best game controller for fire tv? - Fire TV Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

I have read various threads online and here, but curious on a few things
1. What is the best controller to use?
2. Can a game controller and the fire remote work at the same time.
I am contemplating just getting the fire game controller, but have also thought maybe the ouya controller would be a good choice.
I mainly want to use it with RCB to play roms, but would also occasionally like to play some actual games on the fire tv too.
Mainly I use my fire tv for xbmc, pandora and netflix only. I don;t use any amazon videos etc on it.
My fire tv is rooted. I have read that if you use six axis that it disables the fire remote, is that correct?
I need to keep the system wife and kid friendly, and don;t want to get phone calls telling me they cannot remote control it with the remote.
Thanks for any help and insights into it.

I haven't done much gaming on aftv. But I can answer 2 parts
Yes. Sixaxis highjacks the Bluetooth. I think the only way to get the remote back is to go back into sixaxis app or reboot. But of course the ps3 will work as a remote.
I bought a ouya gamepad a few weeks back because the were cheap at bestbuy (and now target 20.00) It works in addition to the aftv remote unlike ps3.

KLit75 said:
I haven't done much gaming on aftv. But I can answer 2 parts
Yes. Sixaxis highjacks the Bluetooth. I think the only way to get the remote back is to go back into sixaxis app or reboot. But of course the ps3 will work as a remote.
I bought a ouya gamepad a few weeks back because the were cheap at bestbuy (and now target 20.00) It works in addition to the aftv remote unlike ps3.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks.
Haven't seen the ouya for that low, always see it at $49.99 at target.
I was contemplating a usb wifi adapter for xbox 360 remote too, can pick those up for a few dollars and already have an xbox 360 controller too. That may be my best option.

The Ouya controller is working wonderfully on my Fire TV Stick. The ability to use it as a mouse greatly enhances the amount of sideloaded apps you can use.

xm41907 said:
The Ouya controller is working wonderfully on my Fire TV Stick. The ability to use it as a mouse greatly enhances the amount of sideloaded apps you can use.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So the ouya controller has a built in touchpad on it that works too?

xm41907 said:
The Ouya controller is working wonderfully on my Fire TV Stick. The ability to use it as a mouse greatly enhances the amount of sideloaded apps you can use.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How are you using it as a mouse? I've been looking for a mouse app but they're all paid. This would be a great feature for the xfinity app but as far as I can tell it works just like aftv remote? I still need a mouse for certain selections.

Yes, the Ouya touchpad works wonderfully as a mouse. It's already detected as one when you connect the Ouya.

The Ouya controller is great, but the lack of back or menu buttons can be frustrating at times. Hunting down the remote to pause a game can be annoying, but ultimately not too big a deal.

WisdomWolf said:
The Ouya controller is great, but the lack of back or menu buttons can be frustrating at times. Hunting down the remote to pause a game can be annoying, but ultimately not too big a deal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Ouya button at the bottom of the remote to connect it will take you back to home. In most officially approved Fire TV Stick games, it brings up that screen that asks if you want to return to the menu and loose progress. It's a good way to pause the game. Be aware though, not all games have that.

Related

[Q] Navigating CyonogenMod

Just went through the directions and successfully updated CWM and installed the boot menu. Took a few tries to get CyanogenMod to boot up but once I wiped the user data and reinstall it booted up fine.
Question, is the OUYA controller useless once in CyanogenMod? Do I need a keyboard/mouse to use it properly? What is the fan favorite for devices to replace the awkward controller?
Thanks.
bb_chazz said:
Question, is the OUYA controller useless once in CyanogenMod?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This. I can't type from my OUYA remote to the onscreen keyboard. I've searched to find a way to enable this feature and couldn't find anything that would. I would think adding OUYA Remote as an input device might do it (Keyboard & Input in CM Settings) But, there is no option to access it.
I tried dl'ing Six Axis and it got late so I wasn't able to mess with it too much, but, it didn't seem like it was going to work. Essentially, I just want to be able to select the letters of the onscreen keyboard with the Ouya controller. Has anyone had better luck?
I have really retired my OUYA controller. Multi port USB hub with a USB keyboard, for recovery work, wireless mouse and a Bluetooth keyboard are my choices. I don't much care for games so this is just an HTPC for me. XBMC, Pandora, some weather apps, Facebook and tumblr. I haven't even tried the controller with any android games. Does it work in that respect?
Sent from my LG-LS720 using xda app-developers app
Ive not actually tried it. It Navigates ok with wireless xbox 360 controller, so I`d guess its ok. Seriously, get a cheap wireless keyboard and mouse, for pref, not a bluetooth one but one with a dongle. Bought mine for £15 and its a joy to use. Browsing on a nice big TV is awesome.
You need to manually link the ouya controller in the blue tooth setting menu. Put the controller into discovery more than select find BT devices. You only need to do this once

