👉All our favorite Black Friday PC gaming deals👈

When it comes to the key high-end technology of today, such as TMR sticks and Hall effect triggers, that isn't necessarily the preserve of the super-premium $200 controllers. Companies such as GameSir and Easy SMX have brought these features down into the mainstream and you can find some of the best PC controllers sporting them for bargain prices right now.

Where to find the best Black Friday controller deals

• Amazon: All the pads you could ever want
• Walmart: Solid controllers, series savings
• Best Buy: Big name pads with big value discounts
• Newegg: Big savings on big brand controllers

Black Friday controller deals

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Logitech G203 | Wired

Perfect as a starter or low-budget option with a list of useful features like 6 programmable buttons, Lightsync RGB effects and a ton of customisation via Logitech's G Hub software, this mouse proves that you don't need to go fancy to get a great gaming peripheral. Key specs: Wired | 8,000 DPI | Right-handed Price check:Best Buy $39.99

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$25.99$34.99

Amazon deal recommended by:

Dave James • Editor-in-Chief, Hardware • 56 mins ago

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Save $33.68

Glorious GHS Eternal | 40 mm drivers

With a solid build quality, good compatibility and sweet design, the Glorious GHS is a thoroughly middle-of-the-pack budget gaming headset, but is a bit of a steal with a third off. Key specs: 40 mm drivers | 20 hz - 20 kHz | 255 g

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$26.31$59.99

Amazon deal recommended by:

Andy Edser • Hardware Writer • 2 hrs ago

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Save $20

Logitech G305 Lightspeed | Wireless

The Logitech G305 Lightspeed is our favorite budget wireless mouse—it's nothing fancy, but it's lightweight, has great battery life, and uses a killer sensor. The only thing to note is that this deal isn't necessarily that out of left field—the G305 hasn't been at full price for a while, but it's still worth snagging if you need a nice budget option with no frills. Key specs: Wireless | 12,000 DPI | Right-handed Price check: Best Buy $49.99

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$29.99$49.99

Amazon deal recommended by:

Dave James • Editor-in-Chief, Hardware • 56 mins ago

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Save $20

Logitech G305 Lightspeed

Already reasonably priced, who could say no to this charming rodent at a deep discount? Offering precision and durability with buttons rated for 10 million clicks—plus an array of fetching colours—this remains a great budget pick for good reason. Key specs: Wireless gaming mouse | Hero sensor | 12K CPI | 5 programmable buttons | 99 g weight | 200 hour battery life

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$29.99$49.99

Amazon deal recommended by:

James Bentley • Hardware writer • 21 days ago

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Save $35.01

Razer Basilisk V3

This mouse might be a few years old, but we scored it highly in our review in part thanks to that lovely ergonomic design. It also has some lush underglow RGB that's sure to tempt even those who usually hate RGB lighting. Key specs: Wired gaming mouse | 26K DPI | 11 buttons | 100 g

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$34.98$69.99

Bestbuy deal recommended by:

James Bentley • Hardware writer • 21 days ago

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Logitech G502 Hero | Wired

This is a substantial discount on a tried and tested Logitech gaming mouse, with a large amount of customisation. The G502 Hero uses the Hero 25K sensor for accuracy, 11 customizable buttons, and comes with five removable weights to adjust the feel for even the pickiest of competitive gamers. Key specs: Wired | 25,600 DPI | Right-handed Price check:Best Buy $69.99

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$37.99$69.99

Amazon deal recommended by:

Dave James • Editor-in-Chief, Hardware • 56 mins ago

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Save $20.2

Razer BlackShark V2 X

The Razer BlackShark V2 X is a remarkably good gaming headset, so much so that we'd say it was absolutely worth its full asking price, never mind the $20 discount you'll find here. Razer's 50 mm titanium drivers are nicely punchy and capable of plenty of volume without distortion, it's well-made, comfortable to wear all day, and the mic is pretty good, too. Plus, it's got a green cable, and we all know that pop of colour makes wired gaming headsets better by default. Key specs:50 mm drivers | Wired | Cardioid microphone

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$39.79$59.99

Amazon deal recommended by:

James Bentley • Hardware writer • 21 days ago

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Save $40

Logitech G432 | 50 mm drivers

Logitech has been cranking out decent budget gaming headsets for a while, but this one's actually more of a mid-range set with a very healthy discount. The black and blue colorway won't be for everyone, but with 7.1 surround sound, a flip-to-mute mic, and DTS Headphone:X 2.0 support, this is certainly a whole lot of headset for the cash. Key specs: 50 mm drivers | 20-20,000 Hz | Closed-back | Wired Price check: Best Buy $49.99

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$39.99$79.99

Amazon deal recommended by:

Andy Edser • Hardware Writer • 2 hrs ago

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Razer Kraken V4 X | 40 mm drivers

If you're wondering why you might pay a little more than the Razer headsets above for, well, another Razer headset, the answer is comfort. Don't get me wrong, the BlackShark V2 X is a comfy thing to wear, but the plush, cushy memory foam cushions of the Kraken are well worth considering if you're looking for as much all-day usage as possible. It still sounds great, too. Key specs: 40 mm drivers | 20-20,000 Hz | Closed-back | Wired Price check: Best Buy $59.99

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$44.99$79.99

Amazon deal recommended by:

Andy Edser • Hardware Writer • 2 hrs ago

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Save $45

Turtle Beach Burst II Air | Wireless

We gave this mouse an 85% in our review, praising its very low weight, huge battery life, and super-responsive feel. It doesn't have quite as many fun extras as competitors and can be a bit of a fingerprint magnet, but it is a super solid choice at this price. Key specs: Wireless | 26,000 DPI | Symmetrical Price check:Best Buy $99.99

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$54.99$99.99

Amazon deal recommended by:

Dave James • Editor-in-Chief, Hardware • 56 mins ago

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Save $42

HyperX Cloud III | 53 mm drivers

We found this headset to be very comfy in our review, with a balanced sound that still manages to keep a decent whack of bass. Our major drawback was the MSRP, but at $58 this set of cans is well worth a look. Key specs: 53 mm drivers | 15-25,000 Hz | Closed-back | Wired Price check: Best Buy $57.99

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$57.99$99.99

Amazon deal recommended by:

Andy Edser • Hardware Writer • 2 hrs ago

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Save $20

Nothing Ear (a) | Bluetooth | 42.5-hour battery life (9.5 from earbuds)

These earbuds might not be ideal just for gaming (their low-latency mode is pretty poor), but for listening to music and more casual gaming, they're great. They have a great sound profile, sit comfortably, and look pretty snazzy, too. Key specs: Bluetooth 5.4 | 42.5-hour battery life (9.5 from earbuds) | 20 Hz – 20 kHz frequency response

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$59$79

Amazon deal recommended by:

Andy Edser • Hardware Writer • 2 hrs ago

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Save $37.5

KTC H24V27

This KTC pick is a budget pick, and it knows it. The 100 Hz refresh rate is just okay; a VA panel means less good viewing angles and color accuracy, but it's a solid enough gaming monitor, and the cheapest I'd actually recommend right now. Remember to use the code "LDSF246" for the full discount Key specs: 24-inch | 100 Hz | 1 ms | VA

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$62.49$99.99

Newegg deal recommended by:

James Bentley • Hardware writer • 21 days ago

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Save $33

Scuf Valor Pro

This controller is comfy, responsive, and all its various buttons, sticks, and triggers feel very high-quality. There's little to dislike about the Valor Pro unless you really don't want to keep that cable. This is a great price for a Scuf controller, too. Key Specs: Wired USB Type-C | Xbox, Windows | Hall effect thumbsticks

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$76.99$109.99

Amazon deal recommended by:

Jess Kinghorn • Hardware Writer • 24 days ago

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Save $50

Acer AOpen 24KG1Y X3bip

With a $50 discount, this is the highest refresh rate 1080p monitor you will find at its price point. It's also IPS, which offers better viewing angles and colours than VA and comes with a solid response time too. Key specs: 23.8-inch | 200 Hz | 0.5 ms | IPS

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$79.99$129.99

Newegg deal recommended by:

James Bentley • Hardware writer • 21 days ago

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Save $50

Asus ROG Pelta

With a strong battery life, super comfortable fit, and nice, airy materials, the Asus ROG Pelta is a bit of a belter. At its usual price, it's still a very good offering, but $45 off makes it an instant recommendation. Key specs: 2.4 GHz, Bluetooth, and USB-C connectivity | 90-hour battery life

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$79.99$129.99

Amazon deal recommended by:

James Bentley • Hardware writer • 21 days ago

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Save $52.5

MSI MAG 244F

With a hurtling-fast refresh rate and snappy response rate, this IPS panel from MSI is a solid competitive pick for just under $100. Key specs: 24-inch | 200 Hz | 0.5 ms | IPS

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$97.49$149.99

Bestbuy deal recommended by:

James Bentley • Hardware writer • 21 days ago

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Save $50.99

MSI MAG 255XFV

You might not like the VA panel and its low brightness, but you'll surely like the speed and price tag. 250 Hz, 0.5 ms pixel time, and adaptive sync will all help to ensure you get super-silky gaming. Key specs: 25-inch | 250 Hz | 0.5 ms | VA Price check: Best Buy OOS | Micro Centre OOS

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$99$149.99

Walmart deal recommended by:

James Bentley • Hardware writer • 2 hrs ago

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Black Friday controller deals in the UK

Where are the best Black Friday controller deals in the UK?

• Amazon: Big discounts on top-brand controllers
• Overclockers: A whole bunch of controllers to choose from
• Scan: Gamepads from just £15
• Box: Controllers for everyone
• Currys: Controllers from as little as £20
• Argos: Good prices on budget to high-end controllers

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Our current pick for the best PC controller that won't hurt your wallet is the GameSir Nova Lite. This costs comfortably under $30 on a good day, but how low can you go in the budget realm? Well, how about a pad you can make yourself in about six hours for €10 (or about $11.22)? The catch is…uh, well, just look at it.

Dubbed the Undercooked V0.4, this thing doesn't have a D-pad or even a full set of face buttons. Instead, this project limits itself to a single analogue stick, 'X' and 'A' inputs, a menu button, and a 'B' button that's been relegated to the pad's right shoulder.

According to the creator, Lazy_Duck, "the idea was to make it simple, affordable and that you could get all components even in the smallest electronics shop quick and cheap." As such, this simplified pad doesn't even feature a full PCB.

Instead, you'll need a protoboard with an RP2040-Zero microcontroller—that is, if you fancy DIY-ing something that looks a bit like the tech you would have seen coming out of East Germany after the wall came down. With only four buttons and a stick, it definitely gets points for novelty at the very least.

The body may also earn itself a few more points for durability. Made from 150 g of 3D printed filament, the shell is then stuck together with heat-set threaded inserts. Basically, this gamepad should be able to take a tumble, or indeed being flung across the room.

All of those 3D printed ridges don't look like they'll be especially comfortable in the hands over extended periods, so you may want to sand the outer parts of the shell before putting it all together. Mind you, sanding may not do much for comfort given the back side of this controller is completely flat.

My fingers are aching just looking at it. Still, if you're looking for a cheap and cheerful electronics project, you can't go too wrong with this, even if you don't end up actually using it.

The GameSir Nova Lite 2 is our new best budget controller for PC. It's extremely well equipped considering the small asking price. Depart with just $30/£30 of your hard-earned cash, and you'll receive a wireless controller with Hall effect sticks, mechanical D-pad, trigger stops, and programmable rear buttons.

There's enough here that even GameSir's own exceedingly popular G7 Pro is at risk of cannibalisation. The Nova Lite 2 doesn't look that out of shape by comparison, with only quality of life and more advanced features between them. Such as a handful of micro switches and a bigger battery. The G7 Pro is a better all-round controller, but for less than half the cash, the Nova Lite 2 is tough to ignore.

There are some drawbacks with a controller at this price. The plastic doesn't feel great and it's not overly grippy. The software could be smarter and the shoulder buttons wider, too. But they all seem savvy sacrifices for the savings that the Nova Lite 2 delivers.

GameSir Nova Lite 2 - Features

The Nova Lite 2 is less than half the price of the G7 Pro, but it's not at a loss for many of the same or similar features. This budget gamepad really packs a lot in.

First off, it offers wireless connectivity at a low cost. It supports 2.4 GHz for PC, via a USB Type-A dongle, and Bluetooth for Android, iOS and Switch. Using the 2.4 GHz dongle, I measured a range exceeding 20 metres, in line of sight, so I wouldn't worry about range at any sensible distances (though Bluetooth and a wall or two will notably trim that down).

Then there are the Hall effect sticks. These sorts of sticks are becoming pretty ubiquitous among gamepads these days—that or TMR, as found in the G7 Pro 8K—but they lower the chance of pesky stick drift making an appearance later in life. This pair lack the premium feel of more expensive controllers but they're otherwise pretty great.

The triggers are also Hall effect, though most are, and offer two modes: full range of movement or stubby li'l clicks. You might get some use out of the shortened trigger stops in fighting games—a more tactile controller may be better suited—though they do come in handy when using the Nova Lite 2 with a Switch 2. I've been using the Lite 2 on Switch and it's very well suited for a mean Mario Kart machine like myself.

The mechanical D-pad is a standout feature. It has a great, lightweight click in each direction. It doesn't take much to actuate but you can be quite deliberate with it. For more casual users, it's great for clicking through menu screens, though it could just as reliably be mashed repeatedly in a fighting game.

The face buttons are standard fare. They're just membrane and aren't anything special. The two rear buttons are also not particularly tactile, being hewn from the same plastic as the housing on the controller. That, too, is just okay. I don't expect much more from a controller at this price tag, but it doesn't feel like it's going to break apart between your hands, either. There's no major flex to any of the plastic housing and only a little creakiness when pressed firmly.

Now, for one thing I don't actually like about this controller, and that's the plastic travel case that comes with it. I get the idea, and hey, if you travel with your controller often, it saves the thumbsticks, but for many people, myself included, it feels a bit like plastic waste I could've done without.

GameSir Nova Lite 2 - Value

The Nova Lite 2 is superb value for money at $30/£30. It lacks some more advanced features, such as a gyro, but makes more than up for it with practical, real-world benefits, such as a mechanical D-pad and Hall effect thumbsticks.

It's a step up over the existing Nova Lite. That's on its way out as our pick as the best budget controller, to be replaced by the Nova Lite 2. That controller is still an option for a slightly reduced fee of $23/£18, but the Nova Lite 2's rear buttons, trigger stops, and mechanical D-pad wholly justify the slight increase in cost for me.

Considering the cost of some wired controllers these days, the wireless Nova Lite 2 feels like a bit of a steal.

GameSir Nova Lite 2 - Ergonomics

The Nova Lite 2 is very, very normal. It's slightly less sculpted than a modern Xbox pad, but has a similar shape. The rear plastic is ever so slightly textured, adding the tiniest amount more grip. Most buttons are easy to reach without moving my hands much, including the extra rear buttons. The only real oddity is how small the bumpers are: they don't extend around the corners of the controller like most pads these days.

It comes in black or white. Both have orange highlights around the thumbsticks, orange switches on the rear triggers, and orange legends on the face buttons. Big Stadia Controller vibes—remember Stadia?

I'm really scraping the bottom of the barrel for things to describe here. This thing is plain, but not offensively so.

GameSir Nova Lite 2 - Software

GameSir Connect is the best way to control the Nova Lite 2 on PC. It's a bit basic as far as modern software goes, though the core functionality one might expect is all in there.

You can control the deadzone for each of the thumbsticks and triggers, vibration intensity, rear button assignments, and lighting within the app. There's just one bonus feature: hair trigger mode. This is loosely equivalent to rapid trigger on some modern gaming keyboards, in that the trigger will click and release based on the relative movement of the trigger, not its absolute position. As GameSir says in the app, it's "useful for scenarios that need fast triggering."

The GameSir Connect app also offers software updates for the controller. Best use it at least once.

