Can you hold a controller incorrectly? Yes, you can. And most people do. Because that is inefficient.
When you hand an inexperienced person a gamepad, every experienced gamer will probably smirk a little. It often looks curious how newcomers try to hold the controller. But in reality, even most veterans likely hold the controller – whether PlayStation or Xbox – in the “wrong” way.
This is how most people hold the controller: The basic posture of a controller is the same for PlayStation and Xbox. The index and middle fingers rest on the shoulder buttons, while the thumbs are on the thumb sticks. So far, so good. Or not?
Here’s why that’s wrong: Especially in action games or shooters, many will automatically realize that the controller posture is not ideal. Because usually, in such games, you have to control both sticks at the same time – for camera and movement – and also make different inputs on the 4 buttons on the right side (A, B, X, Y on Xbox and circle, X, triangle, square on PS).
However, with the normal controller posture, that is not possible at all. Because here you have to take your right thumb off the right stick to press the buttons.
How do you actually hold the controller? The “correct” and thus most efficient way to hold a controller can often be seen with speedrunners or other professionals. They keep their thumbs on the two sticks, but take their right index finger off the shoulder buttons. Instead, the index finger is “bent” in a claw shape so that it can reach the four buttons on the right side.
This is not necessarily the most comfortable way – but definitely the most efficient to reach all control elements at any time.
Why has this never been improved? The reason that large companies like Sony, Microsoft, or Nintendo have never addressed this “problem” primarily boils down to patents. Other manufacturers identified this issue, especially the company “SCUF Gaming”. They offer numerous controllers that have additional buttons on the bottom, allowing you to operate the “4 buttons” on the bottom with your ring fingers.
Just a few years ago, Valve was embroiled in a legal battle with SCUF over the Steam Controller and lost (via Polygon). The court found that they had used the design, and those buttons on the back were the issue.
These patents, which are largely held by SCUF, are also the reason why controllers have hardly changed in handling over the past few years. While there are always small, new features, the basic design has hardly changed at its core since the first console generations of the major manufacturers.
Even if you probably won’t adjust your controller grip now – enjoy knowing that you always hold your gamepad “incorrectly” …
