This $16 controller is one of the best Cyber Monday stocking fillers, and the cheapest route to no-drift Hall effect sticks

A green GameSir Nova Lite controller on a Cyber Monday background — (Image credit: GameSir)

There once was a time when buying a controller for just 10 to 20 dollars would get you some grubby old ~~rubbish~~ not-great controller: something purely relegated to the player unlucky enough to get the second controller. That time is no longer, with budget champions like GameSir and 8BitDo on the market.

We're curating all the Cyber Monday PC gaming deals right here

Though the deal at Walmart technically doesn't have a sales banner on it, the GameSir Nova Lite here is almost $4 less than the same controller in Amazon's Cyber Monday sales.

To put this figure in context, 8BitDo's Ultimate 2C is a similarly priced and specced budget controller, and the cheapest variant sits at $18.75. That's still a solid deal, and these together are the two most reasonably priced Hall effect controllers out there in the Cyber Monday sales this year.

I've had the GameSir Nova Lite in my gaming drawer for more than a year now and have pulled it out many times, even when more luxurious options are available. That's because of how easy it is to use and how light it feels in the hands. It's not a hugely sturdy build, but it is a comfortable one, and Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz wireless play make it easy to get going.

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Two GameSir Nova Lite controllers on a desk — (Image credit: Future)

It even comes with a neat feature to swap between Bluetooth connections and the wireless dongle by holding the home button and clicking one of the face buttons, which means you don't even need to get off the sofa to swap between devices.

The battery life is just fine, at around 9-10 hours, and it's missing an audio jack at the bottom to plug in a headset, but these are just a few compromises made to hit such a low price point, and boy, is it low.

After we reviewed the GameSir Nova Lite in May of last year, it managed to hog a spot as the best budget pc gaming controller, which it has retained ever since. Back then, we wrote, "This controller is a surprise in the best possible way. While you may be willing to stomach a litany of downsides to get something this cheap, the GameSir Nova Lite somehow manages to avoid almost all of them."

Gosh, I don't know who this James Bentley character is, but they sound like they have a killer budget controller in their hands. They also sound super duper smart, too.

👉Check out Walmart's gaming controller deals👈

Best PC controller 2025

1. Best overall:
GameSir G7 Pro

2. Best budget:
GameSir Nova Lite

3. Best high end:
Razer Wolverine V3 Pro 8K PC

4. Best wired:
Scuf Valor Pro

👉Check out our full PC controller guide👈

James is a more recent PC gaming convert, often admiring graphics cards, cases, and motherboards from afar. It was not until 2019, after just finishing a degree in law and media, that they decided to throw out the last few years of education, build their PC, and start writing about gaming instead. In that time, he has covered the latest doodads, contraptions, and gismos, and loved every second of it. Hey, it’s better than writing case briefs.

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