PC Gamepads

[flying sheep]

Thingies you can connect to your PC via USB (without any stupid 3rd-party-adapter boxes. simple pin-remaps-to-usb like the xbox 360 pad are ok.)

• Logitech,
• Microsoft,
• Sony
• Saitek
• some esoteric company nobody knows about?

Things that count:

• robustness
• precision after gonig grimy
• amount of ergonomically reachable and usable controls/buttons

PS: cord or cordless does not matter, neither force feedback or not. just the basics.
PPS: if you want to add something to one of the lists, let me know

[sonickrahnic]

Now, since your post was fairly vague I will assume you are talking about video game console controllers? Also, I am not sure quite what it is you are doing here? Are you comparing different kinds of such, for use on different machines? If this is the case, you have left out those made by Nintendo for their consoles.

[flying sheep]

oh, sorry, i’m talking about specific models of usb gamepads for the pc.
some think the xbox 360 one is the best, some prefer the logitech rumblepad, …

[Babam]

Now, since your post was fairly vague I will assume you are talking about video game console controllers? Also, I am not sure quite what it is you are doing here? Are you comparing different kinds of such, for use on different machines? If this is the case, you have left out those made by Nintendo for their consoles.

It does kind of say PC Gamepads in the title.

Moving on, I use a n52 to do most of my gaming, and frankly I love it. It fits my hand, has a great D-pad and tons of reachable buttons.

[phlip]

It does kind of say PC Gamepads in the title.

But it didn't at the time, as evidenced by the fact that the title of his post is merely "Re: Gamepads"...

[Babam]

It does kind of say PC Gamepads in the title.

But it didn't at the time, as evidenced by the fact that the title of his post is merely "Re: Gamepads"...

And this is the part where I feel like an ass.

[Endless Mike]

I just use an XBox 360 controller.

[flying sheep]

the speedpad looks cool for shooters and the like, but what if you need right-hand-controls, too?

[Plankton]

Wired 360 controller here, many games on Windows tend to support them by default, and if they don't you can use Xpadder to make it work. I used to use a PS2 controller connected by a USB adapter until all but 2 or 3 of the buttons on it stopped working. It was an old controller.

[Amnesiasoft]

Considering what seems to be a severe lack of hardware manufacturers making XInput controllers, and the fact that a lot of games seem to be moving to XInput anyway, the only really valid choice would be the wired 360 controller. It certainly doesn't hurt that it's a very nice controller too.

[HarvesteR]

I mostly use my trusty Saitek X52 and pedals for PC gaming... For shooters or when going on foot, I go with keys and mouse...

If I had to use a gamepad, I'd go with the XboX 360 controller... out of all controllers, to me it is the best designed, most ergonomic one. The way they positioned the thumbsticks is very well thought out, since your thumbs fall nicely at the most used position (left over thumbstick, right over buttons).
Much better IMO than that cramp inducing contraption they call a dualshock.

Cheers

[Endless Mike]

My only complaint about the X360 controller is that it only has four face buttons. Six face buttons 4 lyf. (Oh, and the d-pad, I guess, but most games I play tend to use that as an extra set of buttons, anyway.)

[Amnesiasoft]

My only complaint about the X360 controller is that it only has four face buttons. Six face buttons 4 lyf. (Oh, and the d-pad, I guess, but most games I play tend to use that as an extra set of buttons, anyway.)

The only place I've seen a 6 button pad be particularly useful is fighting games, and Sega Genesis emulation. Both of which are served adequately by the 360 Street Fighter IV Fight Pad.

[HarvesteR]

Most complex games will also make some use of the 'start' and 'select' buttons (I was born playing a Nintendo...) or 'back' and 'next' on the Xbox pad... That makes for 6 front face buttons, plus the digital pad, which also adds 4 more...

The digipad is good as a button pad, because in extreme cases, it can actually be 6 buttons instead of four, if one uses a stick-shift configuration, like this:

Code: Select all

1   2   3
    n   
4   5   6


Where n is the neutral (unpressed) position... to get to buttons 1,3,4 and 6, you have to first slide the pad left or right, then up or down...
It's not very practical, but it could work if those buttons aren't used a lot, and you have some sort of command reference on screen... then again, I've known players to get used to all sorts of weird command settings...

I've got one hat on my Saitek X52 mapped like this for ArmA2, and I find it quite useful.

Cheers

[archeleus]

When I used to game on PC, I preferred the Xbox 360 controller. Got the drivers and everything worked like a breeze right out of the box. I just can't stand to play games like FIFA with the keyboard.

Now I don't game much on the PC and I love the dualshock 3's that I use with the PS3.

[Retne]

I use the wired 360 controller as well. Used to use a usb converted ps2 controller but got fed up rebinding stuff constantly and not having preasure triggers for racing games. So far the only thing I've really used the 360 controller for is to play Psychonaughts and Darkstalkers but it has yet to glitch out on me and it started working straight out of the box. Heck for Darkstalkers I didn't even have to rebind anything it just worked.

[flying sheep]

what religious war is this if erverone just agrees that this one is best?

if microsoft just would concentrate on gaming and leave the os market to decent OSes, everyone could be happy (windows is dead the day a microsoft game gets native linux support)

[Dason]

(windows is dead the day a microsoft game gets native linux support)

... That's not really true. But that's a different religious war.