There's also a mobile application, simply called GameSir, but it has just two out of five stars on the App Store and a weaker UI than the desktop app. I'd not bother unless you're strictly mobile/Switch only.

Finally, there are ways to configure the controller without any software whatsoever. I appreciate this option for the software-averse among us—even if the actual combos are tough to remember.

So, selecting between PC (X + GameSir) and Bluetooth (B + GameSir) is easy enough, but remapping the back buttons (M + L4/L5, followed by the key to remap), turning on Turbo mode (M + any button), and turning on hair trigger mode (M + LT/RT) might require the manual for a reminder.

GameSir Nova Lite 2 - Gallery

GameSir Nova Lite 2 - Battery life

GameSir doesn't note a specific battery life for the Nova Lite 2. It simply offers a battery capacity, which sits at 600 mAh. That's the same as the Nova Lite, which had a stated 10-hour battery life, so we can more or less assume a similar expected result for the Nova Lite 2.

I've measured how long it takes for the controller to go from 100% to 0% over the course of a couple of gaming sessions. It took roughly eight and a half hours. I suspect with the lighting disabled and a different style of play, it'd be possible to crack the expected 10-hour mark, but either way, it lasts long enough to not cause an issue.

Ultimate 3-mode: was $69.99 now $39.99
Though not the latest Ultimate controller to date, it is the best-priced right now, and with a cute included charging dock and stick-drift-resistant sticks, it's sure to last you a long time. The only real caveat to me is the 250 Hz polling (200 Hz wireless), which is better than Sony and Microsoft, but it means a 4-5 ms response time to your device.

Key specs: Wired and Wireless | Hall effect joysticks and impulse triggers | 2 back paddle buttons | 3.5 mm jack | up to 250 Hz polling | 250 gView Deal

Third-party controllers have gotten so good in the last few years. I'd argue they've developed so well that the likes of Sony and Microsoft have fallen behind.

If you are looking to pick up a new controller and you have less than $50, I couldn't recommend anything over the 8BitDo Ultimate 3-mode today, now that it's $40 at Amazon.

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Looking at this price point, you can pick up the Xbox wireless controller on sale for just shy of $50, but the 8BitDo comes with a charging stand, a better polling rate, Hall effect sticks and triggers, and a comparably strong build quality.

You could go for the likes of the GameSir Nova Lite 2 for $30 at Amazon. This would be a solid pick, as it offers Hall effect sticks and a higher 1,000 Hz polling rate, but I'd personally pay the extra $10 for the charging dock and 8BitDo's excellent design and feel. It makes surprisingly premium-feeling controllers for reasonable prices.

And if you don't like the black variant, the white one is the same price, and the Xbox Jade model is $5 more. Either way, you are getting a few extra buttons (two paddles on the back) and three-way connectivity. It has Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz (which you can pop into the dock to require just one USB cable to power the controller and its dock), plus wired mode.

8BitDo notes that the Ultimate 3-mode is compatible with Xbox, and that's true, but only while wired. It's still better than some controllers, but worth noting nonetheless. As such, that makes the Ultimate a great controller to primarily use on your PC, with the option to connect to other devices in a pinch.

With the Xbox logo on the top and the asymmetrical sticks, you are getting a comparable experience to the Xbox controller here, but without stick drift, with higher polling, a charging dock, extra buttons, and (to my eye) a better aesthetic too.

👉See all the Amazon controller deals here👈

I use my Razer Wolverine V3 Pro several times a week. It's become my go-to wireless controller (among many different options on my shelves), thanks to its shape, stickfeel, and build quality. It's plenty quick to react, it's got excellent triggers and face buttons, and is one of my favourite bits of gaming gear. Ever, in fact.

Then came the Wolverine V3 Pro 8K, and I wasn't too fussed. Sure, 8K polling is a nice thing to have, but it wasn't enough to sway me towards spending $200 on another controller. Now, however, I have a Wolverine V4 Pro review sample in my hands, and I have to admit—I'm sorely tempted to upgrade.

Razer hasn't messed with the core recipe that made the V3 Pro great. It's still got the same comfortable chassis shape, fantastic heavyweight, dual-action triggers, and all the right controls in all the right places. What it has done, though, is upgrade the hardware underneath, while adding a heavy sprinkle of customisation options that improve the experience considerably.

I thought I wouldn't get on with the slightly lighter stickfeel compared to the previous model, but I was wrong. It's still got a highly-controllable resistance, now combined with superb snap-motion accuracy from the new contactless sensors.

It feels sharper, without losing its smooth, slightly weighty movement. The battery life has been upped to a maximum of 27 hours. You can pull off the rear buttons and block the holes off with flush-fit magnetic plates. And you get 8K polling support, complete with wrist-shaking haptic rumble. Individually, these might seem like small changes. Together, they make one of the best controllers I've ever used… well, even better.

We do need to talk about the price. $200/£200 is an awful lot to ask for a gaming controller, especially when there are so many good options on the market for fractions of that sum. But the Wolverine V4 Pro has a kitchen sink-worthy list of features, all of which combine to create a brilliant gaming device—even if your bank account may disagree.

Razer Wolverine V4 Pro features

Take a deep breath, because there's a whole lot to go through here. At its core, the Razer Wolverine V4 Pro is an asymmetrical, Xbox-style controller with 2.4 GHz wireless and USB Type-C wired connectivity, alongside a maximum 8K polling rate over both wireless and wired connections. Razer says the Wolverine V4 Pro achieves sub-1 ms response times, thanks in part to the speedy polling.

Beyond the usual controls, there are also two extra configurable buttons between the bumpers and the triggers on the top side, alongside four extra "mouse click" paddle buttons on the underside. The triggers can also be locked with two toggle switches on the back, which means they can be switched between a full-throw action and a precise click on the fly.

On the front, you get a set of PBT face buttons with clicky, mecha-tactile switches underneath, which have a slightly shorter action than those found on the bog-standard V3 Pro. Diagonally opposite sits a very clicky D-pad.

Then there are the new thumbsticks. These feel slightly lighter and snappier than the V3 Pro's versions, although they still have a touch of weight to the action. Razer has imbued these sticks with what it calls "next-generation" capacitive sensors, which represent "the next step in contactless sensor design."

According to the company, these sensors offer superior resolution and are more resistant to magnetic interference when compared to the TMR and Hall effect models found in other high-spec controllers, while still avoiding stick drift. When paired with the 16-bit ADC chip inside, the new tracking results in around 3,000 steps of movement tracking per sensor.

Still with me? Good, because I haven't got to the customisation options yet. The front faceplate of the V4 Pro is now magnetic, and can be removed by wedging your fingernails underneath a hidden groove on the topside and giving it a sharp pull. Razer says more faceplate options are coming soon—so prepare yourself for the inevitable Minecraft tie-in, I guess.

You also get six interchangeable thumbstick caps to choose from. By default, it comes with your standard short concave models installed, but there are also a pair of taller versions, and a pair of convex replacements for weirdos. I mean, those who prefer a totally different thumbstick experience.

The rear paddle buttons are also removable, and the holes can be filled in with magnetic-locking plates that fit flush with the frame. All of these magnetic additions explain the switch to interference-resistant capacitive thumbstick sensors, that's for sure. You can also switch between software profiles on the fly with an assigned button combo. Phew.

What's left? Oh yes, the battery life. Razer reckons you'll get a maximum of 27 hours out of the V4 Pro, a seven-hour improvement over the old model. That depends on polling rate and haptic settings, though. Charging from empty to full is quoted at three hours via the USB Type-C connection.

The last change is a pronounced lip around the USB Type-C port on the rear. This is to prevent a flexed cable from damaging the port over time, although my old V3 Pro sits on charge regularly and has never had an issue. The raised section is a bit… over-pronounced, if you ask me. The lip stands out on what is otherwise a seamless design. Still, I appreciate the concession towards durability, if nothing else.

Razer Wolverine V4 Pro ergonomics

I've been holding the V4 Pro up against my V3 model for some time now, and it looks (and feels) like exactly the same chassis shape to me. This is a very good thing. If I look ever so closely, I would say the textured grip on the rear of the V4 Pro is slightly finer, although this could be down to wear on my older version.

It's the differing textures underneath the various controls that stand out, though. The triggers still have a weighty resistance to them, with a deliciously smooth action. The main bumpers click with precision, whereas the taller macro buttons underneath them have a longer, "snippier" sort of click. You won't mix them up easily while staring at a screen, I've found.

The matte-finish PBT used on face buttons is plenty grippy under the fingertips, and while the switches underneath feel roughly the same, there does seem to be a slightly faster action when placing them side-by-side with my V3 Pro. Again, that could be down to wear on my used model, but there's definitely an improvement under my right thumb here that I appreciate.

And as for the snappier thumbsticks, I didn't think they were much of an improvement when I tried them out in a Gamescom booth earlier this year. However, having now spent some quality time with them, the lighter stick resistance really does make a difference to my aiming speed. There's still a little bit of aim-steadying pushback, alongside a quicker snap back to center.

Speaking of the sticks, I can't help but be impressed by the robustness of the V4 Pro's customisation system. The thumbsticks themselves can be pulled off with a reasonable amount of force, and pressed back on firmly without incident. The faceplate is similarly secure, but it's still easy enough to remove once you know where to put your fingernail.

You don't have to remove the faceplate to replace the sticks, but I thought I'd try both together to see if I could disassemble the front of the controller with one hand:

And yes, I can. But the biggest boon to customisation happens round the back, where any (or all) of the rear paddle buttons can be removed and replaced with magnetic-locking plates. These snap into place to create a remarkably flush fit, which makes the plates practically disappear underneath my fingers.

I've got used to resting my ring and pinky digits on the rear paddles of my V3, but if you're not using them all the time, they can feel a little obstructive.

No such worries here. Block them all off individually, or keep one or two around for specific tasks if you so wish.

Despite all these modular features, the V4 Pro feels like a rock solid, totally finished product. There are no rattles, no rough edges, no fiddly bits of cheap plastic. It might be expensive, but this controller really does feel like you've bought a ticket to the executive lounge.

Razer Wolverine V4 Pro performance

To test the Wolverine V4 Pro, I booted up three controller-favouring games from my Steam library: Elden Ring, Crimson Desert, and Control Resonant. I have many hours in each, much of which has been spent with either the V3 Pro, or the standard Xbox Wireless controller. I also had a knock around in Apex Legends to test its shooter capabilities.

And to my genuine surprise, I could feel the difference immediately. Control Resonant in particular, a game with much target switching and button juggling, actually feels a touch easier with the new Wolverine. The snappier thumbsticks make a real difference to fast direction changes, and while I'm no expert judge of 8K polling and sub-1ms latency times, the V4 Pro definitely feels quicker to respond.

The haptic responses are also super-powerful. So much so, I think most people will probably turn them down—but vibration fans are in for a buzz. Turning this controller on for the first time actually made me jump, as it jiggled my desk with such force.

The face buttons are quick to press and slightly more positive, too, which adds to the feeling of snappy responsiveness. And I really enjoy the heavyweight triggers, which make firing an arrow in Crimson Desert feel more purposeful than most. My Elden Ring performance has also felt the benefit, although I still suck at it overall. No fancy controller is going to change that.

And while I'd personally never pick a controller over keyboard and mouse controls in a shooter, the Wolverine V4 Pro is plenty responsive in Apex Legends, too. If I had to use my thumbs for precision shooting? I'll take one of these, please. It's better than any other controller I've tried for speedy first-person aiming, put it that way.

There's a feeling of extra precision to the Wolverine V4 Pro that I didn't realise the previous version lacked. It's subtle, but very much there. One feels like a luxury item with a touch of padding, while the other is sharper, lighter under the fingertips, and slightly more eager.

Plus, being able to individually remove the rear paddles (I quite like dropping them down to two, ring fingers only) makes for a more comfortable gaming experience.

I'd expected to forget about the internal upgrades once my brain was focussed on a game, but I was wrong. It's easy to tell that improvements have been made. And switching back to a standard Xbox Wireless controller afterwards definitely feels like a major downgrade. Still, you can pick one up for around a quarter of the price—so I can't knock it too badly.

Razer Wolverine V4 Pro aesthetics

Razer has ditched the RGB-lit lettering on the front of the new Wolverine, but I doubt many will miss it. I've turned mine off on the older model, as while it looks good in photos, it can be a touch distracting. Instead, what you get here is a stealthed out, grown-up-looking device.

Not very Razer, is it? Still, I'm definitely a fan of the all-black aesthetic. The matte finish on the PBT face buttons doesn't just feel good, but looks the part, too. I suppose it's not the best controller for beginners, or those who still hunt for the Y button in a panic during a QTE event. There are no multi-coloured buttons or white letters to help you out here.

My major bugbear, though, is the protruding USB Type-C cable port, which sticks out more than I'd like and makes for an ugly blemish on what is otherwise a very refined design. At least it's round the back, ey?

Razer Wolverine V4 Pro software

The Wolverine V4 Pro is configured via Razer Synapse, which will be a benefit for those of you with Razer devices already—and perhaps a downside for those who don't. Still, Synapse is very workable these days, and the menu system for this particular controller is pretty straightforward.

Alongside the profile switching options at the top (which can also be cycled using on-controller button combos) there are five main tabs: Customize, Triggers, Thumbsticks, Power, and Calibration. The first gives you the most useful settings, these being polling rate, haptic intensity, and communication switching modes, alongside button configurations.

There are also options for the SOCD feature, which allow you to configure what happens when you press and hold two opposite directions at once.

You can adjust the trigger ranges in the second tab, and fiddle with the sensitivity and dead zones of the thumbsticks in the third. Honestly, I feel like a lot of these options could be boiled down to a single page, but at least it's not a labyrinth of poorly worded menus like some others I could name.

A case in point is the fourth tab, Power, which has exactly one thing you can adjust—the length of time the controller stays on when inactive. And the fifth tab handles individual control calibration, which I guess is worthy of its own section. Overall, though, the software is perfectly acceptable. Better than most, even.

Razer Wolverine V4 Pro

Razer quotes a 27-hour battery life for the new Wolverine, although I'd imagine that's at lower-than-8K polling rates. What I can say from my own testing, though, is that my review sample came out of the box with a 65% charge and I've only just plugged it in. That's after several days of on/off gaming.

Those weren't 24-hour sessions, of course. But several eight-hour sprints without reaching for the USB cable certainly seem possible. I'm still old-school enough to want to plug my controller in after I've finished, but it's a habit I'm starting to break.

What would be nice though, for the cash, would be an included charging stand. It's something we're starting to see more often these days—even with some of the more affordable controllers, like the EasySMX D05. Food for thought, Razer?

Razer Wolverine V4 Pro value

Do we have to talk money? I'm afraid so. The Wolverine V4 Pro is expensive, and there's no getting around it. When the GameSir G7 Pro Tri-Mode costs $80, the $200 price tag of Razer's new baby looks more than a little excessive.

The G7 Pro also has customisation options similar to the Razer, with its removable faceplate and swappable controls. You can't get rid of the rear paddle buttons, though, a feature I find most handy on the new Wolverine. The GameSir model also has TMR thumbsticks, which should be in the same ballpark as the Razer's. They won't stick drift, put it that way.

In terms of value, it's clear that the GameSir G7 Pro Tri-Mode wins the day. It's less than half the price, for goodness sake, and it comes with a charging cradle. But I don't think the heavyweight price tag spoils the Wolverine V4 Pro, either.

Yes, it's a lot of money to pay for a controller. But if you're the sort of gamer who sits for hours every weekend with one in your hands, the Razer really does feel like the final boss. It's got pretty much every feature you really need (and many extra niceties you might not expect), alongside a smorgasbord of delicious controls and switches that feel like the cat's pyjamas. And when it comes to speedy inputs? Fuggedaboutit.

Plus, being able to individually block off those rear paddle buttons and swap out thumbsticks on the fly makes more difference than you think. Whatever your setup, whatever your odd combination of control preferences, the Razer is likely ready for you. And it's even managed to avoid any overblown gamer flair while it's at it. This is a grown-up device for adults, not an RGB-covered piece of frippery.

