tbh i might just be inclined to view older peripherals as controllers? Which isn’t exactly clear and logical. Idk, i guess the counter to that is that I would consider Guitar Hero guitars “peripherals” rather than “controllers”, so you maybe it is a “general” vs “specific” thing. Except a lot of these controllers we’re talking about were only officially supported by like, 5 games at most. So i’m back to not knowing the difference haha.
DS4? As in the one for the PS4? It’s a bit of an unfair comparison bc they are different gens, but i would definitely argue that the current Xbox Series controllers are higher build-quality than the DS4. My Xbox One controller had creaky, rattly shoulders and an okay but not great d-pad. The newer ones fix that, fortunately.
All that said, I will not dispute that it’s probably less ideal for smaller hands. Sony has always gotten that part right.
the orb! The Orb was the number one controller i had in mind when making this post. I never had one but i’ve watched so many videos about it. It’s like a controller from an alternate timeline of what could have been, if we never moved to analog sticks or mouse look. Apparently the tech is still preferred in the 3D CAD space. After several acquisitions, the company is now a Logitech subsidiary called “3Dconnexion”, and they make CAD tools like the SpaceMouse that use the same 6-axis tech that the SpaceOrb used:
Hitboxes are something else. I understand why they are ideal, but it’s so funny to see years of ergonomic evolution compressed down to a box with a bunch of buttons on it, for more precision. Lol.
Mad Catz and their controllers that seem like they were designed by two actual, mad, cats. They still make ridiculous stuff like their R.A.T. mouse with like a dozen different dials and sliders and removable parts for customization:
Of course, I think Mad Catz was absorbed by some other company at some point, so i’m not 100% on if it’s even the same people anymore. But the spirit is alive and well, it would seem.
This drives me nuts on the Switch on handheld. The Joycons have no natural “grip”, so it’s hand cramp city unless you invest in a grip case. Was it so hard to give the Joycons an ergonomic shape?
Can’t believe I had to scroll this far for this. To my mind, the modern Xbox controller is the perfect controller for PC. Like you said, this the AA batteries and colorways are great, unique features. On top of this, it’s well-laid out, feels good in the hand, and every button, stick, and trigger feels great to use. And most importantly, it has the broadest compatibility. Every game recognizes the Xbox controller, and almost every game has Xbox button prompts built in.
The only thing missing is hall-effect sticks, but I’ve never experienced stick drift on an Xbox controller so it’s not like I would notice a difference.