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Gamepad Stick Symmetry 2014. Will this ever standardise?

D

dock

Member
OpwJ4c3.png


It's 2014, and Google just threw their hat in the symmetry ring. With Ouya on the way out, it looks biased back towards symmetry as the leader for gamepad stick layout.

Some parts of gamepads appear to have become pretty standard now, such as the diamond of four buttons (sorry, Smash fans), but one can't help but wonder whether in 2025 we'll settle on where the sticks should be located.

What other players are there in this war?
 
H

Hades Hotgun

Banned
If we aren't rocking full immersion VR by 2025 I will write a sternly worded letter to my wife about how disappointed I am.

edit: I prefer symmetry, but it doesn't matter. Either way is fine.
 
TheMoon

TheMoon

Member
dock said:
OpwJ4c3.png


It's 2014, and Google just threw their hat in the symmetry ring. With Ouya on the way out, it looks biased back towards symmetry as the leader for gamepad stick layout.

Some parts of gamepads appear to have become pretty standard now, such as the diamond of four buttons (sorry, Smash fans), but one can't help but wonder whether in 2025 we'll settle on where the sticks should be located.

What other players are there in this war?
Click to expand...

They don't care, they can still use GCN controllers :p
 
SerTapTap

SerTapTap

Member
No, no it will never standardize. Look in any thread about a new controller and you will find two comments; one complimenting the stick layout, one saying it's the "wrong" way. I do not believe people will ever agree on a single stick layout and I don't frankly believe either is particularly technically inferior/superior, it's simply down to choice and a lot of people are way too fussy about it for it to ever "settle".
 
G

gngf123

Member
It shouldn't standardise. Different layouts work better for different games.

What we really need are modular controllers that let us pick the layout we want.
 
S

Spades

Member
It's what you're used to, I suppose. I personally can't stand playing FPS using a DS4, but that's just because I'm so used to using an Xbox controller of some description.
 
SerTapTap

SerTapTap

Member
gngf123 said:
It shouldn't standardise. Different layouts work better for different games.

What we really need are modular controllers that let us pick the layout we want.
Click to expand...

I honestly don't agree with this at all. I find Xbox and PS layouts both perfectly fine in d pad games, stick + facebutton games and dual stick games. Only limiting factor in any "different games" has been the 360's awful dpad but that has nothing to do with placement.
 
H

hey_it's_that_dog

benevolent sexism
No it will never standardize and anyone who is capable of playing a video game successfully should also be able to adapt to either stick layout with ease.
 
P

Pinkuss

Member
Prefer my analogue(s) over my d-pad personally and have no need for symmetry as the 360 pad feels fine.

The Wii U pad however looks the best to me (albeit I've never used it).
 
SenkiDala

SenkiDala

Member
jres80 said:
Any primate with the intelligence of a 3 year old chimp should be able to use both without much difficulty.
Click to expand...

Exactly, but I often hear people saying that Dualshocks are impossible to use because "wtf?! syemtrical sticks? it's unplayable, what?"... Soooo... ^^"
 
P

PetrCobra

Member
I can play with them all.

For me, Wii U > Xbox > PS style

So I guess I only like symmetry when it's on the upper side. The left stick has to be in the primary position for me.
 
SerTapTap

SerTapTap

Member
adamantypants said:
The real problem is ABXY on MS vs Nintendo
Click to expand...

This is pretty annoying but I just work off which "side" the button is rather than what the prompt is. I honestly wish PC games would just prompt by facebutton direction instead

PetrCobra said:
I can play with them all.

For me, Wii U > Xbox > PS style

So I guess I only like symmetry when it's on the upper side. The left stick has to be in the primary position for me.
Click to expand...

It's plenty primary on the PS style...it's like half an inch away
 
H

Hasney

Member
I used to much prefer asymmetrical, but it turned out that was just hatred of the Dual Shock. DS4 has made me like that as well, so I'm not too bothered.
 
S

Somnid

Member
Bottom symmetry sucks, it sucked on all Dual Shock models and Nintendo's CC and CCP. Nintendo's newer designs actually work well with symmetric sticks because they treat the left side stick as the primary input. At least with the CC the d-pad was the expected primary input so it wasn't an issue but for Playstation it's ridiculous concession to minimize change.
 
M

mentallyinept

Banned
I don't think that we need a standard (and I don't want a standard), but I do prefer the PS-style symmetrical layout because I prefer to have a big d-pad for for menu navigation.
 
S

Sulik2

Member
I much prefer the asymetrical design of the Xbox controller's stick layout. My wrists hurt using the Playstation style, but I am 6'4 so I have larger than average hands.
 
