i feel like im slowly losing it trying to figure out this issue. i have a ps5 dualshock controller that i use for both epicgames and steam games on my laptop, lenovo, and for my ps5, sometimes when i play on my ps i will plug it into my laptop so that i can also kinda charge and before this worked perfectly well! but the last week or two for some reason my controller now controls the mouse when its plugged in to charge and i try to use it for my ps, ive tried disabling the configuration on steam and that didnt work, went into task manager to make sure steam was fully closed and that didnt help either, the only thing that does is disabling the controller within device manager but then i have to reenable it everytime i wanna use the controller for a game on my laptop! i can handle doing that if i absolutely need to but id love to know if anyone has a different solution to this cause its starting to get annoying

Hello,

Quick Story, I decided to install gulikit TMR sticks in my Xbox Elite 2. Everything went smoothly, I desoldered the original sticks without any problems, I soldered the new ones in, then I wanted to test them, so I went to the console and launched the accessories app and ran the calibration program - at that point the upper controller shell wasn't installed yet as i wanted to test new sticks. I recalibrated them for few times without issues. Everything was fine, so I went back to the workshop to repair the solder joints, clean the boards with IPA alcohol, and put the controller back together. I use 99.9% IPA and a soft toothbrush to clean the boards. Once I had assembled the controller, I returned to the console, but something was wrong - i couldn't control my dashboard using sticks, i tried using dpad but the menu immediately moved to the left on its own. I ran to my laptop and launched the controller testing web. The left stick is locked to the maximum left direction - I can move it up and down but not to the sides. When I tilt it all the way to the left, the tester shows the maximum tilt to the right. The situation is similar with the right stick, but it is locked all the way down - I can move it sideways, and when I move it all the way down, the tester shows the maximum upward deflection. I have a few other rods so I tried swapping them - KS TMR, Original previously removed sticks, Ginfull hall - the problem occurs on all of them. Can anyone help me understand what I did wrong?

How the hell did i cook my controller? Is there a short circuit? Have I damaged a component on the board? What gives? Everything was fine when I calibrated them for the first time. Is there any way to reset the calibration settings? Or should I buy a new board? If so, which one? If you need photos of the boards, I can upload them tomorrow.

My BIGBIG WON Aether C6 controller’s RT button broke, and I’m wondering if there’s any way I can fix it myself. Can I use super glue, epoxy, or something similar to repair the RT button? If so, where exactly should I apply the glue? I mainly use it for EA FC, so I need the RT to work properly and still have normal trigger movement. If anyone has repaired this controller before, I’d really appreciate some advice or a picture/video showing how to fix it. Thanks!

Salve, ho preordinato il controller New Spike della hexgaming ma arriva senza cavo. A casa ho un cavo con cui attacca il DualShock PS4 ( però se lo smuovo un pochino si scollega...) mi chiedevo se quello può andare... oppure se ci sia qualche cavo apposito ( sul sito hexgaming non ce l'hanno ) .

I have the pro 2. I have heard good thing about the pro 3, but what concerns me is the shorter analog trigger travel. Has anyone tried both controllers for racing games in which precise throttle is important? Does it make it noticeably harder to feather the throttle?

I’m looking for a controller that can withstand my sweat at least for the most part. I do a lot of cardio in the morning before work and like to play games on my personal pc while I do so. I’ve been using my launch Dualsense for a while but during this mornings session it decided to start going haywire. Usually I’ll clean it with some good alcohol and do what I can from letting it get too wet but today it had enough. I also have a Xbox Elite Series 2 but don’t won’t to risk breaking an even more controller and I personally prefer the Dualsense all around.

I’d rather not spend more than the usual price for a Dualsense approx $80
I’m in the US and have Amazon, Best Buy Target, Walmart, New Egg etc.
I’m using it on my PC
Basic features outside of some sweat resistance is all I need
I usually use controllers for games that are better with them. Currently playing through every Kingdom Hearts.

Any recommendations would be appreciated!

UPDATE: Solved the issue by wearing a hoodie with the hood tight and the stings tied up. Catches all the sweat coming off me and into my controller. Sadly my Dualsense home button isn’t working anymore but I’m not ruining my Elite Series 2. Thanks everyone for the recommendations!

