this post was submitted on 15 Aug 2025
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What are your wackiest ideas for a "universal" controller layout that would appeal to the fans of the Xbox, Nintendo, and PS layouts? You certainly can't pick one of the three, that would be lazy and frankly unfair for the other two layouts. It's got to be something that everyone agrees on, something different!

I've got a few ideas: NSEW (the cardinal directions), RGBA (colours, also transparent button could be cool...), or maybe CMYK (printer ink colours for ease of printing)

What are your ideas for the universal controller layout?

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[–] Endmaker@ani.social 71 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)
[–] toiletobserver@lemmy.world 6 points 6 days ago

Ouch, my career

[–] Venus_Ziegenfalle@feddit.org 16 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

It already exists.

[–] Chronographs@lemmy.zip 29 points 6 days ago (1 children)

X on the right so nobody is happy

[–] tourist@lemmy.world 10 points 6 days ago

Introduce 'Ω' button

placed in the center of the dpad

wipes and restarts connected device on press

touch sensitive

[–] DoubleDongle@lemmy.world 10 points 6 days ago (1 children)

The Steam Controller was perfection.

[–] GunValkyrie@lemmy.world 4 points 5 days ago

People don't want to hear it. But you are right.

[–] Tier1BuildABear@lemmy.world 3 points 4 days ago

I always thought the colors were dumb. Imo this is what the color scheme should be:

A/Circle=Green=Accept=Go

X=Red=Cancel=Stop

B=Blue

Y=Yellow

Put them wherever you want lol and I guess square feels blue and triangle feels yellow (kinda looks like an upside down y and a y has 3 points). It also satisfies the original intent for ps buttons without being confusing since x and circle are represented with the commonly known colors for those things. I personally prefer the asymmetrical Xbox stick/button layout.

And actually now that I'm thinking about it it'd be kinda cool if the triangle was flipped and the square had a horizontal line through it, then circle could be like a lower case a. Then you have both ps AND Nintendo/Xbox labels XD

[–] Zagorath@aussie.zone 12 points 6 days ago (3 children)

It has to be symmetrical. The asymmetry that Xbox uses is just so uncomfortable.

I don't really care too much what the buttons are called. I grew up with PlayStation so its button names are the easiest for me to recall. That bias aside, I do think there's something innately easier about the four shapes than memorising where X, Y, A, and B go, and numbering the buttons R1, R2, and R3 is simpler than the weird names Xbox users use.

[–] Schal330@lemmy.world 10 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (14 children)

I personally prefer the asymmetric joysticks over the playstation symmetrical ones. RB, RT is descriptive of the button itself. B being Bumper and T being trigger.

I do agree with you in the shapes being more memorable though.

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[–] QuizzaciousOtter@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 5 days ago (2 children)

R1, R2 and R3 are endlessly confusing to me. I still mix them up sometimes after over a year of owning PS5. It makes no sense that they aren't in any order! It should be 1 - trigger, 2 - bumper, 3 - stick or in reverse. In order in the top - down axis.

[–] marito@lemmy.world 1 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Historic order. L1 and R1 (LB and RB) first appeared in the Super Nintendo ( 1991), L2 and R2 (LT and RT) made their debut in the PlayStation (1994) and L3 and R3 came out first in the PlayStation 2 (2000), I think.

[–] QuizzaciousOtter@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 3 days ago (1 children)

They could choose any name other that L3 and R3 though.

[–] marito@lemmy.world 1 points 3 days ago (1 children)

That's what PlayStation calls them. Xbox calls them LSB and RSB (Left/Right stick button). Nintendo has no name for them, they just refer to them as "clicking the left/right stick". Also Nintendo calls the bumpers L and R, and the triggers ZL and ZR.

LSB and RSB are so much better in my opinion. They actually have meaning so you don't have to remeber an arbitrary number.

[–] Zagorath@aussie.zone 1 points 4 days ago

The order makes sense to me. R1 is the top button. R2 is the bottom one. We usually read top to bottom so that checks out.

R3 is the weird stepchild option. It goes last precisely because of how weird it is and how rarely-used it is. Or at least was, back when I was last playing games on a console, during the PS2 era.

