22.02.20

Search Wirecutter For: Search Reviews for the real world Browse Close. Browse Close. You might like if you have larger hands, if you buy most of your games outside of Steam, if you want more color options, or if you simply prefer Xbox controllers. Microsoft has made significant improvements to the third-generation revision of the controller, most notably the addition of Bluetooth so that you can use the controller wirelessly with PCs and Macs without needing to buy a. But the taller design makes reaching all the buttons more difficult, its analog sticks aren’t quite as comfortable, and it requires AA batteries unless you spring for the $25.

Or you can spend around $20 on. If you want to spend less and you don’t mind a wire, the gives you most of the features of Microsoft’s version for around half the price. Its analog sticks and buttons are comfortable enough for hours-long gaming sessions, and since it’s compatible with the Xbox One, it takes advantage of the great Xbox-controller support built into both Windows and Steam. It does feel a little cheaper than the official version, its vibration isn’t as strong, and the headset jack produces tinny sound, but it feels and works better and has more features than anything else you can get for about $25. If you play retro (or retro-throwback) games that don’t need all the extra buttons, sticks, and triggers of modern controllers, a simpler gamepad can provide a better and more authentic experience.

It’s not as faithful a replica as the controllers that come with the, but the is the best of all the SNES-clone controllers out there. Its buttons are comfortable, responsive, and clicky, and it has a Turbo feature to help with repetitive button mashing. But you’ll need to manually configure most games and emulators to work with it (you’ll find no built-in Windows, macOS, or Steam integration to speak of), and it’s a bad fit for most modern games, which require thumbsticks and more buttons than this Buffalo model has.

Not every PC game is best played with a. If you’d rather sit back and play some of your games with a controller instead, you should consider one of our picks. A controller is a highly personal object, and your preferences may differ based on your hand size, gaming style, and operating system. If you already own an an Xbox One or a PlayStation 4 console and you’re happy with the controller that came with it, you probably don’t need to buy a different one. Most wireless controllers connect to a PC using Bluetooth, just like a. All Macs and almost all Windows laptops include Bluetooth, but a gaming desktop might not. If you need to add Bluetooth to your desktop, we recommend an with good antennas (you will need an empty PCI Express slot and a free USB header on your motherboard) rather than one of the many cheap USB dongles.

In our testing, small USB dongles became laggy and inconsistent after just a few minutes of gaming. Our picks can also work with a, if you can’t (or don’t want to) add Bluetooth to your desktop. How we picked.

Photo: Andrew Cunningham Picking a “good” game controller is a subjective exercise, one that depends on what you’re already used to, the size of your hands, and the kinds of games you play. But regardless of which specific controllers you like, most people should look for the following features:. Comfort: Regardless of your hand size, you should be able to hold the controller for a couple of hours without cramping, and it shouldn’t slip around if your hands get sweaty. The controller should also be heavy enough to feel substantial but not so much that it causes arm and wrist fatigue. Responsive buttons and triggers: Every button, trigger, and joystick on the controller should do what you want when you want. All the controls should be easy to reach, and the buttons should have enough space between them that you can find them by touch without accidentally pressing multiple buttons. Compatibility with Windows, macOS, and Steam: Controllers can be difficult to set up, they aren’t guaranteed to work with every game even if you get yours working on your OS, and remapping can be a pain.

It should be relatively easy to get controllers working with Windows and macOS, and they should also play nice with Steam, the biggest platform for PC games. A good price: A good wireless controller usually costs somewhere between $40 and $60, and a decent wired controller should cost around half that. Wireless controllers should also work when wired: Controllers that use 2.4 GHz wireless or Bluetooth offer convenience and prevent cable clutter, but they can also introduce latency, and their batteries eventually run out. Good wireless controllers should also be able to communicate over USB when you’re playing games where split-second response time is important, while you’re charging the battery, or if you just don’t have Bluetooth. Other features, such as touchpads, internal rechargeable batteries, or extra customizable buttons and triggers, are nice to have, but a good controller doesn’t need them.

