DS Daily: Ergonomics

by Alisha Karabinus { Aug 24th 2008 at 10:30AM }

If you're a dedicated DS gamer, chances are you've spent quite a bit of time with the handheld, well, in your hands. After all those hours of play, we're willing to guess that there are things you like about the design (whichever one you have) and things you don't. Now, we're not looking for a Lite v. Phat debate here -- we've done that -- but instead, we hoped to discuss the position of the buttons, the D-pad, the weight of each version, the size ... all the things that make up the hardware we know and love. Which aspects are great? Which would you change?

Tags: design, hardware

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Diego Arthur @ Aug 24th 2008 10:58AM

I have a lite and i think its ok. The only problem i remember is playing FPS games holding the DS with just one hand, the hand that is holding the DS gets tired soon

Yos @ Aug 24th 2008 10:54AM

I would change the location of the START and SELECT button

HoTsHoT @ Aug 24th 2008 10:58AM

I'm quite happy with the DS Lite, it's just I wish Nintendo made the diagonals easier on the fingers. That would fix a good number of fighting and top-down view games.

Most of us might have long fingers, and I would prefer if the 'click' of the L and R shoulder buttons were placed closer to the middle. It'll feel much better to press it with the end of your finger rather than at the joint.

The hinge could be a bit stiffer too, as I hate it when the flip starts rattling during a bumpy bus ride.

Tom @ Aug 24th 2008 11:58AM

...You just listed everything I was about to say. Good job on that!

Patrick @ Sep 10th 2008 10:46AM

Yep, definitely diagonals

Jay @ Aug 24th 2008 11:01AM

I wish that the d- pad was a little bigger, honestly.

JuanO @ Aug 24th 2008 11:02AM

My hands don't make a square shape when they grasp something. I get hand cramps after a while of gameplay, mainly because of the overall placement of the buttons. Maybe my hands are to big for my lite, but I think if they angled the L and R triggers, and maybe moved the d pad and x, y, a, b buttons up a bit too, I would be a happier DS user.
-My wife just asked me what I was doing, I told her I am commenting on an ergonomics post about the DS. She said, "Oh, I love the ergonimics. Fits my hands perfectly." She has tiny hands. So, I guess I'm just screwed with my man hands...

PlatSajack @ Aug 24th 2008 11:04AM

With regards to the DS Phat, I can easily say that the D-Pad feels less accurate than that of the DSLite. I walked away from the DS(Phat) about a year ago, but upon returning to the enticing handheld recently, I found that controlling my little Pokemon protagonist was a bit harder on the DS Phat - the sprite I was controlling felt less responsive to my thumbs subtle movements. I've never owned a DS Lite, but I've played around with one during my "handheld gaming hiatus."

I'm not trying to incite a debate, but it's hard NOT to praise the DSLite's anatomy. So, even though I do not own a Lite - I own a blue Phat - allow me to just say how wonderful its D-Pad is - I absolutely love it. In addition to its D-Pad, I love the brighter screens; that alone seems to be enough reason to get a lite.

Bestname @ Aug 24th 2008 11:09AM

My two main concerns with the DS Lite are the D-Pad, with the diagonals being much harder to press than on the original style DS and the overall thickness with the lite. Before I got a pouch which lets me play with the DS in the pouch (it looks like one of those organizer thingys), I always got hand cramps after only a short time of gaming. Now with the added thickness due to the pouch I don't get hand cramps anymore.

Kimiko @ Aug 24th 2008 11:12AM

I have a DS Lite.

Good:
- Battery life.
- Screen lightness.

Could be better:
- Larger D-pad (or replace it with an analog D-button so that diagonals work too).
- Larger Start/Select buttons (why are they so tiny anyway?).
- More rounded shape of the whole thing so it's more comfy to hold (my palms don't like the corners).
- Higher screen resolution (handheld means it's close to my eyes, so finer pixels are good).
- Finer point on the stylus (it's a tad too big to select small details).
- Volume control could do with better range (it goes up all the way to deafening, which isn't necessary) and placement (it gets changed accidentally sometimes).

elsng @ Aug 24th 2008 11:32AM

Having moved to the Lite, I can say I'm tempted to compare the two.

