> even with my giant sasquatch hands, it's hard to reach all the buttons
Did you find the OG Xbox "Duke" controller comfortable? I did. The Deck doesn't have the best layout IMO, but I don't have trouble reaching the buttons.
> readable text on the tiny screen
Definitely an issue, especially those over 40 - which, really, is sort of a major part of the expected market.
I've never touched an Xbox controller—or really any console controller since the early Nintendo days.
What I find to require contortion is maintaining a grip on the Deck while operating the front controls without simultaneously squeezing the paddles on the back or having such a loose grip that I risk dropping the thing. The paddles on the back are one of my biggest problems with the grip ergonomics in general.