The labeled elements of a gaming controller, as shown on the Sony DualShock 4. Image: Kimber Streams and Ryan Hines We looked at 48 controllers from major manufacturers such as 8bitdo, Logitech, Microsoft, Nintendo, Razer, ScufGaming, Sony, and Valve, plus a few other controllers from lesser-known companies that are popular on Amazon. We ruled out those with poor owner reviews and others that cost way more than controllers with similar features. That left us with 14 controllers to test:, the, the, the, the and, the, the, the, the, and the. How we tested. We tested all of our modern controllers on a Windows desktop, a Windows laptop, and an iMac with a variety of 2D and 3D games, including the first-person shooter Bioshock Remastered and the precise and exacting 2D action games Super Meat Boy and Cuphead.

This process gave us plenty of time to evaluate the all-important analog sticks, D-pads, and trigger buttons, as well as to consider how the controllers felt in extended play sessions. For the retro controllers, we stuck to classic 2D platformers and action games like Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Metroid, and Mega Man X. We tested each controller for at least an hour, and we played with each of our picks for at least three hours across multiple games. Our pick: Sony DualShock 4 Wireless Controller. The (the newer CUH-ZCT2 model) is the best PC game controller for most people.

It’s comfortable to hold for long periods of time, it’s responsive, it works over both Bluetooth and Micro-USB, and it works great with Steam, the place where most PC gamers get their games. It also has some nice extra features that few other controllers have, such as an internal rechargeable battery and a touchpad that can simulate a mouse cursor. Making it work with other Windows or macOS games takes some extra effort, and its headset jack doesn’t work properly with computers, but those minor shortcomings will be relatively easy for most people to work around. The DualShock 4’s buttons, triggers, and joysticks are all easy to reach for most people regardless of hand size, and they all feel accurate, responsive, and satisfying. The position of the directional pad—on the left of the controller, rather than toward the bottom center—makes the DualShock 4 more comfortable to use than Xbox-style controllers in retro-style 2D games like, or, and it’s still a great controller for 3D shooters and action games thanks to its smooth analog sticks and easy-to-reach triggers.

The rubber on the analog sticks is more comfortable than the surface of the Xbox controller’s sticks, and the shoulder buttons, triggers, and directional pad feel more substantial than the Xbox controller’s hollow-feeling counterparts. The DualShock 4’s analog sticks have a uniform rubber coating that makes them more comfortable than those on other controllers. Photo: Andrew Cunningham Steam, so now it works well with any Steam game that supports a gamepad in the first place. The controller can also navigate Steam’s Big Picture mode, and there are even a few DualShock-specific settings you can tweak: You can configure the controller’s trackpad to work as a mouse cursor, you can turn rumble on and off, and you can customize the color and brightness of the controller’s light bar. If you don’t play Steam games (or if you just prefer more flexibility) and you’re on Windows, you can still install the app to further customize how the controller works and make it work differently in different games (Mac owners have to manually configure the controller in every game, assuming that’s an option). But the native Steam support should cover most PC gamers, and it finally gives Mac owners an easy, consistent way to use the DualShock 4.

The DualShock 4 is also well-priced; you can almost always get one for less than $50, and you can often find it for $40 or less. You will have to pay a bit more if you want a color other than black, though—while basic colors like red and blue usually aren’t too much more expensive than the black version, newer and more exotic colors run closer to $60 or $65.

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You can use the DualShock 4 over Bluetooth or with a Micro-USB cable. To pair it to any computer via Bluetooth, press and hold the PlayStation and Share buttons until the light bar blinks. The Micro-USB connection allows you to use the DualShock 4 on computers without Bluetooth and recharges the controller’s battery while you play. The DualShock 4 doesn’t come with a Micro-USB cable, but if you don’t have one lying around, you can get for just a few dollars. Flaws but not dealbreakers. Though Steam’s DualShock 4 support now makes it much easier to use Sony’s controller with a PC than it was a few years ago, Xbox controllers still have better integration with Windows overall—plug them in, and you’re ready to go, whether you use Steam or not. And most games still use the letters and colors of the Xbox controller’s face buttons rather than Sony’s × ○ □ △ labels, so if you’re not used to the game’s control scheme, you could more easily push the wrong buttons.