The Phat's buttons were almost perfect for any sized hands and the diagonals on the D-Pad worked easily.

In contrast, the Lite is so small, if I hold it for too long, the bottom corner that's resting on my hand will leave an imprint. The D-pad doesn't work as well as the Phat's does either.

I'd also like to mention the odd placement of the "power switch". One too many times have I accidentally switched it on without knowing.

Danny @ Aug 24th 2008 12:17PM

My my were in the hearing complains mood huh alisha? First the wii now the ds

Jac @ Aug 24th 2008 12:47PM

while i haven�t been playing that long with my Lite i agree with softer corners as they print the edges on my hands, a finer stylus would be fine too, but what i�ve noticed on my end is that both the On/Off and Volume Swhich get a little loose after use, whenever i shook my ds it sounded too much for my liking.. finally i noticed that it was a little uncomfy to play with the headphones..the plug is way to the corner near my hand

Sally @ Aug 24th 2008 1:11PM

The D-pad. I wish for a retractable analog stick, if there's such a thing.

Otherwise, I'm happy with my Lite. It's definitely style over ergonomics though.

mcculfja @ Aug 24th 2008 1:14PM

I like the normal DS buttons better than the DS lite buttons.

nil @ Aug 24th 2008 1:20PM

Kill the shoulder buttons. I would prefer 6 face buttons.

Jacksons @ Aug 24th 2008 1:26PM

Two of my games (Metroid Prime Hunters, Mario Kart DS) make my hands physically hurt. This is the only portable I've ever owned that hurts to play. I may have to surrender the portability and pick up one of those Swing Grip cases, apparently they're pretty nice for larger hands.

Also, there is not one positive thing I can say about the volume adjustment. Even if it was a wheel like the first Game Boy it'd be far superior. The entire volume range being represented by a quarter-inch (I measured!) is rubbish. It stunk on the GBA SP and it stinks now.

Not ergonomically related, but I also think the DS and PSP should come with factory installed screen protectors. To me it's like buying a car without seat belts.

darksamus @ Aug 24th 2008 3:43PM

I agree, they should come with screen protectors. Most digital cameras come with screen protectors, so why not the DS Lite/DS Phat?

lincruste @ Aug 25th 2008 7:06AM

DS Lite owner here. Too bad the "start" & "select" button click so loudly in the silence of our room when my girlfriend and I go to bed. Because thoses clicks awake her when I try to play as she sleeps (she doesn't like video games at all). And slightly (just a bit) bigger screens would be welcome since its quite CPU demanding to rescale Genesis and classics 4:3 oldies with emulators.

LocalToast @ Aug 24th 2008 2:45PM

I liked the face buttons and D-Pad better on the Phat. The D-Pad is much larger, thinner, and easier to "roll" around on. The buttons had less required push to get them to respond, too.

I still like the Lite, but there are things about the Phat I still admire.

117 @ Aug 24th 2008 9:15PM

I agree with you, except I like the Phat more, for several other reasons that I'm not going to go into right now, b/c as the blogger said, this isn't a debate.

metici @ Aug 24th 2008 2:48PM

I'm overall happy with the DS Lite, except for the material that the outer shell is made out of. I barely touch it and it leaves fingerprints and scratches, especially on the darker color versions.

Abscissa @ Aug 24th 2008 2:49PM

D-Pad: Phat's is Good, Lite's is Bad.
Stylus: Phat's is Bad, Lite's is Good.

Other than that, I can only comment on the Phat's ergonomics:

The "giant rectangle" shape of it, plus the fact that the D-Pad and face buttons are so close to the top makes long play sessions *very* painful on my hands, especially if it's a game that makes heavy use of the shoulder buttons.

