Favourite Controllers

[J4MES OX4D 10,033]

I was thinking the other day how many controllers I've used over the years for each system.  Picking a fave is not easy as most have done their job based on the device and games it was intended for. Thought I'd pick out a few that I've used over the years but tough to choose which is best overall. 

 

PS1 pad was amazing for its time and influential for many years to come. Loved the D-pad and buttons. Start and select were a bit weird to press but it did the job perfectly.

 

N64 was very advanced at the time especially with the 3D stick, a solid D-pad, shoulder buttons, Z-trigger along with the two standard plus yellow directional ones. Didn't use the d-pad much from what I remember but the 8-direction stick was really ideal for the likes of Goldeneye and the array of platformers.

 

Dreamcast controller was pretty awesome - fit nicely in the hands and much smaller than it appeared in pictures. Full 360 degree stick with solid grips too. D-pad was a bit too tight and raised for my liking though but was fairly under-used in most games plus the coloured buttons also felt a bit cheap. The VMU/memory card aspect was also pretty interesting but devs didn't make much use out of it in the end sadly. 

 

Microsoft Sidewinder - got this for Christmas around the early 2000's. Bit weird on the face of it but it worked surprisingly well. Had a strange 3D-type D-pad that was slanted slightly which was fairly unique even to this day. My only gripe was the lack of coloured or clearly marked buttons. Very comfrotable though. 

 

Playstation 2 pad was just amazing - expanded upon the original with pressure-sensitive buttons and twin sticks - these didn't have much grip and were perhaps a bit large but they worked pretty well. 

 

The first Xbox pad was way too heavy for my linking - I didn't really like the white and black buttons as they were too small and dug into your finger. The vibration also made a buzzing sound and the coloured buttons felt a little elevated and cheap. Can't remember how the D-pad was but the sticks were solid enough. Seemed a little over-engineered but with tweaks, future Xbox ones were spot-on. 

 

Gamecube controller was very strange - every button was bizarre and the D-pad and right stick was just so oddly placed. It didn't really have a detrimental effect on the games and the main 3D stick was fine but it just seemed a bit of a mess. 

 

I don't quite consider the Wii, 360 or DS3 pads retro as of yet - all excellent and highly reliable controllers. The Wii was really unique in what was a bit of a fad of the era despite monumental success. The 360 and PS3 controllers were both excellent and remain the key foundations for pads today. 

[phil bottle 9,755]

On C64 it was all about joysticks, which usually got destroyed by games like Track and Field and had the word Thrust somewhere in their name 🙂

 

But for consoles it's got to be the SNES and N64 controllers that brings back fondest memories. Never been a fan of PlayStation controllers until the new one for PS5. Which is amazing.

 

As you say, it's not quite retro yet but for me the various Xobox 360 controllers are my favourites of all time.

[TigerBurge 2,375]

For me it was the Xbox 360. Fit my gorilla hand’s perfect. Led to very little fatigue like PlayStation controllers did. My second favorite is probably the PS5. Same reason is it fits my hands well. However I do wish they made one like the Xbox thumb sticks. 

[IRaMPaGe 3,236]

Probably the Xbox 360. After getting used to it like Chris said it was very comfortable. 

[Tove 488]

The Sega Saturn and Mega Drive 6 button Controllers made a pretty cool fight pad, having 6 face buttons matching the Street Fighter 6 button system, 

 

Otherwise the PS1 was the first truly comfortable controller for me, Then I was sceptical of the 360 controller initially coming from the PS1/2 but this has probably been my favourite controller. 

 

 

[Riff Machine 2,105]

It was a tie between the 360 and dualshock 4 for the longest time until I finally got the xbox elite 2 controller.  The extra grip on that beauty, on top of the modular changes you can make to thumbsticks, D-pad, triggers and thumbstick tension is just awesome.  It became my go-to PC controller until this past week when I finally bought a Series X.

 

Honorable mention goes to the SNES controller and the Stadia Controller.  

[GazzaGarratt 11,049]

Love this thread.

 

Early days I actually felt like the Sega 6 button controllers were incredible. Sega Saturn had it spot on, whilst my only 3rd party controllers I ever really got on with, was for my Mega Drive. Hate to admit it but the SNES controllers were unbelievably class, so lightweight you don't realise until using controllers in today's world and then go back to them.

 

Outside of these in later generations I was one of the very few who absolutely LOVED the old huge Xbox controller with the additional white and black button. For some reason it worked so well for Halo. The smaller versions they made afterwards were also incredibly satisfying to hold. The Gamecube was also one of my favourites, however the yellow right analogue stick, if you can call it that, was abysmal. I loved it had this weird extra button on the top which was the Z button.

 

The new PS5 controller is probably something I should add because of the haptic feedback concept. Feels amazing on certain games.

 

 

On the flipside, it probably didn't help that I never grew up with one but that N64 controller can stay in those golden ages. Anytime I've tried to go back and play an N64 game its a nightmare. So strange but get that some will love it like i loved the OG huge xbox one on my own 😅

[Riff Machine 2,105]

10 hours ago, GazzaGarratt said:

 

 

The new PS5 controller is probably something I should add because of the haptic feedback concept. Feels amazing on certain games.

 

I really like the feel of the Dual Sense too.  My biggest complaint is it's durability.  I've had 3 fuck up on me, which I ended up fixing one with parts from the other 2.  The springs in the L2/R2 triggers are fragile as hell thanks in no small part to the haptic feedback.  It makes me wonder if they've managed to at least address this issue with newer version of the controller of even the edge.

[Greboth 2,721]

For a console, the Xbox 360 controller was the best.  The stick placement was weird coming from a PS2 but once you got past that, the ergonomics were perfect.  So it was a downgrade moving to the PS4 but the DS5 is much nicer.

 

For something different, the Valve index controllers are amazing too.  With the capacitive hand grip and buttons being able to independently control characters fingers in VR is great.  Being able to point a finger to press a button, opening your fingers and close them round the controller to pick stuff up is very natural and adds to the immersion.

[BO7H B4RRELS 2,453]

Xbox 360 is my favorite of all time; however, the XBOXONE controller is pretty awesome too.  

 

For nostalgia... the SNES controller has a special place in my heart.