Topic: Unpopular Gaming Opinions

@BAMozzy While you can get cheaper battery packs, my experience with em in the 360 days is that they do not hold thier charge as long as the official ones and would die much quicker. I think I went through just as many 360 controllers as I've been through DS4 controllers in a similar time frame(I was late getting a 360). Must have gone through dozens of those battery packs too, so that all adds up to the extra cost.

@JohnnyShoulder Not all 3rd Party batteries were created 'equal' as you say but I also had some battery packs that lasted equally as long as MS's own. You could still of used branded rechargeable AA's from Duracell, Energizer etc and a pack of 4 batteries and a charger was no more expensive than a 'single' MS rechargeable pack and gave you some spare. If they died, then the only cost was a pack of batteries because you already have a charger and those were transferable to the XB1 controller too because both use AA's. If you are a 'retro' gamer, will still be an option for many years - long after 360 rechargeable battery packs have disappeared and DS3's, DS4's are 'dead'. If you bought rechargeable AA's, you didn't need to buy a new battery pack for the XB1 and, if MS keeps the same options, will not need to buy a battery pack for subsequent controllers either.

@BAMozzy 360 controllers do not last indefinitely though and would need replacing eventually.

Having to keep changing batteries was a pain, and only the expensive brands like Duracell would last a decent amount of time. Rechargeable or cheap batteries I found very inconsistent.

Not saying the DS4 is a better controller, but personally I much prefer the way they charge.

@JohnnyShoulder Of course nothing lasts forever! However, they have a much longer 'shelf' life because they can replace the batteries easily enough. I still much prefer the option of a battery compartment as it offers much flexibility for any budgets as well as a 'longer' potential life span. If I wanted to play on my XB360, I can easily use any of my Controllers wirelessly - as they were intended and for extended gaming sessions - thanks to the battery compartment. I cannot do the same with ANY of my DS3's anymore because 3 of which don't charge and the other 2 last around 1hr from a 'full' charge.

We already have a 'throwaway' generation where if a controller 'dies', throw away the controller and buy a new one. I know a lot won't care less about the PS3 and then the PS4 as 'new' generations come so longevity and future use isn't a concern - its all about the here and now. Its also more expensive to have 2 controllers, one as a 2nd for when the first needs charging than it is for a battery charger and a pack of decent rechargeable batteries. These still last longer than the 'small' built-in battery in a DS4 - small to keep it 'light' and fit in the design.

Charging batteries is no worse than having to charge controllers. Its exactly the same principal so I don't see an issue there at all. Whether its plugging in a controller or batteries, there is no real difference at all and at least you can continue playing wirelessly if the batteries do run out.

Another aspect of course is that its much easier to buy replacements and not paying for 'built-in' battery packs unnecessarily. If I buy a 'new' Xbox controller, I already have rechargeable options for it so don't need to pay for a rechargeable battery - whether built in or not. Its cheaper too than buying a 2nd controller to swap to if playing wired is not 'ideal' or practical or force you to buy longer cables to reach across the room.

The 'only' advantage of built-in is the ergonomics of the controller - not having to factor in a Battery compartment. The 'convenience' and operation is identical to MS's Plug and Play packs - play until the battery needs charging and then plug in the controller and play and charge - the 'same' as a DS4 - except if you do buy a new controller, you have the battery and cable already so don't need to pay for another battery unnecessarily - whether that's a separate or included in the base price. If you don't want that convenience, you can buy AA's and a recharger which is 'cheaper but more versatile as those batteries can be used in XB360 controllers or any other device that uses AA's.

In every way, the Xbox controllers are as 'convenient' as a PS controller, and in a LOT of ways superior as far as battery is concerned. You can have the exact same plug and play, charge whilst you play options and actually get a LOT more game time per charge as well as offering more options for whatever your budget is and whether or not you want to keep playing wirelessly. Its still cheaper than a 2nd controller that you have to swap over too and 'remember' to charge.