Pricey? You bet, and I wish it was significantly cheaper. But, in the same way I'd happily recommend spending a lot of money on something brilliant you're going to use all the time, like a great gaming chair, TV, or headset, I do think the Wolverine V4 Pro makes a very good case for justifying the expense.

G7 Pro Tri-Mode: was $79.99 now $63.99
Our current pick for the best PC controller right now, the GameSir G7 Pro is only slightly pricier than a standard Xbox controller but feels and looks nearly identical, and comes with TMR sticks, tactile switches, and a charging dock to keep it topped up and looking pretty on a shelf. This is the lowest we've seen this controller at, and it was already reasonably priced at MSRP.

Key specs: TMR joysticks | 2.4 GHz wireless, Bluetooth, Wired | Asymmetric | 272 g

Price check: Best Buy $63.99View Deal

Though the likes of the Wolverine V3 Pro 8K make for an excellent competitive experience, I wager the average person is much better off with a GameSir G7 Pro, thanks to its included charging stand, great feel, and, most importantly, a stronger price point.

If you fancy picking up a controller we gave 92% just last year, it's currently $16 off at Amazon, for just $64. That's a steal for what is truly an excellent buy.

• We're curating all the best Prime Day PC gaming deals here

The black and red model is gorgeous to look at, and without the helping hand of RGB, though you can pick the white, gold, orange, silver, or purple models for the same price. The Dragon's Dogma 2 edition is even 63 cents cheaper. The faceplates can be swapped out, should you want to change up the aesthetic in the future too.

The G7 Pro comes with a tidy charging stand, which also functions as its 2.4 GHz dock. That means you can connect to your PC and charge the controller all from just a single USB Type-C cable.

In the specs department, you are getting TMR thumbsticks, Hall effect triggers, a solid 1,000 Hz polling, and an included 3.5 mm jack for plugging in headphones. The only place it could really be noticeably upgraded is the polling rate, but I personally wouldn't pay $8 extra for the Aimlabs 8K version, which is also on sale.

If you've spent much time with the Xbox pad, the G7 Pro will feel very familiar to you in layout, weight, and size. In fact, I have the G7 Pro 8K on my desk and have for a few months now, and I'd pick it over Microsoft's finest any day. It's just a great-feeling controller that is super easy to use and comfortable in the palms.

The G7 Pro is even compatible with PC and Xbox. The only downside is it needs to be wired to work on your console. You can go totally cable free though on PC, mobile, and Nintendo Switch.

We reckon it is the best controller you can buy right now, and for good reason. The likes of the Wolverine 8K get a better polling rate and sturdier build, but for the average person simply looking for something pretty to sit on a desk, GameSir simply cannot be beaten for value

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A new and improved version of the original Nova Lite, the Nova Lite 2 has Hall effect everything, 1000 Hz polling, and trigger locks. It even has a mechanical D-pad, which is absurd for the money, really.

Key specs: Wireless (Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz) | Asymmetric | Hall effectView Deal

There used to be a time not so long ago when you'd buy uber budget controllers, knowing they'd break in a year or two. And yet, I've had the original GameSir Nova Lite for longer than that now, and it still works perfectly, deflecting stick drift with ease.

If you want something cheap and cheerful, its upgraded older sibling, the GameSir Nova Lite 2, has been knocked down to $24 this Prime Day. That's a bit of a steal for a solid wireless pad.

• We're curating all the best Prime Day PC gaming deals here

The Nova Lite 2 doesn't have competitive specs, but it's a perfectly servicable pad for all sorts of games, and the newly upgraded 1,000 Hz polling rate is about average for a reasonably capable gaming controller right now. 8,000 Hz won't be worth the battery drain for most PC gamers but, unless you're a pro, you likely won't feel the difference anyway.

Here, you're getting Hall effect joysticks, a two-way trigger lock to swap between linear and long press triggers, plus a few customixable buttons on the back.

There's no RGB, but it's not totally plain either. Both the black and white models are available in the sale for the same price, with orange highlight offering a pop of colour on both versions (I think my money would be on the black pad). It comes with a 2.4 Ghz connector, but it also has Bluetooth. You can swap between devices with a shortcut on the pad, meaning it can switch from mobile to PC in just a few moments. That's pretty neat, and something I liked about the first pad, too.

Speaking of the first pad, the original GameSir Nova Lite is even cheaper, at just $18 on Amazon. If I had to pick, I'd pick up the sequel for a few bucks more to get four times the polling rate, but the original model does offer a greater range of colours. Though it doesn't come with a charging stand, the Nova Lite 2 is still charging stand compatible, so you could pick one up further down the line to keep your pad topped up too.

If you simply need an extra pad and don't want to spend a whole bunch of cash on something like, say, the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro 8K now that it's on sale, I couldn't recommend a GameSir controller enough. And despite its low cost, I can attest that it's not going to break too easily on you, either.

👉Shop all of Amazon's gaming controller deals here👈

G7 Pro Tri-Mode: was $79.99 now $63.99
Our current pick for the best PC controller right now, the GameSir G7 Pro is only slightly pricier than a standard Xbox controller but feels and looks nearly identical, and comes with TMR sticks, tactile switches, and a charging dock to keep it topped up and looking pretty on a shelf. This is the lowest we've seen this controller at, and it was already reasonably priced at MSRP.

Key specs: TMR joysticks | 2.4 GHz wireless, Bluetooth, Wired | Asymmetric | 272 g

Price check: Amazon $63.99View Deal

No matter what your budget is, there's a good gaming controller out there for you. And until just last week, I would have put Razer's impeccable Wolverine V3 Pro 8K in the 'you need a fierce budget to buy this one' category, and yet Prime Day has just had to come in and prove me wrong.

Right now, you can pick up the Wolverine V3 Pro 8K for $94, which is more than half off its MSRP. That price is so good that I thought I clicked on the wrong controller the first time I saw it. The only downside is that you need to be a Prime Member to claim it. You could always sign up now and cancel before the first payment goes out.

• We're curating all the best Prime Day PC gaming deals here

We awarded the Wolverine V3 Pro 8K a 93% in our review late last year, and it's such a good pad that it's been our pick for the best high-end controller ever since.

Starting from the top, you are getting all the way up to 8,000 Hz polling here, so it's a super snappy controller, and you get TMR thumbsticks and Hall effect triggers, which not only means no stick drift, but also better battery efficiency. It's a pad that's so good, the only thing holding you back at your local tournament will be you.

And it's not just for competitive play either. It's got tons of customizable functions and remappable buttons, and it's super sturdy too. I don't recommend dropping controllers, but I wager the Wolverine could take it if you do. I also quite like the aesthetic, which is fairly muted by Razer's standards. The only lighting on the entire controller is in the centre, and it is there to indicate when the device is on or connected. You don't have customizable RGB or anything down the side.

Arguably the biggest downside of the V3 Pro 8K is its monumental price point. At $200, it truly costs a king's ransom, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone but the most serious a gamer. But at less than $100, it's downright reasonably priced for such great specs. It even comes with an included carry case should you want to throw it in a backpack and take it with you.

As our Alex put in their review, "Razer has somehow improved on one of the best games controllers available, making this the product to beat."

👉Shop all of Amazon's gaming controller deals here👈

But that leads me to a different problem: how do you choose just one? Well, luckily, I have picked four great deals, all on controllers offering very different things.

For instance, the GameSir Nova Lite 2 is cheap and cheerful personified. For less than 25$, you're getting a solid enough polling rate, Hall effect sticks, and wireless play.

• We're curating all the best Prime Day PC gaming deals here

Then, for about double that price, you can pick up the GameSir G7 Pro, with its excellent feel, great looks, and sturdy build.

Finally, if you want something you can whip out at a competitive tournament, the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro 8K and its high polling rate have you covered.

The deals

The information

👉Shop all of Amazon's gaming controller deals here👈

A tidy saving on this brilliant PC gamepad (which also works with Xbox consoles, albeit only wired). It features an astonishing 1000 Hz polling rate for higher precision, TMR analog sticks, face button microswitches, Hall Effect triggers, paddle buttons, 2.4 Ghz wireless and Bluetooth: it basically has everything you want form a pro controller, without being priced like a pro controller. It's available in the grey/white colourway (pictured) as well as black/red at the same price.

Also:

GameSir G7 Pro Dragon's Dogma 2 Edition - AU$179 AU$143.20
GameSir G7 Pro Zenless Zone Zero Edition - AU$239 AU$191.20View Deal

Buying a gamepad for PC is easier in 2026 than it's ever been. Once upon a time it was a risk to buy a controller that didn't come with Microsoft (or more recently, Sony) branding, not because there weren't good alternatives, but because there were so many bad ones.

Nowadays there are heaps of respected brands doling out thoughtful controllers. The one that tops PC Gamer's list of the best PC controllers—and my personal favourite—is the GameSir G7 Pro. I reviewed this model almost exactly a year ago and it's still at the top of our list, chiefly because it boasts a lot of features that you'd normally have to spend around AU$200-AU$300 for.

Normally it's AU$159, but as part of Amazon's Big Deal Days you can get it for AU$127, which is the cheapest I've ever seen it. Usually it drops to AU$134 during big sales events. You will need to be a Prime member for that price, but never fear: there's a free trial.

If you need a controller it's pretty much a no brainer to pick this up. My full review makes a decent case, but to summarise in handy bullet points:

• It has TMR analog sticks: These are an upgrade from drift-free Hall effect analog sticks. Not only will they not drift (unlike Sony and Microsoft controllers) but they're marginally more accurate
• It has Hall effect triggers: The trigger buttons on Sony and Microsoft controllers are usually the second thing to break. But here they use Hall effect tech which makes them far, far less prone to stickiness because they don't require contact to trigger a response
• It has paddle buttons: There are two rear buttons on this thing. Yes, there are usually four rear buttons on pro controllers but the G7 Pro, gawd love it, takes a different tack: the other two "extra" buttons sit on the top of the controller between the bumper buttons.
• It's pretty damn modular: There are three varieties of D-pad included, which are easily snapped in and out. The grips and front plate can also be removed and replaced.
• There's a charging stand: Much pricier controllers don't include a charging stand (looking at you, appalling expensive DualSense Edge), so this is a real bonus. The 2.4GHz wireless dongle can sit inside the charging stand as well, once you've plugged it into your PC via USB, making things neat and tidy.
• It doesn't feel cheap: The G7 Pro is pricier than an Xbox controller, but given all the added features you'd think it might feel bad in the hands. But no: it feels as rugged and ergonomic as Microsoft's offerings

Amazon Big Deal Days ends this coming Monday, so you've got about half a week to figure out whether you want to bite the bullet. I'm rounding up all the best deals in our Big Deal Days live blog.

Not me, though. I got high on sweet riffs, adeptly played out across five colourful buttons, slapped in near-perfect rhythm alongside a singular strum bar. Learn a real guitar? No, thanks. I'd rather sink 100s of hours into a rough approximation of the real thing—a karaoke version wrought of thin plastic from scaled-down body to hollow head unit. Plugged not into an amp, but an Xbox 360, with a whammy bar modulating not the strings, but the signal.

I played that momentous day on a legendary piece of kit: the RedOctane X-Plorer Controller for Guitar Hero.

The X-Plorer is about to celebrate its 20th anniversary. It came bundled with Guitar Hero 2, and I was 15 when it first came out here in the UK. That was in 2007. I'm 34 now. And that exact same X-Plorer controller from my proudest moment all those years ago?

It still bloody works. I use it all the time.

It's still in good shape. Its once white hue has yellowed over the years, and there's a little grime between the frets and the gaps in the plastic shell. But it's good. More than that, it's great. It even has the same Gibson sticker beneath the fretboard that I stuck on there as a teenager. There was another one, a bird of some sort? But it fell off. I'd forgotten where the stickers came from, but after searching eBay listings for the X-Plorer for this article, I realised they came in the box with it.

I have a bit of a collection of guitar controllers on the go: two X-Plorers, two for Guitar Hero Live, and one CRKD Gibson Les Paul Blueberry Burst Pro Edition. That last one only came out last year, and yes, it's pretty sweet. I also have a Rock Band kit in an attic somewhere.

Yet the original X-Plorer from my childhood is still my favourite guitar controller of the lot. They all work on PC, with some small tweaks, but no other guitar has the smooth fret button actuation this one does. My fingers glide across those buttons, man. It just feels right.

The controllers I've had to tinker with the most are actually the Guitar Hero Live guitars. They're much newer than the X-Plorer, coming out in 2015, but that has seen the X-Plorer's ancient simplicity and stoicism replaced by modern proprietary-ness. Special remapping software is required to get the Xbox One wireless dongle working and to emulate the guitar in Windows (RB4InstrumentMapper with VJoy). The 20-year-old X-Plorer is simply plug and play.

I also had to solder the battery cables back into place on one of the two GHLive guitars. That was my own fault. I left a set of AA batteries in one of them for maybe a decade. The batteries had, of course, exploded into a pool of corrosive battery acid, which subsequently chewed through the solder on the wires connecting the battery bay to the mainboard. That was a simple solder job, to be fair, it only took a couple of screws to pry the back off and expose the surprisingly empty innards, solder the cable, and put it back together. It works great now.

And, yeah, I actually kinda like the 6-fret layout from GHLive. It's a different challenge. It was like learning from scratch all over again when it first came out, and even 10 years on, I still basically suck at it.

The X-Plorer has only ever had one issue in twenty years: the whammy bar broke many years ago. It sort of just hangs limp from the guitar, modulating songs to a horrible pitch decided at random. I took it apart a few years ago and found the cause to be just a small piece of plastic that had broken off. This tiny plastic lip is what allowed the whammy to reset to its centre. It's an easy replacement for someone with a 3D printer. I don't have one right now (ex-housemate stole it—long story) so I've done something everyone recommends that's nearly just as good.

I've wrapped the whammy bar in an elastic band, attaching on the other end to the guitar strap thingymabob. Now the whammy bar works perfectly. Simple things require simple fixes.

The other X-Plorer I own comes from when my partner used to work at a UK games retailer unimaginatively called GAME. Our local brand had just received a bunch of trade-in kit from someone clearing out their attic of old tat, and they'd dropped in a full Rock Band kit and X-Plorer controller, among other things. I happened to pop around that day as I worked in a shop nearby, saw the guitar behind the counter, and snapped it up pronto. I vaguely remember it cost just £2, but I can't say for sure. Whatever the price, it was a steal. They cost upwards of £50 nowadays.

I'm not opposed to newer guitars. The CRKD Gibson Les Paul Blueberry Burst Pro Edition is my go-to when I play YARG or Clone Hero. The Hall effect haptic strum bar is something else and it has an incredible number of programmable buttons. Moreover, it's wireless. I can lounge on the sofa while playing my sweet tunes.

You can bet that I pre-ordered the new CRKD 8K Gibson Explorer Guitar Controller when that was announced back at Gamescom. I've never preordered anything faster in my entire life. I'm not normally one to pre-order anything, to be honest, but it's a brand new explorer. A brand new explorer. I've never been more the target audience for a thing.

Stage Tour looks sweet, too; although, I'm more than happy with YARG and Clone Hero. It was our frequent contributor and drumming apprentice Hope Corrigan that got me onto YARG. They use it for learning to play the actual drums. I've been playing throwback hits on guitar controllers ever since. Shout out to the people that make that game and Clone Hero. Both available for free and totally open to all. You are the true Legends of Rock.

Look, I can go on and on about my many years of slapping colour-coded buttons in rhythmic order. Truth is, though, it's not just about the controller, or even the games. I've got so many good memories with these things. I started playing as basically a child, in my room, with my mate, Bob, who insisted on only ever playing with a controller. Bob is still a complete lunatic to this day. Or going to my first massive gig in Earl's Court in London and watching people play Guitar Hero on stage (I could've totally beat them). Or the many nights tapping along to My Chemical Romance, Paramore, Guns N' Roses, Black Sabbath, Rage Against the Machine with my friend James as we drank too many Relentless energy drinks, shredding the solo in Free Bird into the night.

