Typically a gaming keyboard and gaming mouse gained’t lower it in sure PC video games. That’s the place an incredible PC controller, just like the Xbox Core Wireless Controller, is available in clutch. Click on to jump to a detailed look at the best PC controllers, or see our fast purchasing listing beneath:
TL;DR – These are the Best PC Controllers:
The very best PC controllers could be a boon in every thing from racing video games and flying sims to open-world and combating video games. However in case you’re nonetheless uncertain about swapping out your keyboard and mouse for a gamepad, jump ahead to our FAQ section for more information before you purchase a controller. In any other case, we’ve discovered ten top-tier choices good to pair together with your gaming PC – and find them here in the UK.
10 Best PC Controllers
Best PC Controller
If you happen to’re trying to find a controller with a top quality design and ample flexibility in how you employ it to recreation in your PC, the Xbox Core Controller is a stable place to begin. Microsoft has created an ergonomic controller that’s simple to carry onto due to added grip on the facet, rear, and triggers. After all, it has a well-known Xbox format, whereas the bulk of its buttons are remappable, and the D-Pad is much more tactile than the Xbox One iteration.
There’s lots of versatility in connecting the Xbox Core Controller to your PC with a wired USB-C to get rid of enter lag and Bluetooth as a wi-fi different. There’s additionally a low-latency wi-fi choice obtainable in case you have an Xbox Wi-fi adapter for PC. It even features a 3.5mm jack to your headset, limiting the quantity of wires working between you and your PC. Nevertheless, it’s powered by AA batteries, which appears a bit archaic for 2023; however nonetheless it provides you gameplay utilization of as much as 40 hours. On the finish of the day, it is value it.
Best Price range PC Controller
The PowerA Enhanced wired controller is a robust choice, ditching wi-fi connectivity with a view to hit a low value level beneath $40—and it’s usually on sale for a lot much less. Positive, you gained’t get Bluetooth to get in some motion in your gaming telephone, however the detachable Micro USB works nice together with your PC proper out of the field. And because you’re tethered to your pc, you’ll by no means want to fret about discovering batteries in your junk drawer each few months.
The controller itself would not stray too removed from the form and really feel of Microsoft’s personal Xbox controller, although it’s barely lighter, lacks these rubberized grips, and is a tad bit flimsier. Nevertheless, you get two vibration motors to really feel the motion and all of the buttons you want to your video games. It even takes a web page out of the Xbox Elite Controller’s e-book: on the underside of the PowerA Enhanced controller, you will discover two small buttons that may function shortcuts to face buttons.
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Best Extremely Low cost PC Controller
Are you a religious keyboard and mouse gamer who imagines your self hardly ever utilizing a gamepad? The Logitech F310 is the proper choice for you, because it solely prices round $20, nevertheless it consists of every thing you want to your occasional cravings to make use of a controller. This selection delivers twin joysticks, bumpers and triggers, 4 normal face buttons, and an eight-directional D-Pad, whereas ten buttons are programmable to customise the gamepad to your wants.
Now, is the Logitech F310 one thing you’ll need to be utilizing on a regular basis? Most likely not, as its quick, nubby grips do not make for wonderful ergonomics, and the joysticks aren’t 100% correct. However that should not matter for brief bursts, and the controller will make your life considerably simpler when driving automobiles in video games like Grand Theft Auto V or Battlefield 2042. It’s additionally strictly wired, connecting through USB, although it’s plug-and-play and delivers low enter lag for the quickest potential actions.
Best Wired PC Controller
The plug-and-play nature of the Turtle Seashore Recon Controller is ideal for anybody wanting so as to add a wired controller to their PC. It connects through a removable USB-A twine, and there’s even a headset port on the controller, serving to to restrict the wires cluttering your PC setup. Turtle Seashore takes it additional by together with their Tremendous Human Listening to to boost delicate audio cues and audio controls for quantity, recreation and chat combine, and mic monitoring, all on the gamepad itself.
You’ll get shortly on top of things in video games with the acquainted X-box fashion format of the Turtle Seashore Recon Controller, so that you’re all set for Xbox Recreation Go video games and the extensive assortment of titles obtainable on Steam. Two again paddles are on the gamepad for fast actions, whereas on-the-fly button remapping can be obtainable with 4 totally different profiles preloaded on the Recon, which you’ll be able to reconfigure to your liking. Lastly, the textured finishes on most controls and rubberized grips make for a safe handhold.