Amazon Fire TV Stick and the PS4 Controller

Has anybody else had any luck pairing a PS4 controller with the Amazon Fire TV Stick? I saw that with the Amazon Fire TV you hold share and power, and you can then pair them. On the Stick everything seems to go about the same, except then it says 'Unable to pair' when you select Wireless Controller.
Hey i'm having the same problem. I don't have the Fire TV but have read something similar to what you said. If you figure out a method plz let me know.
Same here
Having the same issue here. Can't seem to figure it out;
Any updates guys?
khb008 said:
Any updates guys?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried sideloading Android's settings.apk - and even then it was a no go. Maybe part of their plan of selling it for $20 was counting on some sales of the $40 controller, so they don't want us using other controllers with it anymore.
Ualdayan said:
I tried sideloading Android's settings.apk - and even then it was a no go. Maybe part of their plan of selling it for $20 was counting on some sales of the $40 controller, so they don't want us using other controllers with it anymore.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I also tried with the settings apk. My problem was that the controller would not even show up in the Settings.apk Bluetooth menu. On the other hand, it showed up in the Bluetooth controllers options but did not connect.
Other people have had success connecting the Ouya controller thus I think its not that they don't want ANY 3rd party controllers, its just that the Bluetooth driver and/or hardware they're using is different than the Fire TV. Which is really sad because the ONLY reason I bought the Fire TV stick was because I read PS4 controller works out of the box with FireTV.
Same issue for me and I'm really bummed. Any other things to try besides the settings.apk? I have a feeling this is a cut cost hardware issue.
same issue
I have just spoken with amazon and according to them the PS4 controller is not compatible. I too saw an youtube video where someone was able to pair it, if anyone has a solution to this issue please let me know, I really don't want to wait for the playpad pro that is optimazied for amazon since its back ordered
I finally got it to pair, but the performance is pretty terrible, you can see the process here: http://youtu.be/jF3ExA3qzbc (no root required) to keep this from being a 'shameless plug' I'll post the brief instructions, so you can skip the video if you want.
'adb shell' into your fire stick
Get your mac address with this command: settings get secure bluetooth_address
Download and install sixaxisPairToolSetup-0.3.0
Connect your controller via usb to your pc, run the tool, and change the master address to your fire stick's address
Put your dualshock4 in pairing mode and scan for bluetooth controllers with your fire stick
As soon as "wireless controller" shows up on the list DO NOT SELECT IT.
Turn off your controller by holding the (ps) button
Select "wireless controller" on your fire stick
Turn back on the controler
It should now be connected, and it will be greyed out in the list.
if it did not connect try the pairing process again, but this method worked for me on the first try.
[/LIST](the youtube video is more detailed, and has all the links, but with this post and a quick google search, you should be able to find everything you need)
(this is a copy of a redit post I made, but I just put it here, so you can find it as well)
BOBdotEXE said:
I finally got it to pair, but the performance is pretty terrible, you can see the process here: http://youtu.be/jF3ExA3qzbc (no root required) to keep this from being a 'shameless plug' I'll post the brief instructions, so you can skip the video if you want.
'adb shell' into your fire stick
Get your mac address with this command: settings get secure bluetooth_address
Download and install sixaxisPairToolSetup-0.3.0
Connect your controller via usb to your pc, run the tool, and change the master address to your fire stick's address
Put your dualshock4 in pairing mode and scan for bluetooth controllers with your fire stick
As soon as "wireless controller" shows up on the list DO NOT SELECT IT.
Turn off your controller by holding the (ps) button
Select "wireless controller" on your fire stick
Turn back on the controler
It should now be connected, and it will be greyed out in the list.
if it did not connect try the pairing process again, but this method worked for me on the first try.
[/LIST](the youtube video is more detailed, and has all the links, but with this post and a quick google search, you should be able to find everything you need)
(this is a copy of a redit post I made, but I just put it here, so you can find it as well)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can this same process be followed for a PS3 remote?
binary01 said:
Can this same process be followed for a PS3 remote?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't believe so, the ds4 acts as a generic bluetooth controller,
the ds3/sixaxis dose not.
but feel free to try, I do not have any with me at the time, so I can not check.
have there been any updates to this? the Settings.apk is not working for me, it closes out when I attempt attach a bluetooth controller. I am trying to connect my ps4 controller through bluetooth for a lag free experience. So far after connecting it I get a ton of lag on the controller.
the steps given by BOBdotEXE in this thread worked for me it even works the main amazon screen too its not working for all games but seems ok with the emulators though
MrWolfman said:
the steps given by BOBdotEXE in this thread worked for me it even works the main amazon screen too its not working for all games but seems ok with the emulators though
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
unfortunately according to the link there still is lag when inputting commands (1 month ago), I am hoping someone can find a workaround for the lag issues because games are unplayable through bluetooth using a ps4 controller
rrussell50 said:
unfortunately according to the link there still is lag when inputting commands (1 month ago), I am hoping someone can find a workaround for the lag issues because games are unplayable through bluetooth using a ps4 controller
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
my lag isnt that bad at all tbh, i can play sonic 1 no problems, i can play nintendo emulator no problems, i think the lag may be due to the distance from the stick to the controller, my distance is about 2 metres from the stick maybe just over, if you live in a BIG house with over 5 metre distance then yes there would obviously be lag
If you need an alternative controller I have a thread for that Here - http://forum.xda-developers.com/fire-tv/help/aftv2-best-compatible-apps-accessories-t3269267
I haven't managed to get the ds4 paired via Bluetooth as yet but whilst trying I connected it to a powered usb hub which is connected to the stick which is rooted and has OTG enabled.
It worked immediately wired.
As soon as I pulled the cable though the stick rebooted. But if your desperate, rooted and have an OTG cable you can connect your ds4 to you fire stick.
FYI My old wired xbox 360 (afterglow) didn't work when that was connected.
Hello all. Sorry to bump this ancient thread but its the first google result when looking for help. So i had problems using my ps4 controller on my firetv myself as it appears amazon has cut support for game controllers on firetv. Lucky enough there is an easy fix.
Simply download and install Easy Fire Tools onto a smartphone.
Easy Fire Tools - Apps on Google Play
Install your favorite apps on FireTv and other android devices
play.google.com
Then download and install Bluetooth Pair
Bluetooth Pair - Apps on Google Play
Bluetooth pairing - automated. Simply turn on Bluetooth and connect!
play.google.com
Then just sideload Bluetooth Pair app to firetv and use it to connect to game controller.
This method works to where you dont need to pair the remote every time you want to use with firetv. Simply turn on and it will connect.
Cheers!
I'm having the same issue. Although I do not own a Fire TV, I have read something that sounds similar to what you have described. Please let me know if you come up with a solution.

