It's the end of the nubs as we know them

[iprice]

I've never lost grip of the 3DS nub disc. Maybe the games you play make your fingers/thumbs sweaty?

I don't mind whatever discs we get, but whatever you do DO NOT be inspired by the original OUYA sticks - my fingers constantly slip off of those (or feel like they are). They were redesigned later, but the originals are fecking awful.

 

[DaMummy]

all clickable nubs ive tried out were in a convex form, like the playstation ones or xbox, or any home console that have em. might be a bit easier to use as clickers when the nub moves flat around, instead of on a half sphere. youd always be pressing down, instead of on an angle like the home consoles and psvita. i love the 3ds circle pads, but i dont think it would make them worse if they were clickable. so maybe keep looking, but def keep the 3ds nubs as a default to fall back on, and something to measure up to. travel distance is quite important

 

[comradekingu]

                                                               Old big hall effect  EasyPoint TM N50P105                  Smaller new hall effect EasyPoint TM N40P107

Size                                                            18.6 mm x 18.5 mm x 2.45 mm                                         12.6 mm x 12.5 mm x 2.35 mm

Travel                                                                     ±2.0mm (±10%)                                                            ±1.00mm (±10%)

Directional operating force (XY direction)              0.70N (±0.15N)                                                      0.35N (±0.10N) or 0.55N (±0.15N)

Shaft strength (XYZ direction) > 5.0kgf                  > 3.5kgf                                                                              > 5.0kgf

From the drawings on "6 Application Using AS5013 2D Linear Encoder" it looks like the new one has a larger dome which would allow clicking in the full (but reduced) extension of the nub.

TL;DR New ones are smaller, mechanically stronger, and has a lighter click.

 

[AVahne]

While the 3DS stick is nice, I'd rather have that stick click, if possible.

 

[comradekingu]

Some quick measurements show the 3DS nub is ±2.5mm and the pandora one is something like ±1.3mm

Updated the overview on page 1.

 

[xiongxioi]

3ds' nubs have too much travel for my taste. Besides, I prefer nubs that can click. 

Though it's not that big of a deal, since I will buy pyra regardless. 

 

[ptitSeb]

But why so many want nubs that can click?

What do you think are the advantage of that? It's so difficult to click without moving that I cannot imagine a conveniant way of using that feature.

What good is a feature if you cannot use it?

 

[knightron]

To everyone suggesting the psp's nubs. The psp's nubs had constant issues with sending characters in a direction when the nub was not in use. I experienced this personally, but it apparently was a very common issue. As a sufferer of the problem, i will mention that it was incredibly annoying. I never finished some games because it destroyed my performance.

In saying that, i'm not particularly fond of the Pandora's nub's either. While the psp's would send characters in foo direction, the Pandora's forget calibration and consider i'm not pushing the nub far enough to make a character run, rather than walk. When speed counts, for jumps ect, this is equally annoying to the the psp issue. All desires to play Crock on the Pandora were abandoned by me long ago.

I think that the stick click feature is forgettable if a a good nub is selected. The Pandora's were so terrible, when gpsp was ported, nub support was completely left out. I can understand that compromise decided when the Pandora's dpad is so good. The point i'm making is, it would be nice if the Nubs were equally as good as the dpad, or at the least, usable. Nub support is being neglected at this point, and it's hardly worth having them. With decent ones, maybe devs will be enthusiastic to include functionality for them. I have not used a 3ds, but i have read good review on it's nubs.

 

[b_o_b]

Not sure if I am representative for the average Pandora user but it wouldn't surprise me if most Pandora owners never or very rarely use nubs (or only in mouse mode).

The first GP2X's also had a clickable stick, later versions didn't so that created problems folks having the newer versions using older software that made use of the 'feature'. Never thought it was really needed, but once it is there some devs will start using it - for better or for worse.

 

[ekianjo]

But why so many want nubs that can click?


What do you think are the advantage of that? It's so difficult to click without moving that I cannot imagine a conveniant way of using that feature.


What good is a feature if you cannot use it?

Emulation of ps2? Hehehe.

 

[Silent-Hunter]

PS1 had clickable sticks as well.

 

[Glyph Reader]

Not sure if I am representative for the average Pandora user but it wouldn't surprise me if most Pandora owners never or very rarely use nubs (or only in mouse mode).

The first GP2X's also had a clickable stick, later versions didn't so that created problems folks having the newer versions using older software that made use of the 'feature'. Never thought it was really needed, but once it is there some devs will start using it - for better or for worse.

I may not have a Pandora, but what about emulators for systems that use Joysticks?  What about mouse based games (Battle for Wesnoth, etc.)?  It would seem to me that I would not use the touch screen as much, since I wouldn't want to potentially ruin the screen (unless I'm playing with the Drastic Emulator.) 

-Glyph Reader

 

[rygD]

But why so many want nubs that can click?

What do you think are the advantage of that? It's so difficult to click without moving that I cannot imagine a conveniant way of using that feature.

What good is a feature if you cannot use it?

