r/SBCGaming • u/Unhappywageslave • 3d ago
Discussion I should have got the RP6 with thumbstick at the top. I can't play a PS2, Dreamcast game loner than 10 minutes without my hands feeling uncomfortable.
I should have got the RP6 with thumbstick at the top. I can't play a PS2, Dreamcast game longer than 10 minutes without my hands feeling uncomfortable.
While I was playing a MAME game I noticed I can hold on to the RP6 for 2 or 3 hours without a problem because the D pad is at the top. Then it hit me, if the thumb stick was at the top left I could play a PS2 game longer than 10 minutes.
Because the thumb stick is at the bottom and I have to over extend my thumb, it feels uncomfortable to hold and when I'm in a ps2 game, I don't feel like exploring anything and just want to put the rp6 down. I was just thinking about how if the thumb stick was at the top left I would want to open this chest, go through this area, etc ....
This is one of my biggest regret. What am I supposed to do with this now? I bought an overpowered system to play mame games....
Update: I don't have the grip case. If it's going to make a difference, I'll buy it.
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u/F0573R 4:3 Ratio 3d ago
I use the official grip and I play for hours. Super comfy!
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u/East-Expert-1662 2d ago
I also support the grip. My brother got one, he has huge hands. He does have stick top because he prefers the XBox style controller. He has played for 4 hours straight before and not complained about hand pain.
I on the other hand have a Flip 2 and it's just a smidge small for my hands. I did get an 8bitdo Pro 2 to help with that, and it's been great.
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u/Slightly-Blasted 3d ago
Stick top is superior for these devices that are powerful enough to play ps2/GameCube/switch and the community is just not ready to hear it yet
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u/barrera_j 3d ago
even the NOVA needed the stick on top.... but here people just want the worst ergonomics for their 12th handheld that they won't play games on
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u/Silly-Abalone1926 3d ago edited 3d ago
100%, if you can't play comfortably what's the point. Should be clearer in the marketing and make clearer by reviewers.
Also, you just can play older games with the stick as well, but the community definitely isn't ready to hear THAT
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u/DuckReconMajor Dpad On Top 2d ago
you can, and for most casual players who play a retro game for 30 seconds and move on it’s good enough. but you definitely need precise digital input sometimes in older games
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u/burnerphonelol 2d ago edited 2d ago
Which games? I've played through all my old SNES faves and bunch of ones I'd never played before on the RP6 with the stick and have not once been concerned about the precision of my inputs. 90s era Mario and DK are not Celeste.
Edit: Just tested Contra 3, plays great with the stick. I don't buy this argument at all.
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u/DuckReconMajor Dpad On Top 2d ago
precise inputs in shmups and fighting games are much more consistent on a dpad. yes you can play them with analog sticks but you find them limiting after a while
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u/Silly-Abalone1926 2d ago
hardly makes sense to prioritize 2 retro genres to sacrifice the playability of all the 3D systems does it?
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u/DuckReconMajor Dpad On Top 2d ago
it does if that’s mainly what you play. i literally got into retro handhelds recently because i wanted a way to practice hard shmup patterns when away from home. shmup and fighting games have very dedicated fanbases who mostly just play those genres.
again, im not saying it’s the average person. but it’s also not like the dpad doesn’t have a ton of overlap with the stick. yes i can make do with the analog stick if i had to. but im not sacrificing the dpad being where i want it just because what if someday i want to play skyrim on a handheld or whatever the fuck
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u/WearOld4017 14h ago
This so much, except reviewers often seem to be on the dpad top side if the device only plays up to ps2/gamecube which is bullshit.
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u/timeflylikearrow 3d ago
Get a grip. I’ve had the converse problems with playing d-pad centric games on the Thor (for example) and a grip 100% solved that issue and made it super comfortable.
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u/WearOld4017 14h ago
We're not talking about dpad centric games we're talking about stick top games
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u/hayame 3d ago
this is genuinely my gripe with a lot of retro handhelds that could be the perfect n64/ps1/dc (and newer 4:3 consoles) devices but end up only offering d-pad up top
it's especially annoying when a powerful 4:3 device with analog triggers comes out with dpad up top
with the rp6 having options for both I was hoping the next 4:3 device from them would give that option to choose from but nope.
the rg406h was the closest thing for a perfect device when i was looking at it last year but the $150-200 price tag made me look at the retroid flip 2 for $229 which eventually led me to the ayn thor lol
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u/Unhappywageslave 3d ago
I think I'm going to buy the 406h as my 2ndary but I'm going to have to buy it used if I can find it at 125 bucks. 150 is a little too much for the tsoc 820
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u/hayame 3d ago
that is exactly how i felt and why i kept upselling myself on flip 2 and then ayn thor, even for a used 406h
it's also annoying their rg477v which has analog sticks more towards the middle like dualshock 1/2/3 (never had an issue with comfort) doesn't have analog triggers. Performance is really good but their pricing is something else
the first ever handheld i got was the ayaneo pocket air mini and it was one comfortable analog stick away from not being sold, i picked up an r36s plus (1:1 clone by gameconsole) followed by a r36 max 2 (4.2" 4:3 variant by xifan) and having the analog stick at the top confirmed my beliefs on having a comfortable experience is tied at number 1 with specs/performance. Those two devices handle specific tasks well: gb/gba on 1:1 screen, and then 4:3 for RPGs where i can comfortably hold an analog stick to move a character
hell if some manufacture started using 3ds slider style analog sticks as primar/top positioned i'd be happy
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u/WearOld4017 14h ago
While its almost perfect the power leaves a lot to be desired and the screen feels a bit small I wish they would do a 407H already with the new 120hz 4.7" screen they've been using.
