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I hate shoulder buttons. Why are they a thing?

And what's with the PS4 tonguepad in the middle of the controller? Why do I have to lean down and lick the controller? This is terrible design. And if I lift the controller up instead of contorting my entire body downward I can't see what I'm doing. The tonguepad has got to go. Not just on the DualShock 4, but on laptops too.

What about the poor lizards, they have dry tounges! No friction!!!
 
I actually agree with OP to a degree. I can never find a comfortable grip with games that require constant use of shoulder buttons.
But then again, I've always been mostly a PC gamer, so I never really gotten used to controllers in any form.

This.
 

xxracerxx

Don't worry, I'll vouch for them.
I don't mean I'm dripping blood or have drenched hands. I just don't like showing the blood at all, it isn't actually much.

Why do you have blood on your hands in the first place is what most of us are wondering.

I mean I get cuts sometimes, but it isn't constant bloody hands.
 

MikeDip

God bless all my old friends/And god bless me too, why pretend?
Why do you have blood on your hands in the first place is what most of us are wondering.

I mean I get cuts sometimes, but it isn't constant bloody hands.

Oh, right. Sorry, I have psoriasis, messes up my skin ya know? Had it my whole life so to me it's just normal.

I promise it doesn't affect how I hold controllers.
 

Gsnap

Member
Guys, OP doesn't want to show us his hands because he doesn't us to see how incorrectly he holds his controllers. We should all just leave now...

psoriasis, eh? Well that's understandable if true.

But things are getting a little trollish in here..............................

...
 

SPCTRE

Member
The only way any of the complaints about triggers and bumpers make sense to me is if some people simply have a lesser degree of mobility in their joints (?).

So, not necessarily a medical condition, but a congenital disadvantage?
 

tuxfool

Banned
Oh, right. Sorry, I have psoriasis, messes up my skin ya know? Had it my whole life so to me it's just normal.

I promise it doesn't affect how I hold controllers.

After casually perusing the wikipedia page, could it not be possible that you're developing arthritis?
 

xxracerxx

Don't worry, I'll vouch for them.
Oh, right. Sorry, I have psoriasis, messes up my skin ya know? Had it my whole life so to me it's just normal.

I promise it doesn't affect how I hold controllers.

Got ya. And you don't have limited movement with your condition? Looking it up it says some symptoms can be swollen or stiff joints.
 

MikeDip

God bless all my old friends/And god bless me too, why pretend?
After casually perusing the wikipedia page, could it not be possible that you're developing arthritis?

I actually got some kinda shitty news about that today for my knee since I have it there too, so yeah, it's possible that is happening to me.

But I've had this feeling about shoulder buttons and trouble holding handhelds like this ever since I was a kid and I did not have anything like that wrong back then.
 
Oh, right. Sorry, I have psoriasis, messes up my skin ya know? Had it my whole life so to me it's just normal.

I promise it doesn't affect how I hold controllers.

As some others are already beginning to say, it sounds like it COULD impact how you hold controllers. Psoriasis causes swollen joints which would limit your mobility in ways others are not.
 
I think OP would be getting much more sympathy if he titled the thread "I think shoulder buttons are bad, this is why...." , rather than "Shoulder buttons are objectively awful, here are my subjective reasons for this assertion..."

Still, It's not something most of us think about often, or ever; not everyone has the same physical abilities/preferences, and we should be aware of it.
 

tuxfool

Banned
I actually got some kinda shitty news about that today for my knee since I have it there too, so yeah, it's possible that is happening to me.

That sucks.

But I've had this feeling about shoulder buttons and trouble holding handhelds like this ever since I was a kid and I did not have anything like that wrong back then.

You're definitely unusual. Companies have spent millions developing ergonomics on controllers, they are that way for a reason.
 

MikeDip

God bless all my old friends/And god bless me too, why pretend?
As some others are already beginning to say, it sounds like it COULD impact how you hold controllers. Psoriasis causes swollen joints which would limit your mobility in ways others are not.

No I know that. My grip isn't what it used to be. But I know my hands and how I used to deal with controllers as a kid, this was always a thing with me even with perfect joints. I promise :)

Shoulder buttons just really suck for me I guess.

First real issue was playing super metroid with my new SNES on release. Ever since I first touched that first shoulder button I thought they were the worst thing to happen to controllers.

I think OP would be getting much more sympathy if he titled the thread "I think shoulder buttons are bad, this is why...." , rather than "Shoulder buttons are objectively awful, here are my subjective reasons for this assertion..."

Still, It's not something most of us think about often, or ever; not everyone has the same physical abilities/preferences, and we should be aware of it.

