Scientists have worked out why some people invert video game controls, so which side is correct?

When you push the right controller stick forwards, do you expect a game camera to move up or down? Whether players use “normal” or “inverted” camera controls has long been a point of debate.

Now, though, it’s part of a scientific study. As reported by The Guardian, Dr Jennifer Corbett and Dr Jaap Munneke at Brunel University London initiated a study during lockdown into the neuroscience of human-computer interactions using remote subjects, speaking with players to research controller inversion.

The duo have now published their findings in their paper “Why axis inversion? Optimising interactions between users, interfaces, and visual displays in 3D environments”. And the results are all about how your brain perceives objects in 3D space.

“Many people told us that playing a flight simulator, using a certain type of console, or the first game they played were the reasons they preferred to invert or not,” said Corbett. “Many also said they switched preferences over time. We added a whole new section to the study based on all this feedback.”