Best Bluetooth PC Controller
The Sony DualSense Controller makes it easy to hook up with your PC utilizing Bluetooth, which implies it’ll even be a stable choice as a telephone controller for cellular gaming. Nevertheless, in case you’re in search of a extra steady reference to much less latency, you possibly can all the time plug it in through a USB-C for a wired choice. And in contrast to the Xbox Core, whenever you use it wirelessly, you get a chargeable battery, although the battery life leaves a lot to be desired.
The Sony DualSense adjustments the aesthetics of the DualShock, making for a sleeker, easier-to-grip gamepad that also provides an identical management scheme and symmetrical analog sticks. Steam assist is on the controller, whereas superior haptics and adaptive triggers work on PC utilizing a wired connection. With extra PlayStation-exclusive video games ending up not so unique due to PC ports, full DualSense performance on PC makes for one of the simplest ways to play these video games.
Best Excessive-Finish PC Controller
If you happen to’re after a controller that gives the acquainted Xbox design however amps up its functionality, you possibly can’t go mistaken with the Xbox Elite Collection 2 controller. This mannequin options 4 rear paddles that may have their very own actions or change the operate of the face buttons, whereas all of the buttons on the gamepad are remappable. The D-pad, again paddles, and analog sticks are additionally all magnetically swappable, and you continue to get the tunable triggers we beloved on the unique Elite.
The Elite Collection 2 controller provides the rechargeable battery that the Xbox Core controller lacks and lasts a formidable 40 hours on every cost. Along with Xbox Wi-fi, in case you’ve bought an adapter, there’s Bluetooth, making it simple to pair together with your PC or smartphone. You’re good to go whenever you’d slightly have a low-latency wired connection, too, with a USB-C obtainable.
Best PC Controller for Retro Recreation
With retro seems to be and trendy performance, the 8BitDo Professional 2 is an superior choice for enjoying basic video games on PC — and new video games, too. The face of this 8BitDo mannequin provides you the sense of utilizing a basic SNES controller, however the expertise ought to be exponentially higher due to a contemporary ergonomic design, high quality buttons, and vibration. It additionally helps a variety of platforms and may connect with your PC over a wired USB-C or Bluetooth for 20 hours.
On the 8BitDo Professional 2, you’ll discover normal Nintendo-style controls, although you possibly can remap the buttons to match in-game controls. In the meantime, you get PlayStation-style symmetrical analog sticks and two again paddles that allow you to hold your thumbs on the sticks. Customization additionally permits you to do any mandatory button remapping, swap sticks conduct and axes, or alter the set off actuation depth, and there are even movement controls.
The Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra is a novel controller due to its “Related Command Show.” It’s a compact, full-color display immediately on the controller that shows telephone notifications and allows you to make on-the-fly setting changes like swapping between ten totally different profiles, fine-tuning the vibration depth, and modifying RGB lighting. You’ll be able to even program the RGB lighting to alter colours to point telephone notification alerts or low battery.
Show and RGB lighting apart, the Turtle Seashore Stealth Extremely is one beast of a gamepad, that includes an Xbox format with tactile micro switches and hall-effect, anti-drift thumbsticks–drifting has plagued some Turtle Seashore controllers. You’ll additionally discover set off locks and 4 mappable buttons on the underside for flexibility in the way you play. Turtle Seashore’s providing is wi-fi, so there’s a 2.4GHz dongle for a lag-free connection to your PC or Xbox, and Bluetooth assist is helpful to your gaming telephone.
Best PC Struggle Stick
If you happen to play deal of arcade or combating video games, do your self a favor and decide up a combat stick, and for PC, the Razer Kitsune is a standout choice. Moderately than together with a typical stick on the controller, it has a leverless design providing buttons that transfer in a full vary of instructions. Although that will take getting used to, there are benefits, together with a faster enter velocity–milliseconds matter in combating video games—together with higher accuracy and simpler execution of sure strikes. Past the directional controls, you get all the opposite buttons you’ll want to KO opponents on this PlayStation-licensed machine.
The Razer Kitsune is a perfect measurement, letting each palms relaxation comfortably on it whereas being gentle and compact sufficient to hold round at tournaments. That mentioned, the controller nonetheless feels sturdy and sturdy, and the buttons have responsive and surprisingly quiet optical switches. If you happen to’d like a distinct really feel, these buttons are hot-swappable. Razer additionally features a flashy gentle strip across the edge of the controller and a match lock to forestall you from by accident getting disqualified.
