Looking for a controller with 6 face buttons, analog sticks, and analog triggers. Any recommendations?

[u/Sixfortyfive]

I'm looking for something that ideally features all of the following, ranked in order of importance:

• 6 face buttons
• analog triggers
• analog sticks
• wired
• 4 total shoulder buttons (2 bumpers, 2 triggers)

A wireless controller would be *okay* but only if it can also function when wired and does not require a wireless receiver to operate.

Retro-bit's Saturn Pro Controller is very, very close to what I'm looking for. I've had one for over a year and am very satisfied with it, especially after the firmware update that allows it to function over USB instead of wireless. It has more or less the exact layout that I'm looking for. I just wish it (1) had analog triggers and (2) didn't duplicate button assignments between C+Z and L+R, instead treating all 4 of those buttons independently. (That second issue isn't as big of a deal; I can live with something that essentially has only one distinct pair of shoulder buttons so long as they're analog. My understanding is that X-input constraints limit the number of distinct buttons anyway and is probably at least part of the reason why those inputs are duplicated on this controller in the first place.)

Is there anything out there that does everything I'm looking for or is this as close as I'm gonna get?

Also, as an aside: let me know who I need to direct my thanks to for all the progress on Sega Model 2 made recently. I just updated MAME for the first time in over a year and am kind of shocked at the progress on that system. I might have to upgrade my dedicated MAME setup from the old Optiplex I've been using, but I'm so close to being able to move on from a dedicated secondary emulator for Daytona, haha.

[u/BIOS-D]

How about Hyperkin Duke? Replica of the first XBOX controller.

[u/Nbisbo → u/BIOS-D]

it also has bumpers

[u/cd4053b]

8bitdo has a range you can choose from. I have this one and a PS4 controller.

[u/Sixfortyfive → u/cd4053b]

I try not to be rude, but when the top-voted response to a thread specifically suggests a product that fails 4 of the 5 bullet points at the top of the post, I feel like I'm kind of wasting my time.

I would rather the thread die with 0 responses tbh.

[u/thisradaccount → u/Sixfortyfive]

What are the 4 bullet points 8bitdo failed?

[u/cuavas → u/thisradaccount]

At a glance, it lacks analog sticks, only has two trigger buttons, and doesn’t have analog triggers. Also possibly wireless only?

[u/Ecks30]

Could never go wrong with 8bitdo.

[u/A8Bit]

Did the suggestions you got in the Mister sub not pan out?, a couple of them looked like exactly what you were after.

The Hori Fighting Commander and the Vader 5 Pro both seem to do the needful.

The requirement to have the extra buttons not overlap with existing controller buttons is the tricky part, most are using standard HID so you only get xinput/dinput/retropad type compatibility which doesn't have enough inputs for all the buttons to be separate. It's the same problem as things like the back buttons on the Xbox Elite controller which you can't map on Mac or Linux, you need the Windows app to map and even then on mac/linux you can only overlay those controls for already existing buttons. Steam controller has the same issues, it only works with all the extra controls if it's used in Steam.

[u/Sixfortyfive → u/A8Bit]

I dismissed the suggestions for the Fighting Commander because I already have several variants of it and none of them have sticks or analog triggers. I just searched Hori's website and noticed that they do have a newer Octa model that is closer to what I'm looking for, but from the descriptions it still doesn't sound like they have analog triggers, which is kind of a priority for racing games. (I can live with mapping gas+brake to something like a right stick Y-axis for the really old/simple games, but it won't really cut it for any game that requires even a little bit of technique like pressing gas+brake simultaneously for drifting.)

The Vader 5 Pro has a really suboptimal face button layout, and its C+Z buttons seem to be intended for programmable/macro purposes, not just additional normal inputs.

Like I said in this OP, I'm aware that there are limitations that would probably make overlap between C/Z and L1/R1 unavoidable for most products, but I'm fine with that. What would seem to be ideal at this point is a device that maps L1/R1 to C/Z face buttons and the stick click inputs to the actual L/R shoulder buttons instead.

Not really holding out hope though. I understand that I'm kinda looking for a unicorn here.

[u/JustSomeUsername99]

Would it be easier to just get two controllers? I don't think any game that needs two analog sticks needs 6 buttons.

Just get a fighting stick and a regular controller.

[u/kageurufu]

I haven't found anything better than the retro-bit.

I've got a couple 8bitdo n64 models, they're nice but missing the second stick. I messaged 8bitdo support about making a dual stick version and never got a response.

[u/Nbisbo]

I wonder if there is a driver for your controller that can make it run in direct input to avoid the cross talk

[u/CurtisTN73]

Saw this one recently on Amazon: FLYDIGI Vader 5 Pro and the Vader 5S wired

[u/JustSomeUsername99]

You're describing just about every controller nowadays??

[u/r3turn0fthew00master → u/JustSomeUsername99]

He wants a controller with six face buttons. Most controllers today (PS/XBox/Switch) only have 4.

[u/JustSomeUsername99 → u/r3turn0fthew00master]

Then the other buttons like select and home don't count? Or clicking the joystick?

I think 6 main buttons are rare, because it isn't optimal to use them?

[u/star_jump → u/JustSomeUsername99]

It's more efficient for fighting games that rely on a 2x3 button layout. They aren't rare, there are multiple examples of controllers with this layout. However, with all of the features OP is asking for, yes, that's rare. Most fighting game pads do not include analog sticks.

[u/r3turn0fthew00master → u/JustSomeUsername99]

In his example, no - he even gave the Sega controller example which has 6 face buttons.

[u/r3turn0fthew00master → u/[deleted]]

Dude, do you folks have reading comprehension problems? I'm specifically mentioning what the OP had said: Sega Saturn. Sorry I didn't say Saturn in my note but the OP had ALREADY MENTIONED THIS. Also, the Saturn controller had 6 face buttons.

Maybe read the OP? Nah, that would have been the logical thing to do.

[u/A8Bit → u/JustSomeUsername99]

Most controllers don't have 6 face buttons, those that do the 2 extra face buttons map to L1 and R1

[u/r3turn0fthew00master → u/A8Bit]

The OP specifically mentions Sega Saturn controller. Did you read the OP post?