I see this type of comment somewhat often and I’m always left a little confused about what I’m missing. The only time I ever use the touch pads is in desktop mode, which is not that often. What games use the touch pads?
You probably don’t play mouse heavy games, but if you like strategy games they’re a must. Playing Stellaris, RimWorld, Crusader Kings or Factorio without a touch pad would get annoying really fast.
I don’t understand the RT/LT for mouse buttons. Such a long movement to get to a click just feels unnatural to me. When the track pad has a press to click why not use that instead? At least for the primary button.
You can do that as well, I use that sometimes, but when you press down your finger will move slightly and you might end up clicking somewhere different from where you intended.
Anything which does not have controller support. Civ, for example. Lots of other similar strategy titles. They function as a great mouse replacement. I’ve even used them for first person shooters, where a trackpad in trackball mode can be more accurate for aiming versus a controller.
The right one, that is. The left is more often used for custom menus.
But the fact remains: you are restricted to games with controller support without the touchpads.
Games with partial controller support. I mean, I can hold the guide menu button and then use the right stick to move the mouse, but it sucks balls in comparison to just a quick swipe of the track pad. It makes the game feel fluid instead of wonky. For more complex games they act as controller augments. You can configure anything you want. When I use my PS controller, it just feels like it’s missing a necessary feature without the touch pads. I think most people think of the track pads as a replacement for L3 and R3 and they were in the past. Now though, we have gyro and flickstick. To me, gyro and flickstick over track pads.
Yeah I’m the same. People have said they’re better for subtle movements like aiming but I find I tend to either move too little with them or spin out of control. Fat thumbs I guess.
Same here, it’s strange because within my social circles no one talks about them. I only ever use them for the custom menus but that’s pretty much about it. Generally people seem to like using it on shooters but I’ve tried it and still prefer to play shooters with a mouse on my PC. Only ever play more controller friendly games on my Deck so it’s not a big deal to me either.
Sure. But the other handhelds which don’t have trackpads are incapable of playing games without controller support. That is a huge difference regardless of whether or not they run SteamOS.
I’ve used them for custom radial menus and for moving the mouse cursor on games with no proper controller support, but I never use it on games with controller support; I would also like to know what other people use them for.
But ultimately, the point is: the Deck is the only one of these handhelds with the trackpads. If you don’t use them, maybe it doesn’t matter, but it doesn’t change the fact that the Deck is the only such handheld capable of playing games with no controller support.
When will literally any media outlet notice that the touchpads are what make the Deck really special?
I see this type of comment somewhat often and I’m always left a little confused about what I’m missing. The only time I ever use the touch pads is in desktop mode, which is not that often. What games use the touch pads?
You probably don’t play mouse heavy games, but if you like strategy games they’re a must. Playing Stellaris, RimWorld, Crusader Kings or Factorio without a touch pad would get annoying really fast.
Mouse heavy games, e.g. Sterallis, you simply move the cursor with the touchpad and click with RT or LT and it works wonderfully
I don’t understand the RT/LT for mouse buttons. Such a long movement to get to a click just feels unnatural to me. When the track pad has a press to click why not use that instead? At least for the primary button.
You can do that as well, I use that sometimes, but when you press down your finger will move slightly and you might end up clicking somewhere different from where you intended.
You can set the actuation to require the slightest of pulls to engage a click. It’s all fully customizable.
Pressing on the trackpad for click often moves your finger, which moves the cursor during the click. It can get annoying.
That works too but for me it’s mentally simpler to pull another finger than having to press with the same one i use to move over the touchpad.
Anything which does not have controller support. Civ, for example. Lots of other similar strategy titles. They function as a great mouse replacement. I’ve even used them for first person shooters, where a trackpad in trackball mode can be more accurate for aiming versus a controller.
The right one, that is. The left is more often used for custom menus.
But the fact remains: you are restricted to games with controller support without the touchpads.
Games with partial controller support. I mean, I can hold the guide menu button and then use the right stick to move the mouse, but it sucks balls in comparison to just a quick swipe of the track pad. It makes the game feel fluid instead of wonky. For more complex games they act as controller augments. You can configure anything you want. When I use my PS controller, it just feels like it’s missing a necessary feature without the touch pads. I think most people think of the track pads as a replacement for L3 and R3 and they were in the past. Now though, we have gyro and flickstick. To me, gyro and flickstick over track pads.
*Partial or no controller support.
Yeah I’m the same. People have said they’re better for subtle movements like aiming but I find I tend to either move too little with them or spin out of control. Fat thumbs I guess.
Tbh the round, concave trackpads on the Steam Controller were better in every way. But I’m happy we at least still have the trackpads at all.
Same here, it’s strange because within my social circles no one talks about them. I only ever use them for the custom menus but that’s pretty much about it. Generally people seem to like using it on shooters but I’ve tried it and still prefer to play shooters with a mouse on my PC. Only ever play more controller friendly games on my Deck so it’s not a big deal to me either.
Sure. But the other handhelds which don’t have trackpads are incapable of playing games without controller support. That is a huge difference regardless of whether or not they run SteamOS.
I’ve used them for custom radial menus and for moving the mouse cursor on games with no proper controller support, but I never use it on games with controller support; I would also like to know what other people use them for.
Try them in an FPS. You may be surprised how much more accurate the trackpad can be for aiming versus an analog stick.
I’ve tried, and I can’t get used to it. Actually I started using gyro for aiming, and that feels a lot better.
Fair, maybe it just isn’t for you.
But ultimately, the point is: the Deck is the only one of these handhelds with the trackpads. If you don’t use them, maybe it doesn’t matter, but it doesn’t change the fact that the Deck is the only such handheld capable of playing games with no controller support.
I use them to get around shitty launchers too.
Desktop dungeon type games where you need to mouse over stuff.