What's your favorite gaming controller?

[Pike]

inb4 "keyboard and mouse", yes yes, we know.

Myself, and this will probably make me uncool, but I really love the feel of the Xbox 360 controller. I think it's a great size for me and it's easy on the hands. I was also always a huge fan of the N64 controller, I know it looked bizarre but it was always really comfy to hold IMO.

How about you guys?

[Formalhaut]

I agree, I rather liked the Xbox 360 controller. it was nice and simple to use.

I also like the PS3 controller. The PS4 as well, but the start and sel- options button are oddly placed from what I'm used to. The touchpad is neat but gets in the way at times.

[Pumpkin]

PS3. It's super comfortable, my hands never feel cramped or awkward. I'm also just very familiar with it and they hardly ever change it up so going from PS2 to PS3, I don't have a small period of adjustment or anything. It's just easy and familiar.

[Fynn]

If handhelds count, then the 3DS. If not, then the Wii Classic Controller Pro. I was genuinely surprised how nice it felt.

[Slothy]

The PS3 controller is the best as far as I'm concerned. It's the most comfortable I've used by far of dual analogue controllers. The N64 controller was more comfortable but obviously it wouldn't work these days without another stick.

But i may change my opinions once my steam controller arrives. We'll see how i like it then.

[sharkythesharkdogg]

I really like the SNES controller, and the Wave Bird was way better than I thought it would be when I first saw it.

My favorite controller is some iteration of the Play Station. Probably 2 or 3. It says something that they haven't really needed to change the design all that much since the first version.

[Midgar Mist]

PS1 or 2 Dual Shock Analog controller with the vibration turned off.

[Aulayna]

Gonna be boring but I don't actually have a favourite. I can name a LEAST favourite though: the original XBOX brick controller.

[Slothy]

I'm not a huge fan of any XBox controller to be honest, though I haven't spent a ton of time with the XBone controller. The S was definitely an improvement over that brick, and the 360 controller is all right but it's got its issues. I did have a friend who loved that giant XBox controller though, but I'm not sure it counts since he had giant monkey hands.

[Galuf]

360/One

i hated the N64 it was awkward. (didnt stop goldeneyes greatness though

[Bubba]

I never had a 360 but when I did play on one, I thought the control was far superior to the PS3 one. I always used to get hand cramps when playing my PS3 for too long. PS4 one is much better but the SNES will get my vote. Simple, comfortable and light.

[Mirage]

Gamecube controller. WiiU Pro controller is pretty good too. DS4 is good, but DS1-3 were kinda bad. There was always room for a lot of improvements, but they never cared to address any of them with 2 and 3.

[Slothy]

Gamecube controller. WiiU Pro controller is pretty good too. DS4 is good, but DS1-3 were kinda bad. There was always room for a lot of improvements, but they never cared to address any of them with 2 and 3.

I can't take criticism of the dual shock seriously from someone who liked the Gamecube controller. It certainly fit nicely in the hand, but aside from that it was abysmal for any game requiring you to use anything more than the triggers, left stick and A button.

I'd also blame Playstation fans for the lack of changes with the DS3. Sony had an interesting, and ergonomic looking, concept on hand when they announced the PS3. Then everyone hated it without ever holding it because it wasn't the DS2.

[Mirage]

The only problem with the GC controller is one that really is an issue with a lot of nintendo controllers. The buttons are a bit too tall.

[blackmage_nuke]

PS3, Good symmetry, nice trigger action. I might like the PS4 if I actually found a game that utilised the touchpad and not as start/select buttons but so far it just looks elongated and not nice and sturdy.

[Mirage]

Being elongated is why it's better. Gives a better angle for your wrists.

[Slothy]

The only problem with the GC controller is one that really is an issue with a lot of nintendo controllers. The buttons are a bit too tall.

I wouldn't agree with that. The Z button is stupid and in an awkward place (should have simply been left off if you ask me, but we probably have the N64 fans who were crying for a Z button to thank for it), the buttons are too hard and too tall, their shapes are awkward and it does nothing to make them any more or less comfortable than traditional controllers in terms of positioning and it's not any easier to use multiple buttons at once. The c-stick was a laughably bad idea. That little nub has never been comfortable, and considering the prevalence of games which use two analog sticks by that point that's pretty unforgivable. And touching on the D-pad a bit more, being in that position works for analog sticks because they're so damn tall. It really didn't work for an undersized pad that had almost no height to it.

