Hotas Controllers Left is Right But Is Right Wrong?

Omegahunter

Omegahunter
Not trying to have a go at all the other left handed gamers (I'm left handed myself).

But why are you finding it so hard to use the current range of Hotas controllers?

Yes you have to use the joystick with your right weaker hand but at the time time you are using the throttle with your left. Doesn't it all come down to training and muscle memory.

I've been gaming since the early 80's and had joysticks on my old ZX Spectrum, Atari ST etc and while most of the early ones were easy enough to use with either hand. I quickly got used to using one with my right hand leaving my left hand free for the other commands on the keyboard.

Played Elite, Frontier, First Encounters and Elite Dangerous right handed on everything from the Spectrum to my current PC with one kind of joystick or another and have only recently upgraded from a Microsoft Force Feedback 2 to a full HOTAS (X52Pro).

I got used to the new controller right away with only a few changes to the default setup to suit myself. So no idea what the other left handed players are having problems with.

Could someone please explain what this big issue is as I'm not seeing it?

Also are there any right handed Hotas users who are finding the use of the Throttle "uncomfortable"?
 
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Toscaner

T
Omegahunter said:
Not trying to have a go at all the other left handed gamers (I'm left handed myself).

But why are you finding it so hard to use the current range of Hotas controllers?

Yes you have to use the joystick with your right weaker hand but at the time time you are using the throttle with your left. Doesn't it all come down to training and muscle memory.

I've been gaming since the early 80's and had joysticks on my old ZX Spectrum, Atari ST etc and while most of the early ones were easy enough to use with either hand. I quickly got used to using one with my right hand leaving my left hand free for the other commands on the keyboard.

Played Elite, Frontier, First Encounters and Elite Dangerous right handed on everything from the Spectrum to my current PC with one kind of joystick or another and have only recently upgraded from a Microsoft Force Feedback 2 to a full HOTAS (X52Pro).

I got used to the new controller right away with only a few changes to the default setup to suit myself. So no idea what the other left handed players are having problems with.

Could someone please explain what this big issue is as I'm not seeing it?
Click to expand...

so you trained using your right hand since the 80s and wondering why you have NO problem with it? :)

it's definitely not impossible, it's just uncomfortable
 

avow555

avow555
I'm right handed but use the mouse in my left after training myself to use it.
Mind over matter really.
 

Omegahunter

Omegahunter
Yes that what I'm thinking. Isn't it just the same for right handed people having to get used to using a keyboard with only their left hand in FPS games? Or work the Throttle and all of its buttons, sliders, hat switches and rotors?

While I can understand that using a Hotas the other way round is next to impossible because the controllers are shaped for the left and right hands.

Yes I've got used to doing everything on a PC (the right way round) keyboard on the left, mouse on the right. I can't say that I started this way.

I no longer even think about it, so just wonder if my fellow lefties can pinpoint what it is that makes it uncomfortable?

Fighter pilots don't get the option to have the throttle and stick changed to left hand drive in a aircraft, and there must be a few left handed fighter pilots in the world. So why is it so hard for the rest of us?
 

Arkantes

Arkantes
Omegahunter said:
Could someone please explain what this big issue is as I'm not seeing it?
Click to expand...

Different people have different adaptibility levels. It's not just "right handed" and "left handed" but "ambidextrous to some extent with one dominant hand". What works for you might not work for someone else.

I'm right-handed and I can use my left well enough, but I definitely want the hand dealing with precision stuff (like aiming) to be my right one, so I can totally see why people might not like this.

Hopefully with the release of ED and SC the joystick market will recover somewhat, probably not back to what it was 15 years ago though, but we might see Hotas products for left-handed people appear in the future.
 

BigDuke6ixx

BigDuke6ixx
I fly for a big airline and when I'm in the left seat I have to use the flight stick on my left. It's not a problem. Cant you lefties just get on with it?
 

Tommyttk

T
There are two kinds of lefties that are quite different from one another.

The left hemisphere of the brain is geared towards fine motor skills and right handers use this most. Some lefties have a complete reversal of the brain hemispheres and are just therefore like a right hander mirror image.

Other lefties however do not have reversed brain hemispheres yet are still using their left hand for fine motor control - their brains are wired up completely differently and use BOTH hemispheres more often. They are more likely to be cross dominant and use different hands for different things they've learned - just depending on how they originally got used to it. I suspect these lefties will find it a lot easier to switch hands. There is also a proportion, though smaller relatively, of right handers who will be cross dominant in this way. (but may not really notice because as we know the world is already designed for right handers) I believe theres also research that may suggest such people are also at higher risk of certain disorders so its not all positive.

(Everything i've just said may be completely wrong)

If you are a more cross dominant lefty then you can be at an advantage with PC peripherals. For example i use a wacom graphics tablet and draw with my left hand but can still use the mouse in my right without switching tools.
 

Omegahunter

Omegahunter
Tommyttk said:
There are two kinds of lefties that are quite different from one another.
Click to expand...

What you said seems to make sense, but not sure if the use of the Hotas for me is down to what you are saying or just years of use.

As I can use a joystick or a mouse with either hand ok but find using a gamepad controller hard as I don't have the fine motion skills needed with my thumbs.
 
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