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Great article on how much the 360 Dpad sucks
- Thread starter FlyinJ
- Start date
fuck using in game examples... the analogue is universally awkward for things like typing messages, navigating menus etc. but even so I find myself going back and forth between dpad and analogue because neither feels right. the fact I even attempt to use the analogue on a regular basis shows how useless the dpad is.
NarcissisticJay
Member
RadarScope1 said:
Pretty sure thats the HORI one.
edit: work connection sux.
commariodore64 said:So does the 360 d-pad
Okay, let me amend my statement a bit then. When I press one of the SIXAXIS's triggers, I have a pretty good idea of what the result will be. When I push a direction on the Xbox 360's d-pad, yes, a decent amount of the time, it does indeed function... even if I can't predict what that function will be.
commariodore64
Member
It seems like the 360 dpad is too high for it's axis point in relation to the sensor points. (Not enough rubber to meet the road)Linkzg said:
I don't really thing the material differences are valid - just the mechanical design is 'off'. And the Saturn pad did use a similar layout & implementation as the nes/ps BUT it managed to pull off the full concave design like the 360 pad because it was closer to the sensors. It was a tight feel to the dpad even though it allowed for full 8-way direction...
commariodore64
Member
No problem - I was just being a dick. :lolshidoshi said:
PjotrStroganov
Member
The protruding bumper buttons are also a bad design choice for people who only use their index finger for the shoulder buttons.
And yes, there are tons of people who use only their index fingers for these buttons.
And yes there are tons of people who use both index and middle fingers for these buttons.
And yes..
And yes, there are tons of people who use only their index fingers for these buttons.
And yes there are tons of people who use both index and middle fingers for these buttons.
And yes..
Kestastrophe
Member
The only game that I've really noticed the shitty d-pad is Oblivion. Since your spells are hotkeyed to the d-pad (including diagonal directions), selecting the one you want can involve lots of trial and error. I haven't had any probs with the d-pad in COD4.
I use only my index fingers and I think the design is perfect. Even my fiance, who is only 5'4" and has small hands, has an easy time with the controller.
PjotrStroganov said:
I use only my index fingers and I think the design is perfect. Even my fiance, who is only 5'4" and has small hands, has an easy time with the controller.
RadarScope1
Member
One more dumb questions: Is the 360 Hori stick wireless? Damn Amazon has no details other than "works with the 360."
Felix Lighter
Member
There's no defending the shitty Xbox 360 d-pad. They got so much right with the Xbox 360 controller. How did they fuck up the d-pad so horribly? D-pads have been standard on controllers since the NES. Some better than others but never has it been so badly implemented. Were they trying a new design to avoid a patent?
cheekymunky
Banned
Saiyar said:
The most amazing part about it is that the 360 controller if fuck perfect in every way except the Dpad.
Psychotext
Member
Luckily I don't use the d-pad for anything.
commariodore64
Member
I feel that way too - but I think it allows for too much motion to get to the sensors. I was just playing MSHvSF on saturn last night and could not get over how great the d-pad was in comparison. (For the record I think the PS d-pads DON'T move enough - they hurt my thumb)C4Lukins said:
Android18a
Member
My worst experiences with the D-pad are from Dead Rising.
Trying to answer the damned pager, or drop a weapon, or look at the time. Whichever one you wanted, you'd get the opposite. The number of times Frank dropped his scythe on me is uncountable.
Trying to answer the damned pager, or drop a weapon, or look at the time. Whichever one you wanted, you'd get the opposite. The number of times Frank dropped his scythe on me is uncountable.
PjotrStroganov
Member
Kestastrophe said:
Go out and buy Ace Combat 6 and try to 'strafe' and control the throttle at the same time.
It's very hard to press both the RB and R trigger at the same time. TBH, I can put up with it in other games but it still doesn't feel as comfortable as when the buttons were to be on one level.LakeEarth said:
http://xbox360.qj.net/Black-premium-controller-on-its-way-/pg/49/aid/72156
Did everyone just forget about that survey? They know there's a problem, they just want to make money off of it. At this rate the XBox 720 will come completely ala carte. Oh, did you want a controller? Does your controller need buttons? ; ;
General_Herpes
Member
C4Lukins said:
Meh, I thought the bumpers were a great idea. It takes the shit black/white buttons and puts them somewhere useful. I only use my index fingers on the triggers/bumpers, and I really like it.
Revengeance
Member
I found this article to be a little too vitriolic to be taken seriously. Of course the 360's dpad sucks, but do we really need to reignite the controller wars over someone belatedly coming to this conclusion?
No-Digg.
No-Digg.
Felix Lighter
Member
C4Lukins said:
It's d-pad came straight from the Sega Genesis 6 button control pad. Have you used that?
