After using the PS4 controller for a good while, going back to 3 was like a living nightmare. The thing feels like a cheap plastic knockoff. It's kind of insane how much much they improved from 3.
However you do have to remember that most of us grew up playing video games, and our hands where at the time better adapted for the older controllers. NES and SNES too. Hold one of those bad boys now and it feels like a a mock controller for a small doll. At the time however, they fit perfectly in my hands. Which is funny, because the OG Xbox controller would fit just fine in my hands now, but at the time back in the day it was a real handful.
I think you hit the nail on the head: when we were children playing these systems the controllers were fine, because they were primarily designed for children. And by the time we got old enough that they might've felt a bit small we'd gotten used to them.
So from that standpoint I'd say the engineers understood ergonomics very well.
After using the PS4 controller for a good while, going back to 3 was like a living nightmare. The thing feels like a cheap plastic knockoff. It's kind of insane how much much they improved from 3.
However you do have to remember that most of us grew up playing video games, and our hands where at the time better adapted for the older controllers. NES and SNES too. Hold one of those bad boys now and it feels like a a mock controller for a small doll. At the time however, they fit perfectly in my hands. Which is funny, because the OG Xbox controller would fit just fine in my hands now, but at the time back in the day it was a real handful.
I think you hit the nail on the head: when we were children playing these systems the controllers were fine, because they were primarily designed for children. And by the time we got old enough that they might've felt a bit small we'd gotten used to them.
So from that standpoint I'd say the engineers understood ergonomics very well.