Best way to hold game controllers

[FuckedUp]

I've always held PlayStation and other modern controllers with both my index and middle fingers on the shoulder buttons. It's always felt natural to me, but everyone's always said it's weird and that my hands must be in a lot of pain after an hour of playing. Maybe it's weird, but I can think of several games where all four shoulder buttons are needed in the heat of action. Anyone else hold it this way?

 

[Spamy the Bot]

I usually have my index fingers on the shoulder buttons while I use my thumbs for the analog sticks and or d-pad and normal buttons. If the game rolls with more button intensive game play I can mix it up.

 

[The Last Stand]

Two hands.

 

[GrayWater]

 

[Bland Crumbs]

You mean you have to use your hands? That's like a baby's toy!

 

[Absolute Brainlet]

REMINDER

 

[Swiss46]

Only hold it with one hand and then hot potato it to the other hand when you need to use the other side of the controller. Sending 100% brainpower to one hand makes you play better I swear.

 

[inexplicable ethos]

In theory it would be that stupid claw grip where you use your index fingers to press the face buttons and d-pad while your middle and ring fingers are on the shoulder buttons, as it gives you the best coverage without having to displace any fingers to press a button and makes full use of your entire hand.

In practice that shit's uncomfortable as hell, personally I hold my controller with my index fingers between the shoulder buttons so I can roll them up or down to press whichever I need to press (and use my middle finger if I need to press, for example, L1 and L2 at the same time).

 

[Heartmoth]

If you were like me as a kid playing kh2 on the ps2 you just gripped the bars with your whole damn hands like a steering wheel, using only your thumbs to move around and press the shape buttons and not using anything else unless it was absolutely necessary for progression and your brother was there to help you out
What I saw:

 

[TFT-A9]

Most games I would just use my 2 index fingers to manage the shoulder buttons but there were a couple where I'd move my middle fingers up so I could potentially press all the shoulder buttons if needed. Not usually necessary though.

 

[Freya]

rectally

 

[XYZpdq]

depends on the game
usually left hand on the digi or analog left, then the right hand either a thumb across them all going back to the NES or pointer and middle fingers across a more complex control scheme (aka why aren't you on an arcade stick faggot)
then there's super power crazy shit like the inverted double claw on Armored Core or those arcade controllers made of all buttons like back when I was rocking shit on a keyboard and they all laughed at me but who's laughing now

 

[Exigent Circumcisions]

Mouse in my right hand and keyboard under my left.

 

[Tim Buckley]

Am I doing it right guys?

Spoiler: nsfw

 

[ChucklesTheJester]

Am I doing it right guys?

Spoiler: nsfw

View attachment 1276210

Bring a whole new meaning to A First Person Shooter Eh. You got to wrap it around the controller how else will you aim it right

 

[Richard Harrow]

Bring a whole new meaning to A First Person Shooter Eh. You got to wrap it around the controller how else will you aim it right

You'd have to own a BBC to wrap it around though.

 

[Pixy]

So how ARE you supposed to hold an N64 controller?

 

[Billy_Sama]

The one true controller.

 

[Anonymus Fluhre]

Controller? I used to play side scrollers with a flight joystick

So how ARE you supposed to hold an N64 controller?

 

[Book Thief]

So how ARE you supposed to hold an N64 controller?

The truthful answer is that no game ever requires you to hold more than two prongs at a time. A sidescroller like Mischief Makers requires you to hold the outer two prongs, using the D-pad to move and the face buttons to jump and attack, while the control stick goes completely unused. A 3D game like Super Mario 64 or Ocarina of Time has you hold the center and right prongs, using the control stick to move, Z shoulder button (underneath the center prong), face buttons, and R shoulder button, while the L shoulder and D-pad are never used. A first person shooter like Golden Eye allows you to hold the center prong with either hand, while holding either the left or right prong with your other hand, using the Z shoulder button to shoot, the control stick to aim, while the D-pad and C buttons both move your character.

Fun fact, the Nintendo Wii Nunchuck uses a modified version of the mold used to create the center prong, so the N64's controller is more comfortable to hold than you'd think.