BrokenSymmetry
Member
The 360's d-pad has given me the greatest problems in Oblivion. Assigning shortcuts to diagonals was completely too unreliable to use. I have noticed that since then very few 360 games have used the diagonals of the d-pad.
rollingstart
Banned
Felix Lighter said:
I actually think the s controller is was much better than the 360 controller and Microsoft downgraded the controller in many aspects and in general I have a lot of problems with the 360 controller. The S Controller for me is maybe the best 3D controller out there, or at least it would be if it simply had bumpers (not the 360 clicky ones). 360 controller has less range in the triggers, which was big for me when I switched from PGR2 to PGR3, the d-pad was much better, the analog sticks felt more solid, the face buttons felt more solid, and having 6 face buttons was awesome. The position of start and select is better on the 360, that it is wireless, and that it has bumpers are the things I would say the 360 controller does better than the s. The general feel of the S controller in my hands was also much better.
For me, the 360 face buttons arent as responsive as other controllers, I dont know how to exactly explain it, but when playing Ninja Gaiden or DMC4 on each system made me feel like the 360 buttons just didnt have the immediate result that was there on the S or DS3. The clicky bumpers also annoy me despite the fact that im happy they have 4 shoulder inputs. My biggest two problems with the 360 controller are the D-pad and the X/blade button between start and back; so many times when I play games I reach slightly over select or start and the stupid blade pops up slowly and when playing online it usually costs me a kill or something.
Also the whole thing about Nintendo having a patent on d-pads confuse me because how does that explain the Dreamcast d-pad? actually, that is another whole big issue about why Sega fucked up their D-pad choice for the Saturn. I also blame Nintendo for not realizing that the Gameboy Micro D-pad is the second best D-pad ever and not using it for the Wii or DS Lite.
For games like Oblivion, the only way I got around the dpad was holding it, the menu pops up, I would swivel on the dpad until the selection I want is highlighted, hold it steady and 8 times out of 10 when I let go it hasn't moved itself onto something else!!! How stupid is that.
I thought the 360 pad was perfect as well for awhile (dpad aside) but now I realise its perfect for certain types of games, the same way the N64 pad was perfect for some games.
Now having played extensively with the DS3 as well, I probably prefer that for the majority of game styles I play.
Trying to press a trigger and shoulder button at the same time on 360 is nigh on impossible for me to get used to. Also it feels like the shoulder buttons are secondary whilst the triggers are primary...on the DS3 its the other way around. You can rest your index finger in between or on the L1/R1 buttons and still have easy access to the triggers.
The 360 buttons are also too clicky for certain games where you need a bit of finesse (PES I'm looking at you).
But the 360 analogues are the best. Altough I haven't struggled too much with the DS3 ones on COD4....
Buts its a much leveller playing field than it used to be which is good (dpad aside)
I thought the 360 pad was perfect as well for awhile (dpad aside) but now I realise its perfect for certain types of games, the same way the N64 pad was perfect for some games.
Now having played extensively with the DS3 as well, I probably prefer that for the majority of game styles I play.
Trying to press a trigger and shoulder button at the same time on 360 is nigh on impossible for me to get used to. Also it feels like the shoulder buttons are secondary whilst the triggers are primary...on the DS3 its the other way around. You can rest your index finger in between or on the L1/R1 buttons and still have easy access to the triggers.
The 360 buttons are also too clicky for certain games where you need a bit of finesse (PES I'm looking at you).
But the 360 analogues are the best. Altough I haven't struggled too much with the DS3 ones on COD4....
Buts its a much leveller playing field than it used to be which is good (dpad aside)
This article mirrors my opinion on it, perfectly
""It's easy to fix. There are a bunch of simple mods you can do."
Tell you what. I'd like to sell you a car. It's a great car. Oh, but the gas pedal is kind of iffy. Sometimes it makes the car go, but other times it's a brake pedal. Sometimes it makes the car go into reverse, sometimes it turns on the air conditioner. It usually does okay as a gas pedal, though. If you don't like it, you can rip the car apart and fix it yourself. Dumbass."
""Nintendo owns the patent on the Dpad, so Microsoft couldn't give it a good one."
Bullshit. I'm no expert on what Nintendo does or does not hold the rights to, but maybe you should take a look through your controller drawer. See all those Dpads? Yeah, they're all the same on the inside. Refer to the above picture. That's basically how it works. Even on the shitty 3rd-party ones. If Nintendo owns that design, they're sharing it with everyone on the planet but Microsoft."
""It's easy to fix. There are a bunch of simple mods you can do."
Tell you what. I'd like to sell you a car. It's a great car. Oh, but the gas pedal is kind of iffy. Sometimes it makes the car go, but other times it's a brake pedal. Sometimes it makes the car go into reverse, sometimes it turns on the air conditioner. It usually does okay as a gas pedal, though. If you don't like it, you can rip the car apart and fix it yourself. Dumbass."
""Nintendo owns the patent on the Dpad, so Microsoft couldn't give it a good one."
Bullshit. I'm no expert on what Nintendo does or does not hold the rights to, but maybe you should take a look through your controller drawer. See all those Dpads? Yeah, they're all the same on the inside. Refer to the above picture. That's basically how it works. Even on the shitty 3rd-party ones. If Nintendo owns that design, they're sharing it with everyone on the planet but Microsoft."
