A console’s controller can either make or break the entire experience that one has when getting introduced to a new console. Some of them are great and do exactly what they need to do, and others have glaring issues that completely break immersion when diving into a new game.
While there have been plenty of gimmicky peripherals for various consoles that won’t be included here, (sticking only to main console default controllers) there are more than enough controllers that just don’t quite make sense with the consoles they’ve been paired with. Even more rarely, console controllers just feel inherently “wrong” somehow.
10 Best: Wiimote
While a lot of people were pretty torn on the new motion controls introduced by Nintendo back when the system came out, the smart move to include Wii Sports really helped change the mind of any skeptics, including some really decent sports games that helped the player get acquainted with the Wiimote. Shortly afterward, a motion-enhancement plug-in was added, in addition to the Nunchuck. All of these together made for some masterfully executed motion controls, adding to the immersion of titles like Warioware: Smooth Moves and The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess.
9 Doesn’t Make Sense: Nintendo 64
While this controller got the job it was intended to do done, it didn’t really do it in the most accessible way. The controller is well-known for being pretty confusing and oddly shaped, and even fans of the console have confessed that they’re never really sure exactly how to hold it effectively, although that design choice was probably made on purpose by Nintendo so that developers could tailor their programming to how they best thought the game should be played. The issue is that maybe there’s too much versatility.
8 Best: Super Nintendo
The Super Nintendo kind of set the precedent for tons of controllers that would come to follow it over the years. It included four buttons on the side, a D-pad, start and select in the middle, and 2 shoulder buttons, a pretty new innovation that’s still being used today, even if they did turn into triggers.
The nice gray and subtle purple color scheme does a great job at matching the sleek design, and the dimpled buttons feel great even to this day, doing away with the harsh corners of the NES gamepad.
7 Doesn’t Make Sense: Gamecube
The Gamecube controller wasn’t really a significant improvement on the controller that Nintendo had put out in the previous generation, with the Nintendo 64. The issues that exist with the Gamecube controller are the same issues that got carried over, including a confusing layout, too many buttons (or maybe just buttons that aren’t intuitively placed) in addition to the fact that the controller tends to feel a little too plasticky and cheap, meaning some third-party controllers actually improved the original.
6 Best: Dreamcast
The Dreamcast controller, just like the console itself, was a little bit ahead of its time, despite the fact that both the console and the controller are underrated due to the poor numbers Sega managed to sell, compounded by the absolute bombing of the Sega Saturn that preceded it. That being said, the Dreamcast controller was the first to incorporate a screen, something borrowed for the Nintendo Switch, which is a current-gen console. The controller also had great triggers and sticks.
5 Doesn’t Make Sense: Atari Jaguar
The controller for the console that was pretty much the death knell of the long-time console giant is just as misguided as the console itself. It’s pretty much the busiest brick of a controller that can be imagined, with an unwieldy rectangular shape.
It also has a number-pad, for back when consoles thought that would be a good idea for whatever reason. There’s a “pause” and “options” button in the middle, which seems like they should have been the same button. There are also shoulder buttons, and 6 face buttons which are in reverse alphabetical order, going “Z, Y, X” and “C, B, A”.
4 Best: Dualshock 2
The Dualshock 2 really hasn’t even been modified very much to get the Dualshock 3, or the current Dualshock 4. The only real modification to the controller that Sony has made has been the touchpad, and an accelerometer, which allows for small motion controls. Even in the design for the controller we’ve seen for the Playstation 5, the template of the perfected Dualshock seen in the Dualshock 2 is present, and it’s unlikely that we’ll ever see this design abandoned.
3 Doesn’t Make Sense: Xbox
This one is a particularly divisive controller, and while some love it and some hate it, it’s really down to personal preference. The controller has frequently been dubbed “The Duke” on account of just how hefty it is, not really being made for the hands of a child but more for someone who’s able to palm a basketball.
Aside from the gargantuan size, the controller has great triggers, but oddly placed black and white buttons that pretty much just function as extra bindings, which aren’t really used in most games.
2 Best: Xbox Elite
The Xbox Elite controller, for use with the Xbox One family of consoles, is pretty much one of the most customizable console controllers on the market. In addition to feeling great in general, having interchangeable parts, and having extra triggers on the back that can be bound to certain controls and full remapping make for pretty much the perfect controller. The D-pad also includes a much-needed innovation, since gone are the days of a 4-directional input. We instead get a D-pad that has facets in each direction, allowing the thumb to slide into incredibly precise spots, ideal for fighting games.
1 Doesn’t Make Sense: Steam Controller
Yet another divisive controller is the aptly-named Steam Controller, which is for use mostly with the Steam Link, although it’s also compatible with a desktop PC or a laptop. The controller looks pretty much like a normal controller, although instead of a second stick, it has a haptic feedback pad which can be pressed and also acts as a trackpad for a mouse. While it’s a nice thought, the lack of physical tension means that the trackpad doesn’t really hit the mark. In addition to that issue, it doesn’t really function to replace a keyboard and mouse since there aren’t enough available bindings or the already-Steam-compatible Xbox One controller.
NEXT: 10 Coolest Third-Party Controllers