Best PC Racing Wheel
PCs are the place to expertise simulation racing video games, letting play some very severe—and generally significantly obscure—racing video games, and you may as well join a number of shows and ultrawide screens. For an much more immersive expertise, you want a stable racing wheel, and Fanatec’s Gran Turismo DD Pro is what skilled racers and fanatic sim racers use. Because the identify may counsel, the direct drive wheels join a big motor on to the steering wheel for a lot better management and drive suggestions.
If you happen to’re in search of efficiency, the Gran Turismo DD Professional delivers, providing you with a whopping 5Nm of torque, however it could go as much as 8Nm with the separate 180 Increase Equipment. You’re certain to really feel the pull of each flip and the shock of each bump! The wheel options an easy-to-use interface with acquainted controls, distinctive 5-way directional sticks, and RevLED, whereas a metal two-pedal set completes this epic PC racing wheel.
Best PC Controller FAQ
Can You Use Console Controllers on PC?
The quick reply to this query is sure. Most of the perfect PC controllers are simply console controllers that you just join you your PC. Determining find out how to join them to your pc is the place it begins to get somewhat tough. Check out our guides to connecting a PS5 controller to PC and pairing an Xbox controller to PC for assist getting began.
Are Controllers Higher Than a Mouse and Keyboard for PC Gaming?
In brief, not essentially. Whereas enjoying PC video games with a controller might sound sacrilege towards every thing that’s proper within the church of keyboard and mouse, you should not care about what different folks take into consideration the way in which you play PC video games.
In any case, PC gaming is simply as a lot about enjoying video games at their absolute best high quality, experiencing video games at ultrawide and super-wide side ratios unobtainable on the consoles, or simply having the best, silkiest body charge potential.
The way you get to play that have is as much as you, and in case you’re like us, generally you’d slightly simply sit again with a controller than consistently lean over your desk’s keyboard and mouse. This may be very true in case you occur to be enjoying video games on a big-screen gaming TV in your sofa. Whereas there are lapboards to deliver the true PC gaming expertise to your lounge, controllers are nice for protecting issues informal and comfy.
Learn how to Select the Best PC Controller
Selecting the perfect PC controller is loads like selecting the perfect console controller for you; all of it relies on choice. If you happen to just like the configuration of Xbox controllers over the perfect PS5 controllers, then you are going to need to a basic Xbox controller. If you happen to’re in search of one thing extra customizable, you will need to go along with a customized controller just like the Xbox Elite Collection. And, in case you simply actually like the texture of the Swap Professional controller, you possibly can go along with that too. There are lots of choices obtainable!
Can You Use a PC Controller on a Steam Deck?
Although the Steam Deck comes with its personal set of full-size buttons, rear paddles, and analog sticks, there’s nonetheless a case to be made for utilizing a PC controller, akin to if the machine is connected to a gaming monitor otherwise you’re taking benefit of multiplayer mode. Fortunately, the gaming handheld helps a range of controllers and makes them easy to pair.
The Steam Deck provides Bluetooth, so virtually any controller with that connectivity choice ought to work effectively with the machine. Most Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo controllers are even robotically acknowledged by Steam, and on PlayStation controllers, the consumer interface on Steam defaults to match the PlayStation controls. You don’t want to fret about this with Xbox controllers, as they’ve the identical button association because the Steam Deck. It’s additionally potential to have a wired controller related to the Steam Deck through a USB-C. So, possibly a controller ought to be the subsequent Steam Deck accent you decide up.
The place to Get the Best PC Controller within the UK
It’s unsurprising that the Xbox controller tops the listing right here, however you have really bought a pair of choices relying on whether or not your laptop computer or PC is Bluetooth enabled. If you happen to’ve bought Bluetooth to make use of, you will not want the PC adapter USB, and may merely decide up an Xbox One controller, or perhaps a PlayStation DualShock 4 to keep away from the additional price. However, if you wish to take into account all of your choices, listed below are the perfect PC controllers obtainable within the UK. Do not see the controllers beneath? Click on right here.
IGN’s tech freelancer Danielle Abraham contributed to this shopping for information.
Tech professional Kevin Lee contributed to this information. Comply with him on Twitter @baggingspam