Favorite LOOKING controller?

[TamagotchiTamaHero24's icon TamagotchiTamaHero24 TamagotchiTamaHero24]

When it comes to pure looks, my favorite controller is Dreamcast’s pad.

It’s so colorful, even in a basic formation, with these beautiful curves, lines, and all that. It’s like the controller variant of the iMac’s from the time. It’s unique and beautiful to look at. I may not love playing on it because of how it cramps my hands with the back, but WOW is it pretty to look at.

As a runner up, and I’ve mentioned it many times, but the NEO GEO.

The AES pad… it’s not a pad. It’s a stick. That’s your default controller. And with the gold text and everything?! What a flex this this. Just the utter decadence of a system to say “no, you’re getting the arcade experience at home, so you’re getting an arcade stick! Get over here, twerp!” And the way the buttons CURVE to fit the curve of your hand?! It’s actually so crazy to see, because this is what this kind of controller SHOULD look like.

 

[Tonberry]

Probably the NES controller for me. I love how sleek and retrofuturistic it still looks.

It's a pain in the ass (or rather, hand) to use though, the hard edges tenderize my hands like crazy.

 

[TamagotchiTamaHero24's icon TamagotchiTamaHero24 TamagotchiTamaHero24]

Probably the NES controller for me. I love how sleek and retrofuturistic it still looks.

View attachment 68680

It's a pain in the ass (or rather, hand) to use though, the hard edges tenderize my hands like crazy.

It’s like the kind of controller they’d have in a sci-fi show of the time.

Complete with its unusability. It’s PERFECT!

 

[bjork]

The second Saturn controller, specifically this color (though it's for PS2). I'm not usually a person who gets special controllers and I don't really care about Darkstalkers, but I imported this because that color is just too good. Plus, six face buttons on PS2, good deal

 

[Nacho-01]

call me a square but i really like the xbox series controller

 

[Tonberry]

call me a square but i really like the xbox series controller


View attachment 68682

This is the one I like to use the most out of any controller. My only complaint is that the d-pad is too loud.

 

[TamagotchiTamaHero24's icon TamagotchiTamaHero24 TamagotchiTamaHero24]

This is the one I like to use the most out of any controller. My only complaint is that the d-pad is too loud.

No but actually? Xbox has HAD the best controllers for usability on most games for YEARS. It’s crazy how solid these things are. I had a wired one for PC for a while. It was green and I loved it.


I also hurt my hands on it playing DMC5, but that’s just normal DMC activities. I’ll probably make a thread about that topic sometime.

 

[Ikagura Ikagura]

Sleek and chic

Now I kinda wish the sides were less angular in horizontal mode.

 

[Tonberry]

No but actually? Xbox has HAD the best controllers for usability on most games for YEARS. It’s crazy how solid these things are. I had a wired one for PC for a while. It was green and I loved it.


I also hurt my hands on it playing DMC5, but that’s just normal DMC activities. I’ll probably make a thread about that topic sometime.

Yeah the Series controllers just makes controllers feel "solved" in general for me.
I wouldn't mind gyro though, and the external batteries don't really bother me since I always use mine wired anyways.

 

[TamagotchiTamaHero24's icon TamagotchiTamaHero24 TamagotchiTamaHero24]

The second Saturn controller, specifically this color (though it's for PS2). I'm not usually a person who gets special controllers and I don't really care about Darkstalkers, but I imported this because that color is just too good. Plus, six face buttons on PS2, good deal
View attachment 68681

I was about to say. Saturn is my favorite “sleeper” controller. It doesn’t look too wild, but it’s my favorite classic style controller I’ve ever held. Just pure perfection, honestly. The only issue I’ve had with it are that my hands are big, so it’s a bit small in my hands, but that’s IT.

 

[FrootyLoopsSamurai]

Prototype PS3 controller. I can understand why Sony changed it to be more similar to the PS2 controller, but it looks like future technology made for aliens. Cool af imo.

 

[TamagotchiTamaHero24's icon TamagotchiTamaHero24 TamagotchiTamaHero24]

Sleek and chic
View attachment 68688

Now I kinda wish the sides were less angular in horizontal mode.

Yeah! This STILL looks kinda futuristic to this day!