Even in the 360 era, my 360 rechargeable batteries lasted much longer than DS3's built in battery pack and with the DS4 lucky to last more than 5-6hrs, that gap has increased significantly. It's far more convenient to charge and change the batteries once a week than having to find a cable to charge your controller or swap controllers to keep playing every day!

Each to their own of course but I much prefer to be given options than none!

@BAMozzy 5-6 hours for a DS4? My newest one which is probably almost a year old just lasted me the weekend for gaming, which is probably at least double that. Obviously the older they get the less they hold their charge, but that is true for almost every device which has a battery.

@BAMozzy I had to one of my Xbox 360 controllers due to the battery compartment getting too loose. I also had to buy multiple of those first party plug&play things, because they depleted way too fast.

Spent just as much money on their controllers as I did on my Dualshocks now.

I'm really happy with the PS4 design, the placement of the buttons and everything. I think it one-ups the controller of the One in some respects, while being interior in others.

I really thought about buying an Xbox One for a moment, due to my disliking of the PS3 controller last generation, so that says a lot about how big the differences were. But I think the changes between the two controllers this gen are rather slim.

And I think in the end it comes down to personal preference this generation more than ever before.

@BAMozzy Other than the rather finicky reassembly - replacing DS3 battery packs is very cheap, and very easy. Not got to the point of feeling the need to with my launch DS4s as they've always been rotated in use.

@JohnnyShoulder That is 'new' ones as the build quality - especially on the thumbsticks aren't great that they don't last me very long either...

@Kidfried Never had any issue with my Xbox 360 battery compartments - those things were built much better and tougher than the DS4 and XB1 generation - mind you so was the DS3 too. I had two battery packs and a charger throughout the whole generation as well as Rechargeable AA's but never really used them and they lasted years - OK by the end they were not lasting as long - around a couple of days instead of a week - still longer than the DS4!!

As I have said before, the DS4 is by far the best designed controller Sony have ever made - really closed the gap on MS's design. Making the grips more bulbous rather than thin and tapered with much more comfortable trigger angles has significantly improved the DS4. I do think the speaker, touch pad and lightbar are all a 'gimmick' though and would happily buy a DS4 without these but much better built. It feels like 'cheap' and relatively thin Plastic - compared to last gen. The touch pad is barely used - other than as a single button, the light bar for me at least does nothing and the speaker, I guess has its 'merits' in some cases but overall, I wouldn't miss them at all if they removed for the DS5. I know they can't now for the 'few' titles that use these features. Its in its 'features' that 1-ups the XB1 - compared to having rumble in the triggers for haptic feedback as the only feature it has over the DS4 compared to the light bar, speaker and touchpad. To me the DS4 feels like they cut corners in some areas to make it for a price. Battery and materials are two of these - small, short lasting battery and thinner plastics. Comfort-wise, its the only Playstation controller I can use for more than a couple of hours - in fact I beat H:ZD in 6days or 75hrs, I spent 100hrs on ME:A in around 8/9 days, I beat GoW in 5days - Sessions lasting more than 10hrs and day after day too - I certainly could not of done that with the DS3 or earlier PS controllers.

Talking of H:ZD, I bought a brand new controller for that because my Day Pro controller, only a few months old,, broke - just like all the others have and every day, I would start off with a full battery and half way through, have to plug it in to keep playing because of no battery.

@KALofKRYPTON You shouldn't have to take controllers apart and reassemble. I guess I have a LOT of 'batteries' for a DS4 because I have a fair few that are 'broken' so could strip the battery out if I ever get one to last long enough so the battery dies.

@Kidfried The controller was a big thinking point for me when choosing a console for this gen. My brain kept telling me I wouldn't be able to get used to the DS4's after years with the 360 controllers. Of course that was silly as I quickly got used to them.

@BAMozzy Why not? Also, you don't 'have to' really. I've got a DS3 i use on the PSTV that I haven't bothered switching the battery out for that I just use wired. USB cables are as long as you want and never expensive.

