reviews or thoughts about game controller support?

[DreadLordNaf]

I tried searching the boards here but couldnt find any good thoughts or reviews of how this game plays with just a regular game pad/game controller (not a fancy hotas joystick or anything).

Anyone who has tried have thoughts? Im curious if its solid and optimized for game controller like No Man's sky and if I could enjoy the game on the big screen playing from the couch without needing to constantly access keyboard, or if it's really janky and clunky like Elite is with a game controller.

[Goonties]

I have played this game exclusively on controller for around 26 hours now (20 EA, 6 post 1.0) and the controller support is top notch. The ONLY issue I have is using L3/R3 (or whatever the xbox equivalent is) for boost and more particularly, rolling. Rolling with R3 is pretty awkward, but fortunately using auto roll does alleviate the need to use it often and rarely needed in tense situations. I am using an Xbox Elite controller however, and have remapped 2 of the back buttons to L3/R3 to make it much easier to boost/roll.

Outside of that 1 minor problem (seriously, it is way less of an issue than it sounds, I'm just fussy), the controller play is fantastic. You may need to adjust sensitivity and whatnot to find your most comfortable settings, but this game is 100% something you can kick back on the lounge and enjoy with a controller.

[BurntFaceMan]

Hola - I mainly play using controller - the default controller layout is adequate, it might take at most an hour of play to get totally used to it and be able to fluidly execute what you intend - biggest gripes with default scheme are boost being assigned to LS click and working on hold (functions much better if you just switch it to toggle, and assign it to Y button press if you don't like clicking analogues), and lock on and rotation of the ship being assigned to rs click (same thing, just rebind if clicking bothers you - rolling isn't too important a function in moment to moment gameplay, and game by default has auto roll function to level ship to a neutral horizon.)

The ability to rebind everything is about the most functional gamepad rebinding I've seen in a game - each action can have multiple binds, be set to function on button hold, or function on holding one button and pushing another.

By default the game has a few functions which aren't bound by default on controller or keyboard afaik - they're not critical, but might interest you - namely placing markers, toggling your ships headlights, and disabling (and reenabling) inertial dampening (this is what keeps your ship from continuing in a direction you thrust after you stop thrusting).

Playing with inertial dampening off brings a whole other layer to flying and make it feel a lot less arcadey, but has a very high skill floor and cieling, so only really for people who like to master that kind of flight - if you're familiar with Elite Dangerous you've probably dabbled with turning inertial dampening off in that game and seeing what it's all about.

In general controller support is excellent in terms of fine tuning it to your preference, but still feels limited by the number of available buttons - I think simply having a gamepad with paddles or two extra buttons would resolve this entirely, and the key thing I'd do if I had one is put the ship rolling left and right on those extra buttons.

One other gripe I intend to give feedback about and hope to see changed is that to activate consumables you have to hold B, or hold X for devices, and push a direction to select one of up to four slots - my issue with this is it recognises both analogue and dpad directional pushes, leading to sometimes accidentally using something with analogue - I'd prefer greatly if there was a way to limit it just to dpad - time does slow down whilst selecting so if being mindful this can be avoided.

[DreadLordNaf]

This is super helpful thanks all!

[ANDS!]

Works okay. The only issue I have is that rebinding the keys (I hate that weapons/vertical movement aren't opposites and instead sit on top of each other, bleach) screws up the functionality of the "Release/Hold Release" button. It normally suppresses the usual input (in this case "Primary Fire" for default), but if you rebind it, you're boned and it won't suppress anything.

It sucks "holding to release" and then having your ship start hovering upwards. And rebinding keys is already a pain in the ass.

[BurntFaceMan]

Originally posted by ANDS!:

Works okay. The only issue I have is that rebinding the keys (I hate that weapons/vertical movement aren't opposites and instead sit on top of each other, bleach) screws up the functionality of the "Release/Hold Release" button. It normally suppresses the usual input (in this case "Primary Fire" for default), but if you rebind it, you're boned and it won't suppress anything.

It sucks "holding to release" and then having your ship start hovering upwards. And rebinding keys is already a pain in the ass.

Not gonna lie this comment is confusing as heck to me and I've already played the game a fair bit, so not sure it's very helpful to OP.

It's not at all clear what you're talking about or what the issue you're describing even is.

[Rupta]

Controls are terrible, anyone saying that they aren't need their heads checked, play any other space sim/arcade with complex mechanics & see how roll/pitch/yaw are handled on a controller or twin-sticks & then compare that to Everspace 2... Its laughable how bad they are. I must use a comp for this to sink in, NMS is a masterclass of how to work complex multitouch control mechanics into a controller well... shoulders for thrust, triggers for roll, pitch & yaw on left stick, lookaround on the other, even mech games have these mechanics configured like this. It's infuriating opening a game & the first thing you come across is a totally broken control system forcing you to start modifying it which creates a domino effect into other controlls cascading into nonsensical stupidity.