[–] platypode@sh.itjust.works 5 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (7 children)

I think the asymmetry is great! It makes it really easy to move my thumb off the camera stick to grab the dpad without letting go of movement or doing the claw. I like the aesthetic of a symmetrical controller, but offset sticks just works better for me.

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[–] brisk@aussie.zone 10 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (2 children)

Controller layout was mastered with the GameCube and I will harbour no dissent

Unironically though it has a fantastic conversation with you as soon as you see it. A is obviously primary, B is obviously secondary and X and Y are clearly tertiary and equal.

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[–] Hadriscus@jlai.lu 8 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

“When is Lindsey coming out of the closet? We all know you’re gay, Lindsey… and that’s ok.”

why does this sound life-threatening then ?

Shit, wrong thread, sorry

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[–] Ludrol@szmer.info 4 points 5 days ago

Xbox adaptive controller

[–] missingno@fedia.io 9 points 6 days ago

Bring back octagonal gated analog sticks.

[–] Denjin@feddit.uk 5 points 6 days ago

Everyone could learn a thing or two from the Steamdeck. The twin sticks, the touch pads, the double shoulder buttons, the four on the back, the overall ergonomics, it's really great to use.

[–] weew@lemmy.ca 2 points 5 days ago

Steam controller, but swap the buttons/touchpad locations. Everything else is perfect basically.

[–] MudMan@fedia.io 6 points 6 days ago (4 children)

I mean, I'd go back to Sega-style six button layouts.

Also, leverless controllers. Better for your hands, more effective. The one example I've seen of adding dual sticks to those is... not going to replace pads for 3D games any time soon, though.

I think for the button layout, if you keep the cross shape you can do directions (up/down/left/right). NSEW could work. Ultimately, though, the most rational one is Xbox and the most universal is PlayStation (in that it doesn't rely on a specific script). Frankly, at this point Nintendo's "we give up" solution of showing four dots with the relevant one highlighted may be the only way to fix this whole situation.

Also, also, D-pad above forever. Only valid choice. Fight me.

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[–] altkey@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (3 children)

I like PS glyphs because they are language-neutral and look more distinct, and I think, it would be point one in my choice. Point two is color-coding that helps most people (but may adjustments for accessibility?). Point three although ofercomplicating things is direction-coding, as it'd be generally nice to have a > shape near them, so they'd read intuitively from the first playthrough.

My initial thought went for second set of arrows. Like d-pad has one kind ⬆️➡️⬇️⬅️ and buttons have the other 🔼▶️🔽◀️. But I doubt it would be consisntetly great in different games with their own visual approach to portraying them.

Having more direct sign buttons on the other hand ✅️❌️❓️❕️ may be limiting to what devs want their game to be as it implies the check button is always approval, etc.

Math symbols, tho, ✖️➕️➖️➗️🟰 can be a universal and neutral set to pick from, especially if avoiding the confusing X button.

Also, ♤♡◇♧, in connection with older modes of gaming, but it should be tested for illegebitility between them and compared to arrows as three of them have vagualy triangular shape.

Also loss buttons.

[–] sbeak@sopuli.xyz 3 points 6 days ago

I like the suits!

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[–] phonics@lemmy.world 4 points 6 days ago (3 children)

a modular controller with options for steamcontroller pads. 2 joysticks. 2 dpads. 2 sets of 4 buttons. still got triggers and paddles and every thing is customizable.

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[–] Masamune@lemmy.world 3 points 6 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

Whatever the layout, bring back the Dreamcast VMU. Maybe we don't need the external memory anymore, but the little display with extra game details was so cool.

[–] TabbsTheBat@pawb.social 4 points 6 days ago (1 children)

It would never catch on, cause people don't like change :p

But if there was one, it'd probably make sense to go with directions/arrows (←↑↓→) it'd be the least amount of memorization, since everyone from every language can guess that the button you need is the one at the tip of the point in the picture

[–] just2look@lemmy.zip 5 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Those might get mistaken for directional buttons. I had the same thought. Maybe I triangle with the point in the direction of the button, but you may run into the same issue.

I think to avoid that, it might be easiest to just show the four button layout with the correct button highlighted.

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