No battery lasts forever - and as with most phones these days, ergonomics trumps removable batteries.

How do you have a few 'broken' DS4s?

Wireless controllers are nice and everything, but it's hardly as if wired controllers are the most inconvenient things in the world. I still have my MegaDrive, Saturn, PS2s, GameCube, XBOX and PS4 fightpad all wired. Funnily enough, the world doesn't end playing them.

@KALofKRYPTON you know i prefer wired controllers over wireless ones myself (i may have even said so on this tread, i can't remember) but i do think that if a controller is wireless then you should have easy access to the battery in case you have to replace it and the XB1 controller does give you that, regardless on if your using normal batteries or the XB1 plug and play kits in them but the DS4 doesn't

i still think the DS4 is a better controller overall though

@BAMozzy you have loads of broken DS4's but i think that might just be bad luck after all my OG DS4 still works fine, the analog sticks are still in really good condition and it's still very responsive (my second on the other hand is broke but that was my fault entirely, i left it on the floor and stood on it) yet i am on my 4th XB1 controller, my first the left analog stick stopped working, with my second the A button stopped working and my third just died altogether, so like i said i think it's just bad luck, we got dud controllers but it proves that BOTH have issues

@FullbringIchigo Maybe there is an 'element' of luck involved but I have had the same recurring issue with DS4's over and over and over again - usually within 3months. I am not saying that the XB1 controller is 'significantly' more durable either though as I do think they too are not as 'sturdy' as last gen controllers - with the exception of the Elite. The Elite though has been incredibly reliable and sturdy - although my day 1 Elite broke a few weeks ago - the shoulder button broke but as for the thumbsticks, top buttons, triggers etc these are still perfect and the 'shell' feels a lot more solid and well built.

Compared to last gen, I do think this gens - inc the 'standard' XB1 controller (not the custom ones like the Gears 4 I have which actually feels much more like the 360 era controllers - in terms of the plastics anyway), don't feel as 'sturdy' or as solid. The DS4 does feel like its 'thinner' plastics and has more 'flex' to it - I, like @Tasuki said, feel like I could easily snap it in two. Its gotten to the point where I want third party options as they surely can't be worse than Sony's - and was looking at the 'Scuf' controllers - the Impact or Vantage (if that releases in the UK)

In general, with this generation, I have felt that the controllers do not last as long or as well. Not counting the 'battery' issue with my DS3's, they are still perfectly functional - no broken thumbsticks - even if they do have some grooves worn into the shafts now, now issues with 'clicking the left' to sprint - the BIG issue I have with EVERY DS4. I have had a few XB1 controllers that have Left thumbstick issues - mostly that they are a bit loose and 1 will sometimes just start moving my character without me touching the controller - not everytime although it was getting more and more frequent before replacing that one.

If I was being Cynical, I would say that Sony and to a lesser degree, MS built their standard controllers to 'break' or wear out very quickly (depending on use and type of games you play) so that they have a steady income of people buying replacements. As long as the console works and remains working, people are not likely to replace it but they do need controllers so make these 'cheaply' and then people will be forced to buy.

that is EXACTLY how mine went before it stopped working completely and as for you being cynical, your probably not because it really wouldn't surprise me if they were actually doing that

I had to go through a few DS4s bedsides tbe triggers (specifically R2) kept wearing out and losing the spring, but while they don’t feel brand new, they stopped doing that after the warranty wore out, so it wasn’t too bad because I didn’t pay for the contollers again.

@BAMozzy Sorry, but I just can't relate to your experience with the four controllers I have and those of my friends. All in all that's quite a lot of controllers.

You sure it's not just you're doing?

@Kidfried Of course I am sure its not 'my' doing. Its well documented for those that play a lot of games like CoD where you are constantly 'clicking' the left thumbstick to run. I bet you can pull up on your 'left' thumbstick and it will move a mm up - sometimes this affects running more on some controllers than others. Its as if the shaft on the switch isn't long enough for the depth of the hole on the actual thumbstick itself.

