Comment on Microsoft dives into the handheld gaming PC wars with the Asus ROG Xbox Ally

tiberius@lemmy.ca ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

• MXX53@programming.dev ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

  I didn’t think I would use the trackpads much, but now that I have them, I can’t move to a handheld that doesn’t have them. They are just too convenient.

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  • supersquirrel@sopuli.xyz ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

    Mainly I use them for more keybindings but they are essential for that.

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    • bjoern_tantau@swg-empire.de ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

      It’s so cool to play the old X-Wing and TIE Fighter games and be able to control them with some custom HUDs.

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      • supersquirrel@sopuli.xyz ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

        The cyberpunk thing is, if we were actually fighting in a resistance and you needed to practice flying TIE Fighters to know how to steal one or fight against them, you would probably be playing an emulator of an empire TIE fighter simulator on a third party device :)

        Rebel af

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  • TedZanzibar@feddit.uk ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

    Conversely I bought a Steam Deck specifically because of the trackpads but I find I only ever use them on the rare occasion that I need to go to desktop mode. I love my Deck but I’ve discovered that could easily live without the trackpads if they weren’t there.

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    • uniquethrowagay@feddit.org ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

      I can’t and won’t play any first person perspective game with a regular controller. Track pad + gyro is so much fun! It love to at least see capacitive touch sticks + gyro adopted by other manufacturers.

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      • sp3ctr4l@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

        I end up using the stick for movement, the pad for aiming.

        And, due to a hand/wrist injury… switched the aiming to the left pad, and movement to the right stick, and then the right trigger is still fire, and the right track pad is a 4 way gated set of ‘buttons’.

        In desktop, ive got the left pad moving the mouse, up click on the right pad is left click, down click on the right pad is right click… and then any kind of click on the left pad is screen zoom.

        Yep, its weird, but I love it lol.

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      • TedZanzibar@feddit.uk ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

        I tried so hard to make that combo work for me, but ended up back with the sticks. Maybe I need to try something other than Half-Life 2.

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  • D06M4@lemmy.zip ⁨4⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

    Can’t look back since I got my first Steam Controller. Once you get used to them trackpads are way more comfortable (and durable) than joysticks. I’d be happy with a controller with no joysticks too. Much easier to throw in a bag and take for a trip.

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• thingsiplay@beehaw.org ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

  Well, it makes the hardware more complicated to manufacture, more error prone, more bigger, more costly. The software becomes also a little bit more complicated. Maybe they are afraid that trackpads wouldn’t appeal to normies, because it looks weird first and most “console” gamers might want to use a “normal” gamepad like handheld, like any other handheld. Trackpads look so different and weird compared to the Switch in example. Being similar to the Switch in the look might be a reason for them to exclude it. But most importantly, it makes it more costly. So, I can see reasons for this.

  Having said this, I would never buy a PC handheld without a single trackpad again. I love them (not in the literal sense BTW :D). Compared with good software for input, like Steam Input, they become invaluable.

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• vividspecter@lemm.ee ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

  I understand the trackpads somewhat since they take up space, but the lack of back buttons is inexcusable.

  Personally though, I’d buy a trackpad only Deck (maybe with a real d-pad) but I know I’m in the minority for that one.

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  • thingsiplay@beehaw.org ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

    Personally though, I’d buy a trackpad only deck (maybe with a real d-pad) but I know I’m in the minority on that one.

    I can’t understand this. There are a few fans of the original Steam Controller (I have one too from launch of it) and they seem to be okay for the missing d-pad. Maybe if you play games where d-pad is never needed, I can see it. But games like Fighting Games, classic Platformer or anything that requires precise single clicks (even menus, like RPGs) are better with d-pad in my opinion. And if you are a fan of emulation like me, then there is no discussion, a d-pad is a must.

    Do you really never use the d-pad?

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    • vividspecter@lemm.ee ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

      Well, I did say “maybe with a real d-pad”, it’s just the thumbsticks that aren’t necessary.

      I actually did play with the Steam Controller for years using the trackpad as d-pad. It was more of a comfort thing that made it less than ideal which was due to the shape/texture of the original SC, but I could live without it personally if it’s done right.

      I’ve even played shmups with it, with the right settings, but I get there is a learning curve and its easier to use d-pad.

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      • thingsiplay@beehaw.org ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

        Oh, I’m sorry, I completely misread that part about “with a real d-pad”. Not sure what happened there.

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• Bogasse@lemmy.ml ⁨4⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

  I love the trackpads on my steam deck, but I think the best part is steam input. Having so much control on their behavior and being able to map various kinds of menus make them so powerful!

  The same trackpads with shitty software wouldn’t be half as useful.

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• rotopenguin@infosec.pub ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

  Trackpads cost “money”, and besides you already have a touchscreen.

  The thing that really makes me jealous is the Freesync panel. The secret to getting a battery-powered GPU to keep up with the screen is to stop making it keep up with the screen.

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• greenvahn@mstdn.games ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

  @tiberius @Fubarberry If they put trackpads will scare away many users. The handheld needs to look like a console. Many gamers don't want to go into PC gaming territory so xbox is wrapping this one as a "console".

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  • ChicoSuave@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

    What an impressive way to dismiss the behaviors of others as “fear”. And in the face of no data even. So brave!

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