[Q] Wired Xbox 360 controller issues

I have recently purchased an Amazon Fire TV Box. I have side loaded emulators and games and want to use an old wired xbox 360 controller that I had laying around. From what I read I should just be able to plug & play. It won't work. The lights continueally flash on the controller but nothing else happenes. I really don't want to fork out for a Fire TV games controller as from what I hear they aren't all that good.
Any help would be great.
(United Kingdom)
Garff1e said:
I have recently purchased an Amazon Fire TV Box. I have side loaded emulators and games and want to use an old wired xbox 360 controller that I had laying around. From what I read I should just be able to plug & play. It won't work. The lights continueally flash on the controller but nothing else happenes. I really don't want to fork out for a Fire TV games controller as from what I hear they aren't all that good.
Any help would be great.
(United Kingdom)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried the controller on your computer? Maybe its broken.
I've hooked up 2 of the XBox 360 Controllers with a USB hub to my FTV and they work perfectly.
For what it's worth my 2 wired third party xbox 360 controllers don't seem to work properly. The L / R triggers don't register on the fire TV.
Managed to get it sorted. Controller was faulty. Tried another and all good.

Firetv remote not working

I have the FireTV box. I installed the wireless remote app for my android and it worked ok. Then I realized the remote itself isn't working at all. I tried unplugging the cord and rebooting. Nothing.
Any suggestions?
Fresh batteries. The remote is a battery hog. Sometimes the screen will tell yo when the batteries are low, but several times I have had to switch batteries without being warned of low batteries.
you didn;t happen to turn off bluetooth by accident, did you?
I have the same problem. I have replaced the batteries but still no bueno. The remote status is battery offline. Reboot the Box, still no dice. Where can I check to see that the bluetooth is still enabled?
spyder3 said:
I have the same problem. I have replaced the batteries but still no bueno. The remote status is battery offline. Reboot the Box, still no dice. Where can I check to see that the bluetooth is still enabled?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe you need to re-pair the remote. Just a guess. Anyway, see this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201452760.
Yeah, I tried that. No dice. I contacted Amazon and they are sending me a replacement remote. Apparently this problem is becoming common and a replacement remote fixes it.
Have you tried pairing another bluetooth device like a keyboard, mouse, headphones, gamepads or speakers to ensure your bluetooth controller on the Amazon device hasn't died?
Sent from a Freedompop HTC Evo 4G
I contacted Amazon and they sent me a replacement remote, next day. It works perfectly. I guess the remotes just die sometimes.
spyder3 said:
I contacted Amazon and they sent me a replacement remote, next day. It works perfectly. I guess the remotes just die sometimes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
do you still have that remote? the same thing happened to me, and I was able to fix it.
shutterslaps said:
do you still have that remote? the same thing happened to me, and I was able to fix it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you let us know what the issue was and how you fixed your remote? It could be helpful to myself and others who may run into a non working Fire TV remote.
i had same issue, i had to get another remote
mjbxx said:
Can you let us know what the issue was and how you fixed your remote? It could be helpful to myself and others who may run into a non working Fire TV remote.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was trying to pair a ps4 controller with the sixaxis app. That's exactly when the remote stopped working. I'm assuming it was because the app was messing with the systems bluetooth connection. Luckily I had another remote already setup (a Rii Mini 2.4GHz Wireless Touchpad Keyboard.) I went back into the sixaxis app, clicked on STOP, and exited the program. I then went into the settings.apk (not the one that came with the system) went into BLUETOOTH, and unpaired the Amazon Fire TV Remote. Then I repaired the Amazon Fire Tv Remote through BLUETOOTH in settings. The remote still didn't work, but I was now able to go into the stock settings app that came with the system, click on CONTROLLERS then Amazon Fire TV Remotes, Add New Remote, and hold down the Home button on the remote for about 5 seconds, and it showed up in the list of Discovered Remotes. Once I clicked on the remote, it started working.