[flying sheep]

(windows is dead the day a microsoft game gets native linux support)

... That's not really true. But that's a different religious war.

sorry, i meant end-user windows. companies and offices will have to continue using it because they already pushed too much money in.

but you are right, this one is about gamepads. yes, microsoft does seem to make good hardware (and games, my girlfriend is playing AoEII at the time)

[Retne]

I think it has more to do with most of the game pads made for the PC had little to no effort put in because it was kind of a niche market in the first place. If microsoft hadn't made the 360 I doubt they would have made a decent controller.

[MHD]

Saitek Cyborgs is the thing for me, only it lacks some advanced coding features which I would find useful.

[nyeguy]

I use the cheapest pad I could get at the time that wasn't a piece of garbage. It has served me quite well. For $20 I have no complaints about the quality.

[Darryl]

I just use an XBox 360 controller.

Crappy D-pad and all?

Seriously, the XBox 360 has the worst D-pad in controller history. If you need to use the D-pad at all, the 360's controller is a worthless brick.

[Amnesiasoft]

Seriously, the XBox 360 has the worst D-pad in controller history. If you need to use the D-pad at all, the 360's controller is a worthless brick.

Spoiler:

[Darryl]

Seriously, the XBox 360 has the worst D-pad in controller history. If you need to use the D-pad at all, the 360's controller is a worthless brick.

Spoiler:

Is that the new one that isn't even out yet? My point stands until it's released and proven to be a good d-pad.

At that point, I'll say it's the best gamepad, but only if they don't screw something else up in it.

[Amnesiasoft]

Is that the new one that isn't even out yet? My point stands until it's released and proven to be a good d-pad

Well, Amazon says it's out...

[JoeZ]

Real men build their own gamepads with an Arduino (blog cred achieved).

[Darryl]

Well, Amazon says it's out...

I stand corrected on its availability, but from the top review there:

On to the directional pad. It still sucks. It is neat that you can convert it to a raised plus shape or more of a flat shape, but the underlying problem is still there. The d-pad is still on top of a disk, which makes it imprecise. I was trying to enter character names last night and had to use the thumbstick because the d-pad is so inaccurate. I would love it if they went to the ps3 style d-pad that is just four digital buttons instead of basically an analog directional pad.

So the pad isn't actually fixed, and I stand by my "360 d-pad is concentrated suck" statement.

[Endless Mike]

I just use an XBox 360 controller.

Crappy D-pad and all?

Seriously, the XBox 360 has the worst D-pad in controller history. If you need to use the D-pad at all, the 360's controller is a worthless brick.

I don't really play a lot of games where the D-pad is necessary or used as anything more than an extra set of buttons, and if I do, I can just plug in my arcade stick. (It's pretty bad, for sure.)

[Amnesiasoft]

Eh, I still find it easier to use the 360 d-pad in SFIV than the analog stick.

[Darryl]

Yeah, but that's like saying you'd rather have a sprained ankle than a broken one.

[Retne]

I don't mind the D-pad for RPGs which is pretty much the only thing I play which would cause me to reach for a controller and want to use a D-pad over a stick. Any other game I use the controller for is usually some form of third person actiony adventurey thingy. Granted I have already played through pretty much all of the good old school games(S/NES/Genesis/etc).

[Vash]

I use $2 imitation PS2 controllers; all your choices are overpriced, less ergodynamic, and overall terrible. Through programming or just getting programs off the internet you can use any pad. These pads almost always work by default anyway.

Xbox 360 controllers are garbage. Xbox S had the best shape of all, and they ruined it. LB and RB are better than black and white, though. Goddamn Microsoft racists being unable to place buttons right. As for Xbox controllers in general, why you would ever want to play a fighting game, for example, with springy Xbox buttons is beyond me.

Wii Classic Controller Pro with a converter box is also a good option for SNES games. Talk about a good d-pad. The analog sticks aren't bad, either. Quality controller overall.

Microsoft can rot in expensive, subpar quality hell.

Isn't that D-pad technically illegal? I think Nintendo literally owns the patent to that shape. Maybe it's legal because of the exposed plastic at the bottom. I have a feeling that it still will not feel as nice to use as a Classic Controller D-pad though.

Lastly, Gravis Gamepad FTW. I still have mine.

Ahhhh, this reminds me of console war arguments when I was 13, lol.

[flying sheep]

i had to google the last one. so this is the base for the “generic gamepad” svg floating arount wikimedia.

why is the old xbox shape better than the new one? (with this question, we truly enter the religios sphere)

[Vash]

i had to google the last one. so this is the base for the “generic gamepad” svg floating arount wikimedia.

why is the old xbox shape better than the new one? (with this question, we truly enter the religios sphere)

The handgrips were somewhat more independent and at a better angle. The plastic had a better feel, and the buttons/sticks were better positioned (except for black and white, which had barely adequate positioning. All other buttons, however, especially start and back). It was mainly just more comfortable. It is not like the different is night and day. I would say the Xbox 360 controller is a very good controller, whereas the Xbox S controller may be the best controller of its format ever made (though, as I said, I much prefer LB and RB over black and white). I also like the rubber Xbox logo in the middle.

Gravis Gamepad is old skool. It was pretty much the SNES-like controller to get before internet computer stores. It was the best and most popular for years. I would say until serial truly died a few years back, it was still considered a good option.

Anyway, just in case, I want to say that I was not totally serious with how extreme I was being, lol.