Usability of touchpad based game controller interfaces

Abstract

This paper examines the use of a new input device that is available on two video game systems released in the past year. The Ouya controller and the Dual Shock 4 controller for the Playstation 4 contain a touchpad located in the center of the control-ler. This type of input mechanism is also expected be a feature of the planned Steam Controller by Valve. Even though the touchpad is currently available to developers, few games take advantage of it. This paper analyzes the usability of touchpad based game interfaces for the Ouya Controller and the Dual Shock 4 controller in both a gaming environment and in a controlled user interface study. The results show that traditional thumbstick controls are preferred and perform significantly better than the touchpad interfaces for 2D driving games, and that hand posture can significantly affect the usability of game controller based touchpad interfaces.