(The original GBA and Dualshocks also give me the same problem, but for different reasons - the GBA is too small, and the dualshock is both too small and has this big protrusion just behind the L2 and R2 buttons (it was better on the pre-dualshock PSX controller).

Also, the top-half seems to put the center of gravity in a rather odd place which makes it really awkward to hold.

And then there's the problem that on stylus-based games that put the gamefield on the bottom screen, the stylus and your fingers cover up the screen. On some games that's not much of a problem, but on Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, for example, it was a MAJOR problem. I had to gram the ultra-long stylus from my PDA just for it to even be playable *at all*, and even then it was still a problem.

BTW, DS Fanboy, there's a big problem with your new comment form fields. I've mentioned it on Joystiq and Wii Fanboy, but so far it seems to have been completely ignored:

http://www.semitwist.com/download/CrappyJoystiqFormFields.png

Puddles @ Aug 24th 2008 2:55PM

Like many others, I wish the D-pad, Start and Select buttons were bigger. The Start and Select buttons would be fine as they are if they were used infrequently, but certain games require them to be used constantly, and they're just not big enough for that to be comfortable.

molan @ Aug 24th 2008 6:18PM

i think the d-pad i want more bigger because it easy to broke is small.. right

WiiFTW @ Aug 24th 2008 3:06PM

http://www.amazon.com/ALS-Industries-Lite-Carry-Light/dp/B000P1NYCA/ref=pd_sxp_grid_pt_0_2

I play my DS Lite in one of these (navy blue).

It gives me a bit larger of a grip and the back is padded. The DS Lite alone is not terribly comfortable to play with.

I find the buttons to be ok, but the screen seems a bit low res which I hope Nintendo will fix in DS's successor.

svnelvn @ Aug 24th 2008 4:35PM

they should really just replace the d-pad with a analogue stick like psp, it's easier to move and more accurate.

also they should make the edges smoother because they cut into my hand and leave a big mark

a larger screen, of course

aj @ Aug 24th 2008 6:24PM

I must be the only person who can't stand the analog stick. I think it makes the controls precise to the point of absurdity, and a good old d-pad is straightforward and useful in 2D AND 3D games, whereas the stick makes 2D games a nightmare.

Jacksons @ Aug 25th 2008 12:22AM

I didn't find the d-pad very useful in Super Mario 64 DS. In fact, it led to many unnecessary deaths on Rainbow Ride to the point of frustration. I'd love to have an analog stick!

Abbii @ Aug 24th 2008 4:47PM

I have issues with the diagonals. I never played the DS phat for comparison, but I find that my GBA micro is much more responsive.

I also have trouble with the shape. My hands cramp very quickly. My solution for that has been using a nerf case. It provides a wider grip that I find much more comfortable. I also like it that it protects the DS when I'm not playing it. Unfortunately, it does bulk up the system, but it's been worth it for me.

b33 @ Aug 24th 2008 7:49PM

maybe,more soft start\select button
they are hard to press :\
bigger dpad

MrTyzik @ Aug 24th 2008 5:17PM

While playing Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime for hours I found that my right thumb would hurt because I had to hold the B button almost constantly throughout the game. I'm not sure if anything should change though. I wouldn't want the buttons to be larger or further apart.

aj @ Aug 24th 2008 6:22PM

Honestly, I wish the DS could have a more natural contour to the edges.....but then you wouldn't have something you could stick in your pocket....but it would be nice if there were at least an add on that you could buy (why not? Nintendo sells lots of plastic shit for the wii) that sort of cradled the DS and gave your hands something to grip with smoother edges. I've seen something that attaches to the PSP that makes it into a Playstation controller, and the DS should have something like that too.

Blake @ Aug 24th 2008 8:37PM

The D-pad and face buttons should be moved to the top side of the system, beside the top screen. I know it sounds strange, but when you hold the DS, your thumbs naturally want to rest at this height.