I am certain its not me as I never had this issue with any other controllers - not even the XB1 which does get worn out in different ways - either becoming a bit slack and with more of a dead zone, big grooves worn into the shaft and one that moves my character without touching the controller periodically but NONE that actually 'drop' a bit which then doesn't 'click' to run properly, if you can actually run. I have used an Elite controller since Oct 2015 and that still has perfect 'thumbsticks' still as good as new with no slack or 'wear' that you could expect after thousands and thousands of hours.

The fact that its ONLY the DS4's that have this issue and have never had this issue with ANY other controller tells me that its not 'me'. Maybe you and your friends don't play a lot of fast paced shooters that require you to constantly be clicking the thumbstick and holding it down to run....

@BAMozzy I don't tend to click my left analog stick a lot, so yes, it might be that.

I still play a lot of games with D-pad and I'm constantly amazed at how new those buttons still feel, same for the face buttons, even though I'm abusing them like there's no tomorrow.

Sounds reasonable enough that the type of game you play influences what controller fits you. For instance, I suffered from failing d-pads on my X360's.

Dualshock just was made with FPS less in mind than many other genres. I think that also ties in to why you like the button layout on the X1 better.

@Kidfried That maybe true but the DS4 is also much more comfortable for FPS games but its the 'quality' of the thumbsticks and switches that is my biggest issue with the DS4. I do have squeaky triggers but they are at least much better than the DS3 in that regard. I rarely use the D-Pad unless its used for selecting some item in game but that's not 'constant' use and a lot of games I play have 'emotes' assigned to d-pad so I rarely ever use it. All the games I play use the right Thumbstick for movement and you have to click and hold down as well as push in the direction you want to move. A lot of games require you to run a lot - so you are constantly clicking and holding it down and pushing it forward so it 'grinds' on the ring. As you need to hold it down and push forward, that does put a lot of pressure on the thumbstick and as the switch seems to have a short rod (or the thumbstick that slots on to this rod as too deep a hole), it drops a bit which then affects the ability to run. Sometimes it seems OK and you can keep using it but on a lot, you get a 'stuttering' run where it will stop and start running or just stop altogether - which obviously impacts on the gaming experience. Its the only controller that has this issue and therefore its a 'design' flaw and not something I am doing. There are numerous others that also have this issue too so its not just me.

I may get through a 'lot' of controllers in relatively quick times compared to others but if I am playing more in one day than some play in a fortnight, its going to last a lot less time compared to their experience. If theirs last a year, that could be month for me in terms of hours usage. Its not unusual for me to play for more than 10hrs in a session where as some may not play that much in a week...

@BAMozzy @Kidfried Not had any problems with the thumbsticks, triggers or any other buttons for myS4's and I've played over 100 hours on games such as Battlefield 4 and The Division. I know there were a lot of issues reported with em years ago, but you don't hear about them so much these days.

@Kidfried I have to agree with @BAMozzy as I have had the same problem. Since owning my PS4 since launch, I have been through 8 DS4 controllers and no it's not me or my son it's how they are made.

I hate it when people say so it must be you because I have had mine since XXXX. No it's not me I don't throw my controllers around, slam them press the buttons really hard or any other destructive means it's the controllers themselves and people need to get off their high horses and realize they are poorly made controllers. Sony always had had low quality controllers. My PS2 I went through about 10 of them and still buy them to this day. Now compare that too my SNES launch day controllers that I still have, Sega Genesis, Gamecube, N64 and any other controller I own and you will see that it's not me. Heck the only controller I replaced over the years is a NES one and that was because my friend stepped on it by accident years ago, but that's another story.

I honestly think the whole it must be you argument when it comes to controllers are just fanboys who can't stand to here that Sony's controllers are inferior to MS.

Regardless to button position, size, shape, trigger buttons etc. Sony controllers will also be inferior to MS due to their quality. It's just how it is.