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What gamepad?

So for the past couple of years (… coming on a decade?) I’ve liked the 8bitdo controllers a lot. Build consistency is a bit of a shitshow but you can tell almost instantly if you have one of the bad ones (and it is usually a matter of just loosening one screw unless the PCB itself is cracked). And the Ultimate Pro Whatever The Hell With Charging Dock is really nice and I love that I never have to worry about my controller needing new batteries when I am on my PC. In theory I can just plug it in but that gets into a mess with games that auto-detect what is connected and so forth. The charging dock that doubles as a receiver is delightful.

But when I switched to linux for fulltime gaming a while back… things got messier. 8bitdo has no linux support whatsoever. Mostly that is “fine” because the controller is a controller and I can use a phone app when I want to change what the rear buttons do. But I can’t update firmwares. Which, again, is “fine” except I finally wanted to get back into Crosscode and have learned that shitshow of an html5 engine ONLY supports xinput on PC and apparently the functionality to tell the 8bitdo to present as an xinput might only be in a beta firmware? So all the joys of debugging but with very non-technical resources on google.

Not the end of the world (was mostly planning to moonlight to my xbox anyway) but kind of the straw that broke the camel’s back as it were. Because Crosscode is a mess of a game technically that even the devs acknowledge was a mistake (AMAZING experience though) but what happens the next time I run up into a corner case? Not ready to throw this in the bin and rage purchase a new gamepad but very much ready to start browsing what my options are. Especially as (some) third parties are actually pretty good these days.

So what gamepads do you folk use?

Godort ,

I’ve yet to find a better controller than the DS4.

It has the perfect feel in the hands. And with Steam’s controller support, Ive yet to have an issue with functionality or button remapping(I haven’t played crosscode, so no info there)

Dyf_Tfh ,
@Dyf_Tfh@lemmy.sdf.org avatar

I also use the DS4, I’m impressed by the work Sony have done there, especially by the out of the box support for gyro. No configuration for Dophin, Citras and Yuzu (and their forks). Literally easier than on Windows.

dinckelman ,

My current go-to controller is the Switch Pro pad, however it has a colossal issue in not having analogue triggers. I’m actually heavily considering getting the 8Bitdo Ultimate pad myself

Drathro ,

Xbox controllers (Xbox One and newer) have been absolutely solid for me with the xone driver + xpadneo, regardless of distro. Bazzite has everything I need baked in, so it was completely plug and play. Not a very interesting answer, I know. But it still blows me away that it “just works.”

jollyroberts ,

Same. Not sure which version I've had but my Xbox controller has worked on arch and nixos without a hitch so far.

I have limited play time so it's not a great sample, but it's one more positive data point

Mazesecle ,

Saw the title and I came here to say that I have the 8BitDo Pro 2, I didn’t need to customize the buttons a lot, but if you really need to do this I’m not sure I’ve seen any other controllers that support this feature, even on Windows.

Same goes with updating the firmware. While researching it, I found that they provided a firmware update for a 2.4GHz controller to make it work with Bluetooth (!). I’m not sure I’ve seen many controllers with upgradeable firmware in general, let alone the company choosing to make it support Bluetooth instead of forcing you to buy their more expensive controller in their lineup.

I like the build quality, I don’t know what you mean but i.e. my Pro 2 of course is not going to have the same build quality as a €200 controller that has metal parts etc.

It was also nice to see that it has a button to change the input mode, which I guess it would be more useful if I had to connect it to consoles etc (but I think I remember I did need to use it once when Steam input was misbehaving or sth)

Oh also I was surprised by the battery life; I think it was advertised as having 12 hours, but after 2 years of using it I happened to notice that I had 25-30 hours of playing time in a game and I hadn’t charged it (now that I’m looking at their website it says 20 hours, but I think there’s been another revision since I bought it)

Last thing I really liked was the removable battery: when your battery needs replacement, with other comparable controllers you either need to buy a new one, or try getting inside the case and solder one yourself etc. Meanwhile my controller comes with a rechargeable LiPo battery, for which you can buy an official replacement, or change it for 2 AA batteries, either rechargeable or not

BlueSquid0741 ,

I use the Steam controller, (obviously not helpful since they don’t make it anymore) most of the time.

