It doesn’t matter if we are talking about playing in front of the console or the PC if we are talking about doing it with a gamepad, we are always going to miss something. And it is that the control buttons have barely evolved in almost 15 years in their button layout. However, there isElements that are missing in a controller to play.
Whenever a new console appears, unless you are looking for a new control mode, it is always the classic reinvention of the controller of a lifetime, with more or less additional functions such as vibrations , accelerators and gyroscopes, Force Feedback. Technologies that promise to differentiate the control of a certain system from that of the competition. However, when it comes to enjoying a good game, there are things that we think are not taken into account that would greatly improve the experience when using a controller to play. .
What am I missing in a controller for gaming?
Well, several things and most of them come implicitly from experience, since the author of this had an 8-bit NES until today. That is to say, small details or rather vices that are repeated iteration after iteration and which end up adding stupid barriers, whatever system we are talking about.
- The problem of drift in analog sticks has been around for a long time, previous generation consoles already had it and we are talking about systems from 2013. In ten years, no one has been able to develop a solution to the problem?
- Muscle memory is not factored in, it would be ideal if each of the buttons and triggers had a different feel, be it a different button shape or texture. All this to facilitate the button that we press at all times. It’s an idea that seems absurd, but let’s not forget that we push the buttons out of pure muscle memory.
- A universal nomenclature for buttons. PlayStation users can easily mentally identify the position of the famous squares, triangles, crosses and circles on their controller. The problem is compounded if you’re playing with PC or Xbox, on the one hand, and Nintendo, on the other, where A is B and X is Y. Which is tricky, because your brain is used to associating each name with a button.
For many, these three points may seem trivial, especially the last one, but they are things that tarnish the gaming experience, especially when played on various platforms. Although this is not the biggest problem of all.
Controller batteries are ridiculous
How are video game consoles subsidized? Easy, from games created and sold by the manufacturer, royalties paid on games published by third parties and the sale of peripherals. And how do you create planned obsolescence in a remote control? Well, easy, from the battery and if it is sealed so that the user can change the control button as quickly as possible. How do they get it? Well, with super short charge cycles, that means if we forget to charge the controller, we can say goodbye to gaming that day.
A wireless mouse or keyboard has a lot more activity than a gamepad and its batteries last a lot longer, especially mice. It’s a real shame that more and more collectible manufacturers end up releasing controllers with issues like drift, low battery, and increasingly shoddy materials. It’s a complete lack of detail that if things were done better it would be better for everyone.