L

LeleSocho

Banned
The best controllers with analogs ever are the GameCube, X360 and Xbone one so obviously asymmetry wins.

Also ABXY layout should be the one that Nintendo uses.
 
JetBlackPanda

JetBlackPanda

Member
I don't get why they don't make 2 version of the controller. Let us pick.

in the end it hardly matters though. I have moved over to the DS4 from 7 years of 360 and it feels great.
 
D

DaxMedFlax

Member
Wii U controller might be symmetrical, but the sticks are both placed high on the pad. My issue with the Sony sticks are that they're so close together low in the middle of the controller, and the thumbs end up being at 45 degrees when playing. I like pushing up/forward with my thumbs to go up/forward.

In fact, I think my preferrence goes; Wii U-type upper symmetrical sticks > Xbox assymetrical sticks > Sony-type lower symmetrical sticks.

It's more complicated than just symmetrical vs. asymmetrical.
 
N

Nephtes

Member
Asymmetrical analog stick layout for life!
Seriously, never been a fan of the analogs being at the same Y coordinate on the controller's face since "The Duke" came out with the Xbox, but I've put up with symmetry with the DS2 all the way through the DS4...

The asymmetrical layout has always felt just right to me since it was introduced. I blame playing a ton of Halo in college.
 
K

Koren

Member
Sir TapTap said:
I honestly don't agree with this at all. I find Xbox and PS layouts both perfectly fine in d pad games, stick + facebutton games and dual stick games. Only limiting factor in any "different games" has been the 360's awful dpad but that has nothing to do with placement.
Click to expand...
Playing Unison or Katamari with asymmetric layout feels strange...

And I far prefer the upper position for the thing I use, so DS4-like for D-pad+buttons, GC/XB for stick+buttons (and probably Wii U pro for dual analog, but that's not often I need this...). I actually would be interested in buying different pads for the same console.
 
B

Brandon F

Well congratulations! You got yourself caught!
nintendo_console_32gb_premim_pack_black__zombie_2_raw.jpg


Third variation not shown in the OP. The Wii U Pro Controller has both sticks up top. Not my personal favorite layout(though I adore the controller), but it deserves being mentioned.

Edit: Whoops, it was shown in the OP. Nevermind.
 
R

Raw64life

Member
As long as my hands remain symmetrical I'm always going to prefer the symmetrical layout. I can adjust easily enough, but I'd rather not settle. I guess I can see why people would prefer asymmetrical for FPS games, but then again the main reason I never play console FPS games is because I vastly prefer keyboard/mouse for them.

And growing up primarily playing Nintendo consoles, the different placement of letters for the face buttons never fails to fuck with me when I use PC/Xbox controllers.
 
coughlanio

coughlanio

Member
I bought an Xbox One yesterday.

Sticks aside, who thought RB + LB were a good idea. I literally have to strain myself to press them.

DS4 is still probably my favourite controller this generation. Still think I'll stick with my 360 controller on PC.
 
D

dock

Member
Raw64life said:
the main reason I never play console FPS games is because I vastly prefer keyboard/mouse for them.
Click to expand...
The argument against symmetry actually often cites keyboard and mouse as the ultimate asymmetrical input. You don't even have analogue movement control.
 
Duxxy3

Duxxy3

Member
IMO both work just fine. It's the rest of the controller, and how it feels with the stick placement, that matters.

If Microsoft moved down the left analog, the controller wouldn't feel right. Nintendo went back and forth on symmetry, without each attempt working just fine. The dual shock 1/2 work very well with symmetrical sticks. I don't think the 3/4 work out so well because of an emphasis on the rear shoulder button, rather than the front. Those controllers are shaped to keep your index fingers on L1/R1 (just like the DS1/2). The secondary shoulder button in those controller SHOULD be L2/R2.
 
pr0cs

pr0cs

Member
I used to think asymmetry was the only way to play but after using the DS4 I can see the stick travel and tips (concave vs convex) are more important.
And as it was mentioned ergonomics.
 
J

Jonboy

Member
This was a quick photoshop job, but I'm pretty sure this would be my ideal controller. Honestly though, I can use either. It's not a huge deal to me.

15550790612_374546d942_n.jpg
 
T

thewhitehawk

Member
I don't think it's such a big deal, I can use either type of controller just fine and I don't even require any time to adapt. Sure, to master precision with either of them will require practice but that's not due to the position of the sticks. It's one of the most overblown controversies in my opinion, and if it were such a big deal as some people imply and if there was a right answer then Sony's and Microsoft's previous consoles wouldn't have been the successes they were.
 
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