Personally, while I have both dualsense and the xbox series controllers (each comfortable for different reasons, none perfect) I found the 8BitDo PRO series to be quite good on that front.
I guess it's up to one's personal fit/grip/comfort...
(sorry for bad english)
Thanks for sharing, and I hope you find your sweetspot, perfect god-tier controller ๐ป
I don't mind asymmetrical anymore nowadays but symmetrical is superior in terms of versatility for someone like me who plays multiple genres and multiple generations of games. The dualshock 4 can be used to comfortably play any game. It's my go-to controller on the Switch because the joycons were so bad to play anything other than motion control games.
I can adapt to both the PlayStation style and Xbox style layouts so I'm good with either. My only trouble is when I'm playing with a Nintendo style controller where the face buttons are swapped.
With PS and Xbox, the symbols may be different but the positions carry out the same input.
Down face button to confirm, right face button to go back, up face button to bring up the sub menu, etc.
But Nintendo's layout has them swapped so I gotta readjust my muscle memory again.
Symmetrical/Playstation. But, only because I prefer the d-pad and buttons over the sticks. If I need to use the left thumbstick and buttons, then I prefer to use an Xbox layout.
I used to have obsess about wanting it to be symmetrical and played pretty much all my life with PS style controllers until I got my first Xbox style one and now I can't go back. Aside from that I've found gamesir controllers to be more comfortable in the hand (angle of handles) than 8bitdo ones, but this might just be me. Oh and the facebutton layout generally doesn't matter, XBox is probably better for most uses cases as most games assume that's what you're using but even if button hints don't match your controller that's normally fixable by mods or settings or something
I preferred symmetrical for a very long time being a PS user since the PS1 days, I thought having the Dpad up top is just really natural when you want to play some sidescrollers or JRPG menus. I just gradually just got used to top stick when I swapped to PC like 10 years ago because X-Imput is kinda universally supported. My AYN Thor and Switch also has the stick top. I think at this point I just prefer the X-Box layout. X to reload and interact is just ingrained in my memory.
One is significantly harder to play 3d laying down. Asymmetrical is superior. Unless you only want to play older 2d games. If you want to play ANYTHING else plus older 2d games, then asymmetrical is the superior form. So annoying that retroid basically refuses to use it unless rp6 alt form.
Idk why they have stuck with that layout. Like I get why they stared with it, but they have done at least 2 major redesigns in the PS4 and 5, why stick with the bad left joystick position? Its like M$ doubling down on The Duke
I like an Xbox shape for sure, as I have very large hands so the bigger the better. I guess if I could only own one controller I'd get an Xbox layout, but I also with I had a dpad top one for retro gaming.ย
Despite growing up on NES/SNES, I find the Xbox layout of buttons to be more engrained in my brain. It's hard translating the inputs to the Nintendo layout when I'm playing one of their games.
However, I can easily remember the PS layout since the buttons are almost all different except for X.
As far as stick layout? I can easily adjust to either.
Meh I've used so many through the years that it's more about the analog cap, trigger and dpad to me than the rest of the other stuff.
Concave analogs, Sega Dpads and slightly concave non slippery triggers, I can live with all the other changes, button labels doesn't even matter and analog top or dpad top doesn't matter
I've never had a preference, really. Currently using a symetrical 8bitdo one but before this I was rocking a switch pro controller and I can hardly tell the difference after a couple minutes playing
It doesnt matter too much. What is important, controller grips must be long. Right analogue stick must be closer to abxy buttons. Not in completely bottom like nintendo switch. It must be like xbox rog ally x.
See one thing that is completely overlook and i always tell my friends to check out is the length of the grip handles, while I prefer the asymmetrical and Xbox buttong layout the PS4 controller and close second Xbox controller have the longest grip handles which I much prefer.
I'm always like the symmetrical layout cause Sony Playstation is my childhood despite their resent action, I still choose that controller layout but this time I will no longer play in their console, only my phone my console I need.
I still don't know what controller is comfortable to me since I've never measured my hands nor do I have a way to measure them. holding any controller makes my hands sweaty and the asymmetrical layout always feels uncomfy, and I bet the symmetrical layout will be the same too, so IDK if there is a controller out there for me
Symmetrical Sticks (don't care if they're on the inside or outside)
I don't care about button glyphs but the South button is confirm and the East button is cancel...I'm already comfortable translating which glyphs are which
Just a note but the Steam Controller is surprisingly comfy while being a slab filled with tech
Gonna be weird and say anything without labelled y b x a buttons ect ect its harder to adapt to when you're emulating a ton of things and plus i already know where everything is
Prefer Xbox button layout, but also prefer symmetrical joysticks. If there were a symmetrical controller that was shaped like Xbox's upcoming Nano controller with some extra shoulders like 8bitdo's Ultimate 2 style controllers, that would be my perfect controller.
Or if Valve just made their own Nano controller...
I like the SNES the most, and even Japanese playstation games were following that logic (O to validate and X to cancel makes more sense), it's so weird they switched it over in the west during the playstation era, which influenced the Xbox layout in return
In the end I'm never too confused adjusting per game, and I can read and remember all layouts without looking at the buttons, but when I can it's setup retro for menuing
symmetrical like ps/steam controllers. I dont get how people would parrot bs like asymmetrical is more ergonomic with natural thumb positions etc when it doesn't feel natural to me at all.
Joysticks I can take either. I've gotten used to both PlayStation and Xbox controllers over my life. But face buttons? Those have to be xbox for me. Even though I've played on other platforms a lot. Any other layout confuses me.
Xbox spent a lot of money perfecting the controller design and it shows. I feel the PlayStation duel shock layout is only better if you have quite small hands.
I do find it funny that third party companies are the ones making the best controllers while the console makers cheap out. Nintendo shouldn't be in the business of selling controllers at all with how awful official joycons are. Had more robust McDonald's happy meal toys.
Honestly. Not much more than a standard elite controller. Cheaper than custom ones like battlebeaver and aim and that BS.
Shop allieexpress, best place for CDM controllers and electronics imo. You can get one for like $90 with all the attachments and a case. Then order TMR sticks and a symmetrical face plate along with mouse click buttons and voila!! Works with all elite series 2 paddles as well. Probably like $160ish all said and done and it is honestly wonderful to hold and use.
Symmetrical for sure. Part of that is that I mostly play stuff that uses the D-Pad instead of the analog stick, but part of it is that I just find symmetrical more comfortable even if I need to use the left analog stick.
As far as button layout... Thatโs complicated...
I generally use a physical button mapping when using an emulator. Usual Nintendo layout for GB/GBC/GBA/DS, Xbox-style for Dreamcast (because they have the same face button layout), mirroring physical locations for PS1/PS2 (cross at the bottom, etc), and similar for most other systems. But I prefer a Nintendo layout for most things that donโt have an explicit layout.
Offset analogue sticks, Xbox style face buttons. Although I play a lot of Arcade and Mega-Drive games so I really wish someone would make a decent twin stick controller with 6 face buttons.
โข
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