Remember when they made GOF2HD & how those controls "worked?"

[valc]

Originally posted by Rupta:

Controls are terrible, anyone saying that they aren't need their heads checked

I cannot second that more strongly. I had to give up on Everspace1 on Switch after being ambushed by the worst space-fighter controller scheme I've ever witnessed in 30years of SpaceSim gaming. I had to set-up a special Switch controller-config just for this game in trying to get it playable.

Ok, the Devs probably never have played a space game before so I made my peace with it and risked to give EV2 a shot on Steam Deck to support the devs furthermore. Just to realise they haven't learned anything.
For example, there are instances in the game where you're ordered to strafe boost, so pushing a button, while pushing right, all with a SINGLE thumb on the same side of the controller. A numb thumb that had been on "push forward" for about 20min. just to make that ship move forward. So basically a finger you can't use for anything other AT ALL ! How is it even possible to repeat such a decision? This isn't Doom.

I absolute know of the "control cascading"-effect when you start to heavily change the button config and in doing so producing new problems.

I don't think there is way to effectively play that game on SD, one need a up-tier gaming controller for PC or just play it with Mouse & KB.

[Geekbyte]

Originally posted by valc:

Originally posted by Rupta:

Controls are terrible, anyone saying that they aren't need their heads checked

I cannot second that more strongly. I had to give up on Everspace1 on Switch after being ambushed by the worst space-fighter controller scheme I've ever witnessed in 30years of SpaceSim gaming. I had to set-up a special Switch controller-config just for this game in trying to get it playable.

Ok, the Devs probably never have played a space game before so I made my peace with it and risked to give EV2 a shot on Steam Deck to support the devs furthermore. Just to realise they haven't learned anything.
For example, there are instances in the game where you're ordered to strafe boost, so pushing a button, while pushing right, all with a SINGLE thumb on the same side of the controller. A numb thumb that had been on "push forward" for about 20min. just to make that ship move forward. So basically a finger you can't use for anything other AT ALL ! How is it even possible to repeat such a decision? This isn't Doom.

I absolute know of the "control cascading"-effect when you start to heavily change the button config and in doing so producing new problems.

I don't think there is way to effectively play that game on SD, one need a up-tier gaming controller for PC or just play it with Mouse & KB.

Hey there. I think it's a bit disingenuous to say that we've "probably never played a space game before" or that we "haven't learned anything" when some of the team have been playing space games since the early 1980's.

The original discussion here, which is over 18 months old was mostly surrounding controller customisation, rather than handheld controls such as found on the Steam Deck. The former point was alleviated with our Incursions update in 2023 when we brought controller customisation to the game.

Does that mean there isn't room for improvement? No, but we have limited resources and our focus is on other work that we have planned for 2025.

[Pixelado™]

Hi, I'm a new player, I usually play everything with mouse and keyboard and when I can use my Xbox controller I use it.
This is one of those cases. The controls are very good, although it's true that at first they seem imprecise, but it takes as you've already been told around 1 hour and then they are perfect.

Regarding these comments that the controls are terrible, and that we should check our heads... I think it's obvious who is trying to deceive.

[Pappy]

For anyone who's reading this thread and may have noticed the comments about having to continually press the forward thrust button, there is an option to change the boost to a toggle. At first this might not seem like a solution for this issue, but in reality it pretty much is because you are going to be boosting a LOT and therefore boost essentially becomes your default movement. You will want to boost forward, boost back, boost to the right, boost to the left, boost up, boost down. If you change boost to a toggle essentially you only have to enable boost and then just use your direction keys to boost in that direction and if you aren't pressing a direction key forward is the default direction. It takes a bit of practice getting used to, but once you do you don't have to hold down a direction key to move forward, simply enable boost. You can of course still move forward without boost for finer control, but you'll find yourself needing this only briefly.

[valc]

Originally posted by Geekbyte:

Originally posted by valc:

Hey there. I think it's a bit disingenuous to say that we've "probably never played a space game before" or that we "haven't learned anything" when some of the team have been playing space games since the early 1980's.

The original discussion here, which is over 18 months old was mostly surrounding controller customisation, rather than handheld controls such as found on the Steam Deck. The former point was alleviated with our Incursions update in 2023 when we brought controller customisation to the game.

Does that mean there isn't room for improvement? No, but we have limited resources and our focus is on other work that we have planned for 2025.

Speaking of disingenuous. I can garuantee to all readers that it's impossible for me to be "disingenuous" about it because as the Dev must know I'm no part of the team, so it's impossible for me to know whether some of them have played space combat games or not.
It's just an assumption based on observations. And it's solely based on the Nint. Switch controls (Everspace 1, omg!) and SteamDeck (Ev2).

