Best Gamepads for destroying (and developing!) Space Rocks!
Why use a Controller?
This is a question that people will most surely ask themselves. I was born and raised on classic consoles with classic style controls. As much as I'd love to reminisce about the "Good ol' days" the truth is gaming has evolved, and players have even more choices than ever before.
Games tend to have a variety of control schemes ranging from Mouse and Keyboard to accessibility controllers. Supporting as many of these control schemes can only help your games success.
Compatibility.
Players already have a chosen input method that works for them. Making sure that they don't have to switch to something else is very important. As well, most modern consoles have vastly differing types that you can now use across platforms. You want them to have fun as soon as possible and by giving thought to where your game is being sold it'll have a higher chance of being played!
Comfortability.
As I've gotten older, I've realized that stretching my hands across a keyboard isn't as fun as I'd want it to be (I'm not old >.<). Being allowed to choose my control type is key for me to enjoy video games these days. Controllers come in a variety of shapes and sizes and coming from a QA background I've used a lot!
It's all about control.
Most controllers offer an Analogue or Joystick of some sort as a standard. For a space shooter like the one I'm making, this kind of control offers a nice free flowing feel that tailors itself well.
Gamemaker uses an Async System to communicate with all controllers that are connected. This process is fairly straight forward but if you want to access the various controller functions you can reference them directly.
Blog: Setting up Gamepad support in Gamemaker.
Here are some of the controllers that I'd recommend with play testing!
Hyperkin Pixel: Get it here! (#CommissionsEarned)
The best bang for your buck! This is my personal go-to for development. These have so much personality with the various themes they come in! It also pairs well with my Switch for my more casual gaming! It comes in a variety of themes, which give it an awesome style!
8Bitdo: Get it here! (#CommissionsEarned)
Yep, this one reminds me of the original SNES Controller and that makes my "Old Man" sensibilities feel cozy. With a nice button layout and a wireless Bluetooth connection for all your devices, this is possibly one of the best choices not just for testing but everyday play!
PDP Victrix Pro: Get it here! (#CommissionsEarned)
This is one on the high end but having tested with this thing I had a hard time wanting to use anything else. The quality of the analogue sticks prevents any kind of unwanted drift which would be super important for making a title like this one. I would say it's worth the price for developing or just playing!
Xbox: Get it here! (#CommissionsEarned)
Okay, confession time. My all-time favorite controller is the 360's. Since we're not living in 2005 and the world has moved on, so has the Xbox. Look, although it has a premium price, this is going to be much closer to the experience your customers are going to have!
PlayStation: Get it here! (#CommissionsEarned)
Much like the Xbox, the Dual Sense controller has come a long way. I use this one often since the PS5 is my choice for high end gaming. Being that it was the best-selling console, even throughout Covid, there will be a lot of people who are using this one as we speak. It would be worth making sure your game can live up to this experience!
