How to Play Riptide with USB/Bluetooth Gamepads
The latest update of Riptide GP (version 1.1) adds support for both USB and Bluetooth controllers. Below you'll find answers to some of the most common questions about how to configure the game to work with your gamepad or other input device.
Please note that Vector Unit cannot provide support for setting up or configuring your game pad or controller. If you are having problems getting your controller to work with your device, please contact your controller's manufacturer.
How do I play Riptide GP with my USB gamepad?
In order to play with a USB gamepad, you need to be running Riptide on a tablet with Android OS 3.1 or newer.
Connect your gamepad to the USB port on your mobile device. If your device has a full-sized USB port, all you need to do is plug it in. If your device has a micro-USB port, you'll probably need some kind of adapter to connect it.
Once your gamepad is connected, simply start up Riptide GP and follow the configuration instructions below.
Pro Tip: Some USB gamepads only activate and calibrate the joysticks after you've moved them. to be safe, once you've connected your gamepad, move any joysticks around in a full circle to calibrate them.
How do I play Riptide GP with my Bluetooth gamepad?
To play with a Bluetooth gamepad, you first need to turn Bluetooth on, and then pair your gamepad with your mobile device. (Follow the instructions that came with your gamepad and device.)
For most Bluetooth gamepads you also have a gamepad IME app installed. We recommend BluezIME, because it's free and it's the only one we've tested with extensively.
Once your gamepad is paired and connected, start up Riptide GP and follow the configuration instructions below.
How do I configure gamepad controls within Riptide GP?
By default, Riptide GP uses the standard tilt controls. To switch to using your gamepad, navigate to the "Help & Options" screen on the Main Menu (or in the Pause Menu), then choose "Settings" and "Controls".
At the top of the controls screen, click the left or right arrows to change your controller option. There are three options available:
- Tilt - the traditional tilt-screen controls (default)
- Single Stick - simplified gamepad controls, ideal for casual gameplay or for gamepads with only one joystick/d-pad
- Dual Stick - full gamepad controls, for gamepads with at least 2 joystick/d-pads
Once you've chosen your preferred controller option, you will probably need to configure the different controller assignments. To change an assignment, push on the control you want to change (eg., "Brake" or "Throttle"). When the message box appears, push the button or control on your gamepad that you want to use. The message box should disappear and show you the new assignment.
Pro Tip: Many gamepad buttons report a different key press than the one you see. For instance, pressing the "X" button on your gamepad may display as "BUTTON 1" or "Mode" or whatever. Don't worry about it -- just try it in the game to make sure it works.
When you're finished configuring your controls, simply back out and start playing the game!
What's the difference between Single Stick and Dual Stick control options?
Single Stick is a simplified control option. It's ideal for devices such as the Zeemote that only have one joystick. In single stick mode, you assign a single "Stunt" button. Pressing this button in mid-air pulls off a randomly selected stunt.
Dual Stick is designed for gamepads with two joysticks. In Dual Stick mode, you steer with the Left joystick, and in mid-air you pull off stunts by moving both the Left and Right joysticks in combination.
Pro Tip: Even if you have a gamepad with dual sticks, you might want to consider using Single Stick controls. The random-stunt button is kind of relaxing.
How do I pull off stunts on my gamepad?
If you're in Single Stick mode, press the button you assigned to "Stunt", and your guy will do a randomly selected stunt.
If you're in Dual Stick mode, press the Left and Right joysticks in combination. The stunt combos are similar to the thumb-swipe combos in tilt controls (both joysticks up for Bar Hop, one up and one down for Tabletop, etc.)
How come my (Insert Preferred Controller Here) doesn't work?
We don't know. Please don't take it personally. We don't support specific controllers -- our controller implementation goes through the generic Android operating system, and we just read what it gives us. If your gamepad/input device is supported within the Android operating system, it should also work with our game.
If you have a controller that works generically with other games/software on your mobile device, but doesn't work with ours, please email us a note about it to support@vectorunit.com, along with the name of your controller, the type of mobile device, and your current OS version, and we'll take a look at it.
What USB gamepad do you recommend?
Really just about any will work. We like the wired Xbox 360 controller: just plug that baby in and Riptide's controls are all preconfigured to work perfectly with it.
We also like the Logitech USB gamepads, both the wired and the wireless versions. For these, you'll have to reconfigure some of the controller settings.
Remember that you need to have a tablet running Android OS 3.1 to use a USB controller.
What Bluetooth gamepad do you recommend?
Honestly, we haven't yet found a Bluetooth gamepad that we can wholeheartedly recommend. If you have used one that you think is really top-notch, please email your suggestion to support@vectorunit.com, and we'll check it out.
There are a number of SNES-style gamepads out there, such as the BGP100. They're OK, but they don't have analog joysticks. Playing with one of these types of controllers requires that you play in Single Stick mode.
The only analog dual-stick Bluetooth controller we have used and tested with is the iControlPad. It's OK, but we can't wholeheartedly recommend it, as it is somewhat expensive and the analog sticks are a little bit flakey. However right now, as far as we know, it's the only game in town if you want a full-featured Bluetooth gamepad for your mobile device.
Can I play Riptide GP with a keyboard?
Yes. Just read the instructions above and replace the word "gamepad" with "keyboard". It should work.
How do I navigate the screens with gamepad controls?
Currently you still use the touch-screen controls to navigate the menus. The gamepad settings only affect control of your vehicle in the game.
What's the best way to set up the iControlPad?
If you have a phone, or a tablet that IS NOT running Android OS 3.1 or newer:
- Follow the instructions for setting up a standard Bluetooth gamepad with an IME app, above.
- Note that your controls will all be digital -- you can use the analog thumbsticks, but they read as digital inputs.
- If you experience problems you may want to double check that your Operating Mode is set to SPP (see iControlPad manual for more info).
If you have a tablet that IS running Android OS 3.1 or newer, then you don't need to use an IME app like Bluez IME (you can, but you don't have to). Follow these instructions instead:
- Make sure the Operating Mode on the iControlPad is set to HID Gamepad. To do this, hold down the X and Y buttons when you are turning on the pad (see iControlPad manual for more info on how to do this)
- Pair the iControlPad to your tablet in the Bluetooth settings.
- If it says "Paired but not Connected" try clicking on the options for the iControlPad in the Bluetooth settings and setting it as an input device.
- Once it's connected, you can just fire up Riptide and use the controller normally
- In HID mode, the analog sticks actually work as analog sticks. However, we have noticed the response on them is not great, so you may want to still use the d-pad for steering.
ASUS Transformer Keyboard
There is a bug in the ASUS Tranformer keyboard IME that makes it impossible to use the regular alphanumeric keys as controls (you can still set up the game if you use only special keys like space, Shift, and Enter).
If you are trying to configure Riptide GP to use the keys on your Transformer keyboard OR if you are experiencing problems with a USB gamepad plugged in through your Transformer keyboard, here's what you need to do:
- Open up Settings on your ASUS.
- Navigate to "Language & input" and "Current input method"
- Change the IME to the "English (US) Keyboard (Android keyboard)" from the "ASUS English (US) Keyboard (ASUS Keyboard)".
That should do it. Please note that changing the IME may disable some of the special functions on the Transformer keyboard, and if that's the case you may want to change the IME back when you're not playing Riptide GP.
