No, I Don’t Want to Press the L3 Button to Sprint

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Remember when the L3 button was a technological leap that made the PlayStation 2 a fantastic console? Nobody even knew what an L3 button was until they accidentally pressed the joystick on their DualShock 2 controller, only to discover it was a functional feature responsible for actions like locking on, crouching, or sprinting.

This button clearly defined a new era of gaming. The L3 button gave games more freedom of movement by acting as an extra input for the left stick. The same applied to the right stick with R3.

It was all fun and games—until stick drift became a problem.

Keep in mind that the PlayStation 2 rarely had issues with stick drift, despite the L3 button being used for nearly all sprinting and crouching. The main reason? Older controllers like the DualShock 2 had stronger, longer-lasting components called potentiometers—devices that could handle the stress and pressure of repeated inputs, even with prolonged use.

Now? A DualSense controller can barely last a year without experiencing drift. I’m not saying it’s the so-called “planned obsolescence” I keep hearing about, blaming it all on wear and tear. But I have another theory. Call me crazy, but I think it’s all caused by pressing the L3 and R3 buttons repeatedly.

The Modern Need to Press L3

This is my biggest gripe with modern games: I despise pressing L3 to sprint. It feels awkward, forced, and unintuitive. Am I really supposed to hold this button down for the entire duration of my sprint and pretend it isn’t damaging my controller? Nah.

Games like the Horizon series and even Split Fiction, the new game from Hazelight, still rely on this outdated mechanic. I understand First Person Shooters like Call of Duty: Warzone or Battlefield use this as a standard feature, but for single-player games? No. It makes no sense.

Sure, I’m aware of the “Click L3 to Sprint” standard, but I still think it’s a terrible choice when we could just hold X or O instead.

Can’t We Just Bind It?

I’m all for games that prioritize accessibility, which is why I really appreciate when a game lets me bind the sprint function to another button I don’t typically use. That’s why I liked Elden Ring—a simple press of the O button lets me dash, while the stick buttons are reserved for the camera and lock-on functions.

Auto-Run

I also appreciate when a game includes an auto-run toggle in the menu, though I don’t always enjoy using it. I don’t want my character zooming all over the place during serious moments. Sometimes, I just want to walk through a hub or town at a leisurely pace, taking in the atmosphere. Stellar Blade did this well—I loved exploring its hubs without feeling rushed.

Auto-run is a nice option to have, but it’s not for me.

Can We Stop This?

I genuinely dread whenever a game forces me to press the stick buttons to sprint. Whether it’s L3 or R3, it just feels wrong. It’s not the best use of those buttons, and it only accelerates the wear and tear on my $70 DualSense controller.

If I truly wanted to address the problem of stick drift, I’ve thought about purchasing a DualSense Edge controller, but it’s priced similarly to three standard DualSense controllers. Frankly, I’m uncertain which choice offers better value in this situation.

So here’s my plea to game developers in the coming years: Please, stop making L3 the default sprint button. At the very least, let us bind it to something else or toggle it easily. I’d like to keep my DualSense pristine and drift-free, thank you.

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2025-03-18 15:17