There was a time when PC gaming was largely outlined by its use of a keyboard and mouse as a substitute of a gamepad. Whereas some titles stay solely pushed by this combo, many PC video games these days assist each enter strategies. The rise of handheld gaming PCs, patterned after the Nintendo Change’s profitable design, additional narrowed that hole but in addition magnified considered one of video gaming’s ugliest warts: non-uniform controller layouts.
You have already got the good divide between Xbox and PlayStation, however throw in variants just like the Nintendo Change and unconventional arcade controls and also you’ve received fairly a multitude for players whose preferences transcend these superficial boundaries. Since there isn’t a one controller to rule all of them, the subsequent neatest thing could be to let the participant determine which design to make use of, a dream that’s lastly turning into actuality within the AYANEO 3 handheld gaming PC.
Designer: AYANEO
Relying on who you ask, the Xbox or PlayStation controller format is perhaps extra ergonomic than the opposite, although it largely boils all the way down to getting used to what the console makers power upon their customers. On the identical time, some PC video games don’t even play effectively with controllers, which is why Valve carried out uncommon trackpads on its Steam Deck handheld. Throw within the flipped place of ABXY face buttons on the Nintendo Change and the considerably normal six-button system of arcade combating video games, and also you mainly have 4 or 5 configurations obtainable.
AYANEO’s resolution is a modular system it calls Magic Modules, providing a manner for customers of its upcoming handheld gadget to swap out controls as they need, relying on the sport they’re taking part in. You may not have a keyboard obtainable for typing, however a touchpad and buttons emulating the mouse will most likely do for many PC titles. Wish to mash buttons for Avenue Fighter or Mortal Kombat? There’s additionally a Magic Module for that, although you’ll should make do with a cramped button format nonetheless.
Not solely are you able to combine and match modules, you’ll be able to even flip them the other way up so that you’ve got two analog sticks on the backside like a PS DUALSHOCK controller and swap to a standard Xbox format afterward. It appears that you could additionally take away the button caps to change them round, although that’s most likely extra cumbersome to do than merely eradicating controller modules.
Superb as these all could sound to players, the true check of the design will occur when the AYANEO 3 is out within the wild. The danger of implementing a modular system is that it’d have an effect on the steadiness, reliability, and sturdiness of the gadget. In fact, AYANEO is promising the moon, so we’ll should see whether or not it could actually truly ship this Holy Grail of video gaming.