While I could obviously be wrong, I truly do not believe it's related as this was true for me long before any joint issues.
Also not looking for sympathy, just looking for fellow shoulder button haters.
 

MikeDip

God bless all my old friends/And god bless me too, why pretend?
If the DS3 didn't have shoulder buttons, it would have been really hard to play shooter due to the useless triggers

This is true, I had to get those clip on things. The original triggers were terrible for supporting the controller.
 

MikeDip

God bless all my old friends/And god bless me too, why pretend?
Not really....you use your thumb along with the middle/ring/pinky to grip the device and the index fingers to work the shoulder buttons.

I hold books one handed when i read them upside down in bed. No way that same grip would work with a handheld.
 

Trace

Banned
This is true, I had to get those clip on things. The original triggers were terrible for supporting the controller.

Why are you supporting the controller with the triggers? You should be able to take your index finger completely off the controller and have your grip be solid.
 
Not really....you use your thumb along with the middle/ring/pinky to grip the device and the index fingers to work the shoulder buttons.

This is a good comparison. I hold controllers/handhelds in the same position I hold books. I may not be pressing shoulder buttons, but the grip is identical.

Why are you supporting the controller with the triggers? You should be able to take your index finger completely off the controller and have your grip be solid.

Also this? I am confused again. How and why are you supporting a controller with the triggers? Your index fingers should be able to extend freely from the controller without your grip changing whatsoever.
 
So say you do the loser sign with your left hand. You're telling me that inside part of your index finger that makes the sticky up part of the L isn't normally used to hold the back of your controller?

Where is all the support coming from?

The remaining three fingers usually do the trick when I need to hit a shoulder button, and the pointer helps with support when I'm not using the buttons. Typically, shoulder buttons aren't assigned to rapid-fire type functions.

I do feel a little fatigued by them on some of the more cramped handhelds when I'm required to use them a lot in combination with the secondary control stick/dpad. A good example of that is playing F-Zero MV on the 3ds, where the dpad is in a slightly more cramped position than the circle-pad.

Otherwise, most controllers do shoulder buttons just fine, and I think the longer you rebel against them, the longer you will put off getting used to them. Don't overthink things. If you put in the time you will adjust just fine. It's not as if modern hardware is asking you to adapt to something like clawing a dpad as a standard. These are heavily-embraced control schemes that most find quite natural.
 

nkarafo

Member
Shoulder buttons mean that you can use more fingers simultaneously to play games.

Simple as that. Do you want to go back where you could only use your thumbs?
 

RoadHazard

Gold Member
KZ2 is the only somewhat recent game I can remember feeling awkward because you had to use so many of the shoulder buttons at once (unless I'm mistaken you had to hold L2 to stay behind cover, push up on the left stick to peak out, hold L1 to aim down the sights, and then press R1 to fire). That was a bit much, the left hand is doing many things at once there.

On the DS3 that was doable though, since L2/R2 weren't triggers. Using L2/R2 on the DS4 with my middle finger sounds terrible, so I hope devs stay away from such button combos.
 

MikeDip

God bless all my old friends/And god bless me too, why pretend?
Man....what?

This is a good comparison. I hold controllers/handhelds in the same position I hold books. I may not be pressing shoulder buttons, but the grip is identical.

Yeah,I don't hold books like a handheld I guess. Picture a book opened up. Thumb and pinky in front like where the words are, the three other fingers in the back against the cover.
 

xxracerxx

Don't worry, I'll vouch for them.
Yeah,I don't hold books like a handheld I guess. Picture a book opened up. Thumb and pinky in front like where the words are, the three other fingers in the back against the cover.

No, why are you reading them upside down? You are terrible at explaining yourself...haha
 

MikeDip

God bless all my old friends/And god bless me too, why pretend?
No, why are you reading them upside down? You are terrible at explaining yourself...haha

I meant that the book is above my head in the sky. Rather than me looking down at a book. Upside down.
Like that picture of the girl texting.
 

Shadoken

Member
I'll be honest , am not their biggest fan. If I had to setup the controls for a game that needed more than the face buttons , id go with the triggers over shoulder buttons.
 

Trace

Banned
Yeah,I don't hold books like a handheld I guess. Picture a book opened up. Thumb and pinky in front like where the words are, the three other fingers in the back against the cover.

That sounds painful just from you describing it.
 

Cuburt

Member
I meant that the book is above my head in the sky. Rather than me looking down at a book. Upside down.
Like that picture of the girl texting.
I assume you play games on a handheld in a similar manner, albeit with a different grip?
 
All right. I got out of bed to do this because I am too far into this mystery now.

