The Hot Topic Returns

[Maryokutai]

35 minutes ago, one-armed dwarf said:

single-speed analog sticks. I understand now why people rave about that feature, I wonder what other console games have it that I've ignored it on.

 

Isn't that a bit of an oxymoron?

 

I think Splatoon was the first shooter-type to really implement the hybrid system in a functional way. Wouldn't be surprised of those guys helped finetuning the feature in BotW and TotK.

 

I still think the best examples are on the Wii though, because it's pointer-based and doesn't use acceleration sensors with relative zero. Metroid Prime, RE4 and the underrated Red Steel 2 played exceptionally well on that system.

[one-armed dwarf]

Yeah it is. I dunno though. I guess what I mean is I don't feel like I have much control over the speed, and in RE4 it overshoots the aim reticle a lot. I just find analog sticks slow and clunky for lining shots up in anything. The thing I mentioned about having to walk the character around to line up shots has been my experience a lot of the time.

 

Again it works really well in TOTK, so I hope that gyro stuff becomes more common cause it more or less fixes things

[Jimboxy]

3 hours ago, DisturbedSwan said:

first technological evolution in Controller tech since Rumble donkeys years ago.

I think Nintendo might want a word with you

[Nag]

I kind've like and hate the Duelsense at the same time... it feels nice to hold, weight is pretty much spot on but the adaptive triggers are so shit... you're literally waiting for the things to fail, for me at least it adds absolutely nothing to the game bar the sense of having to shell out another sixty quid when it breaks.

 

In regards stick placement I don't mind either, I've played PlayStation longer but spend more time (nowadays) on Xbox and I'm pretty comfortable with both... I kind've get cramp a little quicker with symmetrical sticks though.

[DisturbedSwan]

Each to their own and that's fair enough, whenever I pick up an XSX controller it's great don't me wrong but just kind've feels dead and a bit toy-like whereas the DS actually feels a bit alive and a nice meaty bit of kit, I know that'll probably make no sense. You can turn the triggers off if you don't like them, not all games use them anyway.

[OCH]

I think the only controller I've used that felt uncomfortable to play was the Dreamcast. It felt too top-heavy (for obvious reasons) and I remember lots of hard, unyielding edges. Especially the D-pad.

[mfnick]

7 hours ago, Jimbo Xiii said:

thumb track ball mouse now, it's great and would never go back to a regular mouse

Even for stuff like FPS? I’ve got a thumb ball mouse but find it mostly useless for games. Maybe it’s just a practice thing?
 

Regarding stick placement, 100% prefer the offset Xbox, Steam Deck, Nintendo & basically every other manufacturer type. I get severe aches in my left thumb after I’ve been on PS5 for over 2 hours. Something I don’t suffer with elsewhere. Weirdly I didn’t have that issue with the DS4 though. Maybe the sticks were closer to the edge or something? I’ve got small girly hands too which probably doesn’t help. 

Also batteries for me too please!!! Extra weight is appreciated and I can just swap them in an instant. DS pad is always dead when I decide to play it. 
 

[radiofloyd]

 

 

[retroed]

Xbox Series controller for me, although I wouldn't say no to a quieter version as the buttons and d-pad are very clicky.

 

Shout out to the SNES joypad.

 

 

[Sly Reflex]

I am pretty much a mouse and keys guy now aside from sandbox worlds where controller stuff does the best job of controlling everything.

 

I can't remember what it was I was playing on controller, but I turned off and went to Hardspace Shipbreaker and realised how much more comfortable it was for actually playing the game. It feels like control home.

 

I still use the xbox pad a fair bit though, mainly for Snowrunner and 3rd person games.

[DisturbedSwan]

17 hours ago, mfnick said:

I get severe aches in my left thumb after I’ve been on PS5 for over 2 hours. Something I don’t suffer with elsewhere. Weirdly I didn’t have that issue with the DS4 though. Maybe the sticks were closer to the edge or something? I’ve got small girly hands too which probably doesn’t help. 

Also batteries for me too please!!! Extra weight is appreciated and I can just swap them in an instant. DS pad is always dead when I decide to play it. 