The controller’s headset jack also doesn’t work properly in Windows or macOS. When using a cable, you can hear sound in headphones but can’t chat (in our tests, an attempt to record sound from a headset connected to the DualShock 4 picked up an annoying low-pitched whine). And when paired via Bluetooth, the headset jack doesn’t do anything at all. If you want to use a headset, you’ll need to connect that headset directly to your PC. That isn’t a huge problem if you’re gaming at a desk, but it is annoying if you have a living room PC. Who else likes our pick. Few professional reviewers have evaluated the second-generation revision of the DualShock 4, aside from briefly listing its cosmetic changes in their reviews of the.

But this controller is so similar to the first version that praise for the original version usually applies to both. “the best controller Sony has ever made,” but dings the controller’s seven- to eight-hour battery life. Says that “using the DualShock 4 is a delight.” The reviewer continues: “It’s comfy, responsive, sleek and familiar.” One the Xbox One controller to the DualShock 4, but calls it “a Pepsi vs. Coke situation” and says that the DualShock 4 “is more customizable and may be a better fit for smaller hands.” Runner-up: Microsoft Xbox Wireless Controller. You might prefer if you have larger hands, if you don’t buy many games through Steam, if you want more color-customization options, or if you simply prefer Xbox controllers. Microsoft has made significant improvements in the third-generation revision of the controller released in August 2016, most notably the addition of Bluetooth so that you can use the controller wirelessly with PCs and Macs without needing to buy a separate dongle. But this controller’s taller design makes reaching all the buttons more difficult, its analog sticks aren’t quite as comfortable, and it requires AA batteries—or a that will run you an extra $25.

The controller’s ABXY buttons are attractive and responsive, the sticks glide smoothly, the lightly textured plastic on the front and back feels good to hold, and the controller has a satisfying heft that won’t fatigue your wrists or hands. But the Xbox One controller’s size makes it just a bit less comfortable to use, even for my larger hands. The shiny plastic shoulder and trigger buttons are responsive but feel less substantial than the DualShock 4’s, and the rubber rim of each analog stick is rougher and less pleasant to touch than the uniformly textured sticks on the DualShock 4. Although the D-pad is nice and clicky, it’s located below and to the right of the main analog stick, making it a bit harder to reach if you’re playing 2D games. The rough rubber rim of the Xbox One controller’s analog sticks is less comfortable for extended play sessions. Photo: Andrew Cunningham One of the Xbox One controller’s greatest advantages is that, in Windows, it’s dead simple to set up: Just plug it in, and Windows does the rest. While Steam’s native support for both the Xbox One controller and the DualShock 4 renders this moot if you buy and play most of your games in Steam, if you happen to prefer buying games from the or somewhere else, you may have an easier time with the Xbox controller.

Many games (Steam games included) also use the Xbox’s button labels in their interfaces, regardless of which controller you’re using, which makes tutorials easier to follow and control schemes easier to learn. If you own a Mac and get most of your games through Steam, you won’t need any extra software to use the Xbox One controller—the native Steam integration works just fine whether you’re paired via Bluetooth or connected with a USB cable. If you’re not using Steam and a particular game won’t natively work with the Xbox controller, the makes the controller work with macOS and gives you a few other controller-customization options (with one caveat—the software won’t work if you’ve paired the controller via Bluetooth, only over USB or with Microsoft’s ). Like the DualShock 4, the new Xbox One controller can connect to your PC with Bluetooth or a Micro-USB cable; it to connect wirelessly to a PC. To enter Bluetooth-pairing mode, press the Xbox button to turn the controller on, and then hold the sync button on the top of the controller for three seconds. We had no problems playing over Bluetooth during our testing, but there are some caveats: Your PC needs to be running the Windows 10 Anniversary Update or newer, Microsoft says only one Xbox One controller can be connected via Bluetooth at a time, and the controller’s headset jack doesn’t work.

