Question Of The Month Reader Responses: Issue #244

by Jeff Marchiafava on Jul 09, 2013 at 06:38 AM

In issue 242, we asked readers what their favorite controller is. The Xbox 360 beat out the DualShock 3 by a modest margin, though most acknowledged the problems with Microsoft's d-pad. Here are some of the responses.

360 Ways To Say I Love You:

The Xbox 360 controller. It's the perfect size and weight for my average-sized hands. The triggers and joysticks are comfortable, and the center guide button is fantastic. Sadly, the d-pad still sucks.

Joe Monroe
My favorite controller of all time is the Xbox 360. Despite the d-pad being somewhat cumbersome...okay, really cumbersome...overall I felt it worked really well with almost every genre of game.

Armando Mendoza
The best game controller ever is the Xbox 360 in my opinion. While older controllers are good (mostly because of the retro feel) the 360’s controller fits perfectly into your hands, the triggers are tight and responsive, and it's only real flaws are that the buttons are not pressure sensitive and that the d-pad doesn't feel like a d-pad. That is why it's my favorite.

Kollin Saunders
The XBox 360 wireless controller with the messenger keyboard connected. The keyboard adds just the right amount of grip and weight, plus allows instant typing if needed (like for a Netflix search). Also, I prefer ordinary rechargeable AA batteries, rather than a specialized controller battery pack. It's easy to swap out them when they are running out of juice.

Scott Bakker
My favorite gaming controller is the Xbox 360 controller, because its the perfect size, unlike the PS3.

Alexander Alegre
My personal favorite is the wired Xbox 360 controller mainly due the fact that without the battery pack it is more comfortable and lighter. When compared to other controllers, the trigger buttons have a more natural feel and the joysticks are concave, therefore better for FPS. Also A, B, X, Y makes more sense than shapes. The only drawback would be that it's not wireless obviously, so maybe Microsoft can fix the design in the next gen.

Adam Paredes
The Xbox 360 controller. The size fits my hands very well. I also love how the triggers feel and work compared to the DualShock 3. If Sony would space their analog sticks out a bit and make the L2/R2 buttons a bit concave, I'd enjoy it more and it might usurp the 360 controller.

Koma Kala
I have always loved the PlayStation controllers up until I got an Xbox 360. Now I think Xbox has the best controller; the way they fit in your hand, and the added keyboard feature...I love them. I cannot wait to see what the new Xbox controller looks like!

Jake Proko
Xbox 360, because it is comfortable and all the buttons are in the right places, unlike the PlayStation 3 controller that doesn't support my hands correctly.

Joshua Atkinson
There is no doubt that the Xbox controller is far superior to the PS3’s controller. That may be biased because of my love of first person shooters. To me, the PS3 controller is far too “loose” to play those games. I like the more solid and tighter feel of the Xbox controller. My hope is that Sony addresses this problem with their new controller because I would really like to go with PlayStation but just can’t if the sticks don’t tighten up. I know I am not the only one that feels this way. I think PS4 could pick up a ton of gamers in this genre with this fix.

David Lance
My favorite controller is by far Xbox 360's. It offers the perfect resistance in the sticks and triggers. It's a good size (especially compared to the monster controller for the original Xbox) for almost any hand, and it doesn't feel cheap like a Wii remote or PS DualShock. It's the best all around for me. Oh, I almost forgot, it's also a lot easier for me to remember the position of lettered buttons (X,Y,B,A) compared to shapes.

Chris Manning
My favorite console controller has to be the one for Xbox 360. The controller fits well into your hand and the buttons are easily accessible based on hand placement. The aim and fire buttons (LT and RT) are also well positioned for both comfort and accessibility in first person shooters. Your hand also doesn’t feel as stretched while trying to reach the movement joysticks. The directional pad is also in a convenient location for games such as Injustice and Mortal Kombat.

Clifford Courvoisier

Digging The DualShock:

I like the PS3 controller because of the built-in battery and the controller is smaller so my hands don't get as sweaty. Also, it's more comfortable for third-person games.

Laura Peterson
My favorite controller is the PlayStation controller. Its layout is perfect, and the controller just feels right in my hands.

Tammy Guzman
I'd have to say that my favorite video game controller is the DualShock 3. It keeps the same form and function as the old standby PlayStation & PS2 controllers, but takes it to new levels with its Bluetooth wireless and motion sensitivity.

