I always find this topic to be really interesting since there’s no objectively correct answer, and it tends to be something people have experience with.
Obviously, the best answer is “let the player pick”, but personally, I’m 100% in the inverted camp (both y and x axis, because apparently some maniacs only invert one). I have no idea where I picked up inverted controls, but I’ve favored them as long as I remember playing games, so I figure some early titles I played had inverted by default, which checks out since I played a lot of vehicle-based games.
For me, one of the worst experiences is realizing a game I really want to play only supports uninverted camera (or in the case of a couple, only supports inverted y), because it totally demolishes my ability to reasonably play the game with any degree of skill.
It depends on the game.
Typically I prefer normal, but there are some games where inverted camera just makes it easier, like games with full 3D exploration (flying/swimming). I do sometimes only invert the vertical for these, so I’m that maniac.
If you are an older gamer, you’re probably right that you picked it up in the early camera control games (ps1/2 for me), because changing camera function wasn’t an option and a -lot- of games inverted by default back then. I believe the logic was to treat your view camera like a real video camera, where you push the back to the left to point the camera lens to the right, but most people don’t have that type of experience so it’s less intuitive, which is why it’s less common now. I blame mostly Spyro flying challenges for my limited inversion use.
And like you, I struggle with games that don’t allow me to pick, which is most of the older games, even remastered 😭 it’s so hard to re-learn.
One big thing I love about my Steam Deck is the ridiculous amount of control customization available with Steam input.
Worst case, if there’s no option to invert in the game, you can change it in Steam with one click and it’ll remember your settings for each game.