Connecting with a Micro-USB cable or using Microsoft’s wireless adapter fixes all those problems. The Xbox One controller usually costs between $40 and $50 for a white or black version, and between $50 and $70 for more exotic colors. But if you love colorful controllers and don’t mind spending more, the lets you pick out custom colors for nearly every single part of the controller, including the front, back, shoulder buttons, triggers, D-pad, and analog sticks—Microsoft offers a few templates to start from, or you can jump in and start clashing colors right away. Prices start at $80 but can go above $100 if you spring for special options like screen-printed NFL logos. One reason to choose the Xbox One controller over the DualShock 4 might be its battery life— that it consumes less power than the DualShock 4, and either Microsoft’s Play and Charge kit or will provide more play time than the DualShock 4’s internal battery. But the DualShock 4 will still last eight or 10 hours on a charge, and since its battery is built-in, you don’t have to spend more just to get a rechargeable controller. Budget pick: AmazonBasics Xbox One Wired Controller.

If you want to spend less and you don’t mind a wire, the gives you most of the features of Microsoft’s version for around half the price. Its analog sticks and buttons are comfortable enough for hours-long gaming sessions, and since it’s compatible with the Xbox One, it takes advantage of the great Xbox-controller support built into both Windows and Steam (and you can use to make it work well with macOS). It does feel a little cheaper than the official version, its vibration isn’t as strong, and the headset jack produces tinny sound, but overall it’s a solid deal. Like the official Microsoft controller, Amazon’s Xbox One controller has a hard, ridged rubber surface on its joysticks that becomes uncomfortable during long gaming sessions.

Photo: Andrew Cunningham The Amazon controller’s design is similar to that of the official Xbox One controller, so if you find that gamepad to be uncomfortably large, you’ll have the same complaint about this one. But all the buttons, shoulder buttons, and triggers are responsive and feel as good as or better than those of all the other budget controllers we tested. The analog sticks and D-pad are as smooth and accurate as Microsoft’s, though Amazon’s controller also uses a rough plastic texture around the analog sticks that makes them less nice than the sticks on the DualShock 4. The shoulder buttons are exceptionally loud and clicky, but probably not enough to bother most people. Most of the Amazon controller’s shortcomings are the same as what you’ll find on any cheap controller. Compared with the official Microsoft controller, Amazon’s controller feels lighter, and the quilted texture on the back also doesn’t feel as smooth. The vibration motor works fine, but it’s not as strong as Sony’s or Microsoft’s.

But we prefer it to the other cheap controllers we tested because it has a headset jack (albeit one that produces tinny sound and a dull, quiet whine anytime you’re not hearing other music or sound effects), because it’s officially licensed with Microsoft’s stamp of approval, and because it works with the Xbox One in addition to PCs. We also like that the USB end of the controller cable—which is around 10 feet long, more than enough for most PC setups and living rooms—has a breakaway segment. It’s a little too eager to separate from the rest of the cord, which might lead to some unintentional disconnections, but you’ll be thankful for it the first time someone trips over your cable. The Amazon controller behaves exactly the same way as Microsoft’s official controller when plugged into a PC or Mac—Windows and Steam both natively support it, and the will treat it the same way as any official Xbox 360 or Xbox One controller.

Amazon offers the controller in either black or white—most budget controllers don’t give you any color option, so it’s better than nothing—but you don’t get the same number of color choices as with Sony or Microsoft. For less than $25, it’s hard to do better. Wirecutter senior staff writer Kevin Purdy was hesitant to buy a third-party controller but has been pleasantly surprised by the AmazonBasics gamepad after a few months of use. “I worked this controller through much of The Witcher 3, Bastion, and as much Hyper Light Drifter as I could handle,” he said. “It also connects to quite a few consoles that allow for USB ports, so it’s a good backup player in general.” For retro gamers: Buffalo Classic USB Gamepad. Any of our other controller picks will work just fine for retro games and emulators, but sometimes if you’re chasing nostalgia you want a simpler controller to match.

