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Why aren't controller sizes a thing?

T

The Greek Freak

Member
I just don't understand why companies don't release different suze options for their controller. Even if they had to charge extra for non standard sizes.

There is a reason why everyone loved or hated the duke. You buy gloves of different sizes. Why the hell would I with hands that measure over 10.5 inches pinky to thumb (I know because I had to order custom welding gloves) use the same controller as my wife who has hands that are maybe 65% as wide?

It's why I basically only played turn based games on ps3/3ds, trying to use their controls is awkward and painful beyond a few minutes for me.

I have the same problem with the joycons despite LOVING the idea of the switch :( I'd easily pay $200+ for jumbo joycons that still attached to the console.
 
W

Woorloog

Banned
Logistics and economics. Multiple sizes are very unlikely to be profitable, require additional warehousing and transportation.
 
C

CookTrain

Member
The Greek Freak said:
I have the same problem with the joycons despite LOVING the idea of the switch :( I'd easily pay $200+ for jumbo joycons that still attached to the console.
Click to expand...

Is it worth looking online to see if there are any grips people sell for them? If you're really after something, could even approach 3D printer folks to see if they could get you something bespoke?
 
G

georly

Member
shotgunbob04 said:
There's not enough of a demand.

Console makers leave the extra sizes up to the third-party controller manufacturers.
Click to expand...

Not enough demand, and there are already a million peripherals and choices out there, you don't wanna confuse people or have people buying the wrong size, or a million other logistical problems caused by this. It's also a shit-ton of extra money for R+D.
 
T

The Greek Freak

Member
CookTrain said:
Is it worth looking online to see if there are any grips people sell for them? If you're really after something, could even approach 3D printer folks to see if they could get you something bespoke?
Click to expand...

I've bought two sets both are crap :(

If portable 2k is good and predictably destroys my hands I might try to 3d print something at my old school.
 
N

Ninja Scooter

Member
probably a pain in the ass in terms of manufacturing and retail space.

Though I'd kill for a larger pair of joy cons, I don't even care if it makes the Switch look goofy.
 
Captain Zyrain

Captain Zyrain

Member
The elite controller has different size sticks, but I doubt that makes a huge difference with hand size.

I wonder if they could make one shell where you could add or remove parts or layers to make it thicker or smaller? Some pistols have backs with varying thickness for bigger or smaller grips.

Or just have a medium and a large controller option? I remember those tiny controllers some 3rd party used to make.. They were craptastic but hilarious too.
 
Strangelove77

Strangelove77

Member
I wish. Not because I need a different sized controller but because Gamestops would be overstocked with controllers that didn't sell because there's not enough demand.
That means cheap controllers for me.
 
R

robotrock

Banned
BbpYyYa.jpg


This would be perfect honestly
 
S

Salty Rice

Member
There are not enough people with mutant hands that it could be profitable.

They adapted to current regular size controllers.
 
R

Raylan Targaryen

Member
i guess level playing fields. wouldn't be fair for you to have a comfortable input device while someone else has to use something too big or too small. it's usually the go-to excuse people have
 
Warnen

Warnen

Don't pass gaas, it is your Destiny!
I had a small Xbox 360 controller I used to take to work and play games on my laptop.
 
C

C4Lukins

Junior Member
I just think the expense of doing let's say 3 different sized controllers, and three different Elite controllers, and so on and so forth.

You could not get space in your local Best Buy for that...
 
Tabasco

Tabasco

Member
Ninja Scooter said:
probably a pain in the ass in terms of manufacturing and retail space.

Though I'd kill for a larger pair of joy cons, I don't even care if it makes the Switch look goofy.
Click to expand...
Honestly, I'd prefer them make a joycon with a traditional D-Pad and a right one with the analog stick on top.
 
U

univbee

Member
Controllers are a tiny bit of an anomaly in terms of input peripherals, that the way they're used and abused actually makes them incredibly hard to design even a single variant of. There are so many parts that have to be able to move and respond in very precise ways and not fail, and even with everything being "standardized" so, so many companies get it wrong, even really old controllers like the NES and SNES controllers there just isn't a third party that totally captures the quality and responsiveness of the Nintendo originals (although 8bitdo at least comes extremely close). When you upsize, unfortunately physics doesn't always scale kindly, for a ton of reasons it's nowhere near as simple as stretching everything in your 3D render of the controller by 20% or whatever. Not to mention that a bigger controller means entirely new moulds and a ton of retrofitting in factories and, well, there isn't enough demand to allow for that, not when that money would go much further into just improving the existing controller they have.
 
Duxxy3

Duxxy3

Member
Sony seems to be the most stubborn when it comes to controllers. They go with a design and stick with it. Nintendo always makes different controllers each generation. They keep what works and dump what doesn't. Microsoft is constantly trying to better their controllers. They've actually listened to consumers. Sony... well we're on the 4th iteration of the dualshock controller. The DS4 has seen some changes, but it's still the worst first party controller on the market.
 
N

NewGame

Banned
I remember complaining about how big and cumbersome the Xbox controller was.

"It's designed for mature adult gamers who obviously have bigger hands"
 
T

Troy D Chinula

Member
I couldn't agree more with OP. I would love a larger dualshock. Mark Cerny talked about a prototype dualshock 4 that was made significantly larger than production models so that they could see how well children would be able to use the controller.

Just let me buy that larger model, the first party companies can even just sell them directly from their own webstores so that they don't have to bother big box stores.
 
T

TheDanger

Banned
what would be really great is a controller with adjustable size not sure how that would work though maybe if it comes with a bigger case it fits into .
 
P

Pizza

Member
Growing up, I had a mini madcatz gamecube controller and a mini Xbox controller that I swear was a first party one

I still dig them, I agree that it'd be nice to have controller sizes even if it isn't super feasable. I wish we had more variety in third party controllers outside "it glows" or "it's more or less just a knockoff"
 
F

Forward

Member
I would love left-handed options. Heck, I'd be tickled pink with a lefty keyboard. But I'd settle for more games giving me reverse sticks + face button inputs remappable to the dpad cardinals.
 
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