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Best D-pad of all time?

segagenesis6-buttonpakds35.jpg
 
I've used a SNES controller recently, and I'm starting to question the thought that Ninty always had the best d-pads. The pad on that controller in particular is really mushy, and the feedback is too soft. Not as bad as a 360 d-pad, but not one of the best. Wii U Pro's d-pad is probably the best by them, though that still has the annoying pivot point.

Honestly, the best d-pads I've experienced are by Logitech. That might sound weird, but they roll really nicely and give such good feedback. They aren't made of the best material, which leads them to be a little clacky, but they get the job done better than any other d-pad I've used. The Logitech Precision in particular is my favorite pad for 2D games.

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I've heard praise towards the Saturn pad over similar reasons, so I'm hoping to give that one a shot down the road.
 
Vita's would be perfect if it were a little bigger, the click is really nice. In general Sony's d-pads are much better for fighters and platformers so they get my vote.
 
I've heard mention of people getting double-registered inputs on the Xbox One Elite controller, so I'm assuming they're about as big of time bombs as normal Xbox One controller d-pads are.
 
Vita > Saturn >> SNES > PS1/2/3>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Shit tier chinese knockoffs > Xbox 360 D Pad
 
Super Nintendo was amazing for dragon punches and last second flash kicks during Street Fighters prime back in the day.

Favorite d pad right there.
 
Saturn and Dualshock 4.

I have a genesis 6-button that looks like it has the same D-Pad as the Saturn, but it seems much more soft and not as comfortable.
 
Vita is great, but I personally prefer the Wii U d-pad. Hell, all the buttons on that thing (gamepad and pro controller) are super satisfying to press.

PS4 d-pad is also solid, I was impressed with it in SFV. I'm used to accidentally hitting directions in fighting games on controllers, but not the case with the DS4.
 
Basically any current Hori d-pad. People who stick to official controllers don't know what's a good d-pad.

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Vita. Nothing comes close.

The clickiness of it, the spacing between the buttons, THE TEXTURE. God-like. I always buy the vita version of the project diva games because the PlayStation controllers / d-pads are atrocious.
 
I've never touched a Saturn pad so Vita is the king for me.

I really like the dualshock 4 and regular sized new 3DS ones too.

There are lots that I don't find very good, but the 360 ones feel like it was specifically designed to be garbage.
 
DylanEno said:
Vita. Nothing comes close.

The clickiness of it, the spacing between the buttons, THE TEXTURE. God-like. I always buy the vita version of the project diva games because the PlayStation controllers / d-pads are atrocious.
Click to expand...

Exactly on point.

My vote goes for the Vita.
 
Japanese Saturn d-pad is superb, can actually pull of quarter and half circle motions smoothly. I used to think the SNES was the best but I think it's a little too stiff, superb ergonomics though.

Curve ball: Neo Geo Pocket Color d-pad nub
doesn't count?
 
xbox360 dpad= " how about we make a DPAD that behaves like an analogue stick!" I hate that DPAD with so much of my soul it really irks me.
 
Don't understand all the love for the Vita's dpad. Its good among Sony Dpads but I don't think the overall Sony style is that successful in general.
 
Just out of what I have used:

Great: SNES
Solid: X360 (it gets better when worn in)
Mediocre: PS3
Shit: PS4, XB1

I especially hate the XB1 and PS4 pads. I've had to invest in a Hori Commander, and even CronusMAX most recently. I'm also only basing these ratings only on fighting games, as any d-pad can work for a different genre. Its insane that developers are still screwing this up years later.
 
You can mostly categorize this by company:

1) Sega (Genesis 6-button, JP Saturn, although DC was at least a couple steps back)
2) Nintendo (pretty much all of them are good except GCN/GBA)
3) Sony (segmented 4-button d-pad was stupid 20 years ago and it's still stupid today, but at least they're consistently functional)
4) Microsoft (bottom of the barrel 360)
 
DylanEno said:
It's just a shame the L and r buttons are near impossible to grip. Made playing fusion a living nightmare.
Click to expand...

Yeah, to use them effectively you have to press the inner side of the buttons instead of the standard outer (corner) side. But I got used to it
 
Saturn is by far the most overrated. It doesn't have good tactile feedback to let you know whether you've hit the diagonals vs the 4 cardinal directions. They also age and get very mushy like SNES d-pads.

The NES D-Pad is the highest quality d-pad ever built unless you're specifically looking for one that "clicks." All of my NES d-pads have aged very well and each still has high action, distinct cardinal separation with great tactile feedback after decades of intense use.

I personally think the Vita, DSiXL, NGPC (if it counts) and GBASP all have phenomenal "clicky" d-pads if that's more your thing.

But NGPC (again if it counts) is by far the GOAT for clicky thumb controls. It rivals Sanwa and seimitsu joysticks in terms of 8-way accuracy while being totally operable with your thumb. It needs to be felt to be believed. Bow before your master:

snk_ngpc_1s.jpg
 
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