Needing a good controller for use with PC

[sam6555]

Hi.

I have gone through a few years with other controllers. Used a 360 (non-twisty D-pad) for quite a while. Then I changed to a PS3 pad when I got hold of one, and while I think it's better than 360 for what I played, I kinda want something better to use. ThePS3's D-Pad is okay but makes your hands get a bit fatigued and ache after a couple hours of play, and when you've worn it in it'll even start to squeak when it hits the main part to the controller, as do the cross/other buttons.

My usage of pads on PC go through Phantasy Star Online (BB Schthack server) which I played for a couple years, however I stopped now. My main use for a good controller now is for emulators.

Earlier I tried to get my Wii U Pro controller working with my bluetooth dongle, but I've become enraged a little with it. Having my controller be connected makes Teamspeak crash, and there's other problems I had with it. Shame because that controller is amazing to hold, and features one of Nintendo's best D-Pads, lacking analogue triggers doesn't bother me at all as I'd mainly use it for emulated games.

Anyway, to my question:

What is a good controller for use on the PC with a good DPad without any infuriating set-ups? Being wired is completely fine by me, it would probably be better wired as there'd be 0 input lag.

 

[ilman]

I use one of the Logitech F series gamepads (F310(no rumble) and F510(rumble) being wired and F710, the one in the pic, being wireless)
Pretty much the best gamepads out there for PC. Lasting 3 years here and still going strong, even after Super Meatboy.

 

[migles]

i have the F710 that ilman said, get either F510 the wired version or if you want wireless f710 is more expensive, and some people complain about his short range...

or get a xbox controller...

please note, make sure you choose a xinput controler. (the F710\f510 have both xinput and directinput modes)

directinput controllers make you do a lot of work to make them work on new games, new games usually support xinput which is just like plug and play...

edit: this is in general pc gaming, with emulators you can just get any controller and configure the controlls it since they usually use direct input...

but i still recomend you to get a logitech f510, you will not regret it.

 

[PolloDiablo]

I'm currently having the same problem as you, I've been looking for a PC controller with a good D-pad for quite a while, but everything I found are PlayStation clone controllers ().
If you don't mind the lack of analog sticks, you could try with a Saturn USB controller. Really good D-pad, but they're getting difficult to find.

 

[sam6555]

The f510 does look somewhat decent. The only thing that throws me off would be it having a webbed D-Pad and with me knowing what it's like playing emulated games with a 360 pad for way too long. Also the f510 is kinda expensive looking at ebay.

Something I did spot after creating this thread was this: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wireless-Wii-Pro-Controller-Adapter/dp/B00E6553PW It's an adapter for wii U pro similar to the old 360 one I used to use. With it being USB based maybe it'd be so much simpler to set-up. It's also a quarter of the price

 

[Sakitoshi]

I got a hold of this fightpad that look exactly as a Saturn pad and is pretty good for emulators as you have enough buttons for proper Genesis emulation too. as you can see is for the PS3 but works in PC with no modifications or special drivers and is wireless(require 2 AA batteries), doesn't support rumble though.
the D-Pad looks like the 360 one but is completely responsive, I can't tell if is as responsive as a Genesis/Saturn pad as I haven't used one of these in my life.
I had played Castlevania SotN(the PSone version but mapped the buttons as the Saturn version) with it and felt very well, I could pull of the spells very quickly and with little issues.
you should consider using 2 controllers, the PS3 one when you need analogs and this one when you need the D-Pad instead.
if the design bothers you, you can grab the Street Fighter X Tekken version but those are a little smaller and wired only, also the L1 and R2 mapping is different between the controllers, the WWE All-Stars version has L1 and R1 as face buttons and L2 and R2 as shoulder buttons while the SFxT version has R1 and R2 as face buttons and L1 and L2 as shoulder buttons, compare both pictures and you'll know what I mean, but that should pose no problem if you plan on using it with emulators anyway as you can remap every button.

 

[Celice]

Xbox Controllers are starting to seem like another way of PC gaming being a shitty console port: in many games with dxinput, if any gamepad is detected, ANY, the game assumes it is a 360 controller and coordinates its inputs as if it were a 360 controller.

I use a PS2 controller via usb adapter, and it's recognized as a generic gamepad (anyone should go for a controller they know they like, instead of trying to substitute generic PC gamepads). Works great, until you get to these games, where then all my buttons are jumbled around and there's no way to rebind anything, because shitty.console.port.

So if you're going for anything not 360, grab x360ce, which seeks to rebind any generic gamepad to the 360 layout. But keep in mind, even some new games might not work until x360e gets updated for compatbility, and you might have to go through older versions and small user-fixes to get some games working.

Your other alternative is to disable gamepad support in games that allow it (usually by going into an ini file and disabling gamepad recognition), and then using a keyboard emulator like Joy2Key to bind mouse and key inputs to your controller.

I've gone with this PS2 controller since 2008 and I've never had regrets. But it has been pretty shite to see forced 360 controls swallow any games that have once been on a 360, even if it's now on PC.

 

[Sakitoshi]

I forgot about the Dualshock 4, is recognized as a ordinary gamepad if you connect it through USB and you can use it via bluetooth too(just press Share and PS at the same time until the lightbar flashes to enter pair mode), and you can download this utility to make the PC think is a XBox 360 pad and play modern games without problem.
the D-Pad is very good and the overall feel of the controller is very comfy.

 

[xcrimsonstormx]

I forgot about the Dualshock 4, is recognized as a ordinary gamepad if you connect it through USB and you can use it via bluetooth too(just press Share and PS at the same time until the lightbar flashes to enter pair mode), and you can download this utility to make the PC think is a XBox 360 pad and play modern games without problem.
the D-Pad is very good and the overall feel of the controller is very comfy.

The Xbox One controller also works in this same way just it's instantly recognized instead of requiring additional software.

 

[Gahars]

So... Xbox One controller?

 

[Yepi69]

Best PC controller ever, it has got Xinput and Direct Input so its compatible with games who support the Xbox 360 controller, old games that use Direct Input and even games that don't support controller at all, its a bit pricey but its a comfortable well made controller.

 

[Tom Bombadildo]

The Xbox One controller also works in this same way just it's instantly recognized instead of requiring additional software.

Uhhh wut.

That's wrong, because as far as anyone knows it doesn't have any official drivers yet, you have to find some modded unofficial ones that lack rumble/wireless support.

 

[Sakitoshi]

The Xbox One controller also works in this same way just it's instantly recognized instead of requiring additional software.

The Dualshock 4 is recognized without additional software, I just mentioned that there is a tool to make it compatible with Xinput enabled games. you can even use it wirelessly via bluetooth as I also mentioned.

EDIT: also this.

 

[p3rand0r]

and a ps4 controller ? have you tried one of those?
I heard good words for those

 

[xcrimsonstormx]

Uhhh wut.

That's wrong, because as far as anyone knows it doesn't have any official drivers yet, you have to find some modded unofficial ones that lack rumble/wireless support.

Are you sure I could of sworn reading womewhere that Microsoft was releasing the drivers January 1st of 2014 I never really paid attention to because I don't have an Xbox One or an Xbox One controller.

 

[pwsincd]

Are you sure I could of sworn reading womewhere that Microsoft was releasing the drivers January 1st of 2014 I never really paid attention to because I don't have an Xbox One or an Xbox One controller.

not yet : http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?p=104090961#post104090961