fix(gamepad): Gamepad on macos often does not need fallback (#4125)

* gamepad does often work on macos

* review comments

* fix(gamepad): expose hidapi fallback in config

---------

Co-authored-by: Maxim Bonnaerens <maxim@bonnaerens.be>

src/lerobot/teleoperators/gamepad/configuration_gamepad.py

@@ -23,3 +23,5 @@ from ..config import TeleoperatorConfig
 @dataclass
 class GamepadTeleopConfig(TeleoperatorConfig):
     use_gripper: bool = True
+    # Use hidapi instead of pygame for controllers that pygame cannot detect reliably.
+    hidapi_fallback: bool = False

src/lerobot/teleoperators/gamepad/teleop_gamepad.py

@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
+import logging
 import sys
 from enum import IntEnum
 from typing import Any
@@ -27,6 +28,8 @@ from ..teleoperator import Teleoperator
 from ..utils import TeleopEvents
 from .configuration_gamepad import GamepadTeleopConfig
 
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
 
 class GripperAction(IntEnum):
     CLOSE = 0
@@ -56,6 +59,13 @@ class GamepadTeleop(Teleoperator):
 
         self.gamepad = None
 
+        self.hidapi_fallback = config.hidapi_fallback
+        if sys.platform == "darwin" and not self.hidapi_fallback:
+            logger.warning(
+                "On macOS, pygame may not reliably detect input from some controllers. "
+                "If you experience issues, set `hidapi_fallback=true`."
+            )
+
     @property
     def action_features(self) -> dict:
         if self.config.use_gripper:
@@ -76,9 +86,7 @@ class GamepadTeleop(Teleoperator):
         return {}
 
     def connect(self) -> None:
-        # use HidApi for macos
-        if sys.platform == "darwin":
-            # NOTE: On macOS, pygame doesn’t reliably detect input from some controllers so we fall back to hidapi
+        if self.hidapi_fallback:
             from .gamepad_utils import GamepadControllerHID as Gamepad
         else:
             from .gamepad_utils import GamepadController as Gamepad