Steven Grumbein
PS3, because it's much lighter and I have been using it since the PlayStation 1 days, so I'm used to it as well.

Jose Mendoza
My favorite video game controller is the DualShock. I have small hands, and I've never had a problem switching to a new generation of consoles because I've just gotten so used to it. Microsoft's and Nintendo's controllers just don't feel right to me. I don't like how the 360's controller fits in my hands, and I don't like the awkward rectangular shape of the Wii-mote.

Hud Muhammad
I am a fan of the PlayStation 3 controller. Multiple licensed color options combined with easy customization makes for a great controller. That and the layout. Both analog sticks are in easy reach of your thumbs from both the d-pad and the action buttons. The only downfall is the select button; I’m still not quite sure what it’s for.

Dylan Schnabel
Although the Xbox 360 is much better in general, I have to say the PS3 has the best controller. Here are five reasons why:

1. It isn't as bulky.
2. The shape of it fits my hands very well.
3. The buttons seem easier to get to.
4. You don't have to change freaking batteries all the time.
5. It's just better.

Garret Smith
My favorite controller by far was the DualShock from Sony. They kept the same concept for 3 different systems. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Right?

Michael Ridgely

Gleaming The Cube:

This is the easiest question to answer: the GameCube controller. It was different and designed brilliantly for the human hand. I will never forget the first time I played a demo GameCube in a store before it launched. The second I grabbed the controller I knew I would be buying the system. No controller has even come close to matching it.

Danny Bogue
Nintendo GameCube. There has not been another controller that has fit so nicely in my hands.

Kala Del Giorno
The GameCube controller. It's ergonomic, amazing for control-sensitive games, and I'm 25...so nostalgia.

Andrew Beane
My favorite game controller is also my first controller. My first game console was the Nintendo GameCube. I really sucked at games when I got it, but I learned to play on it. The thing that I loved about the Cube, though, was that the controller was the perfect size for my six-year-old hands. I had so much more trouble with my dad's Xbox because the controller was so big. And the best part is that when I get the desire to play Luigi's Mansion, the controller still fits in my 18 year-old hands.

Talbot Bluechel

Three Is Better Than Two:

N64, hands down – or hands awkwardly splayed over three prongs. Whatever. I love this controller because it was my first experience with an analog stick, and, in turn, console controls that could be almost as nuanced as those on a PC. Almost.

Nicholas Loncar
Nothing beats the N64 controller, with its third area to grasp for even more control.

Matt Belford
My favorite controller has to be the N64 controller. Not only was it well designed, it also utilized a Gameboy port to play your favorite handhelds on a TV. I still play N64 everyday without complaint.

Noah Footer

Old-School Control:

My favorite controller was the NES controller. It was compact, simple, and to the point. I'm a PlayStation generation man but I still love the NES controller.

Sergio Santiago
The Super NES controller, hands down. That controller introduced gamers to what is the core button scheme for every single PlayStation and Xbox controller in existence. The only modifications that were needed by the likes of Sony and Microsoft were additional bumpers, analog sticks, and rumble features. I think that it's quite a feat to design a controller with such a user-friendly design that it is still the overall gold-standard template for most controllers over two decades later.

Garth Weaver
As a more retro gamer myself, I'd say my favorite is my old-school SNES controller. I loved the feeling of having the direction pad under one thumb, the buttons under the other, and having both fingers right there on the L and R buttons. It's simple and clean; no stick to push, just the X button, all day, every day. Something about it just felt good when I was holding it...not much different than my PS controllers, but maybe it's just that nostalgia effect.

Leora Gregory
Atari 2600. One button, one stick, one short cord that kept you close to the television. That's all you need.

Brandon Jamison

In Defense Of The Duke:

I actually liked the “Duke” controller for the original Xbox, for the same reason most people didn’t like it. I’m 6’3” and have fairly large hands. This was the first controller I felt was designed for me. When I bought my Xbox late in the hardware cycle, I traded the S controller that came with it for my friend’s Duke. If I was going to someone else’s place to play, I would bring my Duke to ensure that I wouldn’t have to deal with using a smaller controller. I’m comfortable enough with this generation’s controllers, but sometimes I miss the ol’ Duke.

James D. Brown