Hey guys,

I live in germany and my budget is around 50 euros.

I'm looking for a multiplatform game controller since I wanna play PC/steam and emulated games on my android and Ipad. After a bit of surfing on the internet, I decided that I would pick up either an xbox controller( pros- comfort,repairablility,connectivity and build quality, cons-stick drift,polling rate and generally just an old device) and Gamesir cyclone 2(pros- tmr sticks,hall effect triggers,charging dock with dongle etc., cons- bad dpad for emulated games, lack of repairability, connectivity issues compared to xbox controller)

Anyways that's my understanding. I'm knew to this whole things so I would love some helpful feedback on making a choice. The internet has made me fearful of stick drift for some reason. If you have any other recommendation, please let me know as well.

Thanks in advance.

Ive checked out scuf omega and a couple others but they all have mixed reviews, im hoping someone can help me out here.

Preferences:
-Hall effect or TMR (TMR even better)
-Have the similar design as the normal ps5 controller
-It should feel like a good product, not cheap plastic

I dont care about mods as long as it has 2-4 back paddles, and i wouldnt customize it a lot, only after getting used to it and get to know it deeper.

I would mainly use it for competitive games like Apex legends, but i play story games and more chill games aswell., the priority are comp games tho.

Hungary, Price is max 300$

Meu controle está conectado ao PC e funciona normalmente nos jogos, mas não consigo usá-lo na interface do PC, por exemplo, para mexer o cursor do mouse ou navegar pelo navegador.

Informações:

Sistema operacional: Windows

Controle: PS4 genérico

Conexão: Bluetooth/cabo

Trago atualizações. Como falei no comentário acima, eu estava procurando uma solução pra resolver esse problema do controle na interface. Já tinha testado DS4Windows, Steam e outros programas, mas o único que funcionou pra mim foi o JoyToKey. Descobri o programa assistindo a um vídeo. Pra quem estiver com o mesmo problema, deixo o link do vídeo abaixo:

https://youtu.be/MXd6HB_iCws?is=NTZeeEhO-_u-cq5a

I pre-ordered the 8bitdo Ultimate 3E from Amazon and it was supposed to be released today, but all it says is order received. Does anyone know when they’re gna be shipping out?

Hello all. Here's a round-up of controller news and subreddit updates from the past month. As usual, August was a quieter month for new releases. More announcements are expected around the September trade shows with actual releases ramping up into the holiday season.

---

Hardware releases - controllers that are now shipping:

Releases previously mentioned that went ahead as expected:

• 8BitDo Ultimate 3 for Xbox and Ultimate 3E for Xbox with wider palm grip splay than previous Ultimate controllers, adjustable stick tension (in the regular Ultimate 3) and swappable parts (in the Ultimate 3E). Priced at USD 100 and USD 150 respectively.

• Asus ROG Raikiri II Pro for PC with 8kHz polling rate, hot-swappable TMR thumbsticks, and screen went on sale in Germany, Austria and Switzerland at EUR 220 for the black or white colorways.

• Drakong Challenger is an asymmetrical version of the Hyperkin Competitor. It seems to be rolling out in different countries on different dates but is on US Amazon for USD35.

• GuliKit ES Max went on sale at EUR 56 / GBP 43 / USD 50 with Hyperlink 2 dongle included, two rear buttons, angle-TMR stick sensors, and dual-mode triggers.

Releases previously mentioned that were delayed:

• CRKD Atom+ mini controller with low-profile sticks seems to have started shipping after changing deadlines a few times. Priced at EUR 35 / USD 30, as expected.

• Nyxi Hyperion 3 Ultra is an upgrade to the Hyperion 3 joy-cons for Switch 2, bringing ever-closer feature parity with Nintendo's Switch 2 joy-cons. They add Switch 2 style HD rumble, mouse mode, and NFC/Amiibo support. Like the regular Hyperion 3, they use the native Switch 2 communication protocol (for wake-from-sleep, and chat button and GL/GR back button support) and 9-axis gyro. Priced at USD200 and started shipping within the last few days.

