I have a Steam Controller and I do really like it but I’ve recently been itching to try other gamepads. I’d like one with a gyro because I found it really useful for aim adjustments in Cyberpunk. I wondered what the current state of support is for the other controller types and if there are any setup issues / game incompatibilities to be aware of?
Options I’ve found are:
DualSense PS5: From what I’ve read there are compatibility issues with some games? Also some games don’t show the right button labels. Otherwise it has all the right features.
Switch Pro: No analogue triggers so it could be a hinderance for racing games or anything that needs that. Also the different button layout for XYAB - is that just cosmetic or does it affect games?
8bitdo Ultimate: This looks like a strong contender but I couldn’t quite make out the issues I was reading about. Something to do with features being locked to the gamepad mode instead of being able to configure everything independently (e.g. In switch Pro mode you get gyro but not analogue triggers and in Xbox mode you don’t get gyro).
Steam Controller: The old faithful that I really like but sometimes miss the right analogue stick. The vibration on it sucks too, it’s more like a gutteral growl than a the nice soft vibration from more modern controllers.
Has anyone managed to overcome these issues to pick a favourite all-rounder? Or are there any alternatives that pair well with a Steam Deck and have most of the functionality of the native deck controls? I’d love to hear your thoughts :)
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Check out the Gulikit King Kong Pro 2 or their Zen Pro. I have the King Kong and it’s my favorite controller.
That looks like an interesting alternative. Looks like a switch Pro but with better sticks and analogue triggers. The multidevice thing looks good too. Have their been any issues or incompatablilties so far?
With the button layout, does the physical A button map to B on the Steam Deck by default or does it function as the Steam Deck A button? I think I’d prefer the former as I’ve always played with the Xbox layout and have that layout in muscle memory.
I use the 8BitDo Ultimate as my main controller on PC, great controller, but yeah Switch mode enables gyro, however in xinput mode it enables analog triggers. Given that the switch doesn’t have analog triggers it disables them in that mode, and generally Xbox controllers don’t support gyro so that is disabled in xinput mode.
That’s a real shame for those that want to use it with Steam Deck where both could be natively supported. I was kind of hoping they had sorted that with a firmware update since the only posts I could find were from a year ago. Looks like it still has the same issue though.
For my pc, I mainly use the 8bitdo ultimate. Overall my favourite controller as by default it comes with back buttons and you can add macros if you want. The hall effect joysticks and the included charging station is the cherry on top. The biggest issue for me is the placement of the d-pad. For fighting games it falls short.
The most comfortable controller for me is the dualsense but the battery sucks and the joystick drift is an issue.
Can you shine any light on the issues I was reading about with having to choose between gyro (Switch mode) or analogue triggers (Xbox/PC mode) because you can’t use both at the same time? Is that still a thing?
For the Ultimate controller you can swap between frequencies which is essentially PC/Switch mode. (physical switch on back) This is why I find is easiest to use. However, I don’t really use the Switch but it is nice to have the feature.
For awhile, I typically had a separate controller for each device. Forawhile I alternated between DS4 and a Steam Controller for my TV/Nvidia Shield. I found it easiest to just plug in my second DS4 into my PC I am slowing moving towards the Dual Sense but so far those are sticking to my PS5.