All in all there wasn't much I did like about the GC pad. If it worked for you then all the power to you but it never gelled with me and my hands.

[Mr. Carnelian]

360 controller. It's what I'm most used to. The PS4 controller is good as well. The PS3 controller is too small for my hands, I get cramps.

[Wolf Kanno]

The Dualshock for PS1 and 3, not really a fan with the overhang R/L2 triggers on the PS3 controller. I also love the SNES controller and I'll second the classic controller for Wii for being quite good.

Honestly, no controller will be worse than the Atari Jaguar though.

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[Slothy]

So easy to forget that jaguar controller. Mostly because I've never met anyone that has even held one before.

[Colonel Angus]

PS2/PSX controller is @ the top 'o the list for me. Pretty much the perfect layout/design. My Logitech F310 would be high as well, if not for the noisiness of the buttons & the spring triggers (which I didn't like about the GC controllers).

SNES is a close 2nd. Very comfortable, very easy to hold.

[Wolf Kanno]

So easy to forget that jaguar controller. Mostly because I've never met anyone that has even held one before.

Oh I have, and it's just as wonky and intuitive as it looks. You should never die playing an Aliens Vs. Predator game because you can't figure out how to switch weapons on the controller.

[Slothy]

Wait, are we talking one of the fps alien versus predator games? Because my mind is boggled by how that could ever work.

[Vermachtnis]

I also like the Gamecube controller. I fit nicely and the buttons were in good places.

[Del Murder]

I know it is unpopular, but I really liked the GameCube controller too. It fit perfectly to my hand, and I liked that the buttons were different sizes and they were exactly where I would look for them. The L/R buttons sucked but I never really played any games that used them a lot.

[Mirage]

I'm so glad I don't have to fight this battle alone!

[Fynn]

Yeah, the GC controller was pretty rad.

[Shauna]

I liked the DS2, never had any issues with that. I also liked the 360 controller - those triggers were excellent. The DS3's flappy L2/R2 were a serious backstep for me personally, especially when I'd come from playing the 360 for an extended period of time.

[Mirage]

The DS3 triggers' problem was that they were curved the wrong way. They require you to move your fingers way more to get the same effect, and when fully depressed you'd have to clamp the controller extra hard to maintain your grip on it, which for me lead to cramps after using it for a long time.

I could never play GT5 and 6 with triggers for acceleration/brake because it started getting painful after like 20 minutes. A shame, as it is far easier to apply precise amounts of pressure with those compared to the face buttons.

The gamecube controller had a similar problem with the triggers, but I had no games that required you to keep them depressed for long periods of time on that console.

[Galuf]

Actually i kind of liked the wii and nunchuck controller too. it was pretty cool

[Loony BoB]

PSX was great, PS2 I wasn't as keen on, PS3 and PS4 are probably my favourites overall. For other consoles, the N64 controller was not something I enjoyed, the 360 was probably somewhere between PSX and PS2 for me. The old SEGA controllers did their job okay. The worst goes to... the Wii.

[Mirage]

How can you not be keen on the PS2 controller when it was identical to the PS1 dualshock controller in both shape and functionality?

[Loony BoB]

I'm pretty sure they were different for me. Not 100% certain which ones I had as it was a very long time ago, but I remember being kind of annoyed at the change in the handle length? Maybe I'm confusing it with something else.

[Mirage]

The very first PS1 controller did not have analogue sticks, but the dualshock for PS1 did, and is identical to the PS2 dualshock, except the DS2 has pressure sensitive buttons. The very first PS1 controller wasn't bundled with the console for more than maybe the first year, and I don't think many prefer that one over the one that looks like DS2 and DS3 :p

[Loony BoB]

Dunno. xD When I say handle length, I more mean the part that sits in your palms... although perhaps that was more the change from PS2 to PS3? Not sure. If so, PS1/2 were okay, PS3 took a lot of time getting used to the bigger palm-rest-handle-things, but apparently over time I've gotten so used to it that it's my fave now... go figure. xD

[Mirage]

no, 1 2 and 3 have 100% identical physical dimensions(except the r2 and r2 buttons on ds3). 4 is different.

took a picture of some controllers i have lying here

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[Fynn]

Maybe BoB's hands just hit a growth spurt between console generations.

