Most precise gamepad?

[Avimimus]

Hello,

I'm thinking of trying a gamepad/game controller. However, years of using sim hardware mean that I've always dismissed these entirely (for all purposes). I'm used to the precision of a full sized joystick!

What are the most precise gampads?

What am I most likely to actually be willing to give a chance (if I were to try it)?

[Insonia]

Almost all gamepads use ALPS carbon film potentiometers. gamepad stick are short. "Precision" is mostly an ergonomics issue. So it depends..

Use a stick extender to increase the precision a little bit.

I reach the top 200 leaderboards in many simcade racing games like forza and dirt rally 2 with a broken, worn-out, drifted old Xbox controller. Precision is not top priority unless you are dead-hardcore FPS player with a gamepad.

Just like any potentiometer, it wears out. cheap to manufacture and replace.

99% modern PC/xbox games are designed around the xbox controllers. Some game like action games perform much better than MnK. In many simcade title controller is faster than the racing wheels.. it all comes to the game and assistance design. A lot of game was designed for the controller.

Picking a M$ licensed controller is no brainer, and you never need to worry about any "compatibility" or configuration/mapping issues with most Windows games. and a lot of games only support Xinput(xbox) devices. Elite series and swapable ones can easily replace joysticks.

Xbox Accessories & Controllers | Xbox

and 3rd party licensed Xbox controllers

 

Then there are hall-sensor gamepads. The hall effect gamepad is "supposedly" more precise than potentiometers, like your hall effect joysticks, which supposedly wont wear out. 

But the hall effect sensor for the gamepad is fairly new engineering stuff. very new. Only one Chinese company patented and supplied those hall sensor units for the gamepad manufacturers around the world since 2~3 years ago. and the "resolution" of those hall effect sensors is not super high end.  Gamepad is mostly an ergonomic issue over sensor resolution. But the hall sensor can stay very consistent and won't wear out, it's selling point.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NfvzoDpcSM

Why Hall effect is not the end all and be all for future controllers, especially for FPS players. : Controller (reddit.com)

List of Hall Effect Controllers : Controller (reddit.com)

But keep in mind unlike DCS and sim games that not all games support directinput devices. If those controllers can't work in "Xbox mode". Some games wont pick them up. and in many games that can pick it up, you need to manually map the input.

 

then here's is track pad and gyro tracking, It controls mice, the cursor; it has gyro aim, full steam integration. it's different; one of them kind.:

Steam Controller on Steam (steampowered.com)

I dont know what to say. it allows you play any type of PC game in theory. but also not always the best choice. It's for the "I love games that use the mouse, but i have to play in the living room" type of thing..

 

then here's come to flightsims, controller is playable, but it definitely take lot of time set up and cover many hotas function while still feeling ergonomic.

And still feel little bit awkward no matter what those little thumb stick lacking of super fine control like joystick.

Edited December 28, 2023 by Insonia

[Avimimus]

Thank you! I really appreciate this input.

[hollywoodvillain]

I vote for dualsense. You get a mouse trackpad, built in mic, and gyro. You can map look around to the gyro, and combined with the trackpad you can have nearly full control of the cockpit. Definitely get some stick extensions, and I prefer to use dampeners as well. Some people call dampeners a gimmick, however I prefer the extra resistance it adds to the throw. If you really want to get serious, go with the dualsense edge. Most notably for the removable thumbsticks. What i did was modify one to not recenter by removing the spring, and by gluing the x axis i now have a nice throttle module. When I want to go back to a regular stick i just swap it out. You also get the 2 back paddles, which I use for weapon deployment. As for precision, they're on par with anything out there, not perfect but its not misleading like how some manufacturers add an inner and outer deadzone to make it appear its bloody perfect, which it is not. Also Gullikit is supposed to be realeasing some hall effect modules for it as well. Anyway good luck in your journey friend

Edited January 18 by hollywoodvillain