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Controllers?

E

Executioner

Older Than FrgMstr
Joined
Apr 22, 2015
Messages
1,018
Hi,
I'm an old fart at 70 yrs old, and I've always used a mouse and keyboard. I'm currently playing God of War, but it feels like a controller may allow better and quicker response versus a mouse and keyboard from some of the video's I've seen a play through.
So my question is: for those that have always played with using a mouse and keyboard, is it possible to teach an old dog new tricks by using a handheld controller? If yes, then which controller would be the best for someone like me.
 
Xbox controller with a pc wireless adapter is my recommendation for easy and reliable. Most games natively support it out the gate.

Wired would be as good if you can use wired.
Bluetooth ones would probably be fine, but I don't have as good luck without the dedicated receiver.
 
Whatever the latest Xbox controller is = means you'll get best support in Windows and IMO thumbstick position on Xbox controllers more natural/comfortable than thumbstick position on PlayStation controllers

Just make sure to either go wired, or use the official PC wireless dongle/adapter for the controller, avoid Bluetooth/Bluetooth lag

Edit: I still use Xbox 360 controllers
 
Yar, agreed that the Xbox controller is probably your best bet for a frustration free experience.
 
 
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Executioner said:
Thanks for the feedback. Based on additional reading and reviews, I grabbed this one: https://www.amazon.com/GameSir-Cont...a30e292fef6aa80d85a1dc85f2d64e&language=en_US

I just hope this old fart can get the hang of using a handheld controller. Wish me luck.
Click to expand...
i was going to suggest one of their cheaper ones to try first but that should do ya. i got tired of buying xb controllers due to stick drift and picked up the nova lite 2. other than battery life its great.(only gets ~6hrs)
 
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Executioner said:
Thanks for the feedback. Based on additional reading and reviews, I grabbed this one: https://www.amazon.com/GameSir-Cont...a30e292fef6aa80d85a1dc85f2d64e&language=en_US

I just hope this old fart can get the hang of using a handheld controller. Wish me luck.
Click to expand...
I imagine you won't have too much trouble, there has actually been a lot of design work that goes in to making them pretty intuitive devices to use. There's a learning curve, of course, but I think you'll find it minimal. Also what I find is it depends on the kind of game if I like mouse and keyboard or controller better. Some games just play much better on one or the other. 3rd person action games, I often find controller is the the right answer.

If you do find that you have trouble getting the hang of it in an action game like that one thing you can look at as a way of easing yourself in is getting an oldschool console JRPG like Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest. Both series have remakes available on Steam and do well with controllers. Since it is all turn based and both sticks and the pad do the same thing (because they were made for older consoles without sticks) it gives you less to deal with at once.

I think you'll be fine in God of War though.
 
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Armenius said:
Imagine paying $80 when you could have paid a quarter that for the 8bitdo controller.
Click to expand...

Truth be told, I find myself favoring 8bitdo controllers over first party controllers - especially my SN30+ Pro (which, after a firmware update, is Switch 2 compatible).

Also, never tried one myself, but I've heard good things about the GameSir line of controllers.
 
Executioner said:
Hi,
I'm an old fart at 70 yrs old, and I've always used a mouse and keyboard. I'm currently playing God of War, but it feels like a controller may allow better and quicker response versus a mouse and keyboard from some of the video's I've seen a play through.
So my question is: for those that have always played with using a mouse and keyboard, is it possible to teach an old dog new tricks by using a handheld controller? If yes, then which controller would be the best for someone like me.
Click to expand...
You're playing God of War? I am seriously stunned that nobody recommended a DualSense (Playstation) controller.

DualSense controllers are great if you are playing Sony games, it should support the advanced features. I love it. Not a fan of xbox controllers, they've stagnated on design for years now and I'd rather just by a cheaper knock off at that point. Atleast with the dualsense you are getting premium features for the premium price. Love the touchbar, gyro, and adaptive triggers on the DualSense.

Some games don't support the DualSense, yes, but with Steam Input those problems are mostly solved. Only some games with really booty implementations will still freak out in those scenarios (Rounds is an example that will hard crash if you use a different type of controller) (Gamepass games are a huge pain, they basically only support Xbox controllers. So if you use gamepass then go xbox)

Xbox for most simple plug and play use, but if you are playing Sony games I really really recommend the DualSense
 
Recently made a thread about this. I got the Gamesir G7 SE. I paid $40 for it. Only thing I don't like is the relocation of the start/select button but it is not too bad. Generally it is a solid wired only controller. Gamesir has some good options but they seem to play games with features like no having locked back buttons, or moving some buttons, etc. buy the G7 SE seemed like the best option for the price. They can be had for $32 or so on sale.

You want an officially licensed Xbox controller that supports Xinput, those will be detected and work just like an Microsoft branded controller. Other controllers that are not officially licensed will not work out of the box as an Xbox controller so I would avoid those if you want plug and play.
 
