this post was submitted on 14 Apr 2026
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Steam Hardware

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[–] samus12345@sh.itjust.works 18 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

"Regular" thumbstick layout? PlayStation's was first.

EDIT: I see you edited your comment to remove "regular". Thank you! I've always been able to use either kind just fine, but I do prefer symmetrical, probably because I play a lot of 2D games and actually use the d-pad.

[–] Luci@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 week ago (1 children)

This controller was peak design. I was using a DS3 as my go to pc controller for years before the sticks died.

[–] TheAlbatross@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 1 week ago (2 children)

I keep rebuilding the same DS4 controller as it's ideal as a PC controller, both wired and Bluetooth protocol. But it keeps breaking or wearing down on me and parts keep going up in price and the dang thing is getting beat up. I looked into the 8-bitdo controllers but I didn't care for the only one they had with the DS layout, their retro one.

I'll heavily consider the Steam Controller 2 if the price and quality is right.

[–] Luci@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 week ago (2 children)

I love every 8bitdo I own. The pro2 is great, aside from the Nintendo face button labels, it’s become my daily driver and dev controller.

[–] samus12345@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

I'm the opposite, Xbox button labels drive me crazy. I learned the layout on the SNES, so it's hard for me to adjust. I've gotten better since playing more PC games on my Steam Deck since the XBox layout is the default, though I always choose PS button prompts if the game has the option.

[–] Luci@lemmy.ca 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Universal glyphs are better imo. In my head I call them north, south, east, west instead of a, b, x, y (I’m pretty sure that’s how the facebuttons are labeled in the Linux kernel, regardless of Xbox,Nintendo,ps)

[–] samus12345@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 week ago

Yes, universal is also good. I like the PS layout because it uses shapes rather than the same letters in different places, though you of course have to memorize which letters are which buttons.

[–] TachyonTele@piefed.social 2 points 1 week ago

I play so many retro games that i just found it easier to memorize all the different controllers.

[–] TachyonTele@piefed.social 1 points 1 week ago

Did your 8bitdo only have nintendo buttons as an option? I was able to pick from three designs for my 8bitdo pro 2

[–] samus12345@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Roommate has one and I didn't like the feel as much as the DS4 and the DS4 is cheaper than the DS5. But I had been considering the DS4 over the 8-bitdo, and this is so minor, but I liked that the DS controllers had the speaker compatibility with Death Stranding 1 and 2 to add some little sound effects to the game. Tho those are the only two games I've seen it work with on the PC so it's so so minor.

[–] Kirk@startrek.website 1 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

"DEBATE ME"

lol but seriously who cares who's first if we're going with who's thumbstick layout was first then it's n64 and I think we agree nobody wants that

[–] samus12345@sh.itjust.works 10 points 1 week ago (1 children)
  1. Wii, Wii U, and Steam Deck (soon Steam Controller) did it that way

  2. N64 wasn't dual analog, so not relevant since it wasn't symmetrical or asymmetrical.

[–] Kirk@startrek.website -3 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (3 children)

n64 is relevant in any discussion about analog sticks on console controllera

[–] Luci@lemmy.ca 7 points 1 week ago (1 children)

The layout was very very non standard and had a single stick. I’m smoking a lot of weed but I can tell you the n64 controller doesn’t count here.

[–] Kirk@startrek.website 0 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

I said it was first I didn't say it was standard. But being the first it definitionally can't be "nonstandard" since it was the only one at the time!

[–] OrgunDonor@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago

How many controllers since the N64 have used that layout? The Sega Saturn Fat Controller is a more standard layout than the N64 controller.

[–] samus12345@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I'll just include consoles that came with symmetrical or asymmetrical for simplicity's sake:

Symmetrical:

PS2: 160 million

PS3: 87 million

PS4: 117 million

PS5: 92 million

Wii U: 14 million

Symmetrical total: 470 million

Asymmetrical:

Xbox: 24 million

Xbox 360: 84 million

Xbox One: 58 million

Xbox Series X: 35 million

Gamecube: 21 million

Switch: 155 million

Switch 2: 17 million

Asymmetrical total: 394 million

More people have played on symmetrical controllers than asymmetrical.

[–] Kirk@startrek.website -3 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

hardly any of those are still in production by that logic a regular TV is a crt lol

[–] samus12345@sh.itjust.works 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)
[–] Kirk@startrek.website -2 points 1 week ago

My bad I didn't realize this was a sport that you were trying to win lol

[–] samus12345@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Why would a single analog stick be relevant in a discussion of whether symmetrical or asymmetrical analog sticks are "regular"?

[–] Kirk@startrek.website -2 points 1 week ago

that's not what the discussion is about