RetroGameBoyz MultiPad

TL;DR - see the video!

One controller. Multiple systems. No switches, no adapters, and it can be used by left-handers too! Built by an independent gamer who knows what you want and need from your retro console — not by a corporation that has no clue.

The RetroGameBoyz MultiPad plugs into your Atari 2600, Atari 7800, Sega Master System, MSX, or Commodore 64 and auto-detects* which one it is connected to. Built-in auto-fire, a true 4-way mode for 4-way arcade platformers and maze games, and assignable buttons are all configured using the on-board OLED screen. It also works with the Atari 5200 when used with the RetroGameBoyz Atari 5200 Keypad Adapter Module.

Limited to 30 units total. They're hand-built in batches of five, and only five are available for pre-order at a time. When those five are built and shipped, the next batch opens. Six batches, thirty controllers — then that's it, and we'll evaluate the next run. There is a signup list here if you're interested.

FACEPLATE: If you want a custom design or one of my original designs instead, please contact me or mention it in the notes at checkout.

Download the user manual here !

Highlights

• Plays on multiple systems — Atari 2600 (+), Atari 7800 (+) with both buttons, Sega Master System, MSX*, Commodore 64, and Atari 5200 with the RetroGameBoyz Atari 5200 Keypad Adapter Module.
• Knows* where it's plugged in — console detection happens the moment you power on.
• Auto-fire, three speeds — apply it to one button or both.
• True 4-way mode — no more accidental diagonals in Pac-Man, Popeye, Donkey Kong, and more.
• Assign any button — fire, up, down, left, or right. Even “press Up to jump” games can get a button.
• Left-handed mode — flips the directions, the buttons, and the display.
• OLED menu — change everything on the controller itself.
• 7800 two-button games fully supported.
• Joy2b+ mode.
• Booster Grip mode — including Atari 2600 Omega Race.
• Save and load settings.
• Swap buttons — especially handy for certain systems and games. Sega Master System Alex Kidd, anyone?

*SCREEN — AUTO / BRIGHT / DIM / SLEEP. AUTO is recommended because the MSX joystick port can't comfortably power both the controller and the display. The screen sleeps on MSX, where the joystick port can't power it reliably, and stays dim on every other system.

*Note for Commodore 64 users: the controller treats a C64 as an Atari by default, which is correct for the vast majority of games. If you play one of the handful of titles that use two or three buttons, set MODE: C64 in the menu. That's the only setting you'll ever need to change.

Product Information

One controller for more than one system

Most retro controllers do one job on one machine. The MultiPad does a number of them. Plug it into an Atari 2600, Atari 7800, Sega Master System, MSX, or Commodore 64, and it recognizes the system and configures itself. No switches to set, no adapters to lose, and no guessing.

On a 7800, you get both buttons properly. On the Master System and MSX, you get both buttons. On a 2600, the fire button is where it should be; games built for the CBS Booster Grip, like Omega Race, get their second action with nothing extra to buy.

Tuned to the game you're playing

Maze games want directions that refuse diagonals. Shooters want auto-fire. Platformers want a jump button instead of pressing Up.

The MultiPad has two quick button modes, and you can switch between them in seconds:

• 4-way or 8-way at the tap of a button.
• Auto-fire at slow, medium, or fast — on one button or both.
• Assign either main button to fire or to any direction.

A screen, so you can see what it's doing

The OLED model adds a small display that shows your settings at a glance, lights up as you press buttons, and gives you a menu for everything — console mode, auto-fire, D-pad behavior, button assignments, and handedness. Your settings are stored on the controller and survive being unplugged.

Left-handed? Flip it

One menu setting reverses the directions, swaps the button roles, and rotates the display so the controller works upside down for left-handed players.

Built to last, built by hand

The MultiPad is based on a controller design that's been in use by U.S. manufacturers since 2017, with gold-plated ENIG contacts for a crisp, responsive feel. Each one is assembled, programmed, and tested by hand.

A cable you can actually trust

Original joystick cables were made for a living room from 1982 — short, stiff, and never quite long enough. The MultiPad ships with a full 8-foot cable, so you can sit where you want, put the console in a cabinet, or hand the controller to someone on the other end of the sofa.

The plug is a molded Sega Genesis-style DE-9. It fits recessed ports without a fight, is comfortable to grip when you pull it out, and is molded around the cable so the wires aren't taking the strain.

Specifications

RetroGameBoyz is an independent manufacturer and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Atari, Sega, Commodore, MSX Licensing Corporation, or any other console manufacturer. All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners and are used here only to describe hardware compatibility.