Radio Shack's PSX>USB converters.......good enough?

Tech Talk
#1

I’ve owned 2 for a couple years now and from what I recall they’ve given me little to no trouble.

In recent times however, I’ve heard of issues with USB adapters and lag, and wonder if the Radioshack adapters are good enough or one of the worst in the market.

Also, and I don’t know if this a problem with the adapter itself, but I bought a DualShock 2 pad last May for my adapter and it doesn’t rumble at all under my adaptor. Would this have to do with it being a PS2 pad??? I’ve also heard that DS2 pads in recent years have been watered down and manufactured on the cheap, feeling lighter and missing controller pins and all that…

Any help would be appreciated, thanks.

#2

I use a Radio Shack psx-usb adapter (sold under the name “NEXXTECH” but says “Wasaki” on the back) and it seems to work great in almost every appkication i use it in.

I’ve played a lot of PC games using a PS1 pad (GTA, Psychonauts) as well as Guilty Gear XX #Reload. All very responsive.

Only issue I ever had was using it in MAME, with my Hori Tekken 5 10th Anniversay stick. The controls seemed VERY unresponsive - until I set the “analog deadzone” option from it’s default setting to “0.70” and it was a great improvement, but not exactly perfect.

Both PS1 and PS2 controllers rumble just fine, and I usually have the rumble set to 120% in the game controller options in windows Control Panel.

#3

I noticed that Radioshack has a new PSX-USB adapter out that looks much simpler than their old one. It pretty much looks like a plug-to-plug adapter, no box or anything. Dunno if that’s better or worse than what I have already.

#4

if you are using sony pads the adapters are fine. some third party controllers for ps/ps2 will cause lag, however.

#5

I haven’t seen the new ones. Have a part number for them?

#6

They are awesome and sold at a decent price. Perfect for sticks that use psx pcbs.

#7

Do these adapters allow you to play PS3 games with a PS1 controller?

#8

As far as I know, the only game that I have that works is Tekken 5 dr. but you have to have the analog button, or else you can’t switch to digital mode, and the characters won’t move. VF5 may support it too. I can’t get any old school games to work with the usb ports.

#9

I’ve been using Kawaks and I have the same problem with that stick. Do you know what I’d go in on Kawaks to get it working better? Thanks a bunch.

#10

I’m afraid I don’t use Kawaks. You have been experiencing the same problem in MAME? Cause I enable joystick in default game options and configure each game individually by tabbing into the setup options to configure controls.

Setting the analog deadzone helps a lot, but I haven’t played with it/tweaked it a lot personally. Maybe someone knows what the best setting is?

#11

Radioshack converter + old school H series PSX pad for the motherfuckingwin

#12

I use the DS2 and the SF Anniversary Pad w/ my RadioShack adapter. Dunno if the latter lags, haven’t tried it out in awhile (cuz it sucks so much, give me a Saturn pad any day)…

#13

My radioshack Psx-to-USB adapter works great, always has.

I have the older style adapter, and radioshack later made a more compact one with a very SHORT cable. Which I think is great because I use wireless pads, so I don’t require a long cord.

I’m not certain if thats the one you are talking about.

#14

Yes, I believe it is the one I’m talking about. (The new, slimmed-down adapter)

#15

Radio Shack’s usb converter has always served me right, except now I’m dissatisfied. I haven’t had mine for that long, and it stopped working. For no reason. I’ve tried every logical solution and I’ve come to the conclusion it’s just fucking broken. I took it apart and cleaned it… and well, when I took it apart, the PCB wasn’t pretty. Fatty fingerprints, grime on it, etc. FINGERPRINTS. ON THE PCB. BEFORE I TOUCHED IT. :bluu:

I need a new one and I don’t want to buy theirs again… Bummer.

#16

When you say analog button does that mean you have to have a pushbutton that corresponds to the analog button on the PS1 controller/pcb or do you just have to have the analog light still attached to the PCB?

#17

The Source/Radio Shack’s Sector 7 is quite fine. I tried this with PS2 Standard Issue Dualshock, Third Party controller, and Tekken 5 10th Anniversary Hori Arcade Stick and it’s good. MAME wise, Impact, and Kawaks wise: it’s damn good.

http://www.stepmania.com/images/screens/Adapters/tn/nexxtech_adapter.jpg

…that went well.

#18

Woah…I didn’t know this adapter was also sold under different brands. I also didn’t figure (back when I bought them) that a PSX>USB adapter from RadioShack wouldn’t be any good at all. Thankfully I was wrong for the most part.

But still, the Sony DS2 pad that I bought last May hasn’t rumbled even once since I started playing it with the adaptor. And as strange as it sounds…to this day I don’t own a PS console, and haven’t owned one since about 2002. I’ve stuck with my Dreamcast and emulation since then, letting the then-current gen just past me by. I swear I’ve read that Sony’s DS2 pads in recent years have been more cheaply manufactured and stripped down than before…

#19

I actually just picked up one of these yesterday, and jumped right back into emulating all of these arcade cabinets I have…kicking around my apartment…honestly.

Anyway, it works very well, but I’ve yet to try it with my stick.

#20

Me neither! I use a Happ AC stick, but have yet to use it with the shack USB adapter. I hear the AC’s PCB is supposed to have trouble with such converters, but I’ve yet to test it to see for myself.