Of all the many Super Nintendo–style replica gamepads we looked at, the stands out as the most comfortable and satisfying. At around $15 per controller, it’s more expensive than most of the SNES knockoffs, but it’s also the closest you can get to the real thing. The Buffalo gamepad has four face buttons, two shoulder buttons, and Start and Select buttons, as well as a directional pad, plus Turbo buttons that simulate rapid mashing on one of more of the other buttons.

All are responsive and easy to reach, and although you might miss the sculpted handles of modern controllers, the Buffalo pad’s rounded edges and simple layout make it comfortable to hold for extended play sessions. The shoulder buttons also have just the right amount of give, whereas the Innext retro controllers we tested felt stiff and mushy.

Compared with a real Super Nintendo controller (or the extremely good replicas that ship with the Super NES Classic Edition console), Buffalo’s pad feels a little light in the hand, but the buttons feel nearly identical. You’ll find no joysticks, vibration motors, or other sensors in the Buffalo gamepad, so it’s a poor fit for modern games; native Windows and Steam integration is also nonexistent. Both Windows and macOS recognize it as a gamepad, but you’ll have to map the buttons manually in each game (or emulator) you want to use it with. The Buffalo gamepad has held up well over years of use. “I pack the Buffalo Classic USB Gamepad into I build for friends and family,” said Wirecutter staff writer Thorin Klosowski. “Every single time people tell me how great it is, and I’ve seen them last years of lightweight use.” What to look forward to. The bridges the gap between games with controller support and games better played on a mouse and keyboard.

It has touchpads in place of a D-pad and right analog stick, and its dual-stage triggers and back buttons are designed to give you more control and customization than traditional console controllers provide. But its plasticky body feels cheap and hollow, and its large shape is awkward for smaller hands to hold. The left analog stick and the ABXY buttons are difficult to reach because they sit too far toward the center, the ABXY buttons are tiny and clustered too close together, the bumpers are difficult to press, and most buttons—the bumpers, triggers, back buttons, and touchpads—make a sad, echoing click throughout the cheap plastic controller. It’s also so different from regular controllers that it has a substantial learning curve. Until Valve releases better hardware, we can’t recommend the Steam Controller for most people.

The comfortable and responsive is a must-buy if you have a Switch, and if you already own one, it can connect to your PC over Bluetooth and works with Steam’s generic gamepad support. But the Switch Pro Controller doesn’t work as well with a PC or Mac as our top picks—it won’t communicate over USB when you plug it in, its vibration motor doesn’t work, and we had to before its joysticks would work properly. On top of that, its ABXY buttons aren’t laid out as on an Xbox controller: A and B are reversed, as are X and Y, which could create some confusion in games that expect an Xbox-style button layout. For $20 or so more than a DualShock 4, this controller is worth trying only if you already have one for your Switch. The was a close second to our budget pick. It’s a DualShock-style controller that uses Microsoft’s Xbox 360 controller driver, so it integrates well with Windows and Steam, and it’s the only modern controller in our test group that costs less than $20. But it also feels light and cheap in the hand, lacks a headset jack, and isn’t compatible with any actual game consoles, all of which make the AmazonBasics controller a better buy.

The is a pro-grade wired Xbox One controller intended for competitive use. It was impressively comfortable to use and nice to hold in our tests, and its customizable buttons, extra buttons and triggers, and customizable lighting make it a good fit for its target audience. But at $160, it’s between three and four times the price of our main picks, and most people don’t need its extra features. Is a neat idea: an SNES-style retro gamepad updated with the joysticks, triggers, and vibration motors that modern controllers include. Spinning top candlestick. It’s compatible with Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and the Nintendo Switch, and it works well with Steam in Windows mode.

But there’s a reason why modern controllers have handles—the SF30/SN30 Pro is uncomfortable to hold for extended periods of time. The buttons and sticks are all pretty close together, increasing the risk of cramping, and people with sweaty hands may have trouble holding on to it. The SteelSeries Stratus XL (for or ) is comfortable to hold, and all the buttons, triggers, and analog sticks work well and feel good.

But it runs on AA batteries and connects only via Bluetooth—there’s no wired option. The controller requires software from SteelSeries to work, but it doesn’t offer any benefits over the DualShock 4 or the Xbox One controller.