So, in honour of the X-plorer's upcoming 20th anniversary, I wanted to do something special. I've given it my all, on that same 20-year-old X-Plorer, with one of my favourite songs from that time.

Please enjoy.

Taking some time here on the PC Gamer Hyperfeed™ to praise my favorite hardware purchase of the past year and go-to gamepad for the foreseeable future, the Steam Controller.

I love its responsiveness, ergonomics, looks, ease of use, battery life, all of it. I'm not usually much of a paddle button user, but being able to map screenshot to R4 has been a real game-changer for me. Goose not included with purchase of Steam Controller.

A wireless 1,000 Hz controller with two extra back buttons, Hall effect sticks, and an included 2.4 GHz connector makes the Nova Lite 2 ridiculously good value. And you can pick either the white or black model, as they're both on sale.

Key specs: Wireless and wired | hall effect sticks | 1,000 Hz | two back buttons View Deal

The high-end controllers are great, with their massive polling rate, firm feel, and extra buttons, but you don't need to spend that much to get a good experience, and GameSir has proved that time and time again. In fact, I tried the very first GameSir Nova Lite a handful of years ago, and it's still an excellent little controller for the price.

If you are looking for an upgrade or a second controller, the GameSir Nova Lite 2 is currently down to $26 on Amazon. That's only a light discount, but a light discount on a budget controller is pretty sweet.

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If you're wondering what the major differences are between the Nova Lite and Nova Lite 2, the Nova Lite 2 quadruples the polling rate (up to 1,000 Hz), adds two back paddles, and has a rounded D-Pad, sort of like the type that Xbox pads have. That means it's more responsive and more customizable, and looking at both on Amazon, the Nova Lite 2 is only a few dollars more. My money would be going on that upgraded pad.

One thing both the Nova Lite and Nova Lite 2 are missing is a 3.5 mm jack. That means you will want a wireless headset if you plan on using the controller far away from your gaming rig. The first Nova Lite doesn't feel like a more expensive controller, thanks to plastic materials, but it is super easy to use and has a wide range of connectivity options.

With my time with the Nova Lite, I can say it's a comfortable controller under the palms, and the buttons are satisfyingly clicky. It might creak with pressure, but it's easy to hold onto.

If you're on a budget, I can't think of a single controller I'd personally pick over the Nova Lite 2 right now. In fact, until you get up to the $50-or-so range, where Easy SMX's best offerings lie, I wouldn't be looking elsewhere.

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Wolverine V3 Pro 8K: was $199.99 now $159.99
If you can afford its asking fee, you won't find a better PC controller than this one, thanks to its great build quality, excellent specs, and wealth of remappable buttons.

Key specs: Up to 8,000 Hz | TMR thumbsticks | Hall effect triggers | included carry case | Wireless and wired | 20 hour battery life (with 1,000 Hz polling)View Deal

Almost one year ago, the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro got dethroned as the best high-end controller on PC. That's because its 8K variant dropped. Yes, it's just that good.

If you want to pick up the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro 8K for yourself, it's currently $160 at Amazon, a healthy $40 saving.

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It's true that not everyone needs 8,000 Hz polling from their hardware, especially wireless hardware where the extra polling rate negatively impacts battery life. However, the Wolverine V3 Pro seems to add that as simply an added bonus, because it rocks in pretty much every other regard too.

Great build quality? Check. TMR thumbsticks to do away with stick drift? Check. Customizable functions and buttons? Check. Spare thumbsticks to swap the feel and a carry case? Also yes. It might be an expensive controller, but you can't say that Razer hasn't pulled out all the stops to make the best high-end controller on the market.

Just last year, we gave the controller a whopping 93%, saying, "Razer has somehow improved on one of the best games controllers available, making this the product to beat."

I spoke to our Harvey, who has stolen the office Wolverine V3 Pro 8K, and they told me, "The Wolverine 8k is so nice to use, I've barely noticed it: frictionlessly helping me through an intense playthrough of Onimusha: Way of the Sword without so much as a complaint or misinput. Plus it's got so many extra buttons I've been tempted to betray my keyboard in FF14, and very well may do so when Evercold comes around and I've got to relearn all my rotations, anyway."

One thing worth noting, though, is that 8,000 Hz polling drains the battery, so it's only really worth using if you think you will actually see the benefit. If not, the 20 hours of charge at 1,000 Hz are plenty, and it still performs incredibly well at that otherwise solid polling rate.

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The thing is, that feature itself sounds pretty niche to my diminutive ears, given there probably aren't tons of PC gamers also using Xbox (though I am open to being corrected on that). Instead, I'm much more interested in what else the controller has to offer, and for what cost.

On this front, we're looking at a *gulp* $260/£230/€260 price tag, which places it firmly in top-end territory at least as far as its pricing is concerned. Having had my hands on it—albeit only briefly—I can say it does feel like a premium controller, with pretty solid build quality, great grips, and comfy button presses.

I'm not a fan of the ABXY buttons, however, as they feel slightly mushy for my tastes, but only in the same way that some other premium controllers are and that others seem to not mind. For me, it feel like there's a bit of slow pre-travel before the button 'clicks'. This is unlike on the Scuf controller I like, the Valor Pro, the ABXY buttons on which have barely any pre-travel and immediately click down.

In addition to the dual connectivity and general feel, you're getting a whole bunch of other features—everything but the kitchen sink, it seems. We're talking four back paddles, Hall effect thumbsticks and triggers, the ability to switch the triggers to instant click actuation, replaceable thumbsticks with a place to put them in the dock, hot swappable batteries which can charge in the base station, and an OLED screen.

Aesthetically, I'm not very keen on the grey-and-white combo, but the black version looks lovely. It also reaches up to 1K polling on PC, which is fine by my books for a controller, but is a little behind some of the recent 8K competition.

All of this would be fine if it wasn't for that price tag, which does put a pretty big dampener on things. Our James recently reviewed the $220 Scuf Omega and found it difficult to justify for that price tag given the competition in the likes of the $220 Raiju V3 Pro, the $200 Razer Wolverine V3 Pro, and the $90 GameSir G7 Pro 8K.

I'd have to spend more time with it to know for sure, but I worry the SteelSeries will face the same fate by pricing itself so high, especially without 8K polling. Though for those who use both Xbox and PC, some might consider it worth the cost for that dual connectivity feature alone, though given pairing isn't the most difficult thing in the world, even then I'm not so sure.

In recent years, Scuf controllers have lost some of their purpose to me. I distinctly remember wanting a Scuf controller to play Call of Duty as a teenager, as they were one of the only brands making solid pro controllers with distinct visuals and partnership deals with pro players.

Now, you can get a pro controller from most major gaming brands, like Asus, Turtle Beach, and Razer, and you can even get cheaper pro controllers from the likes of GameSir.

As such, it's no longer good enough to just offer a few extra buttons; you need to do something truly unique… or truly affordable.

The Scuf Omega attempts the former and gets no way near the latter. Its central selling point is dual compatibility with PC and PlayStation, plus some extra triggers on the grips. But things have changed in recent years, and it needs strong build quality, great feel, and a host of other features to really justify that price.

Features

Perhaps the most notable thing about the Scuf Omega is the fact that it's sort of a Sony DualSense controller. Being officially licensed by Sony, it has a PlayStation button slapped on the front of it, and its curved sides, shape, and touchpad are all reminiscent of Sony's pad. Triggers and buttons sound different, but in the hand, it feels very familiar. Well, except for the five buttons down the bottom, the two buttons on the sides of the controller, and four paddles on the back. Oh, and also you can take the faceplate off. Okay, maybe it's closer to the DualSense Edge, actually.

With the Scuf Omega, you also get most of the modern trappings of a pro controller. TMR sticks? It's got 'em. Extra buttons? You betcha. 8,000 Hz polling? Well, no. The Omega only goes up to 1,000 Hz on PC, and is locked to 250 Hz on PS5.

It's true that the average gamer does not need 8,000 Hz polling, as reaction time isn't great enough to actually justify it. That goes doubly so for wireless devices, which will see a reduced battery life the higher the polling rate goes. It's also true, though, that when you are paying up to $200 for a controller, you should probably expect competitive-level specs.

And that's strange, as all the extra buttons are intended for a more hardcore audience. If you can click buttons more efficiently, you can click them quicker. So, in some ways, it feels like a competitive device, and in others it doesn't.

Scuf has kitted the Omega with Omron mechanical switches, which allow for snappier, more responsive controls, and it has five 'G-keys' at the bottom of the controller that can be customised to do whatever control you like.

With around 15-20 hours of battery life, the Omega is better than Sony's offerings but offers less than the pro controllers from Razer and GameSir.

In the box, you get the controller's 2.4 GHz connector, a carry case, a 6 ft braided cable, plus three extra thumbsticks and blanking plates to replace the inner paddles and side buttons. That means the Omega can look like a relatively standard controller with some light tweaking.

Ergonomics

I really quite like the Scuf Omega in the hands. It's light, comfortable, and its buttons are easy to press. It's the closest I've ever seen a competitor get to Sony's pads in size and feel, and that's not a bad thing. If it weren't for the DualSense's habit of getting stick drift, I'd use them much more than I do now.

I spent a few weeks trying to get the most out of all the Omega's buttons, and I give myself a pass on that test. The buttons on the side default to the bumpers. This control scheme means you can keep your fingers on the bumpers indefinitely and control both by squeezing on the controller.

In this position, I struggle to get purchase on the controller to hit the very bottom paddles. The side triggers didn't make their way into my regular rotation, but I did find myself using the bottom four buttons for games like Fortnite, and even as a quick-fire parry button in Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy.

The problem with having so many buttons is I could never quite find a way to hold the controller where I could comfortably hit them all. But then again, there are so many buttons that you can afford to miss some and have backups in other places. It requires a little fine-tuning and customising, but I did find myself to be a tad quicker on the Omega than a traditional controller without any spare buttons.

Performance

Sony locks polling down to 250 Hz for non-official controllers on PS5, so that's the max there, but the 1,000 Hz polling feels like a noticeable miss on PC, given many high-end gamepads have now stepped things up to 8K. The controller has competitive intent with all those buttons, but you can find other options like the GameSir G7 Pro offering the same polling, plus stick drift-resistant sticks, and it even comes with a charging dock, too. The battery life on the Omega is okay for a controller, but a smart charging system would fit it much better.

As well as this, it has dual connectivity with Sony and PC, but only comes with one connector. The likes of the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 3 and Stealth Pro II come with two connectors to seamlessly swap between devices, and I wish Scuf went in the same direction here. You also swap connections by taking the faceplate off, which adds even more time to the process.

Buttons do feel smooth under the fingers, though; the D-pad is well defined and clicky, while the triggers feel snappy and consistent in both the linear and long-press mode. Scuf's Omicron mouse-like switches make snappy shooting in the likes of Fortnite super easy, and the TMR thumbsticks are easy to use.

I played the entirety of Onimusha: Way of the Sword on the Scuf Omega, and the abundance of buttons plus the comfortable feel made parrying, attacking, and running a breeze.

Build quality

Though I'm not afraid of breaking the controller if I squeeze it too hard, I do find this gamepad to be notably behind Razer's pro controller offerings in its firmness. It just doesn't have the same strength of materials. It also has a light rattle if I shake it. Admittedly, I don't spend much time shaking controllers, but it contributes to the controller feeling a little cheaper than its competitors.

Aesthetics

The Scuf Omega I've been testing is the Smoke model, and apart from the RGB strip down the bottom, it's pretty understated. There's a block pattern on the touchpad, and some light branding on the grips, but nothing too loud, especially when considering the other Omega options. And, in fairness, the RGB serves a purpose here. The five buttons at the bottom are a mute button, a volume up and down button, and two customizable keys, so the RGB lighting helps signal which button is which.

The Smoke model is like a cross between black and grey. It's semi-transparent so you can kind of make out the internals, but it's not so transparent that it's reminiscent of the see-through console trend that was popular in the 2000s.

There's no hiding the mass of extra buttons on the controller, but Scuf has done a decent job blending them into the natural shape of it. The only part that feels odd is the two most central paddles on the back of the controller. I do quite like that you can take off the faceplate, meaning you could feasibly replace it, but there are no Omega faceplates on the Scuf store as of the time of writing.

Software

Scuf's software situation has always been a bit confusing to me. It does have software, but only software you can customise on its mobile phone app. So, if you want to toggle something for it while playing on your PC, you have to take your phone out and customise it from there.

The app lets you customise brightness, change polling rate, set SOCD, update firmware, and adjust calibration. The app itself works really well. It pairs your phone to your controller very quickly, is intuitive to use, and didn't falter during my time with it.

Value

The Scuf Omega is a mighty tough sell. If you specifically want a PC and PS5 pro controller, the Razer Raiju V3 Pro is the same price, offers stronger build quality, and a higher polling rate on PC. The Omega does have two buttons on the side, and five extra on the bottom that the Raiju doesn't, but my grubby mitts would be reaching for the textured grips of the Raiju instead.

Then, if you simply want a strong pro controller with extra buttons, I'd be picking the Wolverine V3 Pro and its 8,000 Hz polling rate for the lower price of $200.

Finally, if you simply want something well built with a few extra buttons, I'd go significantly cheaper and pick up either the GameSir G7 Pro or GameSir G7 Pro 8K for $70 and $80 respectively. These two GameSir picks also include a charging dock.

At 70% of its current cost, Scuf could have been on to a real winner here, but it's simply too expensive for a good but not great pad.

This controller is comfy, responsive, and all its various buttons, sticks, and triggers feel very high-quality. There's little to dislike about the Valor Pro unless you really don't want to keep that cable. This is a great price for a Scuf controller, too.

Key Specs: Wired USB Type-C | Xbox, Windows | Hall effect thumbsticksView Deal

Even though wireless PC gaming peripherals are commonplace now, I'm still battling wires. A wireless controller is great… right up until it needs to be plugged in to charge. Crowded 2.4 GHz wireless bands and latency issues don't help. Well, to heck with it—is a fully wired controller really so bad, then?

The wired version of the Scuf Valor Pro far exceeds 'not all that bad'; it's simply the best wired PC controller we've ever tested. I'll get into what makes it better than all the rest shortly, but the thing to highlight right now is that it's currently down to its lowest ever price. So long as you don't mind picking up the white colourway, you can get the Scuf Valor Pro wired performance Xbox controller for only $77 from Amazon.

$33 off is nothing to sneeze at, especially as the Scuf Valor Pro doesn't skimp on either premium features or feel. Our Jacob was pretty smitten in his Scuf Valor Pro review, writing, "The Valor Pro is very high-quality, from its mechanical buttons to its Hall effect thumbsticks and satisfyingly clacky back paddles, not to mention its sheer versatility thanks to trigger mode toggles, back paddle profiles, and modular thumbsticks."

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That said, he also thought the controller's stated target audience, the 'aspiring esports pro' crowd, was an awkward pitch. He writes, "In the land of PCs, controllers are rarely used for pro gaming. In racing, sports, and fighting games, sure, but those are a few very specific esports genres and many gamers in the latter often prefer arcade fight sticks to controllers anyway."

And while he has a point, I'd like to offer a counter: myself, the console gaming interloper. Having spent many years writing about all things PlayStation earlier in my career, I'm simply more comfortable with a gamepad, even on PC. The textured grips and premium materials of the wired Scuf Valor Pro calls to my tiny mitts. The clickyness of the buttons and sticks are a siren song to my button-mashing self. Besides, it's not just the pros that can enjoy pro features.

Part of this premium package includes extra buttons on the gamepad's underside. I'm not usually a fan, but the ones on the Scuf Valor Pro have certainly made a far more positive impression.

Jacob likes them too, writing, "I was immediately enamoured with the Scuf paddles' quality, design, and placement. My middle fingers fall into place effortlessly and can press down on the primary paddles or move upwards/inwards a little to press the secondary paddle buttons—an ingenious design that just works. And not only does it work, but it works with the help of some seriously satisfying clicks."

Now, as lovely as that all is, an MSRP of $100 was a big ask for a wired controller. Thankfully, a 30% discount at Amazon makes it much easier to say 'heck yes!'

👉 Check out the rest of Amazon's PC controller deals 👈

As we've reported on many times over the years, Valve's hardware efforts attract the attention of the DIY project community like no other. The Steam Controller is no exception, as creator Owen Feldman has managed to get classic text adventure Zork running on its internal hardware.

Feldman has documented the project on their blog, but it wasn't always a smooth ride to convince the controller to play ball (via Hackaday). An internal tool discovered within a Steam hardware updater folder was used to flash the firmware—but Feldman managed to temporarily brick their controller in the process.

After recovering the controller, a custom Rust-based program was used to emulate an Intel 8080 CPU and run the CP/M-80 operating system on the Steam Controller's internal processor. As the device has no keyboard or screen, the built-in USB connection was used for I/O streaming purposes.

So, what do you do first when you've successfully convinced a controller to emulate a CPU and run an OS all on its own? Well, you play games on it, of course.

A floppy disk (hey, remember those?) copy of Zork was used to load the game via an external drive, resulting in a Steam Controller rig that's been connected to a remarkable number of add-on devices. I doubt it knows exactly what hit it.

Still, the end result looks like a very playable experience. Feldman describes the process of creating the custom program as "1514 lines of pain," but what they've ended up with is the PC hardware equivalent of a magic trick. Who knew the Steam Controller could play games in its own right?

However, I think I'll be leaving this Steam Controller-flashing method well alone, and not just because my Rust coding abilities are non-existent. Feldman warns that bricking your device through the flashing process is a real possibility, and given that it's a $99 piece of kit, perhaps it's better to leave this one to the braver hardware hackers among us.

That's what you will find on the Genki Manta, a new controller live on Kickstarter. It uses Manta OS, which is Genki's own operating system, and if you're wondering why a controller would even need an operating system, Genki notes that this allows on-the-fly fine-tuning without the need for any extra devices. You can customise its tri-stage triggers, adjust dead zones, change haptic feedback, and more via the onboard screen and OS.

And the controller is pretty impressive even outside the whole 'OS and built-in screen' thing. You get up to 8,000 Hz polling while wired (though only 1,000 Hz via 2.4 GHz wireless), a range of over 10 meters, 150 hours of battery via Bluetooth LE 6, as well as TMR joysticks and Hall effect triggers. The 16 MB of internal storage can be used to load apps onto Manta OS, and expandable storage might be offered as a stretch goal, according to Genki.

Normally I'm pretty cynical about Kickstarter projects, but the LA-based Human Things and its range of Genki products have been successful on Kickstarter for some time. In fact, I got a Genki dock a couple of years ago and was impressed with the performance. That's not to say the Genki Manta will necessarily be the same quality, but the company has a history of successful kickstarters.

Genki says the Manta is "Beyond the Pro Controller" on its Kickstarter, and it has many of the features one would expect from a pro controller, like four paddles on the bottom and two extra buttons next to the bumpers. Naturally, all of these are remappable via the controller's software.

One thing that does intrigue me about the screen and OS combo is that the controller can swap to keyboard and mouse controls. It even has a toggle on the pad to swap between controller and keyboard mode. It's not yet clear if the display is a touch screen, or how Genki anticipates players using the controller to navigate a mouse.

Whether or not it can balance the screen and extra buttons in its 280-290 g (around the weight of the Xbox Series X controller) frame will be anyone's guess, and naturally that software will have to be very smooth to be worth the effort. I am, however, quite intrigued by the controller, and I'm still deciding if it's curiosity or morbid curiosity.

We don't yet have an estimated shipping date (assuming the Kickstarter is successful), but we do have a price point: $189 for the Super Early Bird pricer and $279 for the retail price. That is a lot of money, and our pick for the best high-end controller right now, the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro 8K PC, is $200 at retail. The Wolverine also offers TMR thumbsticks and Hall effect triggers, though you are getting a superior 8,000 Hz polling via wireless, and we can guarantee the build quality of the Wolverine, as we've actually had it in our hands.

This is all before mentioning that you can get a controller for $70 (like the Gamesir G7 Pro) that competes with pro controllers in build quality and the featureset department. Even the more expensive Gamesir G7 Pro 8K (at $80) is a decent choice if you really want 8,000 Hz polling.

This is to say that, even with its own OS and a 2.79-inch screen, the Genki Manta has its work cut out for it. It's a big swing for a first controller, but we'll have to get our hands on it to see if it's actually worth that hefty asking price.

• The game application becomes unresponsive
• The game application closes without notice
• The error "EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION" is displayed
• The device restarting without warning

Microsoft has only confirmed crashes in Arc Raiders, Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls, and The Finals so far, but you can send feedback to Microsoft with the Feedback Hub app if you've also found a game crashing since the update.

Microsoft says it is investigating to see if the latest Windows update is responsible. As of right now, the only client versions that have reported crashes are 25H2 and 24H2, so 26H1 is currently in the clear.

But Embark, the developer of Arc Raiders, claims on Discord that the “This is a crash related to the file inpoutx64.sys, which changed with the Windows update" (via Windows Latest).

If Embark is correct, it looks like you might have to wait until a future Windows update for this problem to be officially fixed. However, Embark notes that you can type ‘sc stop inpoutx64’ into Command Prompt, then type ‘sc delete inpoutx64’ and delete the inpoutx64.sys file from your drivers folder to fix the problem in the short term. We haven't personally tried this method as we haven't had any crashing issues, so do so at your own risk.

Update KB5121003, which is said to be the update responsible for the crashes, contains over 400 security updates, although it's not clear yet if changes related to these fixes are responsible for the issues..

Some users have also reported graphical corruption problems after the latest Windows update. One user on Reddit demonstrates problems in Valorant and Roblox using both a dedicated graphics card and an integrated graphics card. Some users report that uninstalling KB5121003 has fixed black screen problems.

If you have run into the problem and want to test rolling back your Windows version, you can do so by following the steps below:

• Search Windows Update on the Start tab
• Click on Update history
• Scroll down and click Uninstall updates
• Uninstall update KB5120708

We don't yet have a timeline for when we can expect a patch, but uninstalling the latest update may be a good workaround until then.

First, let me admit my biases: Yes, this controller's raspberry ripple blend of pink, blue, and purple really does work for me. That said, the GameSir T7 Pro Sugar Whirl has more going for it than just pretty face buttons, featuring TMR sticks alongside Hall effect triggers. Gorgeous and precise, this is also a wireless controller that's actually compatible with the notoriously picky Xbox consoles.

Speaking of an untethered experience, this gamepad's charging situation annoys me significantly less than other wireless options. Basically, as someone with a perennially cluttered desk, I didn't think I'd ever be pro charging docks. However, this GameSir gamepad has finally shown me the light.

Thanks to the charging dock, the T7 Pro offers a pretty seamless wireless experience. That ease of use extends to the refreshingly straightforward software package, which offers a wealth of options to make this Pro pad feel your own. Beyond deadzone tweaking and even motion control fiddling, I personally could have done with just a few more RGB lighting customisation options.

Unfortunately, the ergonomic design of the T7 Pro may not play well with tiny hand bandits such as myself. Make no mistake, this is far from the heftiest or chunkiest wireless controller. As such, I was surprised to find that certain button placements strained my small palms.

Furthermore, with a $90/£100, I have the nagging feeling I'm simply paying more for the cute colourway and a bit of extra connectivity I probably won't even use. The simple fact is that if you're not fussed about either RGB lighting or wireless Xbox connectivity, you can get a great Pro pad for less than this asking price.

Features

'Tri-mode' connectivity encompasses the choice of a wired USB connection, a wireless 2.4 GHz connection, or a wireless Bluetooth connection. While that's nothing to write home about for a PC pad, the T7 Pro offering this same choice of connection for Xbox consoles is because Microsoft's consoles are notoriously picky. Buying one peripheral you can use with multiple gaming devices is simply cost effective—even if you are only getting a 250 Hz polling on console, compared to PC's up to 1,000 Hz rate.

TMR (or tunnel magnetoresistance) tech in the asymmetric sticks, and Hall effect triggers are also welcome features. TMR is slightly more precise than Hall effect, but both magnetic techs work on a similar principle that essentially banishes stick drift and sticky triggers. Basically, with this magnetic tech there are far fewer points of physical contact within the mechanism, and therefore much less of a risk of internal stick components getting worn away over time.

As a console interloper, I do think it's a shame that more PC games don't leverage rumble. Whereas the PlayStation 5's DualSense controllers are capable of impressively detailed haptic feedback, Xbox controllers still use a number of rumble motors. As such, you'll find four rumble motors here in the T7 Pro.

Speaking of that console connection, the T7 Pro also enjoys gyro controls. It's 6-axis, and this motion functionality only works on PC, but you can customise it to an impressive degree in the GameSir Nexus software.

Ergonomics

The T7 Pro features a firmly attached plastic faceplate, so you're committed to its pink-blue-purple design. Smooth plastic front grips are paired with a textured underside. The membrane D-pad and face buttons are not the loveliest thing I've tapped upon, but they're all satisfyingly clicky to press.

A plastic body doesn't make this the most premium feeling controller, but it does keep things relatively lightweight. As a result, the T7 Pro weighs in at about 236 grams on its own, making it lighter than a fair few of the best PC controllers. There's also fairly minimal creaking even when I give the grips some real welly. It may not feel super premium, but it's built well enough. That said, the largely plastic construction does leave the gamepad feeling a few bucks/quid short of its $90/£100 price tag.

As this is an Xbox compatible wireless controller, you're getting asymmetric sticks to match. That's usually not a problem for me and my tiny mitts, though hoovering up gold medals in Denshattack! proved quite the workout.

After an extended session of braking and drifting, my left hand was beginning to feel a little bit sore. This may be because the bottom triggers are bolstered by a particularly chunky finger rest, widening the gap between my left trigger-tapping pointer and my middle finger.

Remappable back buttons also hang out within reach of where my middle fingers rest. L4 and R4 are low-profile buttons with textured covers that make them easy to find by touch (which I find vastly preferable to the DualSense Edge's great big back flippers). Still, for those with stumpy digits like me, that could mean more stretching and discomfort over time.

It was a similar story of strain when I tested out the pad's 2-stop trigger settings in Doom: The Dark Ages. Blasting baddies pulled at my palms and knuckles after a short time with Id's latest, even after reducing the triggers' actuation distance. That's a shame because the T7 Pro Swirl really isn't the chunkiest or heaviest of controllers my tiny phalanges have had to tango with.

In Dead As Disco's more face-button-focused gameplay, my hands otherwise don''t feel anywhere near as stressed out. That suggests to me that what's causing the strain has less to do with the heft of the controller, and maybe more to do with the high-up placement of the T7 Pro's pronounced top trigger buttons. If you've got mitts lacking in width or short phalanges like me, be warned.

Performance

As I repeatedly try to pull off a Finger Heel 180 trick in the train game of Tony Hawk's finger boarding fever dreams, Denshattack!, TMR tech is definitely welcome as I wiggle the right stick for all its worth. Textured tops ensure the sticks don't slip out of grip as I try to rack up an even bigger combo. Add to that a 1,000 Hz top polling rate, and these sticks are just as flicky and responsive as you could want.

Then there are the usual membrane face buttons and a D-Pad. These press down cleanly, and are satisfyingly clicky. On the reverse of the pad are two remappable back buttons as well. Unlike the shiny face buttons, these are low-profile and subtly textured so you can easily find them by feel.

The responsive Hall effect triggers also feature '2-stage trigger stops'. There are two flicky switches on the pad's underside, and flicking one of these down allows you to press the corresponding trigger all the way to the bottom. Flicking the switch up offers a much shorter actuation distance for each bottom trigger. This gives pressing the bottom triggers a clicky quality, like the top triggers.

Clicky triggers are often popular among the competitive crowd, as the cut-down actuation distance shaves off precious milliseconds between plays. Such a saving of time is largely wasted on me, though, as my most intense online play experience recently was getting lost in Big Walk. Similarly, a polling rate of 1,000 Hz is more than enough for most intents and purposes, but the esports sickos will likely be left wanting more.

Aesthetics

You may already know about my penchant for purple. This controller not only takes aim at my particular colour-based obsession, but it also mixes in a raspberry ripple-esque combination of blues and pinks across the charging dock, faceplate, and buttons—hence the 'Sugar Whirl' name. I particularly enjoy the two sticks being different colours.

Under the incandescent lighting found in PC Gamer towers, it can look a little tacky. Natural light is generally kinder to the colourway, but it really comes into its own in-game. By default, RGB lighting bathes the controller in an icy blue light that complements the colourway, illuminating the pad's underside and shining through the face buttons. This gives the AXBY buttons an almost pearlescent vibe when in active use that I really enjoy.

I'm much less keen on the green goo glow the controller emits while it's charging. Thankfully, you can either dial this down or turn it off completely in the GameSir Nexus software, not to mention all the other options you have for tinkering with the Sugar Whirl's RGB lighting.

Software

You can finely tweak a variety of settings in the GameSir Nexus software across four different profiles, with each one accessed via a combination of the centre 'M' button and the facebuttons. The software itself can either be manually downloaded from here, or from the Microsoft store, but lacks anything in the way of a web-based app.

The smallest amount of software tinkering allowed me to tone down the green goo glow the controller emits while charging, and I've set it up so that the pad automatically connects to my PC as soon as I lift it from the charging cradle. That's more than enough for me, but if you want to get lost in the software weeds, Nexus offers a wealth of features to play with.

For a start, you can finely tune the stick and trigger deadzones, plus much more besides via an array of sliders, toggles and presets. You can also tune the pad's motion controls to a similarly in-depth degree, tinker with the intensity of its rumble motors, and, of course, fiddle with the RGB. Broadly speaking, the software is how you're going to get the most out of this Pro pad; there's a wealth of options to make the T7 Pro your own, though the lighting settings could do with just a few more customisation options. Seeing a swirling rainbow illuminating my gamepad from within is cool and all, but I would have appreciated the option to more finely tune the lights' hue.

RGB customisation was the only category of setting I found wanting, though. While I probably won't touch half of the settings available, I appreciate how clearly the Nexus software lays out all of the options. If the software's home screen selection overwhelms, you can click through to a specific focussed category of settings, and mess around from there. It's intuitive and straightforward to use.

Battery

The major thing that annoys me about most wireless peripherals is how often the hardware needs to become wired again to charge. A wireless PC controller can have the biggest battery in the world, but it will eventually resemble its wired counterparts sooner or later.

Not to knock any of the best wired controllers, but it's not the experience I'm personally looking for as a pad-wielding PC Gamer; a wire is just one more thing that can make a mess at my already cluttered desk, either getting chewed up by my gaming chair castors, or by knocking over a bunch of my Miku Hatsune figurines during a particularly heated gamer moment.

Thanks to the GameSir T7 Pro Sugar Whirl though, I'm a charging cradle convert. The dock here features a USB-C port, with a compartment on its underside for the 2.4 GHz dongle. Yes, that means there is still a wire involved if you want to use the dock as a wireless receiver, though you can easily cable-manage that out of the way (and nowhere near, say, your army of Miku).

Thanks to metal pins in the cradle and contact points on the underside of the pad itself, the pad can easily charge back up when it's not in use. The gamepad's 1050 mAh battery is decent enough on its own though, holding up through numerous, marathon sessions of Denshattack! without requiring a charge. If I forgot to place the pad back in the charging cradle one day, I still had plenty of juice to take back to the track the next. But obviously, playing at 1,000 Hz polling and with the RGB lights whirling away will drain the battery much faster.

It means I no longer have to remember to charge this bad boy up myself, because I'll just pop it back onto the dock when I'm done. It's a set-it-and-forget-it sort of setup that my forgetful-self very much appreciates. Couple that with the software setting that makes the gamepad automatically connect to your PC as soon as you lift it from the charging cradle, and it's a really seamless experience.

Value

Like I said before, the Sugar Whirl's wireless Xbox connectivity will be a headline feature for some. If that really is key for you, the EasySMX D10 is one other option that also comes with TMR sticks, a charging dock, 'elite 2-way trigger locks,' and costs half the price.

Otherwise, the difference in quality is arguably most noticeable in the D10's complete lack of software, and 'just okay' D-Pad and triggers. The D10 even comes in a 'Farout Purple' colourway I may have to pick up myself.

If you're already willing to drop a serious chunk of change on a controller, the newer Razer Wolverine V3 Pro 8K PC more than earns the crown as the best high end controller, though this update does drop Xbox connectivity and haptic feedback.

A much more likely option is the elephant in the room: the best controller overall is the GameSir G7 Pro Tri-Mode, and it costs around 10 bucks less. The key differences are that the Tri-Mode enjoys a magnetic faceplate, plus a better battery, but completely lacks RGB lighting, and only works on Xbox via a wired connection.

These will be minor omissions for most, leaving little contest between the two controllers; if you're not endeared to the Sugar Whirl's cotton candy colourway and you're not fussed about connecting to your Xbox wirelessly, the GameSir G7 Pro Tri-Mode is still the obvious choice.

As for me though, I just can't resist a fun colourway. I can see myself spending many more hours with the Sugar Whirl, as much as it sometimes pains my poor palms. Even so, if it was my money, I'd struggle to justify putting down nearly 100 smackers on it.

The internet tends not to 'lose' things, so you can view all the leaked images on this thread from The Verge's Tom Warren. Warren also notes that the original poster says they bought the controller for $200 on OfferUp, a marketplace for buying things in your local area. The poster says, in a comment still live on the thread, that they live in Seattle. Seattle being the home of, you guessed it, Microsoft. The company's Redmond HQ is located just next door in Redmond, Washington.

Lots of people live in Seattle and they don't all work at Microsoft. So what else do we have to go on as to the veracity of this particular thread?

First off, the Redditor's new pad looks suspiciously similar to one we saw back in May. It has the same shape, trigger locks, rear paddle mounting, and battery bay. All of which look to be pretty neat features for the Series 3 pad, if not miles apart from the Series 2 pad. The face buttons, ABXY, are perhaps a little larger. A couple of us here reckon the new Elite Series 3 resembles the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro in overall shape, which isn't a bad thing. That's our pick for the best high-end controller right now.

A screen sits between the bumpers along the top of the Series 3 pad, likely some sort of mono OLED display. These tend to be pretty useful for this sorta application, as the self-emitting pixels draw very little power. In the leaked photos, this display shows an aka.ms URL, made using Microsoft's own shortening service. They also show a very basic game running on the screen in a later comment.

Some other redditors in the thread have followed various versions of the URL in the pics and claim to have landed on documents pertaining to the controller's use and how to connect it via a dedicated connection for cloud gaming—that's a feature we've seen with the Amazon Luna Controller and Google Stadia Controller (rip). This was also a feature tipped in that original leak from May.

The comments from the original poster have not been removed, and from these we can gather a few more tidbits of information. They show the paddles and d-pad removed from the pad, with the latter having a simpler but similar rocking design to the previous model. They confirm that the triggers become clicky once set to the shortest option via the rear adjusters. We also catch a glimpse of the battery, which clearly states "PROTOTYPE NOT FOR SALE" on it. Oops.

The Elite Series 3 even includes a travel case, as has been included with both previous generations of Elite controller, albeit a slimmer version. I would guess that means this thing is pretty far down the road for development. Providing it is real and not some elaborate 3D-printed project, this may suggest we see the controller arrive before the year's out.

What we don't know about the Series 3 is whether the sticks are using Hall effect or TMR (Tunnel Magnetoresistance) technology. This helps banish stick drift for the most part, and it's something I value more than most other features these days. The Elite Series 2 famously lacks any such tech, instead using older potentiometers on account of its age, but we can only assume the Series 3 will. It would be wild not to.

We also don't know how it will work in action, as the redditor says it doesn't work on either Xbox or PC right now. Some suggest it will be locked to a dev account, which does seem likely if it's the real deal.

The redditor succinctly sums up the controller in one reply, noting it "feels like a Xbox Series X controller but pro and more clicky." If that sounds like your sorta thing, and I have to admit, it is mine, then this might be something to keep an eye out for in the near future. That said, as someone who has owned a couple of Elite controllers over the years, I've started to look elsewhere these days. You don't have to spend Elite money for an elite controller anymore—the GameSir G7 Pro proves that.

If you spend your time editing videos, you may have already invested in a macropad. Or, you're probably used to the monotony of spamming shortcuts on your keyboard to swap between different tools. This can be a pain on the wrist because of the angle you hover over a keyboard, but there's now a new way around it—the humble Nintendo Wii Nunchuk.

As spotted by Hackaday, John Dingley, of YouTube account John's Projects, posted their latest creation last week. In essence, they've hooked a Wii Nunchuk up to their PC using the Anavi Handle to use it like a macropad.

The Anavi Handle is an open-source USB adapter for connecting the Nunchuk controller to a computer. The adapter uses the Seeed Studio Xiao RP2040, which, at just a couple of dollars, makes the entire setup surprisingly cheap.

You might be wondering why they used the Nunchuk, and it's not just to be a little geeky. The Wii Nunchuk is comfortable and light, as it was designed for a family-friendly console. And most importantly, you can hold it upright.

For a video editor who is likely spending hours at their desk at a time, the hope is that it won't cause pain in their wrist from holding it on the desk all day. John claims it is "super comfortable" and that it is "one of the most ergonomic things ever made".

Their current shortcut controls are:

• Lower end pushbutton = Split clip
• Upper end pushbutton = Not assigned yet (i.e. spare)
• Joystick-LEFT = Ripple Delete
• Joystick-RIGHT = UNDO (the previous action)

The Nunchuck plugged into the Anavi Handle won't work as a macropad immediately. It does require some coding, but Dingley has gone over that process in his video, too.

The use of the Nunchuck specifically came about because Dingley realised they didn't actually use all the buttons on their standard macropad. They still have a keyboard on hand for typing text, but the Nunchuck means they can put the macropad away.

Admittedly, this use case is a little niche. The reason one might opt for professional equipment like the DaVinci Speed Editor is partly due to the breadth of buttons available. The Nunchuk has a limited number of functions, so it will only really be useful to someone who only finds themselves needing a handful of functions for each edit.

But still, if you just want to cut clips, undo mistakes, and swap between a few tools quickly, it seems like a smart way of doing so, and it looks pretty neat at the same time. I'm sold.

Valve notes that you could turn gyro controls off and on, depending on how your fingers sit on the controller, and it points out that the activation threshold is adjustable. That means you could activate a shortcut with only a slight lift of the fingers, or by taking the whole hand off the controller.

Activating and deactivating gyro controls to recenter your hand is apparently called "ratcheting". Valve likens it to picking up your mouse when it hits the end of your mousepad. Effectively, if your body or hands are at an uncomfortable angle, you can take your hand off the controller to turn off gyro controls, recenter your body and turn them back on again. It's a neat function, and one I wish I had while playing Splatoon Raiders on the Nintendo Switch 2 recently (that has a recenter, but it's less natural with a dedicated button).

Valve says, "While the original intent was for ratcheting (and it does work for that!) we have found a few other cool use cases, like using it to bring up a weapon wheel, map, or menu."

In the weapon wheel example, lifting your fingers from the rear of the controller brings up the wheel, allowing you to select your weapon or whatever, and then place your fingers back down to lock in your choice.

If you have your hands on a Steam Controller, and you're wondering how to assign your Grip Sense to Gyro:

• Go to the layout editor in Steam
• Turn on the "Gyro To Mouse" option
• Click the button selector
• Select Grip Sense

The same process works for assigning other functions. You just need to set your keybind to "Press and Hold", so that, when you take your fingers off the controller, it holds the menu button or whatever else.

You could set Grip Sense without a hold, for jumping or shooting, for example, but that seems quite inefficient to me. You can even adjust Grip Sense sensitivity if you find the controls a little hard to hit. Personally, if I were lucky enough to have got my hands on the Steam Controller, I'd be using this feature straightaway. And with a little practice, it could make gyro adjusting feel more natural.

The Nintendo 64's analogue stick controller seemed like a marvel, at first—it was responsive, granular, and ushered in a whole era of 3D games. It also went to shit after a few months of use—I probably owned eight of those controllers over the console's lifetime and destroyed every one. There was only one joystick that never failed me: the beige and black, nondescript PC accessory my dad brought home one day, likely a hand-me-down from one of his computer geek friends.

As far as I was concerned, I was a real pilot when I grabbed that stick to boot up a game like LHX Attack Chopper. Nevermind that a real cockpit has a million buttons and switches, rather than just the trigger and the singular cute lil red button on top (for launching missiles, obviously). The branding was as simplistic as the design: it just said "FlightStick" on it.

I had no idea that the stick belonged to a decades-spanning lineage until I was digging through the very first issue of PC Gamer US—from May 1994—and came across this ad.

There it is, bottom right! That's my stick!

CH Products, it turns out, was a family business dating back to the 1970s, and was one of the go-to brands for flight enthusiasts throughout the late '80s and '90s. Their simpler designs—and connectivity options that gradually disappeared from desktop PCs—seemed to fall out of favor by the 2000s, as competitors like Thrustmaster, Saitek and Logitech made increasingly complex HOTAS setups. But Google them today and you'll still find loads of flight enthusiasts speaking about CH Products' rock-solid build quality (one of their later magazine ads even brags "We don't BREAK for anything!).

Go searching and you'll also find a Reddit thread where the grandchild of founder Chuck Hayes complains that her mother convinced him to sell the family business, which is why CH Products is no longer around today, even though its website remarkably remains online.

I had no idea what company made the stick back then, or that the CH FlightStick was actually a little older than me—the first model came out in 1987. "At the time of launch flight simulators on the PC were huge, and this peripheral was an incredibly realistic-looking analog joystick," writes the creator of DOS Days.

As quaint as the thing looks today compared to the best PC joysticks, it really did fly circles around all the console and arcade joysticks I used around the same time.

PC Gamer's Andy Chalk swears he still has the CH Products FlightStick Pro in a closet somewhere, though sadly it's no longer easily usable without a game port adapter. But he swears it was great in its heyday:

Despite how much I loved the FlightStick, I don't remember it staying connected to our PC for long.

I think I only played a few games with it before it moved to its permanent home in a box somewhere in our office—either because my dad's new Pentium PC lacked the relevant port, or more likely because I became obsessed with real-time strategy games like Command & Conquer and didn't have much more use for the joystick. That seems more likely, considering the Thrustmaster HOTAS I bought for Star Wars: Squadrons has only come out of its drawer once in the six years since I reviewed that game.

These days I take for granted that a game controller is going to have nice-feeling analog sticks on it, even if they aren't using fancy Hall effect or (even better) tunnel magnetoresistance tech. But 30 years ago, the humble FlightStick was as good as it got. As far as I knew, at least.

Augmental describes itself as a company specialising in 'Skinware,' "body-coupled interfaces that let people control computers, communicate, and interact with AI without relying on their hands." Its latest project is the Mouth Pad, a custom-fit mouthpiece that allows users to control PCs, tablets, and phones with just their tongue. The device is now available to purchase in the US and, yes, you can absolutely game with it.

The Mouth Pad looks like the top half of a retainer, with flexible circuits encased inside custom 3D printed dental resin. Mouth-based physical interfaces are nothing new in the assistive tech space, and mouth-operated pens are already used by gamers with physical disabilities. Rather than bashing your teeth against a physical joystick, Mouth Pad users can instead either run their tongue over the trackpad covering the roof of their mouth, or engage a head tracking mode in order to register inputs.

Augmental CEO Tomás Vega was originally interested in creating a brain-machine interface, though an internship at Neuralink changed his mind. He told MIT News back in 2024, "A brain implant has the highest potential for helping people in the future, but I saw a number of limitations that pushed me from working on it right now. One is the long timeline for development. I’ve made so many friends over the past years that needed a solution yesterday.”

Vega first built a version of the Mouth Pad during his final semester at MIT in 2019—he describes that prototype as "a lollipop with a bunch of sensors." Since then, he has founded startup Augmental alongside Corten Singer, and the pair have worked with about 100 early access users to refine the design. RockyNoHands, a streamer known for racking up Call of Duty kills with just his mouth, is one such early access user.

The current iteration of the Mouth Pad connects over Bluetooth like a wireless mouse, and holds about seven hours of charge. As far as wireless gaming mice go, that's not the greatest battery life, and the device takes about one and a half hours to fully charge. Clicking is registered by pressing the tongue tip into the palate, while right-clicks are registered via 'sucking or sipping' gestures. Click and drag motions are also possible.

The main barrier is unfortunately still the price, with the assistive device costing $1,400 (though there's also a bundle that includes a second Mouth Pad for $1,900). The device is not yet FDA approved, so insurance reimbursements are still a ways off as a result. Considering the Mouth Pad has the potential to genuinely better lives in spheres beyond gaming, (which is more than I can say for some other tongue-based gaming devices I've seen), here's hoping it becomes more affordable sooner rather than later.

Should you be the tinkering sort, the OpenPuck project doubles down on the Steam Controller's Swiss Army Knife-like tendencies, allowing it to emulate Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation controllers.

The OpenPuck is the work of Github user safijari, and the project is based around a Pro Micro NRF52840 board. This $8 device can be flashed to emulate the Steam Controller's regular wireless puck, and translates the controller inputs to their console equivalents while also enabling Steam-specific features (via Hackaday).

Although safijari says "the Switch and PS3 modes have been verified to work on real consoles," so your mileage may vary. By the looks of the project's page on Github, DualSense emulation is currently supported for PC only, and there are various caveats for emulation support to consider for each potential mode.

Pairing involves connecting the board and the Steam Controller to a PC with a USB Type-C cable and flashing the microcontroller, after which the controller itself can be wirelessly connected.

"At any point you can hold all four back buttons and press X to switch over to Xbox mode which maps all canonical inputs to their expected counterparts," safijari confirms. "In this mode the right trackpad acts as a mouse, but at present this only works in Android and SteamOS."

Holding the back four buttons and Y switches to, err, Switch mode (with gyro and haptic support), whereas the same buttons + B puts it in "Lizard" mode, where the Steam Controller behaves as it does when Steam is closed—while it's still open.

"This has a few advantages," says safijari. "The biggest one being that you can use inputs when a high privilege application is in the foreground (like the Task Manager, when using Steam if you wanna be able to do that Steam must be run as admin)."

The project seems to be a work in progress, and the author warns that "Every part of this project HEAVILY used LLMs," so take that for what it's worth. Should you wish for a chassis to contain the puck properly, you'll also need to 3D print one for yourself—with several options offered.

Unfortunately, the OpenPuck isn't capable of charging your Steam Controller like the regular puck, as it lacks any pins. Otherwise, though, it seems to be a multi-talented little marvel.

As part of this project, safijari also includes reference to ReversePuck, which is their way to emulate Steam Controller inputs (except the grip controls) on the Steam Deck in order to use it as one of the world's most expensive console pads. It's an interesting part of the project for sure.

I had a feeling Valve's new hardware would excite the imaginations of the maker community, and by the looks of things, they're already beavering away finding all sorts of uses for the latest Steam-branded offerings.

A tidy saving on this brilliant PC gamepad (which also works with Xbox consoles, albeit only wired). It features an astonishing 1000 Hz polling rate for higher precision, TMR analog sticks, face button microswitches, Hall Effect triggers, paddle buttons, 2.4 Ghz wireless and Bluetooth: it basically has everything you want form a pro controller, without being priced like a pro controller.

Also:
GameSir G7 Pro Dragon's Dogma 2 Edition - AU$179 AU$143.20
GameSir G7 Pro Zenless Zone Zero Edition - AU$239 AU$191.20View Deal

While traditionally best for headsets, keyboards and mice, Amazon sales are increasingly the best opportunity to pick up PC-compatible gamepads for cheap. The market for gamepads and controllers is nowadays very competitive, mostly because the likes of Razer, 8BitDo, Turtle Beach and GameSir make good products, and not cheap and inferior alternatives to first-party console controllers like was the norm a decade ago.

Actually, most third-party gamepads are plainly better than the Xbox or PS5 controllers. Drift-free Hall effect analog sticks are nowadays de riguer for third-party controllers. Similarly, rear paddle buttons. They tend to be a tad pricier than the DualSense or the Xbox controller, but they also come with more buttons, more customisation, and technology that avoids rapid stick wear.

The GameSir G7 Pro is the best gamepad for PC gaming, full stop. It's right at the top of our list of the best PC controllers in 2026, thanks to the way it makes all the most sought after "Pro" style trimmings affordable.

Here's what you're getting:

• Two rear paddle buttons
• Two extra claw grip buttons
• Trigger stops
• Gyro support (!)
• Three D-pad varieties
• Charging base
• 1000Hz polling rate (versus the 126Hz polling rate in the Xbox controller!)
• Wired, 2.4Ghz wireless, and Bluetooth connectivity
• Ten hours battery
• TMR drift free analog sticks

On that final note: TMR is a more advanced anti-drift tech than Hall effect. I explain the workings behind it in my review of the G7 Pro, but basically: they're more precise, with a lower power draw.

The GameSir G7 Pro normally retails for AU$159, and when it's discounted, usually hovers around the AU$135 mark. This week, as part of Prime Day, Amazon is offering it for AU$127.

If that's still too much to spend on a gamepad, GameSir's Nova Lite Wireless controller (PC Gamer's favourite budget wireless controller) is currently going cheap as well:

If neither of these suit, check out our list of the best controllers for PC gaming, or our exhaustive list of the best Amazon Prime Day PC gaming deals.

Taking to Reddit, user Waste-Set5032 shares that their dad happened upon the 'Chell' Steam Controller prototype at a Goodwill in Seattle. When one user ponders if the dad actually bought it, the dad steps in to confirm. He says, "I thought about letting this go, but I know my son is a fan of everything Valve, so I picked it up. On top of that, I now know my son’s Reddit handle."

The son in question is 14 and claims "finding things from Valve is like finding ancient relics for me". He also says, "I love playing their older games like Portal 2 and Half Life because it feels like a bygone era of gaming and I love exploring it." You're not alone if reading that makes you feel like you're crumbling into dust.

The Chell Steam Controller prototype is believed to be from around 2013 or 2014, which means the prototype's new owner was around one or two years old when this prototype was created. It's got a fairly familiar design to those who know the original Steam Controller, with its inward curved shape and two big trackpads on either side.

It is, however, missing face buttons on the right-hand side, with these being scattered around the middle of the controller instead. The prototype also moves the Select and Start buttons to the bottom of the controller, and also misses out on any sort of thumbsticks. All of that is to say the prototype is even stranger than the 2015 model.

The 2026 Steam Controller launched just a few months ago and is altogether a much better device, though it still retains some of that Valve weirdness (complimentary), featuring two thumbsticks and two trackpads.

The original poster's dad has managed to give the controller prototype a try and claims it "works as a generic controller". However, he notes that the four buttons in the middle of the pad actually work as a D-Pad, with the top left button being up, the top right button being right, the bottom left button being left, and the bottom right being down.

Given it's a prototype without the button layout and thumbsticks you'd expect from a modern controller, the Chell prototype likely isn't something you'd use for competitive gaming, but it's a neat relic of the past to have. It's also a sign of how far Valve has come with regard to controller ergonomics in the last decade.

Unfortunately, we don't know much more about the controller in regard to feel or compatibility. We also don't know how much was paid for it. However, the prototype found seven years ago was reportedly bought for $8, which is $3 more than the OG Steam Controller was selling for when it was discontinued.

I don't tend to use controller very often. Not out of prejudice, I just mainly play competitive FPS games that require keyboard and mouse. But when I do, my hand goes straight for the Scuf Valor Pro.

I'm talking specifically about the wired version. While the wireless version is also at its lowest ever price for $140 at Scuf ($142 at Amazon), it's a still a bit expensive. This wired one, though, is just $80 at Scuf or $85 at Amazon right now.

When I reviewed the controller, and despite rating it highly, I was quite negative about the controller lacking wireless for $100. But over time, I've come to see that the other benefits to it really do make it worth the money despite no wireless connectivity. Throw in the $20 discount and it's not even a question—it just is worth it.

• We're keeping track of all the Amazon Prime Day PC gaming deals here

That's because I've never had my hands on such a damn glorious-feeling peripheral, other than the Razer Viper V4 Pro.

Apart from 8K polling, which is unnecessary anyway, it has everything you might want from a competitive controller: Hall effect thumbsticks, click/squeeze trigger toggles, back paddles, you name it. But the real value comes in the build quality and feel. Every button has a wonderful click, clack, or thunk to it, the Xbox-like shape is incredibly comfy, and the materials keep the controller in place in your hand.

One thing I particularly like about it is how the left and right shoulder buttons wrap around the edges and lie flush, allowing you to shift your index finger very quickly and easily upwards to press them—an intentional design decision that pays off.

If customization is your jam, you can swap out its front magnetic faceplate, too. That gives access to the thumbsticks, which are easily swappable as well. For instance, to one of the included longer sticks that help with aim in shooters (though I'd just stick to using a mouse for shooters that require good aim, personally).

👉 Check out all of Amazon's controller deals 👈

R5 Racing Wheel Bundle: was $599 now $379
I was blown away by the R5 bundle's build quality and sensitive-yet-powerful feedback when I reviewed it back in 2024—and I'm still blown away when I use it for a sim racing session now. At this price? I wouldn't think twice, although I would definitely buy the $29 load-cell kit for the brake pedal while I was at it.

Key specs: Direct drive | 5 nm | Included pedal setView Deal

Sometimes you find a Prime Day deal that's so good, you perform a genuine double take. That was me this afternoon, when I spotted the Moza R5 bundle for $379 on the Moza storefront.

I mean, seriously? It's our best budget direct drive racing wheel pick, sure. But it was pretty damn affordable to begin with, as direct drive bundles go. Now? It makes so much sense, I'm thinking of getting another one.

• We're keeping track of all the Amazon Prime Day PC gaming deals here

I reviewed the Moza R5 bundle back in 2024, and I gave it a score of 90%. I've used it regularly since then, and not once has it let me down. In fact, if I were to score it today, I would give it... 90%. That's how much I like this particular wheel, wheelbase, and pedal combo.

You'll want the extra Performance Kit, which provides a load-cell spring for the brake pedal for the very reasonable price of $29. Why Moza doesn't include it from the off, I have no idea. But other than that, this bundle would make the perfect kit for anyone who wants to feel like they're driving a real car with their gaming PC.

I've had mountains of fun with mine, and it still looks and feels as solid as it did the day I pulled it from the box. The feedback is superbly detailed, it makes no noise (the wheelbase outer casing acts as a very effective heatsink, negating the need for a fan), and it's the best thing this side of something very expensive yet brilliant, like the Logitech G Pro Racing Wheel.

Actually, I lied when I said it made no noise. The magnetic paddle shifters have a wonderfully chunky "thonk" to them, which makes changing gear at speed a tactile delight. Honestly, I could go on and on about how much I like the R5 until I ran into my word limit, but I think I've probably said enough.

It's brilliant, it's extraordinarily well-priced over the Prime Day sales, and if you like a bit of Forza Horizon 6, you should absolutely consider one.

Or, if it's still much too expensive for your liking, you should take a look at the $43 gaming controller that our Nick uses for the very same purpose. Me, I like a wheel. And this one? It's downright fantastic.

👉Check out all of Moza's racing wheel deals here👈

As a replacement for a standard Xbox controller for your PC, the 8BitDo Ultimate 2 is well worth considering at this price. Packed with features, only its cheap-feeling plastics let it down. This deal is for Prime members only.

Key specs: TMR thumbsticks | Hall effect triggers | 2.4 GHz wireless, Bluetooth | Gyro control | Charging baseView Deal

Every day for the past few weeks, I've been blasting through the highways of Tokyo in Forza Horizon 6. If I had the space for such a setup (and...err...the money), I'd be using a really nice wheel-and-pedals setup, but alas, I have to make do with a controller.

Fortunately, it's a pretty decent one, and right now the 8BitDo Ultimate 2 is a fraction under $43 at Amazon, though just the white version.

• We're curating all the best Prime Day PC gaming deals here

The Ultimate 2 is packed with all kinds of controller goodies: tunnelling magnetoresistance (TMR) thumbsticks and Hall effect triggers give you superb control, as well as no chance of ever experiencing stick drift. There are extra buttons on the shoulders and back to give you even more control options.

And when you're done gaming, you can just drop the thing into its charging base. It will automatically shut off, but should you need it instantly, it will power up and reconnect to your gaming PC within a second.

When I reviewed 8BitDo's 'ultimate' wireless controller last year, I was impressed by all its features and usability, though I was somewhat less keen on its cheap-feeling plastics, stick caps that made my thumbs sore, and the lack of resistance in the triggers.

But having used it almost every day since then, I've got used to the sticks and triggers, and they don't really bother me so much any more. It still feels a tad cheap, though, but credit to 8BitDo, the white plastics haven't become grubby in the least bit.

At its original $60, you'd be forgiven for complaining about such things, but at $43, the Ultimate 2 is genuinely great value for money for what you're getting. And when it's a little cooler in my office tonight, I'll be hammering my little Miata around with ease, thanks to the 8BitDo.

👉Find all of Amazon's gaming controller deals here👈

Wolverine V3 Pro 8K PC: was $199.90 now $149.99
Lighter than its predecessor, it's now also packing in an 8K polling rate. Sturdy construction and magnetic tech throughout means this high-end gamepad will see you through years of gaming.

Key Specs: Wireless | Asymmetric sticks | TMR sticks | Hall effect HyperTriggers | Up to 8,000 Hz polling rate | Back paddles

Price watch: Newegg $230.99View Deal

The best of the best often comes at a premium. The controller we rate as the tippy-top of high-end gamepads is no different, going for what Alex describes as a "King's ransom" in his Razer Wolverine V3 Pro 8K PC review. Thankfully, the Amazon Prime Day sales is when those premium peripherals tend to take a step down from their pricey podiums.

Usually, the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro 8K PC controller costs a wince-worthy 200 bucks, which is definitely too rich for my blood when it comes to gamepads. Prime Day has lopped off 25% from that pointed price tag though, and now you can get the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro 8K for $150 from Amazon.

• We're curating all the best Prime Day PC gaming deals here

For someone who would rather, say, kneeslide into a bush in Arc Raiders as opposed to pelting through Dire Marsh's nighttime map in Marathon, $150 is still a bit more than I personally would want to spend on a controller for PC. However, the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro 8K ain't the best high-end controller for nothing; if your budget allows, you're definitely getting a premium experience with this in your palms.

Asymmetric TMR thumbsticks banish the spectre of stick drift, and you also get your share of Hall Effect triggers that the pad bills as 'HyperTriggers' here. Plenty of budget options now enjoy this tech (including another best of the best, the considerably more affordable GameSir Nova Lite), so that's not wholly to blame for the price tag. So, let's take a look at some of the features that make this pad so premium.

At 220 grams, it's a fairly weighty bit of kit though significantly sighter than its forebear (which is also on sale for the same price even though it doesn't have the 8K polling rate). Alex also praised this PC controller's build quality in particular, writing, "[It's] sturdy and solid all over. The edge of each hand grip is coated in a dimpled, textured surface that helps it stay firmly lodged in the palm of even the sweatiest neckbeard. The durable construction should last you years of gaming, but Razer has included a robust carrying case in the box, just in case."

Now, I wouldn't recommend flinging such a gamepad, but its sturdy construction assures me it could certainly withstand a few accidental tumbles. According to Alex, you should also get a lot more life out of the battery than the humble advertised 20 hours. He explains, "I tested it for a couple of hours each night over the course of a week, and after 10 hours of gameplay, its battery level had dropped from 68% to 37%. Based on that, I'd expect you to get plenty more than the advertised 20 hours, which is encouraging. Note that I was mostly using the 1,000 Hz polling rate—ramping it up to 8,000 Hz will drain the battery faster."

That does finally lead us onto the headlining polling rate rather nicely. The 8,000 Hz polling rate can be activated via the Razer Synapse software (and, honestly, it's a lot more than most gamers will need). Coupled with the TMR sticks, you're looking at a precise bit of kit geared towards anyone with pro esports ambition—and that explains the price tag. That's just as well, as any controller entering the esports arena will stare down heavy use, and the construction of the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro 8K PC means it can definitely withstand that for years to come.

Some cheaper alternatives...

Now, obviously at $150 it is a lot of cash to drop on, well, anything at the moment, but in the world of PC pads there are a ton to choose from at a more reasonable price. For just $20 you can get a genuine wireless Hall effect pad in a funky colour or spend a bit more and grab our pick as the best overall controller for PC right now, the Gamesir G7 Pro Tri-mode for just $64.

So, there are options if the excellent Razer is still too rich for your blood even with this discount.

👉Check out all of Amazon's PC controller deals👈

Luckily, we at PC Gamer have tested loads of sim racing gear—from the very affordable to the downright lush. And in case you haven't heard, it's Amazon Prime Day today (and until June 26), so I've put together a selection of the very best sim racing deals to get you strapped in and screaming around the streets of Japan. Most are straight from our best racing wheel guide, no less.

• We're curating all the best Prime Day PC gaming deals here

A great wheel might not turn you into Max Verstappen, but when it comes to making you feel like you're at the controls of a bazillion-brake horsepower beast, there's nothing quite like it. You'll also want to consider somewhere to sit for the best racing position, a set of pedals for wheels that don't include them, and possibly even a manual shifter. We've got you covered—I'll see you at the starting line!

Prime Day PC racing wheels and pedals for Forza Horizon 6

G7 Pro Tri-Mode: was $79.99 now $63.99
Our current pick for the best PC controller right now, the GameSir G7 Pro is only slightly pricier than a standard Xbox controller but feels and looks nearly identical, and comes with TMR sticks, tactile switches, and a charging dock to keep it topped up and looking pretty on a shelf. This is the lowest we've seen this controller at, and it was already reasonably priced at MSRP.

Key specs: TMR joysticks | 2.4 GHz wireless, Bluetooth, Wired | Asymmetric | 272 g

Price check: Best Buy $63.99View Deal

You can get a pretty good idea of the GameSir G7 Pro from the score we awarded it in our review: 92%. My colleague Shaun noting how impressive it is in feel and features for not a whole lot more money than an Xbox pad ($49). What's more convincing is that it's currently on sale at Best Buy.

You can grab the GameSir G7 Pro for $64 in the Tech Fest sale. That's a $16 saving.

The G7 Pro is currently our pick for the best controller for PC. It delivers a lot of features not expected of a controller in its price range. For starters, it uses optical micro switches for ABXY and comes with a mechanical D-pad—something often only expected of controllers with triple-digit price tags.

• We're curating all the best Prime Day PC gaming deals here

It also has stick-drift resistant thumbsticks. I think we're way past using a potentiometer for a thumbstick these days, and it was back in 2024 that I called time on stick drift for all my own future purchases. Luckily, you don't have to look far for a better alternative. The G7 Pro uses TMR sensors to track the analog sticks with accuracy and without requiring a huge deadzone.

The triggers are Hall effect, though you can toggle a switch on the back of the controller to switch over to micro switches. This turns those triggers into clicky buttons.

Two more switches on the rear also lock or unlock the two rear paddle buttons. Such a good feature if, like me, you don't really care for extra buttons on the rear of the controller. There are a couple more of these on the G7 Pro: two mini bumpers up top.

