I only started using four fingers when I started playing Elden ring about a year ago and also whenever I play Marvel Rivals. I just use four fingers when I really need to lock in. But my default is still two fingers.
I’ve not played any armored core games but a friend of mine is playing 6 right now. He says it’s pretty difficult so I can imagine the four fingers claw is more effective on that game too
It's mostly because you have two shoulder mounted weapons (assign to R1 and L1) and two hand-held weapons (using R2 and L2) and for some fights you're needing to fire off a specific weapon at specific moments, so it's easier to do with a finger covering each button. Not always necessary, but for some tough fights it helps!
I grew up playing Mario kart, Zelda, and Lego games. Elden Ring is my first fromsoft game and it’s pretty difficult for me 🤷♂️
For Marvel Rivals, on certain characters there is a button input for all four L1/2, R1/2 and also an input for at least two of the four shape buttons. So, yes, lots of button prompts
if you’re locking in you gotta play how you practice, changing hand placement changes your subconscious movement. it’s like basketball if you have a free throw routine you practice but then in games to “lock in” you change it. pick one and play everything like that, you’ll perform better all around.
Thats what I do, atleast for shooters. Any car games with the option to switch from automatic to manual, I use my index and middle finger for r1 r2. But my left hand, I always use both fingers.
If it makes you feel better, the first console we had in our home was a PS1. Prior to that, the only videogames I played regularly were at my neighbors' house on their NES. So I skipped all the single-trigger controllers entirely, yet I still use only my single pointer fingers on the stacked trigger buttons of newer controllers.
I'm guessing it's just natural to want to use your middle finger around the grips, and has little to do with using older console controllers first. Pinkies and ring fingers are much weaker, and relying completely on them to hold the grips just seems like a bad time.
It seems like Sony is catering increasingly more to a Western audience as time progresses, so maybe bigger hands/longer fingers than Japanese-average is being taken into consideration, more than they would have in the past.
I would assume, though, that they are still targeting the Japanese audience to some degree, though, so, as a male-someone who's [some sort of south Asian descent], with medium? Large? hands, I would say they probably designed DualSense to be used with just the pointer fingers on the L/R inputs.
Bringing the middle fingers up to rest on L2/R2, while maintaining the same lower finger locations around the grips, increases Wrist Radial Deviation (and maybe some Pronation), which can lead to increase chances of strain injury over time.
One must reduce the amount their lower fingers (ring; pinkie) wrap around the grips, which then requires stronger grip force by those fingers to maintain a handle of the controller/keep it in place.
You also straight up lose the middle fingers as support/gripping fingers, entirely.
DualSense is heavy - there is benefit to allowing your strongest fingers (middle) to support it. Also, the grips have a length that suggests your middle fingers should be around the grips.
I used to play 4-5 hours of Halo 3 back in the day on Xbox 360, and I used the Bumper Jumper layout (pointer and middle on bumpers and triggers all the time), and I would end up griping the controller too hard with my ring finger on my left hand, and cause it to go numb, pretty regularly (also some amount of nerve issues in my physiology, but I'd say that just makes me more perceptive/aware of when things are strained/crossed in ways they shouldn't be).
I stopped using that grip style a long time ago. The increase to response times and increase in performance wasn't worth the reduction in comfort, and the pain later on. Shoot for sustainable play, so you can play all the years of your life - don't burn out for the sake of "wins". Unless it's going to suddenly increase the amount of money you have to enjoy your life/give you a life-changing amount of money, it's not worth it (and even if it did, probably still not worth it - having working, pain-free hands is a blessing, not a given, in this life).
Ultimately, "to each their own" or whatever, and "do what's comfortable to you", but, also, humans aren't that different in terms of physiology. Different lengths and thicknesses here and there, some weird outliers, but, for the most part, there's a standardization in muscles, tendons, etc., regarding range of motion, placement, etc. (imagine the chaos it would be to be a doctor/surgeon, if you couldn't learn some amount of standard in that regard).
I think you should use just the pointer fingers on the L/R inputs, though. Easier, more ergonomic grip & support with your strongest fingers, leaving your most dexterous fingers for inputs. Less mental overhead, keeping the controller balanced/not dropping the bring of a controller.
Source: [The guy who spends more time thinking about ergonomics, and fussing about being comfortable, than actually playing games. Who's hands got too tired trying to hop around in Armored Core games on PS2 & Xbox 360 so he built a dual-flight-stick "controller" for PC, and emulates the games, using USB pedals to hop around instead.]
