Tomi on 15/9/2013 at 07:39
My old Logitech Rumblepad doesn't seem to work properly in most of the new games anymore, and even in the games where I get it to work, these games always assume that I have an XBox controller, so the in-game controls are often marked with the XBox symbols and I have no idea which buttons I'm supposed to push.
So, I think it's about time I bought a new controller, but what would you folks recommend?
Is the (
http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Xbox-360-Wired-Controller/dp/B003ZSN600) XBox 360 controller a good choice then? (Wired or wireless? Or does that matter?) Will I need any extra cables or stuff to get it to work on my PC?
I noticed that the left thumbstick and the d-pad are in opposite order than on my Logitech gamepad. It sounds a little awkward to me, but I suppose that it can't be much of a problem in practice... Well, I hope so anyway. :p
I'm intending to play games like Hotline Miami, Mirror's Edge, Assassin's Creed(s), etc... and I'd be happy if I got it to work on some of my older games too.
Renzatic on 15/9/2013 at 08:30
In my opinion, the 360 controller is the best choice period. If you're using Windows 7/8, the drivers are already built in. All you have to do is slap it into a USB slot, and you're ready to go.
I recommend getting the wired controller, though. I haven't used the wireless one myself, but I think it requires you get a seperate wireless dongle to use it, and it can supposedly be a little flaky at times. The wired controller pretty much works out of the box (though I'd check to see if it has a proper USB end before grabbing it).
Tomi on 15/9/2013 at 09:48
Thanks for the quick reply, Renz!
I suppose I'll buy a wired 360 controller then, unless someone else can convince me not to buy one.
Zerker on 15/9/2013 at 11:04
I have a Wireless controller, and have had zero problems with it even with TONS of wireless interference (~20 wifi stations in range). The "dongle" comes with the controller as long as you get the "Wireless controller for Windows" package. Once you have one dongle, you can buy up to 3 additional "ordinary" wireless controllers to use with the same dongle if you want to play with friends.
The only other real alternative is Logitech's pads: the F310, F510 (discontinued), and F710. They're all the same base pad, but the F510 and F710 have rumble, while the F710 is also wireless. However. the F710 isn't that great at interference rejection, so I'd avoid that if you're in an apartment building/condo apartment.
As for the pad itself, it has its ups and downs compared to the 360 pad. It has a superior d-pad and is much more comfortable for platformers, but the analog sticks aren't as good, and the triggers are a bit stiff. In my mind, what it boils down to is: what are you using it for? If it's primarily 3D games, or games that use the analog stick heavily (i.e. Mark of the Ninja), get a 360 pad. If it's primarily for platformers or other 2D games, then get an F310/F510/F710.
june gloom on 15/9/2013 at 19:16
The F510 is the best pad I've ever used. If you can find one on eBay or something, grab it.
There's a critical feature that Zerker failed to mention -- all 3 of those pads are capable of switching between DirectInput (which is what older Logitechs use) and XInput (which is what the 360 pad uses.) I think you'll find it handy if you play a mix of old and new games (compare playing GTA3 on it to playing GTA4, for example.)
Zerker on 15/9/2013 at 22:24
You're right, but I'm not sure I'd consider it "critical". Xinput pads are still backwards compatible with Direct input. There are, however, two quirks with this backwards compatibility that the Logitech pad's "Direct input" mode addresses:
1) No rumble. The importance of this is a matter of preference to whether you like Rumble (I don't)
2) The triggers are considered an analog axis. Some games don't care and let you map it anyhow. For some games (read: driving games) this is actually a plus. For most everything else, it basically means you can't use the triggers.
One other feature I missed is that the pad has a button for switching the mapping of the Dpad and Left Analog stick. For games that instinctively map primary movement to the X and Y axis, this is great if you want to use the Dpad.
If you can find a store that has both gamepads on display, I would try to get your hands around them to see how they feel to you.
Tomi on 12/10/2013 at 14:07
Just thought I'd let you know that I ended up getting the X360 controller. A black, wired one. So far it has worked fine in the games that I've tried, I'm happy that I don't have to manually edit some .ini files anymore to get the gamepad to work...
The Logitech F510 seemed tempting too, especially as all the buttons and stuff were in the same places as in my old Logitech controller, but it turned out to be a bit difficult to find and more expensive too.
Anyway, thanks for all the help! :cool:
