r/Controller

Image 1 — Sony had anti-drift sticks nearly 20 years ago... so why are we paying £70 for controllers they know can fail?
Image 2 — Sony had anti-drift sticks nearly 20 years ago... so why are we paying £70 for controllers they know can fail?
▲ 405 r/Controller+1 crossposts

Sony had anti-drift sticks nearly 20 years ago... so why are we paying £70 for controllers they know can fail?

Was giving my OG DualShock 3 a clean today and ended up going down a bit of a rabbit hole after checking the board inside it.

Mine has an MSU_VX4_0.10 board. Turns out it's one of the earlier DualShock 3 revisions that uses 4-pin magnetic/Hall-effect analogue stick sensors, rather than the conventional potentiometer setup Sony later went back to.

Basically, instead of having a physical contact rubbing across a resistive track to work out the stick position, these use magnetic sensing. So you're getting rid of one of the main wear points that causes the usual stick drift.

And this wasn't some random prototype Sony tried once and binned. Several of the early DualShock 3 revisions used this setup before Sony eventually went back to conventional potentiometer sticks.

This controller is nearly 20 years old, still gets absolutely hammered pretty much daily, and hasn't got a hint of stick drift.

Meanwhile, I bought my PS5 at launch and I've already had two controllers fail. Through the PS4 generation I went through at least three. Yet this ancient PS3 controller just keeps plodding along with no bother.

That's the bit I cannae quite get my head around.

Sony clearly knew nearly 20 years ago how to make an analogue stick without the same physical wear point that's responsible for so much drift. Yet here we are now paying around £70 a pop for controllers using potentiometer-based sticks that they know can wear out.

And you cannae even say the technology wasn't around or hadn't been proven. Sony themselves were already putting it in controllers almost two decades ago.

Now Hall-effect sticks are getting punted as some premium "anti-drift" feature like it's some brand-new breakthrough 😂

It's mental when you actually think about it.

Sony didn't need to solve stick drift. They'd already cracked it nearly 20 years ago. Then they went backwards, and we're the mugs paying £70 a pop for it.

Pics are my actual daily controller and the MSU_VX4_0.10 board inside it.

u/Admirable-Yam-5788 — 10 days ago

Xbox/pc controller suggestions

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Budget below $300

USA

Must be for xbox

Games will be GTA 6 and RDR2

Want wireless

The most important feature i want is trigger impulse, where you can really feel the recoil if shooting or rumble if driving.

I would prefer the impulse vibration to be almost obnoxious like way more noticeable than stock xbox.

Hall effect or tmr sticks

I was currently looking at a razer Wolverine V3 Pro xbox wireless

Please and thanks

reddit.com
u/HeartNumerous6902 — 10 days ago

[HELP] My dongle doesn't wanna get out of the charge station, it's stucked

Hi, I just bought the Flydigi Direwolf 4, I don't even used it yet, just put the dongle on the case and now I wanna put it out but it doesn't move, how am I supposed to remove it safely? Tried with washing my hands with soap, tried with eyelash tweezers, with a towel, nothing works

u/thejoeloiezy — 9 days ago

Should I buy Vader 5 Pro V2? Or something else? Please read.

I would just like a good controller with at least 2 back buttons and also a decent DPad. I bought Gamesir G7 SE and it was okay but its DPad was absolutely atrocious. It also had a very slight deadzone in its analog sticks (even after I made it 0 in the software) and ergonomically it wasn't great either, even though just looking at it you'd think it would be good. I found the handles to be too narrow or "edgy" for lack of a better word and it would hurt when using it with button mashy games like classic God Of War. Also the LB/RB triggers were a bit too high, felt uncomfortable playing Sekiro with it where you mash LB a lot.

I'm looking at Vader 5 Pro now but I've heard it has a lot of QC issues, is it true? Is V2 safe now? Another controller I'm considering is 8Bitdo Ultimate 2 but I've heard people complain that the handles are too vertical instead of angling out so it's not good on the wrists unless you awkwardly hold it in front of you with your arms near each other.

Thanks would appreciate your advice and experience with the Vader 5 Pro.

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  1. Budget: I guess up to £100 but I'd prefer as cheap as possible.

  2. UK

  3. PC

  4. At least 2 back buttons, no deadzone in analog sticks and decent DPad (I only specify the DPad because Gamesir G7 SE's DPad was so ATROCIOUS that even trying to use it to switch weapons etc in Elden Ring/Dark Souls by pressing left or right would result in me also pressing up or down by accident switching other stuff in the inventory during gameplay and it was also disgusting to use in menus... I didn't ever consider a DPad could be so AIDS)

  5. Souls mostly but good for everything as I'll also use it for platformers, hack n slash and emulating console games from NES all the way onwards.

  6. I've given a description of my controller experience above. If I had to tell you my favourite controller shape wise it was the DS4. That would have been perfect if it had at least two back buttons. Only problem with DS4 was the analog rubber wearing out over time. Cheers.

reddit.com
u/Prestigious-Lion-814 — 9 days ago

Flydigi Vader 5s Controller binding issues

  1. The LS, RS, and circle button are all binded to crouching in every game I play. I've experienced issues with crouching in games such as Fortnite, COD, and Minecraft. It started with me not being able to crouch at all in Fortnite, ultimately to many of my buttons not functioning properly. EDIT: Now the FN button thinks it's the RS :/

  2. Flydigi Vader 5s

  3. Xbox Series X

  4. Minecraft, Fortnite, COD

  5. Flydigi Space Station

  6. I've already reset/restored the controller to default numerous times via the Flydigi app and the controller itself, sometimes fixing the controller back to normal temporarily before malfunctioning the same again. Unplugged and plugged in multiple times to no avail.

u/MyNameIsJar2 — 9 days ago

Mcon/Razer Prio alternative for Android emulation/streaming under $100 USD?

Hi everyone! I've been looking for a pocket sized controller that has a way to make your phone into a one piece "handheld"; either like the Mcon controller, which has an integrated phone clip/stand; or like the Razer Prio which is telescopic. Only issue with these is that they're very expensive.

I hope I redacted my post well enough. TLDR: I'm looking for a controller that turns your phone into a one piece handhelds and fits in your pocket when closed/folded for under $100 USD.

Budget: $100 USD Max.

Country: México; can buy from Amazon (MX and US), Aliexpress, Mercado libre and any shop that ships to México basically.

Compatibility: Android (Required)

Features:

  • Pocket sized or folds to pocket size.
  • (If telescopic) Stretch enough to fit large size phone (Galaxy S2X Ultra, iPhone Pro Max).
  • Full controller layout (ABXY buttons, D-Pad, Double Sticks w/L3 and R3, Shoulder buttons and Triggers).
  • Can hold your phone; either with a clip or by virtue of being telescopic.

Games I'll be playing: PSP, PS2, GBA Emulation; PC Remote Play (Sunshine, Apollo/Artemis)

Controllers that I've been considering: OhSnap! Mcon (too expensive), Razer Prio (too expensive), ABXYlute M5/M6.

reddit.com
u/PRSPCT0829 — 9 days ago