I just had the opportunity to lag test the USB version of the Retro-Bit Big 6 controller, with Louis from Zez Retro. We determined that the average latency results were about 6ms, varying between 2.9 and 11.6ms – About the same as their 6-button Genesis 2 controller. While that’s not bad, Retro-Bit’s own Genesis 8-button and Saturn USB controllers average only one millisecond of lag. I’d still say the Big 6 is a good controller and previous reviews seemed to like it, so if you wanted a unique controller, give it a try!
Big6 USB: https://amzn.to/3n3zcU9
Big6 Genesis: https://retrorgb.link/big6genesis
Big6 Wireless: https://retrorgb.link/big6wireless
Google Doc Results (temp): https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1oApnAIfIlvePc7AscyCH1s4OLYklFh-r8oY2Ia6xwEo/edit?usp=sharing
MiSTer Addons Latency Sheet (results will be here soon): https://rpubs.com/misteraddons/inputlatency
I gotta say, it’s sad Retro-Bit doesn’t continue to use the better USB chipset. While 99.99% of gamers wouldn’t notice the difference between 1 and 6ms of controller latency, wouldn’t you rather have the peace of mind that the faster chipset was used? I’m still keeping mine and thought it felt pretty good, but hope Retro-Bit is paying attention.
Also, my original concerns of the Start button getting in the way is a non-issue: You have to go out of your way to hit it and there’s no chance of an accidental press. They really did a good job on the layout!
If you’d like detailed info as to how we came up with these numbers, check out the livestream below. Be warned though: It’s long, boring, filled with technical delays and the Big6 is just one of the three things we worked on. I’m leaving the link here, not to encourage people to watch, but simply as proof to the accuracy of our test methods.
Here is the lag test results from todays stream!
Big 6: 6ms
Jammix v2 firmware: 2.3mshttps://t.co/lkN3AwNk2x— Zez Retro (@zez) April 25, 2023