 

Also got small hands here and have the exact same issue when using an XSX pad after a few hours, it's just what our hands/thumbs/joints are used to. If you go cold turkey on Xbox and just use a DS for 2 weeks and I'll do the same with Xbox and we'll see if both our hands adjust as an experiment lol. 

 

Fucking hate the batteries on the Xbox Pad too, AAs in 2023 shouldn't happen in my view, let alone selling the Play and Charge Kit for £30 or whatever it costs nowadays, criminal. I only probably use my PS5 once or twice a week at the moment and my DS' are both charged when I pick them up, I do charge them off a USB phone charger with a wall socket rather than the Console or anything though, so that may have something to do with it. 

[shinymcshine]

17 hours ago, OCH said:

I think the only controller I've used that felt uncomfortable to play was the Dreamcast. It felt too top-heavy (for obvious reasons) and I remember lots of hard, unyielding edges. Especially the D-pad.

 

You ought to try the Guitar Hero controller on the DS - hand cramps guaranteed !!

 

[one-armed dwarf]

The reason you want removable batteries is the internal ones eventually die, and bloat. Though we're talking about years down the line here, and the build quality would probably give out first.

 

Play and charge should be cheaper though

[HandsomeDead]

On 22/05/2023 at 10:32, one-armed dwarf said:

I understand now why people rave about that feature, I wonder what other console games have it that I've ignored it on.

 

More gyro control agitprop is needed.  As long as the Xbox series of controllers don't have this feature I'm not putting them on my list of best controllers.

[spatular]

AA rechargeable and user replaceable batteries ftw. although yeah built in batteries win for convenience and if you're not intending to keep stuff long term i can see the appeal.

[Nag]

Another one for AA batteries... less faff and last longer.

[DisturbedSwan]

Fucking hell lol, AA batteries shouldn't be near any tech in 2023, it's a joke and makes the controller feel like a Fisher Price toy.

 

I can't quite believe people actually like to constantly spend extra money on batteries and/or a play and charge kit rather than a controller just 'work', I get what Kyle is saying in that the Lithium-Ion batteries will eventually go, but then the same can be said for any tech, my phone, iPad, etc. and they've never gone kaput. 

 

None of my DS4's ever lost much charge throughout the last generation either.

[one-armed dwarf]

AA batteries feeling like fisher price is such a weird take to wrap my head around but consider this. The controller loses charge, well fuck it I can't play anymore. OR, the controller loses charge, lets put in my 2nd spare AA rechargeables I have lying around (cause that's the way to use them). Nice one

[DisturbedSwan]

Anything when I was a kid (long time ago now lol) used to come with AA batteries you'd have to take out of the little plastic wrap then put into whatever contraption I was playing with, that's exactly what it felt like for me when I took the AAs out of the Xbox box when I got my Series X in 2021, it felt like I was simultaneously transported to the late 90s and unboxing a kids toy rather than a serious bit of kit. 

 

I think asking £50 for a controller (or whatever XSX controllers cost) then £30 on top for a Play and Charge kit is just cheeky as fuck, it always has been. When you buy a controller it should come with everything it needs to run well into the future and that is an enclosed Lithium battery, just like every other bit of tech in 2023. The batteries weren't an issue in 2005 for the 360 controllers so much as everything had AAs still then but now it just feels like ancient tech. 

 

When I was at Uni I can't tell you how many times me and my housemates had to buy a new play and charge kit to get the little battery thing as someone had lost it down the back of the couch or something either. FWIW, I do use a rechargeable battery kit thing I got on Amazon for my XSX controller and swap them over when it runs out but it's still not an ideal solution opening up the little tray and stuff every time, it just feels antiquated to me.

 

I get what you're saying about enclosed batteries losing charge over time, and they do no doubt about it but all the tech I've had that has those batteries has never lost a significant amount. I think my old iPhone went down to 88% battery health in 2 years, my iPad has 80% battery health today and I got that in 2017. My DS4's lasted the entirety of the last generation, only losing about an hour of charge, my old Switch JoyCons never had any noticeable battery charge changes either.

[OCH]

I do remember that on top of the nunchucks and various other attachments to the Wiimotes. The total spend on AA batteries likely eclipsed their value. Then again, as opposed my the dead left Joycon. Replacing batteries is an easy fix.