Best gamepad controller

[TBone]

I've always played ace combat games using playstation controllers, so I was wondering if the steam controller would work well for this game or whether I should buy a different brand for it?

[SlyAceZeta]

Personally I don't like the Steam controller much, but honestly any controller that can plug into your PC will work, even a PlayStation one. The PS4 controller now has native support on Steam so you can just use that to play AC7.

If you want a PC-centric gamepad recommendation, my absolute favorite has been and will be the Logitech F310 Gamepad. It's wired, and it doesn't have vibration, but it has the analog sticks in the same side-by-side layout as the PlayStation controllers and it's been very sturdy in my gameplay sessions that take hours.

I used to play with the Logitech F710, which is the Bluetooth and vibration version of the F310, but I had constant connection problems with that one. It's worth looking into, but I recommend the F310 over the F710.

[TheRibbonRed]

Originally posted by TBone:

I've always played ace combat games using playstation controllers, so I was wondering if the steam controller would work well for this game or whether I should buy a different brand for it?

I'd say the Steam Controller is the best for almost everything except First Person Shooters. It has 19 buttons, completely customizable bindings on-the-fly (can even output as KBM), and with many modes you can set up yourself. Not to mention that it can be wireless and does have customizable vibrations and haptic feedbacks.

Since I played AC5 and ACZ emus with the controller twice, you have my seal of approval that it will work wonderfully.

[TBone]

Thanks for the info guys! I figured the steam controller would work fine but I wasn't too sure about how the trackpad would perform for looking around in 3rd person mode while flying.

[SlyAceZeta]

Oh the Steam Controller's trackpad will work just fine for camera movement, hell that's one of the best applications for that part.

[TheRibbonRed]

Originally posted by TBone:

Thanks for the info guys! I figured the steam controller would work fine but I wasn't too sure about how the trackpad would perform for looking around in 3rd person mode while flying.

Just set it as a "Mouse" input (if the game can handle simultaneous input from both controllers and KBM) and you'll find it better than regular gamepad thumbsticks.

If you can, you should try emulating the old ganes and see for yourself. Just don't forget to add the emulator as a non-Steam game so the Steam overlay can work over it and enables the Steam Controller.

[Gonenuts]

Honestly, I have the Logittech F710 and never had issues with it. It fakes as an Xbox Controller (with the X selected in the back where the cable used to go), so GTA Five and The Crew 2 don't even bat an eyelash and just work with it so far.

I disabled the vibration as it only eats batteries, and it isn't a true haptic feedback like the Microsoft Sidewinder 1st gen used to be. That puppy needed a separate 12V power supply and could input up to 4 KILOGRAMS into your hands. That's 8 POUNDS of FULLY DIRECTIONAL feedback. Even the "spring to center" function was done by the actuators. It also had an IR detector on the handle to know when you were griping it, otherwise it would be vibrating/pushed on one direction on its own if a game locked while it was using.

Too bad the MS Sidewinder had an iffy driver to access its internal IC controller (yes, that sucker had its own PROCESSOR on board, hence it locked in one direction) and it used a FAN to cool the actuactor coils during use. Those drivers were never upgraded to Windows XP and above.

I kid you not, that thing was overbuilt and over-engineered like a German Tank.

Besides the Logitech F710 I recommend Thrustmaster Fox 2 Pro (throttle handle on the base, rudders embedded on joystick twist) and of course any Thrustmaster HOTAS, be the F-16 or the A-10.

[TheRibbonRed]

I'd still recommend the Steam Controller over anything else if you're just looking for gamepads. That thing makes any KBM game playable with it, which made RTS games a breeze on the couch. It can even set up automatic button presses to defeat those pesky late 2000s QTEs, if you ever need for such a thing.

Of course, all of this is for naught if you plan on leaving Steam behind. But then again, this is a Steam forum.

[SlyAceZeta]

@Gonenuts Eh, maybe it was just my environment that another device was interfering with it, but the connectivity issue was really bad for me. YMMV as per usual, of course.

In any case, both the Logitech F310 and F710, as RibbonRed said, are solid choices if you're looking for something outside of Steam's ecosystem, but within this ecosystem the Steam Controller itself is solid enough as well.

[Gonenuts]

@SlyCooperFan1 Agreed. Too bad the wireless wouldn't work out. I never tried the Steam controller, so I can't pass judgement on it.

[TheRibbonRed]

Originally posted by Gonenuts:

@SlyCooperFan1 Agreed. Too bad the wireless wouldn't work out. I never tried the Steam controller, so I can't pass judgement on it.

If you ever want to give some RTS a couch feel, be sure to give it a look. Of course, it won't 100% hold up against KBMs in a tight multiplayer match such as MOBAs or C&C-esque games, but in bot matches and campaigns? It'll do them very, very well. I mean, I finished Homeworld Remastered with that thing lol.

It also has adjustable haptic feedback on the pads so they feel like you're actually touching a movable object and not some regular touchpad.

