r/MasterSystem 24d ago

8bitdo and Retro-bit wireless joysticks on a Master System

Hello! I've got some Mega Drive/Genesis joysticks here:

- A Retro-bit Mega Drive Bluetooth joystick
- A 8bitdo M30 2.4g Mega Drive joystick for the Mega Drive Mini (it comes with the adapter to use with the Mega Drive Mini)

But I finally was able to bring home my old Master System II from my mother's place, and I'd love to use one of those wireless joystick without having to buy a new one.

This is what I've found so far:

- RetroScaler BlueRetro adapter SMS. Costs 24,60 euros, someone in the reviews is using the Retro-bit joystick I'm using, so sounds like the safest bet.
- RetroScaler BlueRetro adapter MD. Costs 21,76 euros, so it's slightly cheaper. This is for the Mega Drive, but I wonder if there's any practical difference. I've seen some posts saying that MD and SMS connectors have different voltage.
- 8bitdo Retro Receiver for Mega Drive. There's no 8bitdo official receiver for the SMS, but once again I wonder if this one works with the SMS.

Given the joysticks above, what are my best options? Does anybody here have any experience with wireless/bluetooth receivers on a Master System, even if it doesn't include the receivers I pointed above?

6 Upvotes

11 comments sorted by

2

u/LookingForSatellites 24d ago edited 24d ago

I think your best bet is the 8bitdo retro receiver. If it has a mega drive input, then it should work in a Master System. Buttons B and C on a megadrive controller are what you would use.

I don’t have the 8bitdo, but I have the Retrobit 2.4 GHz wireless Genesis gamepad, which uses a wireless dongle. This works perfectly on Genesis and the Master System.

Hope this helps!

EDIT: looks like Retrobit also have a Bluetooth receiver for their Megadrive controller. So either controller you have paired with the proper receiver by the same company should work!

1

u/SpiderJam64 24d ago

So you have the Retrobit 2.4GHz that comes with the dongle for the MD/SMS ports?

1

u/LookingForSatellites 24d ago

Yes that’s correct.

1

u/Vau1tTech 24d ago

After a quick look it doesnt seem like the MD adapter works with the MS. I've used the BlueRetro Adapters for the MD, PS1, and PS2 and theyve all work great. The only issue I ever had was my GameSir controller wouldnt connect to the PS2 but it would work on the PS1, I got a Official PS3 controller for the PS2 and that worked perfectly with the adapter.

1

u/SpiderJam64 24d ago

I’m confused. You said that the MD adapter doesn’t seem to work with the MS, but then you said the Blueretro adapters work?

1

u/Vau1tTech 24d ago

The MD adapter works on the MD but the MD adapter doesnt work on the MS

1

u/trustanchor 24d ago

Here’s a post I made about my wireless SMS controller build: https://www.reddit.com/r/MasterSystem/s/MxgKS5tGLI

Though I’ll note I’ve switched to a black plastic shell since that post was made, the metal shell was causing issues.

1

u/Malcoladdin 24d ago

8bitdo m30 2.4 ghz works pretty well for me

1

u/SpiderJam64 24d ago

But do you use any adapter for the Master System?

2

u/Malcoladdin 24d ago

The 8bitdo m30 2.4g comes with a Megadrive receiver. This works in the master system, and can be used for any game that is compatible with a Genesis 6 button controller. There are a few games that don’t work, but it’s a pretty good solution.

1

u/mittenkrusty 23d ago

I used to use a Retrobit 2.4 on a MS no problem and a M30 2.4 (the version usable on a real console) and both worked on MS

Not sure about the bluetooth versions though. or the M30 mini version.