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Atari VCS modern controller... it's fantastic.


leech

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So there I was on Saturday, playing the new Dark Alliance game.  I was using my trusty old Xbox 360 controller as it seems to be support by everything these days.  But when I used the D-Pad to try to throw the firebomb (Left on the D-Pad) it'd go up instead (which would waste a healing potion).

 

I did buy a Sony DualSense controller (as I had read that it worked with Linux) but it didn't come with a USB Cable (for a rather pricey controller, no freaking cable??  So, out comes the Atari VCS modern controller.  With the 'oh god, look what they did to the d-pad!  it's terrible!' complaints, it actually solved my problems and is very accurate and extremely easy to use!!  Far more comfortable than the original Xbox 360 controller as well.

 

Bit of history, in case you weren't aware (I wasn't until fairly recently), the reason why no one uses just the + that the NES controllers had is because they patented it!  That's why you see the SMS with the almost square D-Pad, the Genesis has the + with a circle around the base, much like the Xbox 360 controller, and the PS5 controller has individual direction buttons, which weirdly is more like the Switch's.  In this particular case, the D-Pad on the VCS with it's circles and dots was far more accurate and easy to use in a pinch than the Circle around a + is.

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Glad you like the controller, I do think it is decent.   I have however noticed that my red analog stick's paint is already wearing off from light to moderate use.   Just a heads up to anyone, not a big issue for me.  

Edited by swlovinist
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1 hour ago, swlovinist said:

Glad you like the controller, I do think it is decent.   I have however noticed that my red analog stick's paint is already wearing off from light to moderate use.   Just a heads up to anyone, not a big issue for me.  

Mine slid off my table and hit the floor pretty hard,  but was perfectly fine.  Is it red paint that is on it?  I'll have to check mine after heavier use.

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I personally have never had an issue with the Modern Controller aside from some stick drift that a calibration took care of.  As far as the circle D-pad is concerned, I think it works just fine.  It has little nubs that are very tactile and the circle makes a dish in the center so it's pretty easy to know which direction you're pushing just by feel.  I rather like the tactile feel, comfort and feedback from the controller.  Overall it's a solid "A" in my book.  My only real gripe would be the solidity of the plastic casing.  It seem a bit lightweight for a controller that would get heavy use.  Time will tell on that though.

 

As for the red "paint", I don't think that is paint.  It seems more like a molded rubbery overlay.  Perhaps it is a little thin but definitely not paint.

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Yeah, although otherwise very good, the 360 controller has always been renowned for having an iffy D-pad when it comes to hitting the diagonals. I think it's just that particular implementation though as plenty of other circle D-pads work fine.

 

It's worth noting that Nintendo's patent ran out a while back so a lot of manufacturers, PowerA included, switched to the + style when that happened. Just not the VCS one, for some reason. Maybe it's just part of the retro vibe?

 

Edited by Matt_B
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4 hours ago, swlovinist said:

Glad you like the controller, I do think it is decent.   I have however noticed that my red analog stick's paint is already wearing off from light to moderate use.   Just a heads up to anyone, not a big issue for me.  

I cleaned the controller and it was just some thin lint that had built up around the knob.   No paint coming off after all and problem solved.  

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I’m quite a fan of the Modern Controller myself it’s very comfortable and the circle D-pad surprised me as I thought it wasn’t going to be very good due the design of it but it works well especially in games like Shaq Fu and Double Dragon Neon which I’ve recently been playing via Steam on the VCS using the Modern Controller. 

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9 hours ago, swlovinist said:

Glad you like the controller, I do think it is decent.   I have however noticed that my red analog stick's paint is already wearing off from light to moderate use.   Just a heads up to anyone, not a big issue for me.  

I thought something similar, with black bits, but then I checked, and the black was just dirt.
I guess there's a reason most sticks are black - and I wash my hands, Covid or not, a lot. ?
I carefully cleaned it, and back to red. It's not red paint... 

Ah, now I read your later reply. (Maybe add a note on that on your VCS 6-month YT review!)

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17 hours ago, leech said:

I did buy a Sony DualSense controller (as I had read that it worked with Linux) but it didn't come with a USB Cable (for a rather pricey controller, no freaking cable??

It uses a standard USB-C cable.    But I get it, USB-C is fairly new, and most people don't have a pile of spare ones yet (unlike the USB micro that most phones used for the previous 10 years)

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Just now, zzip said:

It uses a standard USB-C cable.    But I get it, USB-C is fairly new, and most people don't have a pile of spare ones yet (unlike the USB micro that most phones used for the previous 10 years)

So the problem I ran into was that one of the USB-C cables that I have seems to be more about charging / data cable, and did not work with the controller.  Swapped a few of them around (as you say, people have some now, but for sure I bought a bunch to always have one nearby).  Here I was thinking it wasn't going to work in Linux, and I just had to use a different cable.

 

Also, in general the point of getting the controller for most would probably be for their PS5, which comes with a controller.  Normally one would buy one for 2 or more players, and well this forces you to either buy a cable separately, or buy one of their multi-controller chargers.  Cheeky bastards, that's what it comes down to.  It's like Apple saying 'well, everyone should already have a charger... so let's not include one...' ignoring that perhaps there is some old people that have had flip phones forever, but now are forced to ditch them because carriers no longer support 2G or even 3G is dying off. 

 

Ha, first rant of the morning.  I'm sure I have others in me.  :P

 

TL;DR Not all USB-C cables are created equal.

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2 minutes ago, leech said:

Ha, first rant of the morning.  I'm sure I have others in me.  :P

 

TL;DR Not all USB-C cables are created equal.

As expected,  even though USB-C was supposed to be the savior that unified USB!   But that would be the second rant of the morning :)

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27 minutes ago, Mockduck said:

OMG power cables disguised as data cables is one of my biggest pet peeves...

 

On the Modern: I thought it was ok on first impression but I have found myself using it more and more often ever since. It has largely replaced my Dualshock 4 for PC use. 

The hanndles are for sure more comfortable.   I haven't used it under Windows yet, only got it working under Linux.  I like it.  I terrible at collecting controllers...

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