However, I see in the product specifications page of the console controllers that they also support PC.
And the PC controllers sometimes support some of the consoles.
The only real difference between controllers, from a technology perspective, is that is some of them support bluetooth/2.4 GHz.
So I have two questions:
If they are already cross-compatible, why even bother having different types?
How should I decide which type of controller I should buy? It should support PC, console-support is not essential.
Note: I am a novice in game controllers but aware of different network stacks.
Edit: Thanks for the amazing response! These are my key takeaways from all the comments
Hall-effect sensors are a must
Default console controllers usually have stick drift
If you need trackpad, take PS5
8bitdo is a reliable brand, as per multiple responses
Most controllers have good support on Linux. But haptic feedback can be a hit/miss as it can be platform/game dependent
There are various connectivity wireless standards. Dongles are the most reliable but you lose a USB port.
Keep track of handsize/comfort and button layout
PS controllers have excellent support on Linux/Steam
Consoles have used different wireless tech/protocols but mostly use bluetooth now. Bluetooth devices should be able to work on pc but may require extra hassle like non standard protocol and no official drivers if they weren’t intended to be used that way. For the ones that do work the main takeaway is no additional dongle if your system already has bluetooth, but there may be addititonal input latency.
2.4ghz is kinda silly naming because bluetooth and wifi are both 2.4ghz, though wifi also has 5ghz, but it usually refers to presumably proprietary protocol over 2.4ghz and uses a usb dongle. It will generally be faster/lower latency but that isn’t even guaranteed as the 2.4ghz mentioned never refers to any standard.
The latency difference will only be noticible to cats or birds or something unless the controller tries to pass the headset audio to the pc. Bluetooth audio has a noticable delay compared to most ‘2.4ghz’ options, particularly noticable in rhythm games, games with inputs timed to audio cues, voice chats where everyone else has low latency audio and fast internet, and probably other stuff I’m not personally into.
Deciding your controller comes down to a lot of things. If the means exist in your area, try as many as you can to determine your most comfortable size, shape and layout. Other than that you absolutely must do yourself a favour and get a controller with hall effect sticks. The console companies all love stick drift. Don’t be fooled by Sony’s replacable stick controller either, the sticks are always out of stock and if you can solder you can get a regular controller and swap to hall effect yourself, both sticks, when drift starts for like $5 CAD vs $25 for 1 that will eventually die in the same way.
But probably just don’t give m$ sony or nint your money since they all get drift and I have replaced the battery and charge circuit on 8 separate ps4 controllers and drifting sticks on so so many of every big3 console controller. 8bitdo has a few stick and trigger hall effect controllers which I can mostly recommend, I have the hall stick only version of the ultimate controller and several of their older regular stick controllers. They are noted for their very close replica feel of snes dpad and face buttons but the configuration and firmware update software was windows only last I checked. I also quite like retro fighters controllers but all of their hall effect options are on closed preorder pending fulfillment. There are other highly regarded non big3 brands that I haven’t tried that seem to have pretty solid feature set and build quality too.
The used market is also an option. Arrange for testing though, and pass or haggle on drift, charging problems, filth, etc. Ifixit teardown guides for swapping parts or just cleaning the shells and button caps in soapy water with a soft rag. Watch out for devices originally sold with ‘soft touch’/‘smooth grip’/etc finish as all of them have degraded and become sticky even unopened in box by now.
You are not logged in. However you can subscribe from another Fediverse account, for example Lemmy or Mastodon. To do this, paste the following into the search field of your instance: [email protected]
Welcome to the largest gaming community on Lemmy! Discussion for all kinds of games. Video games, tabletop games, card games etc.
Rules
1. Submissions have to be related to games
Video games, tabletop, or otherwise. Posts not related to games will be deleted.
This community is focused on games, of all kinds. Any news item or discussion should be related to gaming in some way.
2. No bigotry or harassment, be civil
No bigotry, hardline stance. Try not to get too heated when entering into a discussion or debate.
We are here to talk and discuss about one of our passions, not fight or be exposed to hate. Posts or responses that are hateful will be deleted to keep the atmosphere good. If repeatedly violated, not only will the comment be deleted but a ban will be handed out as well. We judge each case individually.
3. No excessive self-promotion
Try to keep it to 10% self-promotion / 90% other stuff in your post history.
This is to prevent people from posting for the sole purpose of promoting their own website or social media account.
4. Stay on-topic; no memes, funny videos, giveaways, reposts, or low-effort posts
This community is mostly for discussion and news. Remember to search for the thing you’re submitting before posting to see if it’s already been posted.
We want to keep the quality of posts high. Therefore, memes, funny videos, low-effort posts and reposts are not allowed. We prohibit giveaways because we cannot be sure that the person holding the giveaway will actually do what they promise.
5. Mark Spoilers and NSFW
Make sure to mark your stuff or it may be removed.
No one wants to be spoiled. Therefore, always mark spoilers. Similarly mark NSFW, in case anyone is browsing in a public space or at work.
6. No linking to piracy
Don’t share it here, there are other places to find it. Discussion of piracy is fine.
We don’t want us moderators or the admins of lemmy.world to get in trouble for linking to piracy. Therefore, any link to piracy will be removed. Discussion of it is of course allowed.
Consoles have used different wireless tech/protocols but mostly use bluetooth now. Bluetooth devices should be able to work on pc but may require extra hassle like non standard protocol and no official drivers if they weren’t intended to be used that way. For the ones that do work the main takeaway is no additional dongle if your system already has bluetooth, but there may be addititonal input latency.
2.4ghz is kinda silly naming because bluetooth and wifi are both 2.4ghz, though wifi also has 5ghz, but it usually refers to presumably proprietary protocol over 2.4ghz and uses a usb dongle. It will generally be faster/lower latency but that isn’t even guaranteed as the 2.4ghz mentioned never refers to any standard.
The latency difference will only be noticible to cats or birds or something unless the controller tries to pass the headset audio to the pc. Bluetooth audio has a noticable delay compared to most ‘2.4ghz’ options, particularly noticable in rhythm games, games with inputs timed to audio cues, voice chats where everyone else has low latency audio and fast internet, and probably other stuff I’m not personally into.
Deciding your controller comes down to a lot of things. If the means exist in your area, try as many as you can to determine your most comfortable size, shape and layout. Other than that you absolutely must do yourself a favour and get a controller with hall effect sticks. The console companies all love stick drift. Don’t be fooled by Sony’s replacable stick controller either, the sticks are always out of stock and if you can solder you can get a regular controller and swap to hall effect yourself, both sticks, when drift starts for like $5 CAD vs $25 for 1 that will eventually die in the same way.
But probably just don’t give m$ sony or nint your money since they all get drift and I have replaced the battery and charge circuit on 8 separate ps4 controllers and drifting sticks on so so many of every big3 console controller. 8bitdo has a few stick and trigger hall effect controllers which I can mostly recommend, I have the hall stick only version of the ultimate controller and several of their older regular stick controllers. They are noted for their very close replica feel of snes dpad and face buttons but the configuration and firmware update software was windows only last I checked. I also quite like retro fighters controllers but all of their hall effect options are on closed preorder pending fulfillment. There are other highly regarded non big3 brands that I haven’t tried that seem to have pretty solid feature set and build quality too.
The used market is also an option. Arrange for testing though, and pass or haggle on drift, charging problems, filth, etc. Ifixit teardown guides for swapping parts or just cleaning the shells and button caps in soapy water with a soft rag. Watch out for devices originally sold with ‘soft touch’/‘smooth grip’/etc finish as all of them have degraded and become sticky even unopened in box by now.