MikeDip, this is how I, and I think most others, hold a controller.

rlKBkaLh.jpg


Under normal circumstances, obviously your other hand is in the same position on the opposite side. When holding the controller, your index finger is not involved in supporting the controller at all. You are able to freely extend your finger, like so, without your grip being impacted or your controller moving.

QRamQ5Ph.jpg


This would be how these same positions look from the back.

227O830h.jpg

Ql8BuLhh.jpg


My personal resting spot for my index finger is generally the space between the trigger and the bumper, meaning they are equidistant from my finger at any given time.

How is this different from how you hold a controller?
 
My personal resting spot for my index finger is generally the space between the trigger and the bumper, meaning they are equidistant from my finger at any given time.

Now hold your hand up with fingers in relaxed positions. Is your index finger as far away from the rest as it is when holding that controller?

image.php
 

zroid

Banned
Nintendo ruining the industry as usual

just like when they decided to put the d-pad on the left side

what next? motion controls?
 

MikeDip

God bless all my old friends/And god bless me too, why pretend?
How is this different from how you hold a controller?

Pretty much the same, yeah. But you see where your middle finger rests? That's where my index one wants to go. Getting it up top to where you use it is annoying and rotates the controller downwards.

Nintendo ruining the industry as usual

just like when they decided to put the d-pad on the left side

what next? motion controls?

Super Metroid is still worth playing even if you don't use those buttons to aim diagonally. Just jump and shoot. All good nothing ruined!
 

xxracerxx

Don't worry, I'll vouch for them.
Pretty much the same, yeah. But you see where your middle finger rests? That's where my index one wants to go. Getting it up top to where you use it is annoying and rotates the controller downwards.

I don't understand how it rotates the controller downwards. Do you have small hands?
 

tuxfool

Banned
Pretty much the same, yeah. But you see where your middle finger rests? That's where my index one wants to go. Getting it up top to where you use it is annoying and rotates the controller downwards.

You're definitely not the norm then. The most comfortable place for the index fingers is the trigger/bumper area.
 

MikeDip

God bless all my old friends/And god bless me too, why pretend?
I don't understand how it rotates the controller downwards. Do you have small hands?

I don't think so. But I've been playing with my hands for a bit for the best way to describe this. Say you are fiddling with a radio dial yeah? And you are turning it clockwise. Follow the index finger. That''s what I mean. Just obviously with a controller instead.
 
MikeDip I think you just need to realize you're in a very small minority and that you're either
A) going to have to deal with it
B) adapt to it
or
C) find some specialty controller that fits your grip more comfortably.
 

Cuburt

Member
I think you should be able to rest a controller/handheld in your palm or with your middle/ring/pinky supporting it while your index and thumbs are more free to move.

Even with the Wii U Gamepad, which is a much further reach from triggers to the shoulder buttons if you use your index fingers to press both, I'd still have the rest of my fingers/hand supporting the controller. I think if you are supporting it with your index/thumbs (or any part there of), or holding it in a way that either would have to support the weight, you have possibly creating more of a functionality issue for yourself. Don't fight gravity and don't hold it with a vice grip. It should be able to rest in your hands for the most part.
 

xxracerxx

Don't worry, I'll vouch for them.
I don't think so. But I've been playing with my hands for a bit for the best way to describe this. Say you are fiddling with a radio dial yeah? And you are turning it clockwise. Follow the index finger. That''s what I mean. Just obviously with a controller instead.

You completely lost me.
 
I don't understand how it rotates the controller downwards. Do you have small hands?

I am also still confused by how it rotates the controller. Do you mean it levels the controller so it is parallel to the ground, when you traditionally play with the controller more upright?

To be honest, I play most of my games laying on my back, arms propped up on my elbows, playing with my controller just below my chest. But assuming I was playing upright, my controllers would be mostly parallel to the ground.

You're definitely not the norm then. The most comfortable place for the index fingers is the trigger/bumper area.

I don't know if it's true for everybody or if it's the norm, but it's definitely true for me.

You completely lost me.

He just means all four of his fingers are grouped together.
 

tuxfool

Banned
He just means all four of his fingers are grouped together.


You aren't supposed to use 4 fingers, but you can because even if you do, the palms of your hands along with the last two fingers should prevent any such rotation by sheer physics.

The index and middle finger should push the controller into the palms towards the body.
 
You aren't supposed to use 4 fingers, but you can because even if you do, the palms of your hands along with the last two fingers should prevent any such rotation by sheer physics.

The index and middle finger should push the controller into the palms towards the body.

What? Who twists a knob with four fingers together? I use my thumb and index (maybe middle as well) to turn a dial.

Hey man, don't ask me. The least we can do is try to meet he guy half way here.
 
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