Jacksons @ Aug 25th 2008 12:28AM

I had to bust out my DS just to check, but yeah, holding the DS in the center and resting your thumbs on the speakers is surprisingly comfortable. It even distributes the weight of the system better.

yeeh @ Aug 24th 2008 10:48PM

I think the ds didn't come up short with the ergonomics department. the only thing I want to change is to make the buttons a bit bigger and somewhere to rest my middle fingers. Stretching the middle finger from the pointy finger puts a strain on the latter. I think a solution would be to put arease where L2/R2 buttons are located on the ps2 controllers for rest. They don't even have to have buttons.

tambre @ Aug 25th 2008 12:03AM

i'm a girl with hands on the smaller side and i find that the ds lite system sits badly in my hands.
the bottom of it pushes into the swell of my thumbs and my index fingertips just cover the L and R buttons... so basically i have a hard time gripping the system.
i love the system, don't get me wrong my hands just cramp up after holding it for a while. perhaps something more bulbous at the bottom.

oh, and the location of the power slider makes me nervous since i keep my fingers running up the sides of the system. i'm always afraid i'll shut it off on accident.

kronik @ Aug 25th 2008 7:33AM

In general I have no real issues with the DS. If my hands start to hurt, I just put the system away.
The only thing that really annoys me, is the START & SELECT buttons. Though they're rarely used, when you do need them, they're horrendous to push. They're so small and so hard, and you really have to shift your hand to get there, it really makes for an annoying experience. Though nintendo has always made start & select buttons in an odd way, I guess to prevent from accidentily hitting them maybe? But they sucked on just about all Nintendo systems...
I don't mind them being small, but they should've been as responsive as the ABXY buttons. Soft and easy to press.

stupid @ Aug 25th 2008 9:38PM

i like the ds lite and all but i can't play it for more then 3 hours or so because of the sharp edge of the plastic around the bottom of the ds, because i have short thumbs i have to rest the ds in my palm and the edge digs into my palm, so i hope the next ds is more smooth

Cospefogo @ Aug 25th 2008 12:42PM

I am a NO-THUMB guy. I don't like to play games using my thumb in the buttons, I ever use one finger and this is impossible in the NDS - Try to use two fingers on Y and B. Impossible.

The YBXA are so tiny and next to each other that
it is impossible to play with one finger for each.

Morning Toast @ Aug 25th 2008 1:50PM

I have a Lite and the only beef I really have is the start/select position. I'd rather have them *above* my buttons than below. It just seems easier to reach up quickly than down.

I've never held a Phat DS, but the Lite is maybe just a pinch too small for my hands. Long sessions = pain and I know it's because of it's size.

The L/R shoulder buttons are in the only place they can go, but I find it hard to push them without effecting the rest of my hand/finger position.

Otherwise, the Lite has been great ergonomically speaking.

Christopher @ Aug 25th 2008 3:03PM

The Lite's D-pad and buttons are too small. I've got big hands and I'm always afraid that I'm going to break them. I like the buttons and pad on the PSP better. They're slightly bigger and feel more durable.

Neuromancer @ Aug 26th 2008 9:38AM

"PC engine ≠ Xbox 360 engine, doofus. They missed their own promised release window by 6 months pushing back Too Human, which Silicon Knights had already paid license fees on in advance. Afterward, Epic tacked on additional fees and provided no implementation on it.

It was the dev equivalent of a shovelware dump and if you gays had gotten software like that, you would bitch non-stop."

You're a retard

Necrotix @ Aug 27th 2008 2:24PM

Well I traded in my PSP for a DS a while back and I like the form factor of the DS but I hate the dual screens personally as well as the stylus. I would rather it have a bigger single screen, and a friendlier Dpad as well as an analog nub (like the PSP one) on the right for *gasp* FPS like Goldeneye or Mario64 which I find damned near impossible to control. Then to replace the stylus have a mini laptop like area under the Dpad similar to a scroll pad.
Finally for all complaining the DS Lite is too thin or hard to hold, the Nerf case solves this issue brilliantly and basically armor clads the thing...