I can see it working with two joysticks with half a dozen axis or with KB+mouse with 104 keys to your disposal. Although I made it barely playable on SD by heavily altering the key bindings (which fortunately actually gives you a lot of freedom in regard to other games), I can't guess if it'd still work on higher difficulties.

The base setup for the Deck let's you push 5 buttons/sticks at once (!) if you want to boost strafe diagonally while rolling. In fact, two precious buttons are set for strafe up/down alone, while left/right strafe are at a completely different location on one stick (wtf?). R/L 4+5 don't seem to work either (which would be a great relief). Pushing sticks (LS/RS) generally is an awful function but tbf that seems to be subjective.

Many problems would vanish if that ship would fly on its own. As an advice: With inertia dampener always off (boost toggle is too fast for most situations) at least you get some momentum, so that's something.

So here's the customer feedback. This is not even a single thread and there are other voices on that matter. Of course it's not possible to deliver a perfect game. But these are issues plaguing the game from part 1 on, there are so many good games to copy from.
If "yeah, it's great because I like it" is of better help to adjust development strategy, there are plenty other claquers to get confirmation from.

[Notoshy]

Originally posted by valc:

Originally posted by Geekbyte:

Hey there. I think it's a bit disingenuous to say that we've "probably never played a space game before" or that we "haven't learned anything" when some of the team have been playing space games since the early 1980's.

The original discussion here, which is over 18 months old was mostly surrounding controller customisation, rather than handheld controls such as found on the Steam Deck. The former point was alleviated with our Incursions update in 2023 when we brought controller customisation to the game.

Does that mean there isn't room for improvement? No, but we have limited resources and our focus is on other work that we have planned for 2025.

Speaking of disingenuous. I can garuantee to all readers that it's impossible for me to be "disingenuous" about it because as the Dev must know I'm no part of the team, so it's impossible for me to know whether some of them have played space combat games or not.
It's just an assumption based on observations. And it's solely based on the Nint. Switch controls (Everspace 1, omg!) and SteamDeck (Ev2).

I can see it working with two joysticks with half a dozen axis or with KB+mouse with 104 keys to your disposal. Although I made it barely playable on SD by heavily altering the key bindings (which fortunately actually gives you a lot of freedom in regard to other games), I can't guess if it'd still work on higher difficulties.

The base setup for the Deck let's you push 5 buttons/sticks at once (!) if you want to boost strafe diagonally while rolling. In fact, two precious buttons are set for strafe up/down alone, while left/right strafe are at a completely different location on one stick (wtf?). R/L 4+5 don't seem to work either (which would be a great relief). Pushing sticks (LS/RS) generally is an awful function but tbf that seems to be subjective.

Many problems would vanish if that ship would fly on its own. As an advice: With inertia dampener always off (boost toggle is too fast for most situations) at least you get some momentum, so that's something.

So here's the customer feedback. This is not even a single thread and there are other voices on that matter. Of course it's not possible to deliver a perfect game. But these are issues plaguing the game from part 1 on, there are so many good games to copy from.
If "yeah, it's great because I like it" is of better help to adjust development strategy, there are plenty other claquers to get confirmation from.

Corrected the issue with your posting, because the quotes were wrong.

[Pappy]

Originally posted by valc:

Originally posted by Geekbyte:

Hey there. I think it's a bit disingenuous to say that we've "probably never played a space game before" or that we "haven't learned anything" when some of the team have been playing space games since the early 1980's.

Speaking of disingenuous. I can garuantee to all readers that it's impossible for me to be "disingenuous" about it because as the Dev must know I'm no part of the team, so it's impossible for me to know whether some of them have played space combat games or not.

Don't you just love when someone attempts to refute somebody and inadvertently proves the point they were trying to refute? This tongue in cheek response proves that Geekbyte's point was spot on. Geekbyte was trying to give you the benefit of the doubt by calling the comment disengenious when in fact it's clear it was nothing more than a baseless accusation. One that Rockfish didn't deserve as you admit that you know absolutely nothing about them.

Originally posted by valc:

Of course it's not possible to deliver a perfect game. But these are issues plaguing the game from part 1 on, there are so many good games to copy from.

You mean like Descent? The controls in this game are very similar to that excellent game that has won many awards, but perhaps it was before your time. What about any of a number of Descent clones that exist today like Overload[www.giantbomb.com]? The very fact that there are Descent clones indicates that game and it's control scheme was well received. Not everyone is going to like the control scheme as is, but it's not a completely foreign control scheme, you're given ample options to change it to suit your tastes and there are in fact many posts in these forums praising the control scheme. I'm not going to bother with finding them and linking them here because I don't think my post is going to persuade you in the least and some of them are in this thread all you have to do is scroll up. You've posted your opinion and now I have posted mine, I think we should just agree to disagree.