PepsimanVsJoe
Member
.Pimpbaa said:
I mean what the fuck Sega why was the Dreamcast pad such a step back from the Saturn's? Makes absolutely no sense.
HallucinatingElvis
Banned
I'm not gonna dig shit and stop telling me it's a horrid pos when my own personal experience hasnt been any worse then with other d pads this gen.
actually shittiest dpad goes to the wiimote
actually shittiest dpad goes to the wiimote
monkspider
Member
Arde0 said:
I agree, despite the d-pad, it's still my favorite controller ever. The really amazing thing is that it probably took Microsoft a team of mad scientists and a several billion dollar research budget to create a d-pad that is *that* unbelievably bad.
Don't bother with shitty dpads since the psx I learned DIY hack mods are just better to deal with in the long run.
My solutions to shitty 360 pad
Get a hori sticks
Get XIM and use anything you like
Get XFPS and the ps2 port to do anything you like that is possible from there
As a gamer it feels great to only use a stick, snes or 6 button genesis for anything I use, shame ps3 sucks in homebrew/mods you can do to use any controller you want.
Pads have sucked basically since 3d gaming became the big thing.
My solutions to shitty 360 pad
Get a hori sticks
Get XIM and use anything you like
Get XFPS and the ps2 port to do anything you like that is possible from there
As a gamer it feels great to only use a stick, snes or 6 button genesis for anything I use, shame ps3 sucks in homebrew/mods you can do to use any controller you want.
Pads have sucked basically since 3d gaming became the big thing.
CreatureX3
Member
It took MS over a year and half to address the RROD. Good luck waiting for them to address the crappy dpad. :lol
I've never quite understood why anyone would be so upset over the difference between an analog and a digital stick.
Analog sticks aren't really analog at all. They're just higher-resolution digital sticks. If you wanted to, you could use software to decrease the resolution so that it is binary, just like a standard digital stick.
Analog sticks aren't really analog at all. They're just higher-resolution digital sticks. If you wanted to, you could use software to decrease the resolution so that it is binary, just like a standard digital stick.
Revengeance said:
Huh? The controller is broken, we all want it fixed.
The reason he has so much vitriol is because people respond to the controller being broken with such mouthbreathing comments as "use the analog stick" or "no one uses the Dpad" or "mine works fine".
Even now, in this post, there are people saying shit like that. It's frustrating as hell.
Slavik81 said:
Well, first of all, this is a problem with the pad not registering correct movements. Like I said before, COD4 is a good example. You press right on the pad to select C4, and it registers it as pressing up, and turns on your nightvision.
To answer your broader question though, it's about the response time. You can easily press back-forward-back on a dpad, whereas on an analog stick there is too much "throw". Also, diagonals are a lot more precise on a dpad, whereas on an analog stick there is no definite "corner" (except on the Wii analogs).
Some of you are missing the point of the article. Yeah, there is a semi easy fix, but there shouldn't be a need for a DIY fix in the first place. That just proves something is wrong with the product.
Same thing with the Rock Band instruments, RRoD, etc. If you need to find ways to fix something out of the box, it's faulty.
Why people keep insisting otherwise is beyond me. Saying it's not a problem just lets these companies get away with shoddy products for the future.
Same thing with the Rock Band instruments, RRoD, etc. If you need to find ways to fix something out of the box, it's faulty.
Why people keep insisting otherwise is beyond me. Saying it's not a problem just lets these companies get away with shoddy products for the future.
Pimpbaa
Slop Inspector
Personally I only had a little trouble with the 360 d-pad. Maybe it was because I was so used to using this piece of crap for so long. It's almost impossible to just press up down left or right without going into the diagonals. Rather than say the 75% of the time you get the direction you pressed on the 360 d-pad, you would get the direction less than 25% of the time on this logitech pad. That plus the crappy buttons, loose sticks, non-standard right analog stick mappings (games would recognize the throttle on top as the right stick x-axis and the right stick x-axis as the y-axis).
pr0cs
Member
The DPad is a joke, no question about it. They'll never fix it though, the amount of game that really suffer because of it are so far a few between that they have almost no incentive to fix it. The only solution is to buy a stick designed from the ground up for that sort of control (ie: hori).
The PS3 DPad is just as knackered imo.
The PS3 DPad is just as knackered imo.
Revengeance
Member
Fixed how, exactly? I would argue that primary thrust of this article is not to hopefully get a new controller designed, but just to complain as loudly as possible about something that has already been complained about plenty.FlyinJ said:
I'm not going to defend the d-pad; it's shit, but I'm highly skeptical that anything will ever get done about it, regardless of how loud we all complain. This is Microsoft, after all.
Articles like this simply give the fanboys something to start yelling at each other about.
a Master Ninja
Member
Actually, that's a non-issue. Up, Down, Left, and Right are just fine. It's the diagnols that are never consistent.Semantic Continuum said:
Slavik81 said:
Play some VC NES or SNES games with the classic controller analog stick. It's doing precisely what you describe here, you should be able to see very quickly why it's unsuitable for some games that require precise timing on D-pad inputs. It actually is quite comfortable for stuff like LttP, though.