Now I may or may not have added extra, unnecessary steps, but that's exactly what I did to get it working again.
Oh and I highly recommend the Rii Mini Wireless Touchpad Keyboard. It's small, has a full keyboard & touchpad that is perfect for using as a mouse pointer. It also comes with a wireless dongle. I only wish I could map a HOME button press to one of the keys on it. Oh and it was plug and play! I connected the dongle, turned on the remote, and worked right away. No pairing was needed.
**I take back the recommendation for the Rii Mini Wireless Touchpad Keyboard. Now it's sporadically acting like I'm holding down buttons and it's really quite annoying. For example, I would type out TEST, and when I would get to the 'E', it'll input 'EEEEEEEEE' until I press another button. I have a clear line of sight to the dongle, and it's two feet away. After scouring the internets, I read some good reviews about the FAVI Wireless Keyboard, and ordered it. ($35.57)
Help! I lost the remote for my fire stick, so I downloaded the remote app on my iPhone. It worked great for a day, then couldn't find the fire tv stick at all. I tried everything to fix it, restarting my phone, unplugging the fire stick, restarting wifi, deleting and renown loading the app, and nothing worked. I tried using some different remote apps, and none of them picked up the fire stick, so I'm assuming it's a problem with the fire stick itself. If the Bluetooth on the fire stick stopped working, how do I fix it? A friend bought this for me and set it all up so I don't have a clue how to work it without the remote, please help!
I have similar problems with the Amazon Fire TV and Fire Stick remotes. There is a known issue that other Bluetooth-enabled devices within range of the Amazon hardware can disrupt the connection with the remote (like a laptop, tablet, etc.). I learned this directly from Amazon Tech Service. They also sent me a second remote which still has the same problem.
I keep a Logitech Unifying dongle plugged into the USB port on the Fire TV and use a mini-keyboard remote or a wireless full-size keyboard made for Google TV, which works all the time even when the Amazon remotes stop working. Unfortunately, this "fix" won't work with the FireStick since there is no USB port.
I have a Logitech Revue, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire Stick and a Roku3 box. The Roku3 is the only one that has no real issues, always works and the best features. Other than that, my Vizio M-series TV has Yahoo! Smart TV and is sufficient for most streaming without a box.
Wukong romote app should work since it works over wifi. You probably need to just toggle bluetooth off and on.
Sent from my LG-LS980 using Tapatalk
spyder3 said:
Yeah, I tried that. No dice. I contacted Amazon and they are sending me a replacement remote. Apparently this problem is becoming common and a replacement remote fixes it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seems to be a very common problem. I had this problem with my first-gen FTV as well. Customer service didn't even bother asking any questions and had it replaced promptly. Hopefully it doesn't happen with my FTV2 remote.
I fixiti removing the remote from the bluetooth devices and leting the firetv connect again. So far 2 month and no issues
mjbxx said:
Can you let us know what the issue was and how you fixed your remote? It could be helpful to myself and others who may run into a non working Fire TV remote.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When I spoke with the Amazon CSR, he had me do the following
1) Remove the batteries from the remote
2) Hold the middle circle button AND the home button at the same time (keep holding for the next steps)
3) Disconnect HDMI and power cable from Fire TV
4) wait 30 seconds
5) Reconnect HDMI and Power Cable
6) Let go of remote buttons, re-insert batteries into remote
7) voila, remote worked again.
These steps basically reset the bluetooth settings on the Fire TV. After troubleshooting, I think the issue may be because of bluetooth interference from my Amazon Echo, cell phone and laptop that are all connected in the same room. Hope this helps! :highfive:
Is the FireTV remote the same as the FireTV Stick remote? I've ordered a new TV box to replace my stick and want to reuse the old remote. I'm not bothered about the voice features.
Good third party remote for android tv and amazon fire tv, and I find the mouse can be use in this app called CetusPlay, you can find it on google play store
and there is another on called wukong tv remote, but know it seems not working in the mouse.

