[LaurensBosscher]

Status: Draft. This was AI generated. I will review and test before changing the status.

Summary

What does this PR do?

Issue

There was no way to open the menu, or see the FPS while using: dsperate-sa on the Powkiddy X55 and, I expect, other handhelds

Fix

Guide = Select hold

Input	Result
one Select press	DS Select pressed and released — nothing swallowed
GUIDE + X	show/hide
GUIDE + Y	pause
GUIDE + A	Fast Forward
GUIDE + START	quit
GUIDE + L2 / R2	screen_swap / fast_forward_toggle
L2 or R2 alone	nothing (the layout no longer moves)

Testing & Verification

• Device(s) Tested: Powkiddy X55 (RK3566), ROCKNIX 20261001. *

Test Steps

1. Booted Mario Kart DS
2. Tested the buttons as described above.

Test Results & Evidence

Additional Context & Reviewer Notes

• Released images read /usr/config/dsperate/dsperate.ini and seed /storage/.config/dsperate/dsperate.ini only when it is missing, so none of this reaches 20261001. On that image the local fix for an unreachable guide is adding modifier = back to the /storage copy.
• RK3326's .oga/.r33s already had mod+dpup/mod+dpdown; RK3588 is untouched; H700, S922X, RK3326 .s1_f2/.xut keep modifier = guide and get only the layout change.
• Quit is also in the pause menu (modifier + X), so the new chord is a shortcut, not the only way out.

AI Assistance Disclosure

While ROCKNIX has no restrictions on using AI tools, transparency helps reviewers set the proper context during code review.

Did you use AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude) to assist with this pull request?

• No Written entirely without AI tools.
• Partially AI was used for minor assistance (e.g., refactoring, writing tests, debugging, documentation).
• Yes AI generated a major portion of the code or implementation.

[sydarn]

I think Select would be more fitting and in line with other emulators. I think we should try to keep convention on either select or guide. Depending on what the device has on the left hand side. If an emulator support multiple hotkeys you can assign both as hotkeys, I think ppsspp does this for example.

[LaurensBosscher]

I think Select would be more fitting and in line with other emulators. I think we should try to keep convention on either select or guide. Depending on what the device has on the left hand side. If an emulator support multiple hotkeys you can assign both as hotkeys, I think ppsspp does this for example.

Hi @sydarn,

Thanks, for the suggestion, let me update this one and see if we can use select instead of the trigger!

[sydarn]

I don't think we should remove guide from Inputplumber, maybe the best would actually be change DSperate itself to add a second hotkey.

[sydarn]

Additionally, this shouldn't really be a problem for X55. X55 now emit guide additionally to select on the select button:
https://github.com/ROCKNIX/distribution/blob/next/projects/ROCKNIX/devices/RK3566/filesystem/usr/share/inputplumber/capability_maps/powkiddy_x55.yaml#L71

If it doesn't work, that might be another bug in that case.

Addendum:
I can see it being in an issue on rk3399, and maybe some rk3326 devices.

[LaurensBosscher]

Text below is all AI:

I dropped the L2/Select switch — you were right, guide stays in config/InputPlumber/dsperate.ini.

I traced the X55's InputPlumber stream against DSperate's own input code and it is not just a naming choice:

• powkiddy_x55.yaml (and powkiddy, powkiddy_x35, anbernic_gen1, anbernic_arc) map BTN_SELECT twice, Select then Guide. InputPlumber's default MultiSource translation emits both, in map order, so one press is BACK + GUIDE.
• SDL emits BACK before GUIDE even inside a single DualSense report (SDL_hidapi_ps5.c:1214 vs :1223).
• DSperate 3.0.5 sets pad_mod_used_ on any other press under the modifier (src/frontend/sdl/input.cpp:514), so the "tap on release" for the modifier's DS button never fires.

Net: modifier = back on the X55 drives DS mask 0x0000 for a Select press — DS Select silently stops existing. modifier = guide drives the normal press+release, because there guide is the Select button, so holding it is already Select-as-modifier and tapping it still reaches the game. On the pads with a real FUNC key, guide stays that key and the DS Select stays a plain button. I put a comment in the file so this doesn't get "fixed" back to back later.

What the PR does now:

1. layout_next/layout_prev move off the bare +righttrigger/+lefttrigger to mod+dpup/mod+dpdown (RK3588 already had it) — pressing L2 or R2 alone no longer re-lays the screens out mid-game.
2. On the two configs whose modifier already is Select (RK3326, RK3399), quit moves off Select+Start to Select+L2, with screen_swap on mod+y and fps on mod+a. Select+Start is the pair ROCKNIX builds its global exit chord from (L1+Select+Start, input_sense:54-60) and what every other emulator here uses for Quit Game.

Verified against DSperate v3.0.5's Input (the real Config::load() + Input::configure(), driving the actual event streams): every chord in the twelve changed files fires as documented, a bare L2/R2 does nothing, and Input::collisions() is empty for all of them. Hardware: my X55 is on 20261001 (legacy joypad, no BTN_MODE at all, which is why the guide modifier is unreachable there), so the InputPlumber path itself still needs a pass on next.

[LaurensBosscher]

@sydarn ,

Tested on my Powkiddy X55 and it's all working with select!

I would also suggest that we switch L2 <> L1 and R2 <> R1. The triggers are in a more ergonomically position on all handhelds, having the gameplay functionality on L2 and R2 is less comfortable and a worse experience than the original Nintendo DS. Let me know if you agree and I'll do a PR with that change.

[beebono]

I'm not sure I understand the problem with Quit being Start+Select? The kill hotkey of L1+Start+Select is an unclean force quit, and shouldn't be used in most cases as far as I know. And changing the layout keys/swapping L1-2/R1-2 can be done at user level if desired?
EDIT: To clarify, the layout swap keys were set that way to match DraStic for consistency.

[LaurensBosscher]

Start

It's not a problem.

I initially thought it was better to have another key as the modifier button because users might accidentally press select + start and kill the emulator but given that we use select for other emulators as well I doubt that this will be an issue.

With regards to L1/L2, L1 (triggers) is more comfortable when playing Mario Kart (when you have to press and hold them for quite a while when drifting) but if the key is bound to a less used function it should also not be an issue.

[LaurensBosscher]

Changed to draft, I'll redo this with the latest version in mind. I want to make sure that we still need this now that we have Input plumber.