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What should be the ONE universal controller layout that everyone would agree on? (sopuli.xyz)
submitted 1 year ago by to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world
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What are your wackiest ideas for a "universal" controller layout that would appeal to the fans of the Xbox, Nintendo, and PS layouts? You certainly can't pick one of the three, that would be lazy and frankly unfair for the other two layouts. It's got to be something that everyone agrees on, something different!

I've got a few ideas: NSEW (the cardinal directions), RGBA (colours, also transparent button could be cool...), or maybe CMYK (printer ink colours for ease of printing)

What are your ideas for the universal controller layout?

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[–] 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (3 children)

I like PS glyphs because they are language-neutral and look more distinct, and I think, it would be point one in my choice. Point two is color-coding that helps most people (but may adjustments for accessibility?). Point three although ofercomplicating things is direction-coding, as it'd be generally nice to have a > shape near them, so they'd read intuitively from the first playthrough.

My initial thought went for second set of arrows. Like d-pad has one kind ⬆️➡️⬇️⬅️ and buttons have the other 🔼▶️🔽◀️. But I doubt it would be consisntetly great in different games with their own visual approach to portraying them.

Having more direct sign buttons on the other hand ✅️❌️❓️❕️ may be limiting to what devs want their game to be as it implies the check button is always approval, etc.

Math symbols, tho, ✖️➕️➖️➗️🟰 can be a universal and neutral set to pick from, especially if avoiding the confusing X button.

Also, ♤♡◇♧, in connection with older modes of gaming, but it should be tested for illegebitility between them and compared to arrows as three of them have vagualy triangular shape.

Also loss buttons.

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  • [–] 3 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    I know OP's rules say no picking one of the three already, but these are such good points I can't help but agree. I'm also biased from years of using a PlayStation controller. Even though I haven't owned a PS console since PS2, I've still been using the PS4 & 5 controllers for PC gaming.

    I think legibility and avoiding overloading symbols is top priority and the PlayStation glyphs achieve this admirably. On a pettier note, I've never liked seeing a prompt with a big, red B button pop up on screen telling me to do something, it's very immersion breaking. While the PlayStation prompts aren't exactly diegetic themselves, they're at least less non-diegetic I guess, if that makes sense?

    I won't argue symmetry vs. non-symmetry of control sticks as I don't really think there's a correct answer here, it's very preferential. I obviously prefer the symmetric, but I think there's a reason the DualShock has undergone only minor changes since it was first introduced in check notes 1997?! JFC, that's almost 30 years ...

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago

    That's immersion 🅱️reaking, lol.

    I vouch for symmetry, or rather important buttons not being placed on the bottom. Active movements and especially button presses, e.g. in QTEs or multiple menus, are rather uncomfortable there, while sticks employ a different and less demanding moveset of slightly tilting them to the side. I don't see a reason why it's assymetrical on Xbox and I feel it's really dumb in autonomous Joycons with Nintendo party games when they should be completely interchangeable when shared between casual gaming persons.

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