Topic: Gyro Aiming

@JaxonH

How would that work with a console like PS4 that doesn't charge on USB-C? Like, would you need a micro USB to USB-C connector on hand? And even on Switch, would that necessitate owning a Switch Pro first? I'm a bit confused on how this works with consoles.

@JaxonH Where did you get that controller from?

@Ralizah
Oh, the adapter is USB-A. But it has a female USB-C port on the side, and comes with a USB-C to USB-C cable, and a USB-C to micro-USB cable, so you can connect it to any controller.

@Tasuki
https://store.xim.tech/XIM-NEXUS_p_27.html

It sold out, came back in stock for an hour, so I got an order in, now they have a waiting list you can get on.

@Ralizah
Also, it's only compatible with PS4, Xbox One and Series S/X as far as consoles go. So no Switch, but you wouldn't need it for Switch anyways since 99% of games already have gyro anyways.

For PS/Xbox, you just plug the adapter in a USB-A port on the console, then plug the cable from the adapter to the console controller. Then turn the XIM NEXUS controller on and use it like any other controller.

@JaxonH So you can use this to achieve functional gyro on virtually any modern console game (bar Switch)? Since you've already had a bad experience with one game, I'll be curious to hear if you run into any more problematic pieces of software.

@JaxonH Thanks for the link. I definitely want one of those for my Series X.

@Ralizah
I'm gonna investigate that more this weekend. I also posted in the XIM community asking about Gears 5 and if anyone had encountered any other games where it doesn't seem to work right.

I'm gonna buy Call of Duty Vanguard on Series X I think. It's not on Steam, and I want to see if this thing works correctly for it, plus mouse and keyboard support. I've seen videos of CoD working flawlessly with this thing. And a lot of other games.

Also here's the games it supports

https://community.xim.tech/index.php?topic=31528.0

@JaxonH Thanks. That's a staggering list of games.

I assume that if it works on a game on PS4, that carries over to PS5?

@Ralizah
Not sure about PS5. Maybe for PS4 games running on PS5, but I'm not sure. I did see a thread or two of ppl talking about using on PS5, but I can't speak to how well it works or compatibility.

@Ralizah
Got Gears 5 working FLAWLESSLY!

There was something wrong with the default config. It just wasn't optimized right. And the in game settings, I changed the deadzones from 0, 0 to 1, 10.

Used the Halo Infinite config as a base and renamed it, then redownloaded it fresh so I still had a copy to use for Halo.

That felt a TON better. But then I tweaked the 4 settings in the Advanced options- Precision, Response, Easing and Stability. And found the perfect mix of values. Honestly feels as good as mouse gyro. This is just unreal how good it feels. It's all about the settings!

You can just choose between stock options for the 4 settings in Easy mode- Starter, Balanced, Twitch, Heavy, etc etc. But if none of them feel perfect you can tweak the 4 settings in Custom from 0-100% and find the right mix.

We made it... this is the promised land.

As much as I love Gyro assisted analogue part of me kinda wishes the gaming industry had not only embraced it but pushed well into it. The WiiMote/Nunchuck combo was short on buttons for sure but I still feel like it was a huge step in the right direction. Outside of VR nothing has really tried to replicate it except at a stretch the JoyCon although even then there's no positional tracking so it's not fully committed to the idea

The way I see it there are four different kinds of inputs you might want to replicate in a game. Movement, aim, action and settings. Movement for most games you just want a vector, direction and speed, analogue sticks are perfect for that because that's what they do. This is the one area where controllers always have a massive lead over keyboard and mouse

Action? Buttons usually do the job although some kinds of actions are continuous and linear, some even have directionality. The ones that don't fit into a button neatly can be forced into a button (or group of buttons) but for those kinds of actions? Generally an analogue trigger or analogue stick can do the job better. Think racing games for triggers and I'd argue a game like geometry wars for the analogue stick (I'd class that as an action not "aiming"). Also gyro motion worked well for that in some games, think Skyward Sword.

Then there's settings which.... usually you can hide in a menu or they're tied to the d-pad or a radial menu under a button on the second stick. Dials can also work for settings, weapon swapping on PC is often under the mouse wheel. I don't think this area is something anyone cares enough about to be bothered with the way things currently are. Outside of maybe people who are super into flight sims

Then lastly aim, which is what we're on about. For aiming you want to point to a specific location in (generally 2D) space. That's what a mouse literally does, you're physically moving a lump of plastic across a 2D plane. Analogue sticks approximate this by having you issue a vector and stopping the vector when it reaches the desired point. It's a skill we learn but it's .... fundamentally disconnected from the action. Gyro? Gyro is pretty close to what we're after but it does drift if you don't have some other system to centre it

Analogue stick + gyro? It's a nice compromise. You get the intuitiveness and precision of gyro while having the analogue stick effectively there to manually recalibrate the "centre". And because you can move the "centre" it's possible to dial back the sensitivity of the gyro. I'd still prefer full motion tracking for aiming and just better tech to improve the stability. But given the industry has little to no desire for it outside of VR? Gyro assisted analogue is the best we have...

