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Comment on The Steam controller was ahead of its time

The original PS1 controller didn’t have joysticks, and when it did, the position sucked for larger hands. I have always preferred the XBox layout.

Right. I meant the second PS1 controller, not the original one. The design changed over the years, but the general specs stayed as the baseline of controllers.

The XBox layout with its six face buttons did not stick, and the XBox 360 conformed with Sony’s design of four face buttons and two triggers. Which makes more sense for shooters (since you have more buttons while keeping your thumb on the right thumbstick)

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sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Sure.

It’s important to note that the PS1 also borrowed from previous designs, namely the Super Nintendo with 4 face buttons and N64 (the controller with joysticks came out a year after).

Xbox’s main innovation was the offset joysticks, which may have been due to patents more than anything, but I preferred it. I also didn’t mind the two extra buttons, and was a little sad when they went away, because they were largely replaced by the joystick buttons, which I think are hard to use properly.

But yeah, design stagnated a bit after the PS1 controller.

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- Almacca@aussie.zone ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  I find I keep accidentally clicking the thumbstick buttons, and I had the same problem with clicking the trackpads on the stream controllers. When the game gets tense I tend to increase my grip causing the clicks.
  
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- AeonFelis@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  
  I also didn’t mind the two extra buttons, and was a little sad when they went away, because they were largely replaced by the joystick buttons, which I think are hard to use properly.
  
  Weren’t the black and white buttons replaced by triggers? The joystick buttons already existed in the first XBox.
  
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  - sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    Sort of, but the functions changed a bit. For example, in Halo, the black button changed the type of grenade and the white button triggered the flashlight, both of which weren’t really needed frequently. On the XBox 360, it changed to:
    
    throw grenades - B - used to be melee attack (which switched to a bumper button)
    
    flashlight - D-pad - replaced the “lower weapon” action, which was no longer available (was moved to a bumper button in one other game, and removed from others)
    
    Both control schemes are fine, but I honestly thought the black/white buttons were decent. Having some buttons you rarely push but can is nice.
    
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