Recently I have realised that, for most Xbox games, having a vibrating controller doesn’t do much for me. I’ve started to turn off the option in games because it seems like a waste of batteries.
Is there anyone out there who thinks having a vibrating controller is really handy sometimes? Any examples of games that use it creatively?
The PS5 Dualsense uses haptic feedback really well. Astro’s Playroom - the included game with the PS5 makes you feel footsteps through the controller (including different feelings when walking over sand or skating on ice). It’s a really cool feature. It also does a few other things with the feedback on the triggers and you can feel lifting off using rockets through the rumble feature. Very few other games use all the features though (Control uses the footstep haptics and adaptive triggers, but far less than Astro).
I like it in driving games when it’s well done. Getting a good sense of the tire chatter increasing on the corners really is a nice feature to getting good turns done.
Of course that is possibly a small slice of gamers; People who care enough about driving games to want that level of feedback, but don’t care enough to buy a wheel rig.
I dislike vibrating controllers intensely. I also recognize that video games passed me by, around the turn of the millennium or so. I don’t like 99% of driving games ( I also suck at them). With my poor manual dexterity, it’s tough to use all the buttons properly- especially with my left hand. The newest system I own is a PS3 that I received as a gift. That may be more due to my being generally broke than lack of interest. If I could afford it, I’d buy a Switch. To sum up- I am a cheap old man who prefers old games. Give me my 2600 and get off my lawn!
That’s a good point. I don’t play many driving games, but I remember thinking it was cool having some rumbling when a tire rolls onto the shoulder of the road, or a bumping feeling when colliding with another car.
I think the game that turned me off of vibrating controllers was Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel. There’s a pretty good gun called Moxxi’s Vibra-Pulse, but every time you fire it, the controller vibrates uncontrollably. In fact, the controller will even vibrate even if you’re just switching guns or looking through the scope! Way, way too much vibration for what is essentially a dirty joke.
Driving games are my favourite genre, but I don’t particularly care about vibrating controllers - I’m not against them to the point of going out of my way to disable them, but equally I won’t bother specifically turning them on either. Gaming is mostly a visual experience for me. Then again, I’m not a ‘proper’ gamer - I just occasionally futz about with my decades-old N64 and PS2.
The vibration is helpful for Red Dead Redemption 2, lets the player know when they’re near something of interest – like herbs or wild carrots.
I’m not a big fan of “rumble when a secret is near” games. I can’t comment on RDR 2 specifically, but I know there are other games where it seems like I’m walking over the same patch of ground 20 times trying to figure out where the rumble is coming from.
I’d much rather have a visual indication of where stuff is, like a sparkling effect.
RDR 2 can do that as well, at least for biological items, triggered by pressing down on both sticks simultaneously.
I do actually. The original NES rumble pack felt like a cheap effect but I’ve always liked the way it was implemented on the PS controllers (differing weights with variable speed on both). I don’t hate Xbox controllers but they’ve always felt a little awkward for me and yes, worse than PS.
Most creative use? I remember reading an article about a “2 player” (Japanese?) shooter which vibrated the 2nd controller at different speeds & strengths based on what was happening on the level. It was marketed as being for couples to play together.
N64, you mean?
Yup, N64.