The phenomenal response to an article we published on this question led to detailed cognitive research – and the findings have implications that go way beyond gamers
To be clear, this only concerns one axis of one analog stick. None of the other axes or buttons are affected, so calling it “inverting the controls” is a poor description to begin with.
This is nothing more than standard flight stick configuration. If you were to hold your game controller up in front of your face, with the handles pointing downward and the sticks pointing at your eyes, then flight controls might seem like the Y axis is inverted, because you would have to push the stick up to aim down. But if you hold the controller parallel to the floor, with the sticks pointing toward the sky like those on an airplane, then you push forward to aim down, just as humans lean forward to look down. Likewise, you pull back to aim up, just as we lean back to look up. It’s very sensible.
To be clear, this only concerns one axis of one analog stick. None of the other axes or buttons are affected, so calling it “inverting the controls” is a poor description to begin with.
This is nothing more than standard flight stick configuration. If you were to hold your game controller up in front of your face, with the handles pointing downward and the sticks pointing at your eyes, then flight controls might seem like the Y axis is inverted, because you would have to push the stick up to aim down. But if you hold the controller parallel to the floor, with the sticks pointing toward the sky like those on an airplane, then you push forward to aim down, just as humans lean forward to look down. Likewise, you pull back to aim up, just as we lean back to look up. It’s very sensible.