@skywake
Agreed on basically everything.

It's an uphill battle just trying to get gyro on PS/Xbox games. The struggle is real. It's hard out here for an enlightened gamer.

Or at least, it was. Between KB/M input (especially using Fragchuk or Azeron Cyborg in place of keyboard) and now gyro via XIM Nexus controller, the floodgates have opened.

UPDATE
Tried Mass Effect Legendary Edition. It’s also flawless, maybe even better than mouse gyro! Well, I won’t go that far, but it’s equally good as mouse gyro. It’s honestly unbelievable. Idk how they did it, this translator is voodoo magic.

I did need to up my analog sensitivity in the XIM Manager app to 90% for camera turn speed, and increase my gyro sensitivity to 85%, but that nailed it. I mean, nailed it. It’s flawless. As good as playing on Steam with mouse gyro.

And, this game wasn’t even in the “official list”, but there was still a config for it in the app. Seems to me pretty much every game will work- even if there isn’t a config (which is doubtful, since there’s hundreds of them) you can just use one from another game and tweak accordingly. Max out in game sensitivities, turn off any aim acceleration and zero out dead zones in the settings, and you’re golden.

So that’s 3 for 3, all flawless precision gyro that’s indistinguishable from mouse gyro. I’m buying a spare for backup just in case they stop making these things. I heard they stopped manufacturing their XIM Apex KB/M adapters to make these instead, and a lot of fans of that product are upset. But I guess the chip shortage meant the cost of manufacturing would’ve skyrocketed, so they turned their focus to this for the time being.

I can’t risk not having this device moving forward. I need a spare in the closet just in case.

@Ralizah
Sorry to keep tagging you but I figured you might be interested in the follow up analysis. Basically, my conclusion is this: it’s a miracle device. It does exactly what I’ve always dreamed of, and does it so well it’s hard to tell the difference from true mouse gyro. This thing is the single greatest gaming invention I’ve ever experienced. Idk what else to say. It makes every game on Series X playable with flawless gyro. What more could one ask for?

@JaxonH No, I appreciate the follow-ups and detailed posts.

The price tag is painful, but if it's really that good, I'll heavily consider a purchase if I end up snagging a Series X.

Which I might if the GPU shortage carries on for too long, or if the GPU manufacturers continue to charge a surplus for crappy cards.

@Ralizah
Ya, price is definitely high, to the point that delivering anything less than perfection would likely render it overpriced.

And yet... it's peak perfection. It not only meets but exceeds expectations. I figured it would be usable gyro, basically on par with Steam mouse-like joystick. Not so. This thing feels like mouse gyro, and the customization and configurability ensures every game is tuned exactly how you want it.

And, I just realized... this thing is gonna save me so much money. The whole reason I got Series X was to demo games in Gamepass, then purchase on Steam where I could play with gyro. Now? I won't need to purchase on Steam for gyro. I can just play on Series X! 3 games pays for itself.

edit
Monster Hunter World confirmed working with flawless gyro now also.

@JaxonH God, how did you get a Series X? I've been looking all over the place and they're out of stock no matter when i search

@Edwirichuu
I wasn't even looking for one until I watched the Xbox documentary and decided I'd get one for Gamepass.

Did a quick Google search and saw Gamestop had them in an All Access Bundle with 2 years Gamepass, if you sign up for a line of Credit and pay it off over 2 years in $35/mo payments. That's no interest, though it is almost full price on the Gamepass side.

But I grabbed 3 years of Gold at $55/yr from Amazon and converted to Gamepass for $1 using the trial offer.

So ya, All Access Bundle via Gamestop.

@JaxonH I thought about that, but it sounds like you're selling your soul, way too much trouble for a $500 console, all I see in stock are Series S and nothing else, but in the long run, getting a Series S will be more expensive...yeah, I think i'll just pray they re-stock soon and scalpers don't ruin things again

@Edwirichuu
Not really. Unless you have no intention of subbing to Gamepass. But if you do, it's a purchase you would have made anyways. Since Gamepass is kinda the whole point of owning Xbox nowadays. At least to me.

Doom Eternal works flawlessly and feels BETTER than mouse gyro! There. I said it.

IT FEELS BETTER THAN MOUSE GYRO.

I think it's likely because mouse gyro can't be configured to the extent this can. They just nail the responsiveness and smoothness and Stability when not moving.

The future is now. Gosh dang it. Now I'm gonna end up rebuying a ton of games to have on Xbox.

I have yet to find a game that doesn't work flawlessly or can't be tweaked to work flawlessly. Nonetheless, here are the games I've tested so far...

Games Confirmed Flawless Gyro

• Gears 5
• Halo Infinite
• Monster Hunter World
• Mass Effect Legendary
• Doom
• Doom Eternal
• The Outer Worlds