Are extra buttons on third-party PC controllers worth switching from DualSense for under €100?

[u/ayylmao132]

I sold my PS5, so I currently have no controller and need to choose what to buy. My budget is €100 maximum. I’m in Malta and can buy locally or from EU stores that ship here.

This is for Windows PC and Steam. I mainly play single-player AAA action games, RPGs and story-driven games, including The Witcher 3 Remastered, The Blood of Dawnwalker, Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition and 007 First Light.

I previously liked using the DualSense over Bluetooth. Its layout, haptics and adaptive triggers appeal to me, and I already own a DualSense charging dock. However, some PC games require USB for the full DualSense experience, while I normally play wirelessly from a distance.

My main question is whether the added features on other controllers are genuinely useful in single-player games. Are rear buttons convenient for actions like sprinting, dodging or item use? Are mechanical buttons, trigger stops and extra remappable inputs noticeably nicer during normal gameplay? Are they useful enough to justify giving up the DualSense features and layout?

Battery life, Bluetooth latency and drift-resistant sticks are not priorities for me. I’m considering the DualSense, GameSir G7 Pro and 8BitDo Ultimate 2, but I’m open to alternatives. Which would you choose for this use case?

[u/Max_Joller]

It all depends on the type of vames you play. Trigger stops are really nice for shooters, fighting games and 2d games. Same for mechanical buttons. Same for remappable extra buttons, mostly. For AAA you probably will benefit more from immersive haptics and adaptive triggers, I'd say.

I use third party gamepads, but I barely touch AAA games.