PC Game Controller

Euchre · December 8, 2023

I've been searching for what seems to be the unattainable holy grail of game controller to use on PC. I want hall effect sticks, Playstation style analog stick layout, Xinput support, in a wired controller. Seems like this is a combination of features nobody wants to make. Most PC controllers are Xbox analog stick layout. If I'm lucky enough to find one that is Playstation layout, it doesn't have hall effect sticks, and even the one Steel Series model that did, was wireless and doesn't seem to be in production anymore anyway. Why is this combination so impossible to find? Use a Playstation controller, right - I mean it is fairly well supported these days, right? Well, not exactly - they are Directinput, and thus don't interface well with PC games, which are nearly all natively Xinput. To work, the PS controllers use a translation layer that adds latency and lowers reliability. Even if I did use a PS controller, I'm still stuck with rheostat sticks, so stick drift is never too far away. I've already murdered the sticks on my Logitech F310, which checks every other box, but there doesn't seem to be a way to mod it with hall effect sensors.

So, anybody know where this unicorn of a controller can be found? Come on Steel Series, Logitech, somebody - make this controller a reality!

TrigrH · December 8, 2023

"Nacon Wired Compact Controller for PlayStation 4" no hall effect but its cheap with native xinput.

SakFPS · December 8, 2023

SCUF might be your best bet. They recently made a PC-focused controller, the SCUF Envision. It doesn't have HE joysticks but thats the biggest complaint that I've seen numerous times, so expect it in the future. The downside is that it is super expensive and SCUF doesn't have the best track record for QC.

You might just have to get used to Xbox stick layout, which IMO is better anyway.

Poinkachu · December 8, 2023

I simply stopped hoping and learnt how to desolder & solder the analog potentiometer module.

Then ordered like 20 or so of the said module from aliexpress, tests each of them using multimeter and set aside the best ones for use, the rest is B-grade backup or other DIY project.

At some point I'm gonna continue my years old intention to try and make the module socket hotswap-able.

But yep, willpower is currently low.

Euchre · January 6

Slow response from me, I know, but I appreciate the feedback. The SCUF Envision looks like a decent option, except for me the extra paddles and buttons are overkill. If they start offering Hall Effect, though - could be a deal maker. The Nacon having Xinput support is nice, as is the price, but it is a little odd that the manufacturer's site won't show it as an option when you select US for viewing the site. At least it is on Amazon.

@Poinkachu are you saying that the electrical signal output from standard HE assemblies you buy is equivalent to that from the potentiometer sticks? If so, my dream of modding the Logitech might be a lot easier - especially since I now have 2 of them. My lady gifted me a new one for Christmas, delaying the urgency to find my holy grail of controllers, but now I have a spare with 1 85%+ good stick, and one floppy POS, that I can afford to tear into to mod.

Poinkachu · January 6

8 hours ago, Euchre said:

Slow response from me, I know, but I appreciate the feedback. The SCUF Envision looks like a decent option, except for me the extra paddles and buttons are overkill. If they start offering Hall Effect, though - could be a deal maker. The Nacon having Xinput support is nice, as is the price, but it is a little odd that the manufacturer's site won't show it as an option when you select US for viewing the site. At least it is on Amazon.

@Poinkachu are you saying that the electrical signal output from standard HE assemblies you buy is equivalent to that from the potentiometer sticks? If so, my dream of modding the Logitech might be a lot easier - especially since I now have 2 of them. My lady gifted me a new one for Christmas, delaying the urgency to find my holy grail of controllers, but now I have a spare with 1 85%+ good stick, and one floppy POS, that I can afford to tear into to mod.

By "said module" I meant the analog potentiometer module.

To make my previous post clearer :

I stopped hoping about finding the holy grail. I just buy whichever stick I deem good enough and have most what I want (ps/xbox layout, xinput/dinput/whatever, etc)

As for the drift problem, I'll just desolder and solder a new analog module whenever it starts having a drift.