It’s sad I’ve seen so many controllers with yellowing d-pads and cords…

 

[nobitakun]

No need to say more :)

 

[TamagotchiTamaHero24's icon TamagotchiTamaHero24 TamagotchiTamaHero24]

Prototype PS3 controller. I can understand why Sony changed it to be more similar to the PS2 controller, but it looks like future technology made for aliens. Cool af imo.

FINALLY SOMEBODY SAID IT!
I kind of wish this is what the controller had been, since the actual PS3 controller is my least favorite one I own (everything the PS2 controller got right made worse, super small and insubstantial, scratches easy, and it’s motion control is genuinely horrific).

 

[Ikagura Ikagura]

Prototype PS3 controller. I can understand why Sony changed it to be more similar to the PS2 controller, but it looks like future technology made for aliens. Cool af imo.

I kinda dislike how Sony fans didn't want Sony to delve from the DualShock despite that it could've been the basis of a more ergonomical version of it (sure, not that boomerang design but let's be honest, L1/R1 and L2/R2 are too square-like for the fingers).

Even Microsoft has learnt to change and improve upon theirs.

Post automatically merged: May 13, 2025

View attachment 68693
No need to say more :)

I absolutely love this pad, iconic and the basis of every modern pads until this day (including Nintendo's Pro Controller).

 

[TamagotchiTamaHero24's icon TamagotchiTamaHero24 TamagotchiTamaHero24]

View attachment 68693
No need to say more :)

I love how EVERYTHING ON IT has the same diagonal orientation. Just makes it fit well together. Plus the splash of color? It makes it look both like a classic remote for a good CRT, while also being a fun game thing.

 

[Tonberry]

I kinda dislike how Sony fans didn't want Sony to delve from the DualShock despite that it could've been the basis of a more ergonomical version of it (sure, not that boomerang design but let's be honest, L1/R1 and L2/R2 are too square-like for the fingers).

Even Microsoft has learnt to change and improve upon theirs.

I really really really liked DualShock 4.
I think DualSense is way worse. It's got great build quality but I find it cumbersome to use and the adaptive triggers or whatever they call it is just a dogshit gimmick in general, imo.

 

[Ikagura Ikagura]

I love how EVERYTHING ON IT has the same diagonal orientation. Just makes it fit well together. Plus the splash of color? It makes it look both like a classic remote for a good CRT, while also being a fun game thing.

I almost regret Nintendo hasn't produced a "Version 2" with PlayStation handle before Sony created their console.

I really really really liked DualShock 4.
I think DualSense is way worse. It's got great build quality but I find it cumbersome to use and the adaptive triggers or whatever they call it is just a dogshit gimmick in general, imo.

The touch pad is really that useful on the 4? Looks like a big gimmick to me, almost like the Wii U controller in a way.

I think they should've "smoothened" up the edges of it.

 

[TamagotchiTamaHero24's icon TamagotchiTamaHero24 TamagotchiTamaHero24]

I really really really liked DualShock 4.
I think DualSense is way worse. It's got great build quality but I find it cumbersome to use and the adaptive triggers or whatever they call it is just a dogshit gimmick in general, imo.

Agree to disagree! I will say, I think most current controllers tend to LOOK boring unless they have a different color. But man, some of those colorways can be AMAZING to look at.

 

[MrChester]

I grew up in the 2000s. I never owned an N64 and I only ever played on one once and I thought this thing felt awful. I have no nostalgia for this thing whatsoever. And yet, because so many cartoons and children's TV shows would base their hyper advanced fictional video game controllers on the N64 one, this thing holds a special place in my heart due to the looks (also I didn't know what an N64 was when I saw those cartoons so it really added to the mystique with the whack ass three hand layout)

 

[What's His Face]

Going by pure looks, few things to me beats

A controller...that you WEAR?! How rad is that!? And look at all those buttons and cords! Speaking of buttons...

Yeah, it only worked for ONE game and took up more space than your mum's

collection, but holy Hell does this controller just look badass. If only it had been compatible for other games...

 

[DJPlace]

if i could test there's controllers all over again in the years i was gaming i would have one. but sadly i don't have one now.

 

[Ikagura Ikagura]

I wish we could get "Memory Foam" controllers that can adapt to any user.

Instead of "one model fits all and too bad if you're too big or too small".

 

[Delta_T64]

 

[nobitakun]

I may be the only one that despises anything that Sony have made after DualShock 3. I don't want to open "options" nor "share" anything, I want Select and Start back. Is that a thing so difficult for Sony?