Clicks could be mouse buttons, and they would be perfectly usable.  Left click on right nub, right click on left nub.  This isn't much of a stretch from the default on Pandora (that I don't use) of having mouse buttons on the right nub, and for those who dislike right nub directions as mouse buttons there isn't a loss of the other buttons, and their potential additional functions.

 

[iprice]

since I wouldn't want to potentially ruin the screen (unless I'm playing with the Drastic Emulator.)

Can you please list the people that have damaged their Pandora's touch screen by actually using it? I've seen lots of references to potential damage of screen, but none where damage has proven to have been done by using it. I've used my touchscreen every single day for the last couple of years (with the Pandora stylus) and there's no visible damage and accuracy remains constant.

 

[levi]

My screen is heavily scratched due to Picross on DraStic, but it's probably not helping I'm using a cheap third-party screen protector.  My DS Phat screen protector is scratched likewise for similar reasons, but my DS lite which has a Hama screen protector on is still pristine in the screen area.  I've not scratched my Pandora screen yet AFAIK though, whether that's because of the protector or not I can't say.

@RygD Yep, except with left click on the right nub, you can't drag with the right button.  That's not a useful in GTK-based UIs where the right button is only used for context sensitive menus AIUI, but on other GUIs such as RISC OS, the context sensitive menu is on the middle button, and dragging right click is roughly the same as ctrl-left clicking in GTK or Windows.  But then on RISC OS you're going to need to map something to middle button anyway, so not being able to right-click drag in the default setup is perhaps not a significant obstacle even there, since you can't use the default setup anyway.

 

[ptitSeb]

But why so many want nubs that can click?


What do you think are the advantage of that? It's so difficult to click without moving that I cannot imagine a conveniant way of using that feature.


What good is a feature if you cannot use it?

Clicks could be mouse buttons, and they would be perfectly usable. Left click on right nub, right click on left nub. This isn't much of a stretch from the default on Pandora (that I don't use) of having mouse buttons on the right nub, and for those who dislike right nub directions as mouse buttons there isn't a loss of the other buttons, and their potential additional functions.

This kind of setup is much less usable. Don't forget the click will certainly makes you move a bit.
And how is pushing a nub down be better than pushing a nub left?

 

[Glyph Reader]

since I wouldn't want to potentially ruin the screen (unless I'm playing with the Drastic Emulator.)

Can you please list the people that have damaged their Pandora's touch screen by actually using it? I've seen lots of references to potential damage of screen, but none where damage has proven to have been done by using it. I've used my touchscreen every single day for the last couple of years (with the Pandora stylus) and there's no visible damage and accuracy remains constant.

For me, it is mostly paranoia that I will scratch it.  If I spent 500-700 $ on a device, I am ridiculously careful with it for about half a year before I grow comfortable with its level of durability.  When I got my first DS Phat, I treated that thing like a king.  As time went on, I trusted the device more and more.  When I stated that "...since I wouldn't want to potentially ruin the screen (unless I'm playing with the Drastic Emulator.)", I did not base it off of any references I heard of --- I was simply stateing my own overly cautious opinion. 

Overall, I'm just plain paranoid. 

-Glyph Reader

 

[iprice]

My screen is heavily scratched due to Picross on DraStic, but it's probably not helping I'm using a cheap third-party screen protector.

I'm presuming you mean that the screen protector is scratched and not the screen itself (you stated that the Pandora screen is fine).

How many have actually damaged their Pandora screen (not protector) using the Pandora stylus? Very few (if any) I suspect.

[EDIT] There's nothing wrong with paranoia, but if it gets in the way of the facts it can be dangerous.

 

[Kiga]

But why so many want nubs that can click?

What do you think are the advantage of that? It's so difficult to click without moving that I cannot imagine a conveniant way of using that feature.

What good is a feature if you cannot use it?

I'll use my right nub to scroll in every direction and to center click, center is very useful in several software like in a browser to open link/close tabs etc. Left nub as mouse, actions buttons as left/right click and the spare left nub button maybe for tab if it isn't on the keyboard or anything.

This kind of setup is much less usable. Don't forget the click will certainly makes you move a bit.

And how is pushing a nub down be better than pushing a nub lefti?

I don't think so, since you can't move the nub when you are cliking, maybe at first but once accostumed I don't see how, they are made for that.

 

[b_o_b]

I may not have a Pandora, but what about emulators for systems that use Joysticks?  What about mouse based games (Battle for Wesnoth, etc.)?  It would seem to me that I would not use the touch screen as much, since I wouldn't want to potentially ruin the screen (unless I'm playing with the Drastic Emulator.) 

-Glyph Reader

Indeed the systems with analog joysticks can benefit (ps1 and n64), personally never tried one. Will probably be useful for fps as well. To be honest I don't think nubs emulate mouse behavior very well. Touch screen can be great for that purpose. Unfortunately emulators (e.g. hatari - atari st emulator) don't work with touch screen - at least not the ones I tried. I have understood from a post from Skeezix that adapting mouse movement to touch screen is not easy to do.

So lots of games that play best with a mouse still need a mouse.