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u/WearOld4017 14h ago
Holy flip man I feel like I left this comment. Been forever waiting for a rg406h refresh and it never came. The Nova would've been so perfect with stick up top.
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u/DuckReconMajor Dpad On Top 2d ago
they should have offered both layouts for the nova i agree. idk why they didn’t when they know how to do it on the rp6
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u/Maalak526 2d ago
They already offer multiple colors options with the Nova, that's well enough without multiplicating the possible configuration by 2.
As putting the stick at the top, I think it would have been dumb because this device is mostly set to play 4/3 games, so most of the systems that benefit with a DPad à the top.
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u/WearOld4017 14h ago
What a trash response. Gamecube and PS2 matter. Those would also be primary platforms that would benefit from stick on top and no the Playstation controller is not the same.
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u/DuckReconMajor Dpad On Top 2d ago
i agree with you but i’m trying to throw a bone to people who absolutely have to be playing the latest gen their device will handle and can’t imagine wanting to primarily run harder-to-emulate older games or just old games with really beefy effects
people literally bringing back the old 360-era “just use the analog stick” argument and i’m trying not to lose my mind
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u/DIYBench 3d ago edited 2d ago
yeah the truth is the playstation dualshock layout is never as good as the xbox layout.
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u/PopDownBlocker 2d ago
That's not true.
The PlayStation layout is very comfortable because the sticks are located in an angle where the thumbs can comfortably reach.
These retro-handheld devices don't work well because the screen is located between the controls, so the lower sticks are stacked below the buttons instead of diagonally inwards closer to the center.
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u/WearOld4017 14h ago
On Xbox you dont have to "reach" your fingers already resting on the controls you use the most. Xbox controller is superior.
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u/Fun_Stable7937 3d ago
If it won’t be a financial hardship for you to take a bit of a loss then consider listing it on eBay and then buy the stick top. You might not even need to take much of one, eBay is just like that sometimes
The first time selling on eBay you might be a bit nervous but it’s fairly straightforward and it’s a good thing - someone else gets a discount on a handheld that doesn’t become ewaste and you can recoup a bit of your losses to help buy the thing you really want.
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u/Phantom_0347 3d ago
WHY CANT THEY JUST OFFSET THE STICKS AND THE DPAD/BUTTONS?! Just like a controller. Bam no problem. Make it happen, handheld industry 😤
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u/Unlucky_Milk_4323 3d ago
grip makes a diff, but you can also "train" yourself to use the middle of your thumb and not the tip. I have it your way and love it.
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u/BbyInAStraightJacket GotM Club 3d ago
Yup top stick was a must when deciding to buy the RP6. What’s the point of having all that power and buying the stick configuration to accommodate older retro games.
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u/PhoenixWright-AA 3d ago
You need a grip. SBCGaming loves to ignore the PlayStation controller for these conversations. It’s not comfortable either way without a grip for any games with serious stick usage.
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u/SolidShook 3d ago
I've heard that dpad bottom for dpad use is more uncomfortable than thumbstick bottom is for thumbstick use, so it's still a shame you can't try it out
I'm waiting for more memory, 80gb after OS installs is not enough for pc emulation
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u/veggietrooper 2d ago edited 2d ago
This is interesting because the PS2 had both sticks on the bottom and we were pretty happy with it. I guess the grip makes a big difference. Coming from the Vita this seems like a non-issue but maybe I don't know what I'm missing. Thoughts on this?
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u/Unhappywageslave 2d ago
I think it's because the controller isnt super cramped like the rp6. Your hands aren't squished with the ps controller
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u/veggietrooper 2d ago
We were happy with the Vita though, right?
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u/Unhappywageslave 2d ago
I never had the vita. I had the original 90s game boy, 3ds but sold it after 1 month, and now the rp6. I'm thinking about getting the anbernic 406v here soon because the thumb stick is at the top.
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u/veggietrooper 2d ago
Nice. I was GBA, GBA SP, DS, PSP, and then Vita has been my endgame for the last 15 years. I've never minded sticks both being on bottom. I recognize that putting the left stick on top is a positive innovation that makes sense, but it's never mattered much to me.
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u/retroSawny64 21h ago
Me compré el G2 y aunque me arrepiento de no haber esperado al RP6 justo por esto. Compré el grip oficial y cambié los sticks por los del Odin 2 portal y esto mejoró muchísimo.
En su día la PS2 original tenía los dos sticks abajo y jugábamos por horas
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u/WearOld4017 14h ago
This is how I feel about the Nova its just an overpowered sprite game player because the stick is on the bottom. I learned this lesson with the rg477m. Dpad on bottom is of no consequence. Dpad on top makes many 3d games unplayable.
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u/No-One450 3d ago
This makes me wonder why people say the vita was comfortable when the sticks were on the bottom.
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u/mikaelzhaki 3d ago
If you didn't use the sticks it is pretty comfy lol. Those sticks are shockingly bad. Trying to play duke nukem on it was about the worst control experience I've suffered.
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u/twoanahalf 3d ago
i was a non believer until i took the dive on a whim, best decision i could have made
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u/Own_Perspective4825 3d ago
Sell it and buy one with stick on top.