best dpad for fighting games - Gadget Link
None of the 1st party controllers are a homerun for dpad users. Xbox series has the best dpad, but it's not great for 2D games because of its placement (why can't we have PS and Xbox style controllers from all first parties?). Dualsense doesn't feel crisp or as consistent as the DS3 or DS4.
Understanding the Context
Switch Pro is 360 levels of bad/not working correctly. After I went hard on Dreamcast in 2015 and preferred the dpad for 3D games, the New 3DS having a dpad worth a damn and in 2016 becoming obsessed with Taiko which needs a d-pad made me love the classic controller/pro, and all of this sort of got me into doing anything 2D with a dpad, with my main controllers being GameCube and Xbox 360 the ... Dpad is more precise even pressing it the way I do, but I get tired way more often. So for easier games or just navigating the map in HK I use the stick, switching to the dpad at bosses or difficult platforming areas.
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Key Insights
I sometimes even switch controllers at those parts. If you haven't owned a Vita, don't reply: What's the best dpad on a ... With a dpad, you just move at normal speed, while with an analogue stick you vary between just two speeds based on stick lean. Note, I'm not asking whether you prefer platformers have variable movement speeds, I'm asking whether you prefer to use the dpad or stick for platformers that DON'T have variable movement speeds. Do you prefer to use a dpad or analogue stick for 2D platformers?
Final Thoughts
Seriously, it's embarrassing how bad the D-Pad is on these controllers. The Joy-Cons' Dpad can barely even be considered a D-Pad its laughable, and the Pro Controllers' Dpad has the single worst Dpad I've ever seen in a first party controller (yes, even worse than the 360 controller). The Pro Controller in particular is awful, diagonal inputs don't even register half the time, it's extremely ... The Series controller dpad is an improvement over the 360 dpad, but still pretty bad compared to others. And the Dualsense dpad is a downgrade compared to the Dualshock dpad, but better overall than whats available on the xbox controllers. The Steam Deck dpad sucks too.