How to choose a gamepad

A gamepad is much more comfortable to play with than a keyboard and mouse. However, not all games support control from such a controller.

How to choose a gamepad for PC: what to look for

It's worth making a reservation right away – no prices and characteristics of a gamepad determine its compatibility with games. It depends on software, including drivers and emulators.

But technical specifications can improve the gaming experience. Therefore, when choosing a gamepad, you should pay attention to its following parameters:

1. The presence of a wire;

2. Number of buttons;

3. The number of analog sticks;

4. Vibration feedback;

5. Body materials.

But the most important characteristic of a gamepad is its ease of use: how well it fits in the hands, how heavy or light, etc. Unfortunately, it is very subjective – all people have different hands, as well as the length of the fingers. Therefore, you will have to 'try on' the model in the store – if, of course, it is possible.

Wire presence

Gamepads, like many other external PC controllers, come in two types – wireless and wired. And each of them has all the same advantages and disadvantages as, for example, mice.

So, wired gamepads have two very important advantages – high response speed and no need for recharging. And their disadvantage is the restriction of the player's freedom. Twitching and jumping around the room will no longer work.

Wireless gamepads are marginally slower and need to be recharged regularly. For example, the same Sony Dualshock 4 is able to work from the battery for only 6 hours. But they provide complete freedom of action and movement.

It is worth choosing the type of gamepad based primarily on your preferences and playing style.

Number of buttons

Buttons are not the main control in gamepads. Nevertheless, all functions and actions necessary for the game can be 'suspended' on them.

However, the number of buttons should not be too large. When there are more than 10-12 of them, it becomes simply inconvenient to play. And there is practically no space left on the gamepad. But if there are less than 10 buttons, you can get into such an unpleasant situation when you need to do something in the game – and there are simply no buttons on the controller.

Thus, 10-12 is the optimal number of buttons on a gamepad.

Number of analog sticks

Analog sticks are the most user-friendly controls in gamepads. They provide complete freedom of action in games and an excellent experience.

The optimal number of analog sticks should be determined based on your preferences. For many gamers, one thing is enough – under the right thumb, while the left one is located on the cross. Others require two and a cross.

Stick characteristics are also purely subjective. So, a controller with 8 degrees of freedom will provide the same gaming experience as with full 360-degree sensitivity. However, for dynamic games, sticks with the highest sensitivity are recommended.

Vibration feedback

Vibration feedback is a very nice feature of gamepads. It provides a deeper gaming experience and allows you to recognize certain events within the game even before they are indicated on the screen (or in the form of sounds.

Of course, controllers with vibration feedback are more expensive than without it, and they discharge faster (if they are wireless), but they are highly recommended for purchase.

Body materials

The body materials determine the controller's practicality. Of course, most of these devices are made of plastic. However, this material can be supplemented with rubberized elements, textures and other additions that make the gamepad more practical.

For example, rubberized grips and a textured back surface will keep the controller from slipping out of wet hands and provide comfort for extended gaming.

Manufacturers

Among the manufacturers of PC gamepads, there are three companies – Logitech, Thrustmaster and Microsoft.

1. Logitech produces fairly budget models. They sometimes do not receive important functions such as vibration feedback, but are well suited for use as an entry-level device. Then this gamepad, getting used to a completely new experience, can be replaced with something else.

2. Thustmaster is a mid-range device manufacturer. They make ergonomic gamepads that are suitable for a wide variety of games. Almost all models of this company have button remapping, sticks with a large number of degrees of freedom and other useful functions.

3. Microsoft produces some of the best gamepads for PC (Valve, with its one and only device, which also costs more than 5 thousand rubles as of the third quarter of 2017, can not be taken into account). They have everything – vibration feedback, the optimal number of buttons, and software technologies that allow you to do without an emulator, and even a long battery life. But they are also quite expensive.

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In the following articles, our experts will tell you how to choose a video card for games and the secrets of choosing an operating system.

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Attention! This material is the subjective opinion of the authors of the project and is not a purchase guide.