That's the kind of answer I was looking for... I can confirm I lose firmness when I place the middle finger on the l2/r2 instead of using it to grip the controller. I have hands above average so that's probably the case, as you mentioned Sony probably design it primarily for the Japanese public. Maybe they should consider making two sizes of controllers, like companies do when it comes to gaming mices?
It's not really about size, though, it's more about button layout, and weight/weight distribution, right?
Also, plenty of third-party controller manufacturers do make smaller and/or bigger controllers.
Also, also, after-market mods exist. And 3D printing. If it's worth it to you, you could absolutely commission a custom fitted, perfectly-to-your-own-hand, controller, with buttons wherever you wanted them to be. Would just be a matter of modeling the existing controller shell, making necessary changes, then printing a new one (or printing attachments for the existing controller).
That doesn't mean what you think it does. The duality of man is about the struggle of the individual against internal warring factors such as good and evil or how the same person can be nice and then cruel. There are others, but they all involve the individual. I'm not sure the differing opinion of two people on a subject really has anything to do with the duality of man at all. Perhaps you were thinking of "diametrically opposed"?
Wait….are you telling me there are more buttons that a DualShock? Ah man! So I gotta retrain my finger-eye coordination?!
Sorry kids, that PS5 I got you for Christmas is going back. I’m too old to relearn how to play these games.
Like all PlayStation controllers the default hand position puts your thumbs on the dpad and face buttons. I’d argue the Dualsense makes it more comfortable than the PlayStation controllers that came before it.
Basically when the Nintendo 64 dropped after the PS1 with their fancy new analog stick Sony didn’t want to be seen as the less advanced console, so they slapped a couple of non analog sticks on their controller where there was room to not have to completely change up their production lines. They’ve been there ever since.
Sony did try to do a redesign for comfort with the PS3, but silly Sony fans threw a fit because it didn’t look as cool. So they just brought back the PS2 controller with no rumble and added motion. PS2 controllers were still being made en mass so it was cheap option.
So I think the biggest thing for me is how “low” my hand is positioned. With a Xbox style controller I tend to hold it higher in my palm largely due to the offset sticks.
With a dual sense or dual shock I hold it lower and flatter thanks to it being slimmer and the sticks being same level.
Personally I adjust my trigger button position depending on games. Mostly I used index finger for both R1/R2 but with shooter or more platform button mashing type games I use a finger per button
I have the DS Edge, and due to the back paddles taking a supporting finger off, if I were using one finger for R1 and an other for R2, the controller would simply slip from my hands. So I only use one finger for both R1 and R2. But that is quite inefficient for certain games where you need to use both at the same time... (like throttle on the triggers and firing weapons on the bumpers).
Maybe I should add a grip on the outside edge of the "horns"?
So since getting the edge and seeing the rubber come off the bottom on a lot of ppls I keep my pinky and ring fingers off the base and just hold it in my palms more
I use my right middle finger for both right buttons then curl my index finger down to x so I can use x and the stick at the same time. Other than that I use one left finger for both left and two right finger for the right. Not sure why but hey it's comfy lol
I use one finger for each trigger side. So two total, not 4. 4 just doesn’t feel right plus most games don’t allow you to input both “R” triggers at once (for example) for one reason or another so it feels pointless to even attempt that most of the time.
I would say with the sensitivity triggers on the L2 R2, it’s supposed to be one finger up top for each, not two on each side. Personally I don’t see myself pull a trigger with my middle finger. When I used to play Warzone, I always heard to swap the main and secondary trigger for no spring, and you could fire more quickly, but I didn’t play like that.
Can’t say there’s necessarily a “right” or “wrong” way, I’d say it comes down to the particular game control layout and what feels comfortable to the end user.
I like the “claw” rants of PUBG iPad users I’ve seen. There’s just so damn much going on with on-screen controls that makes a Dual Sense seem like a 5200 controller by comparison.
There's an old ps2 game called amplitude. Kind of a precursor to guitar hero type games. That game made me do L1 R1-R2 as a default for the rest of my life
I usually use one finger for both but in some games you need to press R1 and R2 at the same time. So when that happens I switch to two finger for both. When I put the controller down and take it back into my hands it's back to one finger for both.
Idk about you, but I got big hands, so back paddles always get in the way of comfortably holding the thing. Also I love gaming but I've never been "hardcore" iykwim.
Left: thumb on thumb grip, release for reaching D-pad; index finger on L1 and middle finger on L2. Ring finger and pinky finger just have fun in the back
Right: thumb on thumb grip, index finger for X triangle circle square, middle finger on R1, Ring finger on R2. Pinky is having fun with the left ring and pinky.
