(Xbox/DS4 controllers) Camera movement in Prey is stuttery

[sombrez]

Prey removed Xinput support, and as of today it uses the SCAPI for controller support. People have been complaining that the aiming control is different, and that it microstutters.
The joysticks are bound to "relative mouse" which is the cause of the issue.
Valve needs to fix the mouse emulation so that it is as smooth as native joystick support.
It is either a problem with the game's handling of mouse movement, or a problem with the SCAPI.

ISSUE
Camera movement stutters when using the stick for aiming because it is emulating a mouse. Prey removed Xinput support so emulating a mouse is the only option.

OS
Windows 10

CONTROLLER TYPES:
Xbox, DS4
CONNECTION TYPE:
Wired

GAME:
Prey

CONFIG LINK:
Default Prey configuration for Non-Steam Controllers

STEPS
Start Prey
Go into the campaign
Try holding the analog stick to one side, and look at how it moves.

RESULTS
Camera movement is stuttery/not smooth

EXPECTED
Camera movement should be smooth and with no stutter, like using native joystick support.

[ThreeSon]

This problem also applies to the DS4 controller. I first noticed it in Darksiders Warmastered Edition, which also defaults to SCAPI controls with the right analog stick mapped to the mouse (which controls the game's camera).

With that configuration, the camera movement in DS:WE also stuttered frequently.

[sombrez]

Originally posted by ThreeSon:

This problem also applies to the DS4 controller. I first noticed it in Darksiders Warmastered Edition, which also defaults to SCAPI controls with the right analog stick mapped to the mouse (which controls the game's camera).

With that configuration, the camera movement in DS:WE also stuttered frequently.

Thank you, I have updated the original post to include the DS4 in the controllers list.

So now we know that it is a problem with the mouse emulation. I believe Valve should put more work into making it smooth, and more like a gamepad stick.

The developers for Prey (Arkane) removed Xinput support so that they could use SCAPI support. With all the people complaining about the stuttering of the gamepad movement, they might add Xinput support back, which is bad.

[austinp_valve]

Can you capture a video of the stuttering so it's clear what you're talking about?

Also can you go into advanced settings for Aim and try changing the response curve, Anti-deadzone settings, etc?

What frame rate is the game running at?

[ThreeSon]

Originally posted by austinp-dev:

Can you capture a video of the stuttering so it's clear what you're talking about?

Also can you go into advanced settings for Aim and try changing the response curve, Anti-deadzone settings, etc?

What frame rate is the game running at?

Here are two videos for Darksiders: Warmastered Edition, using the DS4 controller on Windows 7 Pro x64 and the latest Steam beta (Aug 28 2017, at 11:52:52). Based on the OP's description, I believe this is the same stutter behavior they are referring to in Prey.

In both videos, the game was captured using OBS at 1080p and 60 FPS with the software encoder (x264). However the game is running at 120 FPS on my computer.

The problem is more pronounced at 120 FPS compared to 60, but you should hopefully still be able to see the difference.


This first video is using the official SC bindings for Darksiders (the right analog stick controls the camera via mouse emulation):
https://youtu.be/3Pa2bMLigx8

This second video is using Xinput, with the standard gamepad bindings:
https://youtu.be/1lgEXwl4UXs


I have tried altering a few of the analog settings in the controller configuration, but none of them have make a difference as far as the stuttering.

The only setting I would think might have made a difference is the stick response curve, but the only effect changing that has is to speed up or slow down the camera speed. The stuttering is there regardless.

Let me know if you want me to try some other setting that might work.

[sombrez]

I'm running at 60 fps. Adjusting the settings don't help the stuttering I believe.
This video was recorded with the Xbox Game DVR at 60 fps at High encoding settings.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiuYqwoFWk4

It might be a bit hard to tell because it's a recording, but look at the viewmodel. Normally it would not be skipping back and forth. Also, look at the wall when I move slowly with the pistol. It's skipping very fast, although it's not as noticeable in the recording.

In-game it's definitely not as smooth as native joystick support. I can't test it with Xinput because they completely removed all support for xinput.

Because Prey is not the only game that has this issue, perhaps it's a problem with the Joystick Mouse option? (Aim is just joystick mouse renamed as far as I know). You could try just smoothing it, since "Joystick Mouse" doesn't have a smoothing option.

[Douglaseve]

I just discovered this problem today, I never had it because I always played using USB cable, so these days I bought a bluetooth dongle and there is this shutter problem in the analogue right, and it is more noticeable in some games than others, I usually play Paladins and Warframe and even with the Shutter, the Warframe game satisfactorily, but Paladins borders the impossible with this Shutter.
some additional details, I put the sensitivity in the right analog at maximum and so regulate with the Gyro in less sensitivity possible in-game, but for some reason when using Bluetooth instead of USB the sensitivity of the right analog gets something twice as fast and with shutter, it's as if I'm sending double input or something, the fact that I have even greater sensitivity in the right analogue is welcome, since I can decrease the in-game sensitivity and increase the sensitivity of the Gyro, making it optimum with the crosshair and pixel skkiping almost nil, if it did not have the shutter.
I would like you to take the test and find out if the USB cable solves the problem for you.

[Douglaseve]

Now I will not play Paladins anymore, until this problem is solved .. I could play again via USB, but I did not buy a dongle to not use, I want to be able to play on the couch without causing me to shuuter in the analog: /

[austinp_valve]

@Wolf the issue with DS4's updating faster over BT will be fixed in the next beta round.

Unfortunately I don't have a fix yet for the OP's issue. Fixing this and some other issues around PS4 and Xbox controllers are on my list of things to do.