I have multiple 8bitdo SN30 wireless controllers and have found them to be a bit tricky to get them to connect.
Press the desired face button and START for the next input mode.
X + START : Xinput mode, for PC
Y + START : Switch mode
B + START : Dinput mode, for Android devices or PC
A + START : MacOS mode, for Apple computers
For the Retropie and Batocera. None of the input modes will work reliably as a group (2+ Controllers) with Bluetooth in any of the modes I’ve tried. The best way for them to connect and stay connected is to pair them with a 8Bitdo Wireless USB Adapter 2. Its an extra $20 spent per controller. However it ends the pairing, repairing and nightmare. It also corrects a blue tooth issue where the system confuses and drops controllers when an additional controller is added.