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Funny...I did get the Gamesir G7, but I can't get the hang of using it. I mainly have an issue with the RIGHT stick. I tried for several hours and finally just gave up. Maybe I don't have it configured correctly, but I found myself not moving it correctly in order to obtain the correct view. I'm going to wait until my 41 year old son comes over to visit since he plays with both.
 
Executioner said:
Funny...I did get the Gamesir G7, but I can't get the hang of using it. I mainly have an issue with the RIGHT stick. I tried for several hours and finally just gave up. Maybe I don't have it configured correctly, but I found myself not moving it correctly in order to obtain the correct view. I'm going to wait until my 41 year old son comes over to visit since he plays with both.
Click to expand...
What kind of trouble did you find you were having with it?
 
I've used quite a few controllers - I really like the GameSir Cyclone 2.
 
I have a GameSir Super Nova. I was using an old 360 controller with the windows dongle. Didn't like having to mess with settings in Windows 11 for it to function and the dead zones were growing. I let my daughter use it now.

The GameSir is very comfortable, charges quickly and lasts a good while. Windows doesn't love it on Blue Tooth but wireless works perfectly. Has a good number of buttons and options. Windows sees it as just a 360 controller.
 
ivandagiant said:
You're playing God of War? I am seriously stunned that nobody recommended a DualSense (Playstation) controller.

DualSense controllers are great if you are playing Sony games, it should support the advanced features. I love it. Not a fan of xbox controllers, they've stagnated on design for years now and I'd rather just by a cheaper knock off at that point. Atleast with the dualsense you are getting premium features for the premium price. Love the touchbar, gyro, and adaptive triggers on the DualSense.

Some games don't support the DualSense, yes, but with Steam Input those problems are mostly solved. Only some games with really booty implementations will still freak out in those scenarios (Rounds is an example that will hard crash if you use a different type of controller) (Gamepass games are a huge pain, they basically only support Xbox controllers. So if you use gamepass then go xbox)

Xbox for most simple plug and play use, but if you are playing Sony games I really really recommend the DualSense
Click to expand...
Problem with the Dualsense is the sticks are garbage compared to third-party options these days, and Sony isn't letting third-parties implement Dualsense features. Plus, the symmetrical stick layout on the wider body is really uncomfortable. If it were as wide as a DualShock 2 it would be fine. Also, the hard plastic D-pad was a bad design choice. The 8bitdo Pro 3 is a better option for a symmetrical controller, in my opinion, if you are more concerned about comfort and accurate control. The touchbar is still usually not used for anything more than cursor control these days, and I have never found a practical use for gyro, which has also been a thing since the Sixaxis on PS3.
 
Armenius said:
Problem with the Dualsense is the sticks are garbage compared to third-party options these days, and Sony isn't letting third-parties implement Dualsense features. Plus, the symmetrical stick layout on the wider body is really uncomfortable. If it were as wide as a DualShock 2 it would be fine. Also, the hard plastic D-pad was a bad design choice. The 8bitdo Pro 3 is a better option for a symmetrical controller, in my opinion, if you are more concerned about comfort and accurate control. The touchbar is still usually not used for anything more than cursor control these days, and I have never found a practical use for gyro, which has also been a thing since the Sixaxis on PS3.
Click to expand...
I've been lucky and haven't encountered any stick drift on my controllers, but it is an issue for sure. I'd love to spend more money on a premium controller but they all lose features compared to the DualSense, and Sony's offering is a joke. $20 replaceable joy stick modules? Actually disgusting they would rather generate waste and nickel and dime the customer instead of just using HE or TMR joysticks

I prefer symmetric sticks tbh. I don't mind either style, but I'd prefer symmetric.

I don't really play retro games or fighters so I don't make much use of the D-Pad. I think for AAA games and Sony titles this is a common take. Aren't the Xbox controllers also notorious for having a terrible D-pad as well (looking at all the Xbox controller recs here)? If you are into retro games I'd get a dedicated retro controller tbh, 8bitdos are pretty cheap (or a fighting stick for fighting games)

Being able to use the touchbar for cursor control is exactly why I love it. It is nice being able to easily navigate some parts of my computer without needing to get up and get my keyboard and mouse out. Some games have great integration for it too, like Helldivers 2 with the map it has.

Gyro is huge for shooters and makes Xbox controllers feel like dinosaurs to me. It approaches keyboard and mouse level accuracy and makes shooters not feel miserable for me to play on controller. https://www.resetera.com/threads/gy...ontroller-shooters-as-analogue-sticks.197121/
 
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One of the biggest perks for the official Xbox controller is that you can use normal rechargeable batteries with it. With the controllers that have internal batteries, you might be gaming one minute and stuck waiting for them to recharge the next. With the Xbox pad, I just swap 'em and keep on going. It's also nice to be able to use them with both the external adapter and Bluetooth. As long as you have a good Bluetooth adapter (don't use a USB one, seriously), it works great.

