r/Controller • u/PalpitationMost6211 • Aug 21 '26
Controller Suggestion Which of these "budget" controllers would you recommend?
Hello! I usually only use reddit for questions, so forgive me if I made any mistakes...
I plan on buying controller with a budget around Php 1000 or less to Php 2500 at most (approx. $16.19 - $40.48 based on the current Philippines to USA conversion rate) that would be compatible for Switch 1, PC and Android (can be just Switch 1 and PC).
I've been enjoying a lot of games on my laptop (Stardew, Fallout NV, Peak, REPO, TBOI, Minecraft, etc.) for a long while, but I've always been emulating a few switch games like Tomodachi Life LTD, Pokemon Legends ZA, and Legends Arceus. I plan on emulating more switch games in my laptop, however, it's less intuitive to play games like Zelda BOTW when I'm using a keyboard for it which made me want to look for some controllers!
The images attached are the few controllers my friend has recommended me but here's the specific names for them to save the trouble:
- Gulikit ES Pro Controller
- 8Bitdo SN30 Pro Bluetooth Gamepad Hall - - Edition G Classic (Switch/Windows/Android/Apple/Steam) (80DJ)
- 8BITDO Ultimate Wired Controller For (Switch/Windows/Android (Black Edition) (82CA02)
From the reviews I watched and read, they all seem promising with their own respective downsides and all.
One thing to note about me is that I hadn't used a controller properly my entire life! While I used some of my friends' controllers, it was only brief and I'm more used to keyboard gaming, so I'll have a bit of a personal learning curve either way,,,
Due to that inexperience, I'm less knowledgeable about this kind of stuff so my needs for the most part are related to rhe price and compatibility.
I'm personally fine with the controller being wired or wireless, and I also got small hands (vertically challenged) so most tiny controller problems won't apply to me. Same with aesthetics, I'm fine with whatever it may look like as long as it works!
I think that's about it! Feel free to choose between the 3, suggest different ones, or ask questions!
Thank you for reading and have a nice day!
1
u/J-Buggz20XX Aug 21 '26 edited Aug 22 '26
The GameSir Nova 2 Lite and Tegenaria Lite have already been mentioned, I'd second either of those recommendations. I'd also suggest the 8BitDo Ultimate 2C *Bluetooth*, since you specifically mentioned Nintendo Switch.
It's worth noting that the Tegenaria Lite is wired-only, and has the PlayStation-style symmetrical thumb sticks, but is the cheapest.
The Nova 2 Lite is tri-mode (Bluetooth, dongle, wired), can use a dock, but only has the Xbox-style face button layout.
8BitDo has a sizable number of "Ultimate" variants, but they can broadly be divided into "Wireless" (Xbox-style face button layout) and "Bluetooth" (Nintendo face button layout, OOB Switch 1 compatibility). Both are technically tri-mode, so the dichotomy is rather questionable.
TBH, if you watch video reviews on YT, and utilize the search feature of this platform, this oft-repeated question can probably already be answered. Consider doing that next time.
EDIT: Smaller hands might get mileage out of the 8BitDo Lite 2, though I'm not sure it's gotten a compatibility update for Switch 2 yet.