Joysticks: left or right?

[aeberbach]

The Sanwa "silent" stick might be for you - they are hard to come by and triple the price of some arcade sticks, but they are so good.

[jPV]

Originally Posted by Foebane

What about the PC keyboard + mouse combo, where the keyboard is always on the left and the mouse on the right?

Mouse controlling needs better accuracy and speed, so it naturally is on the right hand. Keyboard actions are "support" actions, so they go for the dummier hand, just like on joysticks where the dummier hand can press the buttons just fine while the better hand controls the action.

And if I play keyboard only games (or with emulators from the keyboard), I use direction keys (I config them to arrow keys) with my right hand, and then "button/fire" keys with my left hand. So it's consistent again.. I just control the most important/demanding actions with my right hand, which is my better hand.

Also, this thread is the first time I've EVER heard of players CROSSING THEIR ARMS to play the way they want. Sounds really impractical to me, and almost painful, too!

Yes, but if I want some result, I'll have to do it But that's why I just avoid playing with that kind of controllers. I've been recently trying to play some Super Mario games on Mini-SNES, but I just get stuck on early levels just because of the shitty controls... if I just could connect a joystick into that, there wouldn't be any difficulties... I have no problems completing Giana Sisters etc with a proper joystick, but just fail everywhere with those SNES games even though it's clear what I should do, but just fail with it because of the controls.

[Foebane]

Originally Posted by jPV

Mouse controlling needs better accuracy and speed, so it naturally is on the right hand. Keyboard actions are "support" actions, so they go for the dummier hand, just like on joysticks where the dummier hand can press the buttons just fine while the better hand controls the action.

I'd say the keyboard is more than support actions, as the strafe left/right keys are there, as are the forward/backward movement keys, too - not useful enough, so the mouse is there in tandem to allow slow or quick turning as well, and looking up and down, too. It really is a dream system, and I believe Quake began it on PC, even if you had to use +MLOOK on the console first, but it became active by default in the sequels and subsequent true 3D games.

And if I play keyboard only games (or with emulators from the keyboard), I use direction keys (I config them to arrow keys) with my right hand, and then "button/fire" keys with my left hand. So it's consistent again.. I just control the most important/demanding actions with my right hand, which is my better hand.

Yeah, my WinUAE keys are set to the PC's arrow keys, with LCtrl for Fire1 and LShift for Fire2 (which is always helpful)

[dreadnought]

Originally Posted by jPV

Mouse controlling needs better accuracy and speed, so it naturally is on the right hand. Keyboard actions are "support" actions, so they go for the dummier hand, just like on joysticks where the dummier hand can press the buttons just fine while the better hand controls the action.

I wouldn't say controlling WSAD movement, plus additional heap of buttons is a "dummier" task. And if it is, then so is controlling the movement with a left handed joystick

Originally Posted by jPV

I've been recently trying to play some Super Mario games on Mini-SNES, but I just get stuck on early levels just because of the shitty controls...

They aren't really "shitty", which is why they are the industry standard and millions of right-handed people use them without any problem. The truth is, our left hands aren't totally gimped, they perform zillion tasks daily, and can do this one perfectly fine as well. And some would say that continuous, multiple button presses both on modern controllers old controllers are more demanding physically than movement, hence the status quo.

[Foebane]

I've had SNES-style controllers on my PC in the past, trying to control both Atari 800XL and Amiga games (under emulation), but I had trouble with the Amiga platform games because of the diagonal motion needed for jumping in most of them (I didn't know about the second fire button then, but not all such games support it).

I've tried Super Mario Bros on a real NES back in around 1990 at a friend's relative's house, and if I recall, I had no trouble with it.

[petarku]

i just get used to have stick in right hand that I cannot play any other way. I have xbox arcade stick which has stick on left so i decided to rotate the switch board and have whole base upside down so i can play "normal" I tried to cross hands first but that didnt work.

[Fiery Phoenix]

Originally Posted by Superman

Being right handed I always use my right hand to operate the stick and left hand to hold and press the fire buttons. I have always liked the look of this particular joystick but the fact that the joystick is left handed only has always put me off and I wondered if it could be used upside down by the flick of a switch.

https://www.commodore-info.com/joyst...28f/en/desktop

Its one of the main reasons I have stuck to using Cruiser or Competition Pro joysticks on my Amigas.

Exactly this - still use the cruiser / comp pro now

I had some Amazon vouchers and was going to buy a "fight stick" for some retro gaming, but the joystick on the left did put me off.

Whilst no doubt I can use them for the arcade style games, it's the faster paced ones that may trouble me, Kick Off 2, etc - just not sure I would control those games as well with my left hand.

[jPV]

Originally Posted by Foebane

I'd say the keyboard is more than support actions, as the strafe left/right keys are there, as are the forward/backward movement keys, too - not useful enough, so the mouse is there in tandem to allow slow or quick turning as well, and looking up and down, too. It really is a dream system, and I believe Quake began it on PC, even if you had to use +MLOOK on the console first, but it became active by default in the sequels and subsequent true 3D games.

Ok maybe for some genres, and maybe that's the reason why I suck so hard in 3D FPS games and don't like to play them :P I'm mostly playing some strategy games etc where you just move maps or enable something with the keyboard, but do the most real action with the mouse...

[jPV]

Originally Posted by dreadnought

They aren't really "shitty", which is why they are the industry standard and millions of right-handed people use them without any problem. The truth is, our left hands aren't totally gimped, they perform zillion tasks daily, and can do this one perfectly fine as well. And some would say that continuous, multiple button presses both on modern controllers old controllers are more demanding physically than movement, hence the status quo.

How about left-handed people then, are they complaining about these controllers or are they loving having the d-pad on the left side? These d-pads are mostly done with one way only and not designed to be swapped other way around... so it must be more difficult for left or right handed people

[gimbal]

I have no problems using gamepads as a leftie. And yes I did hold the stick with my left hand way back when

I don't really think it matters much if it is your writing hand or not, it is what you trained yourself with from the first moments you started to use the device. I probably can but I wouldn't want to swap now simply because I'm conditioned to use my left hand for movement purposes, it's been etched into my brain.

[Phantasm]

I'm a leftie and i use the mouse in my right hand. I can't use left handed scissors or tin-openers because I find it strange as i've only ever used right handed tools. I'm sure i'm not as accurate as someone who is naturally right handed but after years of training I you get by.


When it comes to joysticks I use my left hand to hold the stick and right hand for the buttons and so I guess when it came to arcade machines we had an advantage for once

[dreadnought]

Originally Posted by jPV

How about left-handed people then, are they complaining about these controllers or are they loving having the d-pad on the left side? These d-pads are mostly done with one way only and not designed to be swapped other way around... so it must be more difficult for left or right handed people

Well, how about them? Did you ever see any big conversations about it anywhere? Lots of manufactureres offering left-handed models?

I haven't, probably because it isn't really an issue. Just as I (right-handed) person can operate analogue sticks or d-pads on the left side, so can left-handed people. Not all of course, there will always be some outliers, but the proof is in the pudding. If there was real need to address this "issue" the industry most likely would, because they want people to buy their hardware and software.

[kremiso]

Me and my cousin, long time players, quite same skills and genres liking, me left him right handed.
Using controllers, when the game require a precise control i am better, when instead are required precise timed/fast button press, he win.

ie on soccer games, i can do better dribblings, he can do better pass, shoots...

All the golf games with the analog swing are too easy for me, when instead he need to change to the old button press x3 (if possible)

I can't reach to control with the right hand using joysticks, but strangely i always use that hand to use cursor keys during keyboard gaming sessions