On the other hand, they're also notoriously flimsy. I go through one every 6-8 months, although I do play literally everything with one. Broken bumpers, drifting sticks, sticks that no longer press inward correctly (since games frequently use that as a "run" function), sticky buttons, etc. They're great when they're new, but they aren't good long haul devices.
 
Domingo said:
One of the biggest perks for the official Xbox controller is that you can use normal rechargeable batteries with it. With the controllers that have internal batteries, you might be gaming one minute and stuck waiting for them to recharge the next. With the Xbox pad, I just swap 'em and keep on going. It's also nice to be able to use them with both the external adapter and Bluetooth. As long as you have a good Bluetooth adapter (don't use a USB one, seriously), it works great.

On the other hand, they're also notoriously flimsy. I go through one every 6-8 months, although I do play literally everything with one. Broken bumpers, drifting sticks, sticks that no longer press inward correctly (since games frequently use that as a "run" function), sticky buttons, etc. They're great when they're new, but they aren't good long haul devices.
Click to expand...
See at that point I don't see why people don't get the knock off controllers, like the $20 8bitdo 2C even has hall effect joy sticks. The xbox controller doesn't have anything special going on, so why is it the go-to for so many people? It is the controller where the knock offs are usually higher quality than the original product itself
 
Domingo said:
One of the biggest perks for the official Xbox controller is that you can use normal rechargeable batteries with it. With the controllers that have internal batteries, you might be gaming one minute and stuck waiting for them to recharge the next. With the Xbox pad, I just swap 'em and keep on going. It's also nice to be able to use them with both the external adapter and Bluetooth. As long as you have a good Bluetooth adapter (don't use a USB one, seriously), it works great.

On the other hand, they're also notoriously flimsy. I go through one every 6-8 months, although I do play literally everything with one. Broken bumpers, drifting sticks, sticks that no longer press inward correctly (since games frequently use that as a "run" function), sticky buttons, etc. They're great when they're new, but they aren't good long haul devices.
Click to expand...
You can still use the controller while it's plugged in and charging. I have 9' braided USB cables for that.
 
ivandagiant said:
See at that point I don't see why people don't get the knock off controllers, like the $20 8bitdo 2C even has hall effect joy sticks. The xbox controller doesn't have anything special going on, so why is it the go-to for so many people? It is the controller where the knock offs are usually higher quality than the original product itself
Click to expand...
Easy plug and play would be my guess, which is exactly why Microsoft created Xinput in the first place so more people would buy their stuff, even though DirectInput and SDL are still superior.
 
ivandagiant said:
See at that point I don't see why people don't get the knock off controllers, like the $20 8bitdo 2C even has hall effect joy sticks. The xbox controller doesn't have anything special going on, so why is it the go-to for so many people? It is the controller where the knock offs are usually higher quality than the original product itself
Click to expand...

It's the only model that takes rechargeable batteries and it's the only model that will work with both bluetooth and a variety of dongles. I'd say the feel of the controller is a little better than the knockoffs, too. They're light and they aren't as dense. Beyond that, it's a hunk of junk. I treat them like a commodity using the Best Buy replacement plan. It's $20 to "insure" them so I just keep swapping them out when they break.
 
Gamesir Nova Lite 2 is acceptable, especially if you're fine with shitty battery life and like cheap prices. Can be used while charging via USB C.

8BitDo Ultimate 2 Wireless is pretty nice. Feels good, battery is good, responsive, receiver is in the charge base, but also removable. I like this one significantly more than the Gamesir, Sir.

Screenshot_20260331-111113.png
 
It's a topic that comes up pretty frequently and there isn't a single great solution. All the mainstream pads have plusses and minuses. Usually in equal numbers. The ones that don't cost and arm and a leg.
 
Executioner said:
Funny...I did get the Gamesir G7, but I can't get the hang of using it. I mainly have an issue with the RIGHT stick. I tried for several hours and finally just gave up. Maybe I don't have it configured correctly, but I found myself not moving it correctly in order to obtain the correct view. I'm going to wait until my 41 year old son comes over to visit since he plays with both.
Click to expand...

There are a lot of options in the Gamesir software, but by default it should be pretty easy. Initially it felt "weird" compared to potentiometer on the 360 controller I was using. But now I feel like I can be a bit more accurate with it.

Domingo said:
It's a topic that comes up pretty frequently and there isn't a single great solution. All the mainstream pads have plusses and minuses. Usually in equal numbers. The ones that don't cost and arm and a leg.
Click to expand...

I feel like they do this intentionally. Move buttons up slightly here, add back paddles but with no locks with the buttons in the more desirable place, make one with all those but only offer the buttons in mechanical (I prefer mushy for controllers), or add too many locks on the back that hurt comfort/ergonomics. Or only the right combination but with some stupid color and LED lights and jack the price up $25 more. They want you to buy multiple controllers.

Maybe the next MS/Sony controller will incorporate hall effect joysticks when the new consoles release.
 
Flogger23m said:
There are a lot of options in the Gamesir software, but by default it should be pretty easy. Initially it felt "weird" compared to potentiometer on the 360 controller I was using. But now I feel like I can be a bit more accurate with it.



I feel like they do this intentionally. Move buttons up slightly here, add back paddles but with no locks with the buttons in the more desirable place, make one with all those but only offer the buttons in mechanical (I prefer mushy for controllers), or add too many locks on the back that hurt comfort/ergonomics. Or only the right combination but with some stupid color and LED lights and jack the price up $25 more. They want you to buy multiple controllers.

Maybe the next MS/Sony controller will incorporate hall effect joysticks when the new consoles release.
Click to expand...
Elite Series 3 is reportedly coming this year, but Sony couldn't even be bothered to put better sticks in the $200 DualSense Edge.
 
kram182 said:
Whatever the latest Xbox controller is = means you'll get best support in Windows and IMO thumbstick position on Xbox controllers more natural/comfortable than thumbstick position on PlayStation controllers

Just make sure to either go wired, or use the official PC wireless dongle/adapter for the controller, avoid Bluetooth/Bluetooth lag

Edit: I still use Xbox 360 controllers
Click to expand...
What is use the official PC wireless dongle/adapter for the controller?
I bought 2 junk models for my 360 wireless and they both crapped out in short order!
 
I used an Xbox controller, some PS3/4 controllers, and just recently got the Xbox Elite Series 2 for free - it was missing a thumbstick, bought a pack of buttons and sticks on amazon for $10, done.

The xbox are superior solely due to actually being fully recognized by windows when wireless. The PS controllers via BT were just "wireless controller" with limited config options etc.
I have not used any third party, all the ones I have used since the original wired xbox one I bought I have gotten for free from people with consoles who dont need them.

Only thing that matters to me when it comes to controllers is ease of use. If I want to do something all configgy and taking real setup and work, Ill play a real sim using the $900+ of peripherals I have for that - A controller is for grab an go
 
funkydmunky said:
What is use the official PC wireless dongle/adapter for the controller?
I bought 2 junk models for my 360 wireless and they both crapped out in short order!
Click to expand...

Wifi DIrect connection vs bluetooth (well for 360 controllers no BT just this or wired) - I got 1 official version and 2 knock off ones - been working fine for me for years (must be luck of the draw with the knock off ones I guess - which I assume only ones around now not expensive 20 years after initial release)

This is the one for the One (and Series?) controllers - $20 - cheaper then my 360 ones were even when new TBH IIRC

1775047364831.png


https://www.walmart.com/ip/Xbox-One...27D033778287A2815A421440&conditionGroupCode=1
 
Armenius said:
Elite Series 3 is reportedly coming this year, but Sony couldn't even be bothered to put better sticks in the $200 DualSense Edge.
Click to expand...

If it uses hall effect that would be a nice upgrade, but $200 is a hefty price.
 
FighterAce124 said:
I used an Xbox controller, some PS3/4 controllers, and just recently got the Xbox Elite Series 2 for free - it was missing a thumbstick, bought a pack of buttons and sticks on amazon for $10, done.

The xbox are superior solely due to actually being fully recognized by windows when wireless. The PS controllers via BT were just "wireless controller" with limited config options etc.
I have not used any third party, all the ones I have used since the original wired xbox one I bought I have gotten for free from people with consoles who dont need them.

Only thing that matters to me when it comes to controllers is ease of use. If I want to do something all configgy and taking real setup and work, Ill play a real sim using the $900+ of peripherals I have for that - A controller is for grab an go
Click to expand...
Yeah when the Thumbsticks come off magnetically just a bad design. Luckily you can get replacements
 
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there's definitely a learning curve but eventually you'll get used to it...I always, and I mean always, use KB/M for all PC games but when I bought a PS4 years back for Bloodborne I ended up having to use the controller...definitely felt strange but eventually got used it...never felt as good as KB/M but the response time and hit points seem much larger with a controller...when you don't have to think about which button to hit and it becomes instinctual then you know you've mastered it
 
I borderline grew up using NES and Genesis pads, but when dual analog sticks became the norm, it threw me for a loop. Especially after playing 3D games with KB/M (or pad + mouse) for years. At this point it feels like the most natural control method, but I felt like a fish out of water for a bit.
 
I bought my oldest kid an XBOX that he never uses because he has a computer. So I use the Black one, and he uses the White one. But they are both down here with my because my youngest enjoys thrashing my ass in Mortal Kombat. Little shit is pretty good lol..
 
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