The G7 Pro is a wireless pad. It offers 2.4 GHz via a provided dongle, with a polling rate up to 1,000 Hz, and Bluetooth. It can also be connected via a USB Type-C cable. Though if you're just looking to charge the pad, it comes with a charging dock in the box. A neater solution for keeping it regularly charged.

One feature shared by the G7 Pro and the Steam Controller is a gyroscope. The G7's Nexus software lets you map mouse, button, or stick input to the gyroscope for easy movement without a mouse.

Altogether, this controller is packed with features for not a lot of cash.

Shaun says it best in the final line of his review: "it packs pretty much every important pro feature into an $80 piece of kit that betters a lot of its more expensive competitors." Though, importantly, not $80 anymore. Just $64.

👉 Check out Best Buy's Tech Fest deals 👈

And people have been using it, to such an extent that Valve has needed to upgrade the system to manage expectations regarding when you'll actually get one. "When we launched Steam Controller last month, we quickly saw that initial demand exceeded our expectations," Valve writes in an update.

"We have no plans to stop making Steam Controller. But as we look at the current demand compared to how many we know we can make by the end of the year, we want to manage expectations as much as we can with regards to when folks can expect to receive their order."

To get to the point: if you're not in the queue already you probably won't get a Steam Controller until 2027. One of my colleagues based in the United States joined the queue today and their "estimated order availability" is 2027. It's the same for me in Australia.

According to Valve the reservation page now shows one of three estimated shipping windows, including "by September 2026", "by December 2026", and "in 2027", with more specific timing for the latter to come later. If you joined the queue already you can revisit the page and it'll show you which of those three categories you fit in.

Still, I do wonder how many of those in the queue have decided they're definitely going to buy a Steam Controller. It's possible to reserve your place without placing a deposit, so there's really no harm in registering your interest even if you're not committed to making the purchase. When something is in such hot demand, it's probably smarter to make the reservation than to not, because what if you change your mind between now and next year? What if the Steam Machine proves so mindblowing that the Steam Controller becomes an essential piece of kit?

Whatever the case, once your ticket is called you have 72 hours to make the purchase before you lose your place in the queue. With Steam Machine and Steam Frame seemingly imminent, I'd be very surprised if we don't see the same situation with those.

The patent in question concerns reactive buttons that can both soften and harden (via Cheat Happens). In theory, this would offer different tactile sensations by altering button hardness in real-time, depending on either the in-game situation or, ahem, personal preference (steady on).

I've definitely complained about 'squidgy' controller face buttons and D-pads in the past, so what's the appeal here? Well, the patent pitches a couple of use-cases, including a terrifying 'finger grab' effect that could grip your thumb tip should you, say, get grabbed while wading across yet another poisoned swamp in a Souls game.

Alternatively, this feature could be used to hold your thumb in place and prevent slippage. I'm not exactly jazzed about potentially having to pry my thumbs away from my gamepad for whatever reason. That said, there's a potential accessibility argument here, with the adaptable buttons changing shape to accommodate palms, wrists, elbows, and so on.

The tech could achieve this shape-shifting effect either through fluid-filled membranes or 'magnetoviscoelastic elastomers'. Not completely dissimilar to magnetic tech you'll already find in your controllers and keyboards, this could cause the reactive buttons to soften or harden depending on the magnetic field strength.

In many ways, the idea of reactive buttons feels like a natural follow-on to the DualSense's detailed haptics. While you can use the DualSense over both a wired and Bluetooth connection on PC, you'll be looking to sources other than Sony for haptic support. I wrote about just one of the unofficial options available, DSX+, yesterday.

Odds are, if we ever do see these reactive buttons on a DualSense successor, Sony won't be the party to bring it to PC; the company has doubled down on making the PS5's tentpole releases, like God of War Laufey, console exclusives, so it seems likely this reactive tech will follow a similar path into the walled garden of PlayStation.

Traditionally, you can use a DualSense controller on PC via a wired connection or over Bluetooth via an extra adapter. What a faff! Furthermore, there's no official support for the pad's detailed haptics on PC—so the team behind DSX are now extending unofficial support over both Bluetooth and wired connections. The v3.2 Beta 01update adds "Virtual DualSense with Audio support, allowing games to send native DualSense audio and haptics through DSX over Bluetooth or USB" (via WCCFTech).

There is a catch, though. The update post notes that haptic and controller-based audio support will require "DSX+ to create a virtual DualSense as it always has been." Essentially, that means you're going to have to pay $7.99 for the base software on Steam, and then another $3.99 for the DSX+ 'DLC'. In short, paying over 10 bucks for functionality that's standard on PS5 does feel a wee bit cheeky to me. That said, small teams providing unofficial support like this have gotta eat too.

This update also introduces the handy option to launch the controller software manually outside of Steam. Neat! This does use "a 28-day ownership cache" system, though, so you'll still need to futz with Steam at least once a month to continue enjoying support. To enjoy this functionality alongside haptics support, you'll need to set up access to the DSX Beta branch via Steam anyway.

I've not yet had a chance to go hands-on with DSX's haptic support, so I can't comment on how refined the feedback feels on PC versus console. But given that Sony has u-turned on bringing its tentpole releases to PC, such as God of War: Laufey, the case could be made that this unofficial haptic support comes a little too late. Still, if you're curious about what you're missing, this could be a great excuse to finally pick up 2023's Returnal (we've even got a robust beginner's guide).

I'm also fond of all the subtle haptics that have since been added to the PS5 version of Final Fantasy XIV Online, though there's no guarantee you'd get this in the PC version of the game. In my humble opinion, the best showcase for the DualSense's haptics are the last two AstroBot games. Unfortunately, Astro's Playroom—a game which I've heard at least one game developer describe as 'the five-hour hand massage'—was a free pack-in release for the increasingly expensive PlayStation 5 console, so it feels like the bot has a snowball in Hell's chance of ever making it PC-side.

As a PlayStation girlie, I'd kind of already accepted I'd be stuck with unrefined rumble at best on PC. It's a shame Sony has missed a trick by not offering official haptic support on PC itself, but it's also unsurprising given their doubling down on PS5 exclusives. Still, when a major player closes a door, you can bet a small team with a fraction of the resources will crack open a window. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to chill out in a rainy, forested corner of Atropos and soak up some DualSense ASMR.

In fact, best buy, Walmart, and even Amazon still have a few reasonably priced stragglers to pick up if you need a new controller.

👉ALL of Amazon's controller deals👈
👉OUR favorite Prime Day PC gaming deals👈

When it comes to the key high-end technology of today, such as TMR sticks and Hall effect triggers, that isn't necessarily the preserve of the super-premium $200 controllers. Companies such as GameSir and Easy SMX have brought these features down into the mainstream and you can find some of the best PC controllers sporting them for bargain prices right now.

Where to find the best Prime Day controller deals

• Amazon: All the pads you could ever want
• Walmart: Solid controllers, series savings
• Best Buy: Big name pads with big value discounts
• Newegg: Big savings on big brand controllers

Prime Day controller deals

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Hardware 66Gaming Monitors 9Gaming PCs 7Gaming Mice 6Gaming Headsets 6Gaming Audio 6SSDs 4Storage 4Gaming Laptops 4Controllers 1

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Logitech G203 | Wired

Perfect as a starter or low-budget option with a list of useful features like 6 programmable buttons, Lightsync RGB effects and a ton of customisation via Logitech's G Hub software, this mouse proves that you don't need to go fancy to get a great gaming peripheral. Key specs: Wired | 8,000 DPI | Right-handed Price check:Best Buy $39.99

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$25.99$34.99

Amazon deal recommended by:

Dave James • Editor-in-Chief, Hardware • 56 mins ago

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Save $33.68

Glorious GHS Eternal | 40 mm drivers

With a solid build quality, good compatibility and sweet design, the Glorious GHS is a thoroughly middle-of-the-pack budget gaming headset, but is a bit of a steal with a third off. Key specs: 40 mm drivers | 20 hz - 20 kHz | 255 g

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$26.31$59.99

Amazon deal recommended by:

Andy Edser • Hardware Writer • 2 hrs ago

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Logitech G305 Lightspeed | Wireless

The Logitech G305 Lightspeed is our favorite budget wireless mouse—it's nothing fancy, but it's lightweight, has great battery life, and uses a killer sensor. The only thing to note is that this deal isn't necessarily that out of left field—the G305 hasn't been at full price for a while, but it's still worth snagging if you need a nice budget option with no frills. Key specs: Wireless | 12,000 DPI | Right-handed Price check: Best Buy $49.99

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$29.99$49.99

Amazon deal recommended by:

Dave James • Editor-in-Chief, Hardware • 56 mins ago

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Logitech G305 Lightspeed

Already reasonably priced, who could say no to this charming rodent at a deep discount? Offering precision and durability with buttons rated for 10 million clicks—plus an array of fetching colours—this remains a great budget pick for good reason. Key specs: Wireless gaming mouse | Hero sensor | 12K CPI | 5 programmable buttons | 99 g weight | 200 hour battery life

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$29.99$49.99

Amazon deal recommended by:

James Bentley • Hardware writer • 21 days ago

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Razer Basilisk V3

This mouse might be a few years old, but we scored it highly in our review in part thanks to that lovely ergonomic design. It also has some lush underglow RGB that's sure to tempt even those who usually hate RGB lighting. Key specs: Wired gaming mouse | 26K DPI | 11 buttons | 100 g

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$34.98$69.99

Bestbuy deal recommended by:

James Bentley • Hardware writer • 21 days ago

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Logitech G502 Hero | Wired

This is a substantial discount on a tried and tested Logitech gaming mouse, with a large amount of customisation. The G502 Hero uses the Hero 25K sensor for accuracy, 11 customizable buttons, and comes with five removable weights to adjust the feel for even the pickiest of competitive gamers. Key specs: Wired | 25,600 DPI | Right-handed Price check:Best Buy $69.99

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$37.99$69.99

Amazon deal recommended by:

Dave James • Editor-in-Chief, Hardware • 56 mins ago

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Razer BlackShark V2 X

The Razer BlackShark V2 X is a remarkably good gaming headset, so much so that we'd say it was absolutely worth its full asking price, never mind the $20 discount you'll find here. Razer's 50 mm titanium drivers are nicely punchy and capable of plenty of volume without distortion, it's well-made, comfortable to wear all day, and the mic is pretty good, too. Plus, it's got a green cable, and we all know that pop of colour makes wired gaming headsets better by default. Key specs:50 mm drivers | Wired | Cardioid microphone

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$39.79$59.99

Amazon deal recommended by:

James Bentley • Hardware writer • 21 days ago

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Logitech G432 | 50 mm drivers

Logitech has been cranking out decent budget gaming headsets for a while, but this one's actually more of a mid-range set with a very healthy discount. The black and blue colorway won't be for everyone, but with 7.1 surround sound, a flip-to-mute mic, and DTS Headphone:X 2.0 support, this is certainly a whole lot of headset for the cash. Key specs: 50 mm drivers | 20-20,000 Hz | Closed-back | Wired Price check: Best Buy $49.99

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$39.99$79.99

Amazon deal recommended by:

Andy Edser • Hardware Writer • 2 hrs ago

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Razer Kraken V4 X | 40 mm drivers

If you're wondering why you might pay a little more than the Razer headsets above for, well, another Razer headset, the answer is comfort. Don't get me wrong, the BlackShark V2 X is a comfy thing to wear, but the plush, cushy memory foam cushions of the Kraken are well worth considering if you're looking for as much all-day usage as possible. It still sounds great, too. Key specs: 40 mm drivers | 20-20,000 Hz | Closed-back | Wired Price check: Best Buy $59.99

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$44.99$79.99

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Andy Edser • Hardware Writer • 2 hrs ago

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Turtle Beach Burst II Air | Wireless

We gave this mouse an 85% in our review, praising its very low weight, huge battery life, and super-responsive feel. It doesn't have quite as many fun extras as competitors and can be a bit of a fingerprint magnet, but it is a super solid choice at this price. Key specs: Wireless | 26,000 DPI | Symmetrical Price check:Best Buy $99.99

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$54.99$99.99

Amazon deal recommended by:

Dave James • Editor-in-Chief, Hardware • 56 mins ago

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HyperX Cloud III | 53 mm drivers

We found this headset to be very comfy in our review, with a balanced sound that still manages to keep a decent whack of bass. Our major drawback was the MSRP, but at $58 this set of cans is well worth a look. Key specs: 53 mm drivers | 15-25,000 Hz | Closed-back | Wired Price check: Best Buy $57.99

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$57.99$99.99

Amazon deal recommended by:

Andy Edser • Hardware Writer • 2 hrs ago

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Nothing Ear (a) | Bluetooth | 42.5-hour battery life (9.5 from earbuds)

These earbuds might not be ideal just for gaming (their low-latency mode is pretty poor), but for listening to music and more casual gaming, they're great. They have a great sound profile, sit comfortably, and look pretty snazzy, too. Key specs: Bluetooth 5.4 | 42.5-hour battery life (9.5 from earbuds) | 20 Hz – 20 kHz frequency response

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$59$79

Amazon deal recommended by:

Andy Edser • Hardware Writer • 2 hrs ago

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KTC H24V27

This KTC pick is a budget pick, and it knows it. The 100 Hz refresh rate is just okay; a VA panel means less good viewing angles and color accuracy, but it's a solid enough gaming monitor, and the cheapest I'd actually recommend right now. Remember to use the code "LDSF246" for the full discount Key specs: 24-inch | 100 Hz | 1 ms | VA

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$62.49$99.99

Newegg deal recommended by:

James Bentley • Hardware writer • 21 days ago

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Scuf Valor Pro

This controller is comfy, responsive, and all its various buttons, sticks, and triggers feel very high-quality. There's little to dislike about the Valor Pro unless you really don't want to keep that cable. This is a great price for a Scuf controller, too. Key Specs: Wired USB Type-C | Xbox, Windows | Hall effect thumbsticks

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$76.99$109.99

Amazon deal recommended by:

Jess Kinghorn • Hardware Writer • 24 days ago

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Acer AOpen 24KG1Y X3bip

With a $50 discount, this is the highest refresh rate 1080p monitor you will find at its price point. It's also IPS, which offers better viewing angles and colours than VA and comes with a solid response time too. Key specs: 23.8-inch | 200 Hz | 0.5 ms | IPS

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$79.99$129.99

Newegg deal recommended by:

James Bentley • Hardware writer • 21 days ago

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Asus ROG Pelta

With a strong battery life, super comfortable fit, and nice, airy materials, the Asus ROG Pelta is a bit of a belter. At its usual price, it's still a very good offering, but $45 off makes it an instant recommendation. Key specs: 2.4 GHz, Bluetooth, and USB-C connectivity | 90-hour battery life

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$79.99$129.99

Amazon deal recommended by:

James Bentley • Hardware writer • 21 days ago

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MSI MAG 244F

With a hurtling-fast refresh rate and snappy response rate, this IPS panel from MSI is a solid competitive pick for just under $100. Key specs: 24-inch | 200 Hz | 0.5 ms | IPS

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$97.49$149.99

Bestbuy deal recommended by:

James Bentley • Hardware writer • 21 days ago

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MSI MAG 255XFV

You might not like the VA panel and its low brightness, but you'll surely like the speed and price tag. 250 Hz, 0.5 ms pixel time, and adaptive sync will all help to ensure you get super-silky gaming. Key specs: 25-inch | 250 Hz | 0.5 ms | VA Price check: Best Buy OOS | Micro Centre OOS

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$99$149.99

Walmart deal recommended by:

James Bentley • Hardware writer • 2 hrs ago

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Prime Day controller deals in the UK

Where are the best Prime Day controller deals in the UK?

• Amazon: Big discounts on top-brand controllers
• Overclockers: A whole bunch of controllers to choose from
• Scan: Gamepads from just £15
• Box: Controllers for everyone
• Currys: Controllers from as little as £20
• Argos: Good prices on budget to high-end controllers

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