[Q] XBOX 360 Controller

So, I seem to be the only one not able to get a 360 controller to work with my factory Fire TV. I've tried the MS wireless dongle and wireless controller and a MS wired controller. Neither respond at all. What am I missing here?
bcrosby51 said:
So, I seem to be the only one not able to get a 360 controller to work with my factory Fire TV. I've tried the MS wireless dongle and wireless controller and a MS wired controller. Neither respond at all. What am I missing here?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've tried a wired 360 controller on mine and it works fine (at least when running a fire tv native game).
Does the wired controller work on a PC? What firmware version are you using?
bcrosby51 said:
So, I seem to be the only one not able to get a 360 controller to work with my factory Fire TV. I've tried the MS wireless dongle and wireless controller and a MS wired controller. Neither respond at all. What am I missing here?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
after buying the microsoft wireless controller you must download and run pc software to a pc to sync the 360 remote to the dongle. once it is synced and working on the pc you can unplug the dongle and plug it into the firetv usb port. as a note, when conected to fire tv the 4 led's on the controler flash in a circle as if not connected but it actually works.
Yep. I've tried syncing it first on my pc. Both the wired and wireless work on my pc....but not the fire tv
bcrosby51 said:
Yep. I've tried syncing it first on my pc. Both the wired and wireless work on my pc....but not the fire tv
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does a USB keyboard work on the Fire TV (just to make sure it's not the usb port)? Have you tried rebooting the Fire TV?
I assume it works, I dont have a free keyboard lying around. When I plug the wireless dongle in the light lights up and when I plug the wired controller in it lights up for a second, then the light goes out..and will not come back on.
I ordered one of the cheap 8 buck wireless dongles for the 360 controller. It quickly detected the my controller on my pc and paired up. I moved everything over to the fire tv.. Does anyone else find that the controller is very hit or miss on games? I have 3 games that say they will work with either the fire remote or a gamepad.. Crossy road, Unpossible, and Robotu. Robatu is the only one that actually works once in the game.. When out of games, the xbox controller does fine navigating evertying within the main Amazon interface. Anyone else?
Bumping.. can anyone with an xbox controller confirm / tell me if mine's just not working right- or is it also hit and miss for you on games that support the game controller?
My Xbox 360 controller works with KOTOR and Tales from the Borderlands.
Viperise152 said:
My Xbox 360 controller works with KOTOR and Tales from the Borderlands.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The 360 controller is incompatible with KOTOR. It seems to work at first, but the d-pad is non functional which eventually breaks the game. At least you can sort of play it, though; I've had other games be completely unplayable due to the main menu not responding to the 360 controller's input.
Bottom line: The 360 controller is NOT fully compatible with the Fire TV. Amazon claims that it works (and it sort of does) but it's mostly just another example of the half-assed state of the Fire TV OS and software.
George2000 said:
The 360 controller is incompatible with KOTOR. It seems to work at first, but the d-pad is non functional which eventually breaks the game. At least you can sort of play it, though; I've had other games be completely unplayable due to the main menu not responding to the 360 controller's input.
Bottom line: The 360 controller is NOT fully compatible with the Fire TV. Amazon claims that it works (and it sort of does) but it's mostly just another example of the half-assed state of the Fire TV OS and software.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Weird I still have not had any issues with mine yet. If it makes a difference I have been using both the XBox 360 console controller and a wired XBox 360 PC model controller.

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