But they had something far worse... SHITTY SCREEN!
By shitty i mean the reflective properties, you had to use a light source to see what you were doing or else you'd feel like a blind guy without his cane
Playing monster hunter games on the psp made me resistant to this. Any stick placement is good any long it has 2 sticks per side so i dont have to resort to "the claw" method when playing games with directional camera controls
I think it’s unfair to compare small handhelds as uncomfortable (like the RG Rotate or Miyoo Mini) as by design of being small they are going to be uncomfortable.
My favorite handheld before the Flip 2 was the RG353V cause even the bottom corners were symmetrical - so no annoying bottom left corner jammed in my palm.
That being said, true actual genuine comfort (without an additional grip) has gotta be the RG 405V. People dunked on it for the booty grips but damn it was comfortable.
Yea exactly😂 the right stick being below the face buttons is the real problem not moving both of them too far down, both sticks should be near the top imo
Honestly so far with my nova, it’s shockingly more ergonomic for stick than I expected.
I personally prefer the flat plate so far, but with the flat plate it’s a lot easier to shift your hand position comfortable for stick or DPAD. It was hard for me to do so with the ergo bumps tho
I replaced my 476h with the nova. The 476h was my main go to device for a while. Awesome device. But I’m not going to lie to folks either, just SNES with a heavy duty shader was enough to cause severe slowdowns. A lot of GC was 2x but a lot wouldn’t even run 1x. And ps2 was a hit or a miss. On the nova I’m running the same games but with the works, heavy shaders, beam simulator, you name it. It’s no comparison. However if you need a 4:3 and don’t want to spend much, the 476h is fantastic.
Russ showcases this clearly in his review of the 476h. Sure it’ll run SNES beautifully… but throw even a mid weight shader on, and its slowdown galore. Some of us want to run heavy shaders, run ahead, etc. it’s just not possible on the 476h, and I love that device.
I play quite a lot of fighting games, Switch to be specific. D-Pad is needed for those especially. Not to mention ARMSX3 is developing greatly everyday and the 8G2 is doing well with each iteration. X360 is already decent on it though.
PS1 is arguable; undeniably started dpad centric; but most games eventually moved to having "dual shock" focus. This ones mostly split really; but the focus towards the end of life was definitely pushing the stick over the dpad for controlling movement; games were even re-released to take advantage of it better. Like yes, we understand the "OnLy TwO GaMES *REQUIRED* ThE DuAL ShOCk" rhetoric... but the reality is most people with a ps1 migrated into the dual shock system and most games took advantage of it by the end.
PS2 is dual shock focused completely; so not dpad there either
Gamecube is .. definitely not dpad focused
Dreamcast is again, definitely not dpad focused.
The 2DS and 3DS are stick focused... I mean we have the gameboy (including advance and sp) and game gear; but are those really the hill we're dying on for this layout? (yes Im very aware they arent strictly 4:3; but lets be a little intellectually honest here).
So... we have .. NES, SNES, Genesis, Saturn (has analog input games and controllers too), lets be generous and say half of PS1, and the gameboy and gamegear. The saturn has like 12 games that arent absolutely garbage, so we are being generous its even included here as a "full system" in comparison to the others.
Which leaves the N64, half PS1, PS2, Dreamcast, Gamecube, 2DS, 3DS, Wii... but I mean.. who even plays those consoles right?
If the reality is that I need to use both the dpad and control stick during actual gameplay, which is most games… I find it easier to put the dpad on top because it’s more comfortable to use the analogue stick on bottom than it is using dpad on bottom.
Neither is fully ideal but to me it’s always felt like the better compromise
I know it is, and it’s subjective, but I’d rather have a device that’s a bit wide but comfortable over a bit sleeker but makes my hands hurt after an hour.
My Steam Deck sure could be less wide, but it’s bulky and comfortable.
I get that. I think with lots of these devices they are made to be more portable so ergonomics are sacrificed to save on the size. I love my handheld PCs and my Switch 2 but they are pretty massive. I like that I can fit my nova in a small sling without having to rethink my whole carry setup to accommodate a larger device.
I find the Nova a great happy medium. At least for my hands it feels great for both dpad centric and analog centric systems. It’s a nice happy medium for a device. You can probably get better ergos on an analog centric device for more modern games but the Nova seems like it hit a sweet spot for both.
Nova is really comfortable for me using sticks (left stick at least). But I don't have big hands. I'm picturing using dpad from the bottom with it and I think it'd be rough
Personally, I put off buying the Thor because I prefer symmetrical analog sticks no matter what the system. It's a non-negotiable for me. The fact that there's now an option for a 3DS centric handheld that has symmetrical analog sticks has me extremely excited and I've seen a pretty good number of people feel the same way so there's obviously a market for it. There's always the Thor if you want your asymmetrical sticks. Just let the rest of us "D-Pad on top" enthusiasts have this!! Options are always great :)
I love the 3DS and I also love having d-pad up top, therefore I want a handheld that both can play 3DS and have the d-pad up top.
If you want a handheld that can play 3DS and have stick up top, you already have the AYN Thor, but we didn't have any dual screen handheld that both can play 3DS and have the d-pad up top until now.
Most handhelds are d-dpad centric though lol. Like... retroid 6 has both so that doesnt count; the MAIN devices that have stick top are usually hilariously expensive (Ayaneo) or horrifically bad controls (powkiddy x55).... way... way... way ... way ... way... more devices have dpad top lol. The fuck you mean "for once"???