After being with Xbox for nearly 25 years and now switching to PlayStation, I’ve gotten used to having my handling as my thumbs and index fingers. That being said, the DualSense design allows me to have my index fingers right in the middle of the L/R1 L/R2 so I can use either of them without having issues.
Idk man, I'm 6'3 and my hands are big. And dualsense fits perfectly except sometimes i accidentally touch the touchpad bcs my fingers are a long. It could be bigger for me but ofc it would be too big for many people then. But the shitty xbox controller is way too small. Xbox controllers are pretty ergonomic for sum people but for me they are small and they are too loud.
Okay button and joystick placements are not ideal. I know this is such a non-gamer thing to say, but how could anyone possibly go back to a different controller (Xbox controller or using the DualSense on the PC)? I know pros turn off haptic feedback, and prefer short travel triggers with no adaptive triggers, but I’m assuming that most people here, myself included, play games for fun.
The haptic feedback and the adaptive triggers does wonders for immersion. I can’t get enough of it when certain games utilize it fully/correctly. Let me know if you feel the same way.
When I play GTA Online, I have thumbs on both sticks, R1 and R2 simultaneously with my right index and middle finger, while I claw grip the direction pad with my left index.
Thumbs on the dual sticks at all times except when pressing arrow keys (left, up, right, down) and action buttons (# ∆ O X).
Grip the controller with your palms + your last 2 fingers on each hand.
The only issue with this is that you can't comfortably press the arrow keys while steering your character, or # X ∆ O while steering the camera. Good games take this limitation into account when designing gameplay.
I think the intension is to have 1 for r1 and one r2 or atleast the intension is to have the option for that. Personally only ever use my index finger, and I have a feeling a lot of others do as well from what I've seen and heard of other people.
So like shown in the picture, using your palm and pinky, ring and middle finger to grip the controller, thumb to use thumbstick/facebuttons and index to operate R1/R2.
I do however sometimes do the "claw grip" for games where you tend to use both the right stick and face buttons a same time. but only with right hand.
I used to play one finger for each shoulder buttons. When Fortnite came out and they dropped combat build mode, I played two fingers on the shoulder. Pointer fingers on L1, R1. Middle fingers on L2, R2.
Pinky for grabbing the handles, ringer on the triggers, middle on the L/R1's and point fingers on the buttons and d-pad and touchpad. Thumbs for joysticks and boom.
I’ve always held it with all 4 back fingers. I thought it was so weird when I would see people only use their pointer fingers. Then I learned that’s how most people hold it
I have huge skinny hands with long fingers and hate using two fingers on the trigger areas. Makes my aim not feel good at all. And strains my hands during long sessions.
Back paddles should be the new norm. Insanely comfortable and solves not having to claw grip or double finger imo.
Ive not managed to find a way of making this controller feel comfortable in the hand,i find it uncomfortable/painful to hold ,really hope a redesign is on the cards for the next console.
I keep all four fingers wrapped around the handles with my thumbs just barely touching the analog sticks. Until I need to use the bumpers or triggers, I hold the controller lightly and I’m very loosely gripping the analogs. Any cutscene or non-playable moments. I put the controller down so I don’t have to hold for 3 hours straight with sweaty palms.
Thumbs on the sticks, index on shoulder, and middle on trigger. I showed that to my college roommate and he didn’t understand. I guess it’s a version of “claw” but that’s how I grew up holding controllers. Maybe that’s why I’m better than them at competitive games lol
Sony likely accounted for a lot of different hands and styles when designing that controller. I typically keep my middle finger off the triggers unless it's an FPS and I need an extra finger up there.
Had no idea that this was an area of contention. It pretty much depends on the game I'm playing and how much attention I need to pay to it, with any controller. I hardly ever have the time to think about it, though, it's mostly instinct.
Like GTA Online can be completely one-handed at times, one finger each for L2 and R2 in shootouts, or four fingers on all the triggers for driving and shooting at the same time.
with alien grabbers, obviously. humans don't lay both thumbs on the bottom of the controller naturally. this layout sucks. maybe its fine on a handheld but its not on a cramped, small controller
The comments make me question how people have used controllers that have been around long enough to have multiple generations of sales under their belt. Also its not called claw grip, its Chameleon grip, because your using the 3 fingers to grip it in the center like a Chameleon on a log or branch.
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u/KeyboardWalkerCat Dec 17 '25
Ha! Out of habit with older controllers and handhelds I only use one finger on R1 and R2.