I also have the remake of the old Xbox “duke” from a few years back. The largeness of it in my smaller hands always felt surprisingly comfortable. It’s wired and recognised as generic xbox one controller - BUT only when running steam. If steam isn’t open, then the controller continuously turns off and back on every 20 seconds.

I have a few DS4 controllers sitting here that still work. Eh. Not much use but they work fairly well. I don’t really like the PlayStation control design.

I have never tried a Switch / Switch-compatible controller on yet. My partner has a couple for… the Switch! But I’m hoping they do well because I just bought my daughter a Sonic-themed, Gamecube-style wired controller for her upcoming birthday (she obsessed with Sonic and saying she wants to play a game one day instead of just watching). It would be good if she can just take it between playing Switch with her mum or PC with me.

Final comments -it’s wired or replaceable batteries for me. So many dead DS3 and DS4 controllers sitting around from years back that won’t charge, or last about 15 minutes. But wires never get in the way anyway, and I always have eneloop AAs ready to go.

damidoop ,

Because my desktop doesn’t have Bluetooth, I usually use a wired Xbox One controller, though because of the micro-usb I can’t say I’m a fan.

On my deck however, I typically use my Wii U Pro Controller because it’s big and comfortable in my hands, has an insane battery life due to having a 3DS battery, and I just like the joystick placement. Definitely worth trying if you have a Wii U and can find one for a decent price.

tal ,
@tal@lemmy.today avatar

But I can’t update firmwares

Use Windows VM with pass-through USB?

kagis

This guy did it on an 8bitdo controller via an Android updater:

old.reddit.com/…/is_there_a_way_to_update_8bitdo_…

Dremor ,
@Dremor@lemmy.world avatar

It is quite simple for me : An XBox controller, with the 8bitdo battery pack+dock.

All the Ultimate goodies (except for backpedals), none of the headache.

The Gullikit KK3 is a very good choice too.

NuXCOM_90Percent OP ,

… Pretty sure you just won the Internet.

That basically meets all my requirements, I already have the controller, and I always preferred the series dpad anyway. I am an idiot.

Thanks.

tuckerm , (edited )

I've been using a PS5 controller lately. I'm on Windows, but I think it works on Linux. I also launch every game through Steam, which handles compatibility issues well.

The Steam controller is my favorite, but I wanted something that I could buy replacements for, so I started using a PS5 controller. The touchbar is not really useful (hard to reach and pretty imprecise), but it does have a gyro for aiming in FPS games. And I play a few racing games, so I wanted analog triggers, which the Switch controllers don't have.

I bought an upgraded one from aimcontrollers.com, just to get some clicky microswitches on the d-pad, face buttons, and shoulder buttons. I hate how much I paid for it, but I do love some clicky buttons. Having looked at their site just now when posting this, apparently they now offer hall effect joysticks, too. So I might need another one. 😬

edit: Just realized that this was posted in linux_gaming. Well, I'm still pretty sure that PS5 controllers work on Linux. And I'll be switching soon anyway, since my perfectly good PC doesn't meet the requirements for Windows 11.

pHr34kY ,

Wired xbox controller for PC games.

Wired switch controller for Nintendo emulation.

I happen to have both consoles and they work instantly over USB.

Confetti_Camouflage , (edited )
@Confetti_Camouflage@pawb.social avatar

I use a PS5 controller connected through an 8bitdo USB adapter 2. It works great and has a much more stable connection compared to the bluetooth adapter I used to use. I’ve had no issues using it in xinput mode on Linux; games pick it up as a normal xbox controller and just work. The adapter also works great for bringing your own contoller to friends’ houses for any console party games without having to do the bluetooth pairing roundup minigame. The only real issues I have with it is that there’s no auto disconnect when it’s idle, and as you mentioned the firmware flashing tools are all Windows only.

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