllers in RetroPie


If you find yourself in the situation where you are not able to use a controller on the menus then you can follow the steps below to reset it.

Please follow these step by step to have back the Welcome Screen for configure your controllers.

  • Plug a USB keyboard into one of the USB ports.
  • Plug the controller(s) into another USB ports.
  1. Start your system and wait the end of the boot, press F4 on keyboard, this will go to command prompt:
  2. Type in:
    rm /home/pi/.emulationstation/es_input.cfg

    Hit Enter followed by:

    sudo reboot

    Hit Enter again and you should be able to configure your controller again.

  3. Hold down any button on your keyboard or gamepad and the name will appear at the bottom and then open up into a configuration menu:
  4. Follow the onscreen instructions to configure your gamepad- if you run out of buttons just hold down a button to skip each unused button. When you get to OK press the button you have configured as "A"

Your controllers are now set up.