I've been using generic USB gamepads (those cheap Chinese gamepads) with my PC games for a long time now. They've served me well, but they all have an issue. The analog sticks are awful.
The range in which the stick returns a value is too small. Each of them had a dead zone around the center. This dead zone is actually small and manageable, but the pad also had a much larger "Outer Dead" zone, if that makes sense. The value from the stick maxes out before I push the stick all the way to the limit. Almost half way. So it's kinda like the sticks have an inner and outer dead zone. I understand the need for an inner dead zone, but I don't want to deal with the outer dead zone any longer. The result is, I only have a small range within which I can control the pad.
I want to get a better pad. Ideally, I'd like a pad with a joystick that maxes out at the exact point where the stick is pushed to the limit. No "outer deadzone". I hope I'm making sense. I'm thinking of the DS3, which has analog triggers as well.
Ok, my question is directed to those that use the DS3. Will this pad suit my needs? How do you find the dead zones? Thanks.
Best Answer
I've checked my DS3 using the standard Windows USB pad calibration tool, and while there is a bit of a dead zone (you get the maximum/minimum values just before the stick hits the movement limit), it's maybe around 10% of total travel. The triggers seem to have even less of a dead zone - you need to squeeze them all the way to the end to get the maximum values - and the analog face buttons have a fairly decent range as well.
However, it's up to the game you're playing to actually utilize those values, and in my (admittedly anecdotal) experience most games tend to cull those values a bit, so pushing the stick all the way forward won't make your character move faster than pushing it 75% or 80% out. If you know that the game you're playing will make use of the full range of your controller's capabilities, though, then the DS3 is a very good choice.