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Compatibility with Games

How do gamepads work with all games?

Example: Gamepad control scheme of XCOM 2 by Firaxis Games.

XCOM 2 by Firaxis Games was initially released on February 5th of 2016, to be playable on Windows, Mac and Linux PCs, supporting no controller inputs other than keyboard/mouse and Valve's Steam Controller. However, on Semptmber 27th, the game was released for Xbox and PS4 platforms as well, with inputs being enabled for other gamepads.

        Most contemporary video games support gamepads either as primary or secondary devices of input. Video games released on gaming consoles rely mostly on gamepads for both menu navigation and gameplay, while those on PC platforms use keyboard and mouse as primary input and allows gamepads connectible through USB port or Bluetooth as secondary input. Nowadays because a lot of the video games are released on both console and PC environment, the control schemes of video games are often made to be convertible and compatible between gamepad and keyboard (and mouse).

        Currently on PC, most gamepad users use DualShock 4 controllers, Xbox 360 controllers, Xbox One controllers and Nintendo Switch Pro controllers, which were all primarily created as gamepads for gaming consoles, and have mostly the same combination and layout of buttons with the only major difference being the sign on face buttons.

(In order of bottom, right, left, top)
(Hover mouse on text for image reference)

DualShock 4

: cross, circle, square, triangle

Xbox 360, Xbox One

: A, B, X, Y

Nintendo Switch Pro

: B, A, Y, X

        While there are gamepads created specifically for PC use, a lot of gamers stick with gamepads that were created for consoles, due to their universality, high compatibility with video games and community support. (i.e., because a lot of gamers already use them, it's easier to find help from online when facing technical difficulties.)


 

Case Study: Steam Controller

        On November 2015, Valve Corporation released their own gamepad, Steam Controller. The gamepad consisted of mostly the same features as its predecessors but replaced the directional pad buttons on the left side with a directional touch pad, and the analog stick on the right side with a track pad, essentially functioning as a mouse. The aim of Steam Controller was to merge the strengths of gamepads and keyboard/mouse and allow PC gamers to be able to play more games on gamepad instead of keyboard and mouse, but responses from its users were less positive for a variety of reasons, including:

-Less ergonomic grip design

-Noisy clicking sound from buttons

-Trackpad replacing the analog stick is less convenient as a gamepad feature, and does not perform as well as a mouse

-The “highly customizable” settings require users to set the configuration of the controller differently for every game

        Due to such reasons, gamers who purchased Steam Controllers often found themselves going back to using pre-existing gamepads such as DualShock 4 and Xbox controllers. However, Steam Controller is still widely accepted as an appreciable attempt at altering the design of gamepad from its preceeding examples.

        This case study shows that in the current design of game controllers, there are fixed senses of ergonomics, button layout and functionality that appeal universally to the vast amount of users.