Is similar to the Switch Pro Controller, but it’s wired and costs around half as much. Like the Switch Pro Controller, it works well enough with Steam’s generic gamepad support, but it lacks vibration and the ABXY buttons will be mixed up in most PC games. It’s not quite as comfortable as the Switch Pro Controller, and its mushy removable D-pad is much less satisfying than those on any of our other picks. The and are both wired gamepads that cost between $20 and $25; the V+ uses a DualShock-style layout, while the N uses an Xbox-style layout.

Both are well-reviewed among Amazon customers, and they worked fine in our testing. They use the Xbox-controller driver in Windows, so they both benefit from the same Windows and Steam integration as Microsoft’s gamepads, and they both use Xbox-style ABXY button layouts. But both gamepads (particularly the glossy V+) feel light and cheap in the hand, lack headset jacks, and are incompatible with actual game consoles. Their vibration motors are weak too.

The is the only controller with Bluetooth that we could find for less than $30. It works with Windows, Android, and macOS/iOS, and it has a small clip that can hold your smartphone in landscape mode.

But while the controller is mostly comfortable and responsive, Windows mode uses a small 2.4 GHz wireless dongle instead of Bluetooth, and there’s no storage compartment to put the dongle into when you’re not using it. Some of the buttons are also awkwardly hidden away under the phone clip, and the D-pad is mushy and unsatisfying. At around $15 for a two-pack, the are a good value if you want a pair of super-cheap SNES-style controllers that still work. They feel fine, and we had no problems with button responsiveness in our testing.

But the plastic doesn’t feel as good as that of, the shoulder buttons are mushy, the Start and Select buttons aren’t as comfortable to press, and it lacks a Turbo feature, all of which make the Buffalo controller worth the extra money. At this point, you shouldn’t consider controllers from previous-generation consoles if you’re buying something new; this group includes any, the, and the.

They can all work with PCs (and the Xbox 360 controllers in particular have excellent support in both Windows 10 and Steam), but their replacements are generally more comfortable, more compatible, and easier to find. This is the second-generation version of the DualShock 4, released in late 2016 alongside the PlayStation 4 Slim and PlayStation 4 Pro. It has marginally better battery life than the old model, and it has a thin horizontal light across the top of the touchpad that matches the color of the light bar on the top of the controller; overall it’s nearly identical to the first-generation model. At least, it doesn’t work properly when you’re using a USB cable or standard Bluetooth. Supposedly fixes the problem, but it’s bulky, otherwise unnecessary, and apparently discontinued. This version of the controller came out in 2016 alongside the Xbox One S.

If you don’t know which one you have, can help you figure it out. If you can’t get your controller to pair with Windows, Microsoft recommends.

Gaming systems are the most advanced PCs today. If you are having issues with getting your Game Controller to work, the problem could be missing or corrupt Game Controller Drivers. Be advised that Game Controllers that use connections other than USB ports are not supported in Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 and beyond. If you have had recent power outages, viruses, or other computer problems, it is likely that the drivers have become damaged.

Downloading and installing the latest driver for your Gaming Device can resolve these types of problems. How to Update Drivers to Fix Game Controller Problems Quickly & Easily Many Game Controller problems can be fixed by updating the drivers.

After you upgrade to Windows 10, problems can occur because your current driver may work only for the prior version of Windows. There are two ways you can update your Game Controller drivers. Use DriverGuide to find the correct driver for your device and operating system. Next, download and install it by following the step by step instructions.

You’ll need average to intermediate level computer skills to use this method. OR - Even computer newbies can update drivers with just a few clicks of a mouse. Use trusted software to identify, download and install the newest driver updates for your PC in one step. Your old drivers can be backed up and restored if you encounter any problems. You’ll need novice to beginner level computer skills to use this method. If you cannot find the right driver for your Game Controller, you can and we will find it for you. Or, try the option instead.

Once you have downloaded the new driver, next you must remove the current driver if it is installed. On a Windows PC, you do this by using a built-in utility called Device Manager. It allows you to see all of the devices attached to the PC, and the drivers associated with them.

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