[Slothy]

no, 1 2 and 3 have 100% identical physical dimensions(except the r2 and r2 buttons on ds3). 4 is different.

took a picture of some controllers i have lying here

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The DS3 actually was slightly larger because they had to fit the motion controls in, but the difference in size is so small that I don't think anyone could tell without deliberately A/B comparing them at the same time.

[Loony BoB]

I have never spent so much time looking at controllers as I have today. I think. Probably.

http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/4/2009/12/de_evolution_3.jpg

Closest thing I can find to show the variations in shape of the handles. You can see the difference between DualShock and DualShock 2 on those ones, at least.

EDIT: This (https://youtu.be/0qaYTJkeo_E?t=268) shows the differences way better.

[Mirage]

After conducting my own research, i can indeed verify that the DS3 is a bit bigger than the DS2. The DS3 is 2mm thicker across the area where the face buttons are, to the back of the controller. The DS3 also has more space between the outermost area of the analogue sticks, and also the base where these sticks are connected to the controller. This is probably to make room for the PS button.

The other dimensions remain unchanged, apart from the L2/R2 buttons. The two protruding areas where you grip the controllers are of the same height, width and depth on 2 and 3.

I stand corrected, but the above picture of the controllers are not an accurate representation of the differences, because things like focal length of the optics used, distance from camera, and slight changes in angles can distort the geometry quite substantially.

For an extreme example of this, try taking a picture of your face with a wide-angle lens from half a meter away, and compare it to a picture taken with a zoom lens from several meters away. The size of your nose compared to your eyes will appear to be very different.

[Fynn]

You guys are such nerds

[Loony BoB]

Y'all wish you could be as nerdy as me.

I dunno, I just distinctly remember that moment in time where I switched between a PS versions and realised that the palm-touching areas were marginally narrower/pointier in my palms and it annoyed me for a bit. It was either 1 to 2 or 2 to 3. Honestly can't remember if it included any of the non-DualShock controllers, too, although I don't think it did.

[Slothy]

I'm not seeing any differences there bob. And when i got my PS2 there were a few times i held the DS2 and the original DS to compare and those handles always felt identical to me. I'm not sure why you think there was a massive difference because i never felt one at the time. I even still used my original DS as a second PS2 controller for a while after and never noticed a thing.

[Mirage]

If I got my hands on a DS1, I could measure that too. But I don't have one.

[Fynn]

Joking aside, it is possible your hands just subtly changed in size. Our bodies keep changing all the time, and palm size doesn't really ever stay the same for long, even when you're past adolescence. A bit more fatty tissue here or there and a controller may feel differently in your hand because it presses against a different area.

[Loony BoB]

Okay, it was from PS to PS... but it was PS1 to PS1. From standard original PSX controller to PS1 with analog sticks. DualShock then reverted back to the original PSX size.

https://youtu.be/OIqN3FNnjAk?t=426

I remember interchanging between the controllers and finding it legitimately annoying, so it wasn't a hand size thing.

[Slothy]

Ah, that makes sense. I wasn't aware since the dual analog turned into the dual shock so quickly. That is a massive difference.

I'm glad we're all nerdy enough to spend valuable time solving this mystery.

[Loony BoB]

I'm just glad my memories aren't completely unreliable. It's tricky when you're going back, what... 19 years? Geez, I'm old. ._.

[Slothy]

Yes, you are old. It's also funny that you managed to get your hands on a controller most didn't even know existed.

Now that I know it had those long handles I wish I had gotten to try one. Looks like it might have been comfy for me actually.

[blackmage_nuke]

I think the legs are spread a bit wider on the DS2 than the DS1

[Slothy]

Oh god, here we go again!

[Slothy]

Steam controller came. Still playing around with it a bit but this is easily my favourite, and the most comfortable, controller ever made.

[sharkythesharkdogg]

It's good to see the GC controller getting some love. I called it the Wave Bird because the wireless version felt the same to me, but they are different. Either way, I liked them better than I thought I would when I first saw them.

[Zanmato]

PlayStation (all of them), of course! :hattip:
I love its mapping (Thumbsticks!) and shape. It's the definition of my ideal gaming controller. :love:

[Sephex]

Probably the SNES controller. For something more modern I would say the Xbox One controller.

[Ayen]

The Sega Genesis (if I don't talk about this thing nobody will), PS1 - PS3, X360, and N64 controllers were great for me. Never had a problem with any of them.