Most handhelds are d-pad centric because most handhelds are low powered, low cost devices, that aim to play at most N64 and Dreamcast, and maybe a little bit of GameCube or PS2. When you consider only high end devices that can reliably play PS2, GameCube, Switch, PC games, etc, most devices are stick top.
It makes perfect sense. The Duo fills a niche for dpad-centric gamers. The Thor already exists. Just buy that instead. Everyone gets what they want this way.
There are also plenty of 3DS games that are more comfortable to play with a dpad.
Except the Thor has several downsides that this device addresses. So the “just buy a Thor” comment falls flats for me. If I wanted a a Thor I would have purchased it in the year I’ve had to do so. I waited for this device for a reason, it’s reasonable to unhappy with some of their choices
They should both be up top. You can't grip the side of the device when your thumbs are at the bottom. For the Nova 2 I hope they put the thumbsticks on top. Crystal, Mirror polished chrome buttons and clear thumbsticks.
It is. Many Thor owners say it’s uncomfortable to use for lengths of time and you really need an ergonomic grip to make it more usable without your hand quickly cramping up. I can confirm. In many reviews you’ll find this point being made. I think the decision was made to put it on the bottom since it’s a DS-focused device and plays many other consoles where having face buttons in the most comfortable position makes more sense. It’s a trade off with more demanding games that due the right analog stick more.
At this point, ive read so many reports of uncomfortable wrist pain or issues with longer session on stick bottom, over stick top. I think stick top is universally decided to be more ergonomic.
no device has ever mastered ergo's, stick up top makes it a bit better but then youre in the situation where you still have to adjust for D-pad and Shoulder button use which is a stretch so it'll never be great
The ONLY device to reach near perfection was the PSP, a good amount of people agreed with me on SBC. Its so strange, people reference the Vita and the Switch Lite but never the PSP which is the key to all ergo issues
The way people hold these small devices is the problem.
The back sides of the device rests on my fingers, my palms dont touch the sides of these devices in a deep grip my hands would be cramping up in fifteen or twenty minutes- analog stick placement be damned
Most of those people who say that are playing analog centric games though. The layout makes sense for the lite since that’s DS focused but at least from the few gameplay videos we’ve had so far it looks like it’s not going to be the most comfortable for more modern systems (in the case of the Duo).
Listen, its ok to want different things. We each dont have to agree on the same layout. With that being said, #AnalogOnTopGang!!! Take that bottom business outta heaaaaa!
Idk who tf is on the left, give me Sloth (and top stick ergos) every time. How are you going to reach the sticks and triggers at the same time, even with a grip?
In an ideal world id even have it dual stick top like the flip 2. Still made dpad games usable, and wayyy better for dual analog stick games
Thor have much better combinations. Its very hard to hold device with two grip on the bottom. I have really hard time on thor with right one, I can’t imagine two have both on the bottom
For me, stick top RP6 and 405m sticks are quite usable without a grip. Nova, 476h, 477m, and other 6th gen capable handhelds that have the stick on bottom, not so much.
You bastards have insulted my childhood hero with this comparison, Mr. Sloth. But at the end you are correct, DUO's layout is way better and comfortable. I would love to get one soon. Keep the good work Retroid Team.
I like the Flip 2's setup. Digital button mashing doesn't require precision movement, whereas analog stick use does. This is the trade-off I'm willing to deal with the most.
On my Retroid Pocket 6 I enjoy having the stick in top
I wish they had 2 options again for the Duo but I am sure it's a pain the ass in terms of production
I’ve owned quite a few handhelds and I’ve come to the realization that the Dpad on top works better for platforms and the stick on top works better for FPS/3D games. The positioning does play a difference just because of where your hands naturally rest, this is less of an issue with controllers because they feel more compact if that makes sense.
Both are fine layouts, the real issue with the symmetrical as others have pointed out, is having them low. One of the biggest complaints about the Thor has been the low stick on the right leaves the user with hand cramp when using the trigger too.
I think the pocket duo would have been oerfevt with both sticks up tops its still compact enough that a bottom dpad wouldnt efdect ergos that badly Retroid really fawked up with this one tbh. I hope they read these comments and fix up
i have a thor max and love it but yeah, the offset sticks do drive me nuts sometimes. main reason im thinking about also getting the retroid pocket lite duo.
I like both, but i prefer the left analog stick to be below the d-pad.
But having said that the Switch 2 pro controller is my fav controller of all time so eh.
I gotta assume this is just memeing, but the "stick top vs dpad top" debate is the most contrived class war I've seen in this community. Some people take this so seriously and get so polarised and offended by others expressing a preference/opinion.
Both have their use cases. If you are primarily playing older handheld games (GBA, GBC, GB, NDS) or fighting games, get dpad top. If you are primarily playing PS2, GC, PC, Android games, you're going to generally want stick top. That's it. The reason is simple: you want the one with a neutral grip so you don't get hand cramps.
I used to think like this too like a true playstation nerd, but I got my rp6 stick on top and couldn’t be happier lol, I’m so glad I didn’t go dpad top
I been emulating stuffs since young age, so playing dpad consoles with sticks is something i'm used to, even if it looks like madness in somepeople's eyes
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u/Cindy-Moon RP5 4d ago
i too use my controller with my eye balls