I know I sound like a Steam Controller salesman lol, but people has been looking away from it since it couldn't give a fighting chance against KBMs in FPS--something Valve marketed it as. Shame, as the true joy of it is enabling those who has gotten so used to the gamepad form that they have a hard time doing KBM in games.

[Gonenuts]

I come from the other end of the spectrum. I am a mouse and keyboard user through and through, because I am LEFT HANDED. So my mouse is on the left, and I use the regular arrows on the keyboard instead of WASD. Del to jump, end to reload, Rctrl to crouch, and Rshift to run.
I got used to it, and manage a fairly normal gameplay accross the board of FPSes.

When it comes to gamepads, I am basically hosed when it comes to aiming at anything. After that, I have to adapt myself at whatever new game comes out with unconventional controls.
I don't see a need to another gamepad right now, but I will look into it if needed.

My ace combat setup never needed to change on the gamepad, because after all I am aiming with the entire plane on the left hand hahahahah

[JtDarth]

Originally posted by Gonenuts:

I come from the other end of the spectrum. I am a mouse and keyboard user through and through, because I am LEFT HANDED. So my mouse is on the left, and I use the regular arrows on the keyboard instead of WASD. Del to jump, end to reload, Rctrl to crouch, and Rshift to run.
I got used to it, and manage a fairly normal gameplay accross the board of FPSes.

When it comes to gamepads, I am basically hosed when it comes to aiming at anything. After that, I have to adapt myself at whatever new game comes out with unconventional controls.
I don't see a need to another gamepad right now, but I will look into it if needed.

My ace combat setup never needed to change on the gamepad, because after all I am aiming with the entire plane on the left hand hahahahah

Meanwhile, I'm a lefty who just gamed in right handed config from the start. I also shoot right handed irl, aside from pistols. It's simpler, and long experience means there is no actual performance deficiency. Not fun eating brass just because you are left handed.

With anything that is fine motor skill muscle-memory oriented, you can very much override natural handedness through practice. Now, if it's eye-based, that's a fair bit tougher.

As for gamepads specifically, can't really go wrong with a wired 360/one controller or a F310, as others have mentioned.

Also, a fair number of fps on console do in fact have a 'southpaw' config for lefties. If you want to learn right handed, starting off with a less precision requiring tps is a better option than hopping in with a fps.
My favored gamepad aim re-acclimatization games are the EDF games. They let me scale it up at my need, rather than having to make unwanted jumps. Being mostly pc at this point, playing fps on console requires a little bit of brain retraining.

[billyhatcher643]

Originally posted by TBone:

I've always played ace combat games using playstation controllers, so I was wondering if the steam controller would work well for this game or whether I should buy a different brand for it?

why use a playstation controller when all the buttons are made for xbox i use xbox so i dont have to map out the buttons via DS4 app cause im not a fan of button mapping i prefer preset configuration and the xbox analog sticks are in better places than the ps4

[JtDarth]

Originally posted by NiGHTSfan:

Originally posted by TBone:

I've always played ace combat games using playstation controllers, so I was wondering if the steam controller would work well for this game or whether I should buy a different brand for it?

why use a playstation controller when all the buttons are made for xbox i use xbox so i dont have to map out the buttons via DS4 app cause im not a fan of button mapping i prefer preset configuration and the xbox analog sticks are in better places than the ps4

That's an opinion, not fact, and it takes like 2-4 minutes to map things to function the same as a xbox controller. Don't assume your impatience is universal.
There is also no guarantee that the game won't have built in support for dualshock 3/4 either. More and more games are coming with support for it since sony did finally do drivers for it.
I have a few games that natively detect DS4 and show the appropriate prompts.
Some people very much prefer the form factor of the dualshock controllers. For me, for example, my hands don't end up cramped up, and I have a decent D-pad to use for fighting games or emulation or whatever. I also find the positions of the sticks much more comfortable.

[billyhatcher643]

Originally posted by JtDarth:

Originally posted by NiGHTSfan:

why use a playstation controller when all the buttons are made for xbox i use xbox so i dont have to map out the buttons via DS4 app cause im not a fan of button mapping i prefer preset configuration and the xbox analog sticks are in better places than the ps4

That's an opinion, not fact, and it takes like 2-4 minutes to map things to function the same as a xbox controller. Don't assume your impatience is universal.
There is also no guarantee that the game won't have built in support for dualshock 3/4 either. More and more games are coming with support for it since sony did finally do drivers for it.
I have a few games that natively detect DS4 and show the appropriate prompts.
Some people very much prefer the form factor of the dualshock controllers. For me, for example, my hands don't end up cramped up, and I have a decent D-pad to use for fighting games or emulation or whatever. I also find the positions of the sticks much more comfortable.

u cant argue that the xbox controllers in general have better analog sticks than the ps4 cause they fit perfectly in my hands and theyre also better for my hands cause i have big hands and i need a big controller so i can play the games better so xbox controllers are better overall