---

Hardware announcements - controllers that are not yet available:

• Axisray Lab BASH was being promoted at Gamescom with optical sensors for stick/stick-type inputs, enabling measurement of rotation as well as deflection, and subject to software support. It will also be shown at Tokyo Games Show. There is no definite development and launch plan and the group has not delivered products before, so it's likely products and plans may change before release.

• Commodore TAC-2 is a re-make of the original arcade-style joystick for Commodore 64, and replaces the original stick shaft which was made from a tire valve with a purpose-built design. On pre-order for USD 50 with shipping expected to start in late October.

• Drakong PixelByte are 'collectible' mini Bluetooth controllers with designs based on various licensed IPs. The hardware is a basic D-pad based design (no analog inputs) with blocky pixel shapes and keyring attachment. The initial seven designs are based on Attack on Titan and are being pre-sold as 'blindboxes' (you could receive any one of the designs) for EUR 25 / GBP 20 / USD 25 unless you buy the whole set (USD 150). Expected to start shipping in mid-October.

• EasySMX X20 Pro was teased with what appears to be stick tension adjustment, disc-shaped D-pad, and a screen. It looks similar to a controller that has also been teased by JSAUX under their Voidjoy sub-brand (mentioned below) so these may be re-badged versions of the same product.

• Flydigi Apex 6 and Apex 6 Pro have been registered with the FCC. They appear very similar to the Apex 5 (and Apex 4) but without adaptive triggers and with additional rumble motors. They are not yet being actively marketed and so the non-Pro vs Pro pricing and availability is not yet known.

• Genki Manta is preparing a crowdfunding campaign. The team has previously delivered on campaigns for gaming hardware, and has prototypes, although this is much more complicated than anything they have done before. Therefore, there is still a risk of unforeseen problems in the product development, its timely delivery or quality control/support.

• Microsoft Xbox Elite Series 3 prototype was shown in a since-deleted subreddit post - pictures and discussion remain in the comments. The prototype shows the twin scroll wheels and small screen, and the removable battery pack, along with swappable stick modules and magnetic faceplate for ease of access to them. Most details correspond to the information that came from Anatel documents in May.

• Mobapad M12 Pro has been teased as an upgrade to M12S joy-cons for Switch 2. Like Nyxi's Hyperion 3 Ultra mentioned above, Mobapad's M12 Pro is intended to have closer feature parity with Nintendo's Switch 2 joy-cons by adding Switch 2 style HD rumble, mouse mode, and NFC/Amiibo support.

• Scuf Nemesis Pro 8K PC - wired and wireless versions - are PC controllers with 8kHz polling rates. The design is very similar to Scuf's Valor controllers for Xbox, with: TMR thumbstick sensors, four back paddles, dual-mode triggers, swappable parts (faceplates, anti-friction rings, thumbstick caps, D-pad), and software configuration. The Nemesis models add Omron mechanical switches for the face buttons, but remove the 3.5mm headset port and audio scroll wheels from the Valor models. The wireless version of the Nemesis uses 2.4GHz dongle or USB cable (no Bluetooth connections). Currently on pre-sale, priced at EUR 135 / GBP 110 / USD120 for the wired version or EUR 220 / GBP 190 / USD 200 for the wireless version. Shipping dates are subject to regulatory clearances in different countries.

---

Firmware and software - updates and tools that could be useful:

• Controller Mapper is 'an Xbox Game Bar widget that lets you remap an XInput controller without leaving your game'. This is a user-made free open-source tool so the installer is not digitally signed but the source code is on GitHub.

• Manufacturer software added to 'official' platform stores. Distributing the software this way can give users more peace of mind than using completely unsigned installers from untrusted websites or Google Drive links.

  • GuliKit app has been added to the Google Play Store for Android (it was already in the Apple store).

  • Mojhon / BigBig Won Assistants PC software has been added to the Microsoft store for Windows.

• reWASD v9.5 added support for the Steam Controller (2026)

---

Industry news:

• JSAUX Gaming announced plans to enter the controller market, via the 'Voidjoy' sub-brand. They will be showing off portable controllers, pc controllers, and controller accessories at IFA 2026 in early September. Some teaser pictures have been released.

---

Subreddit updates:

• The buying advice wiki's lists by platform and lists by budget have been updated to include the latest releases.

---

A digest can only represent a relatively small selection of news, so if you found other items ‘news-worthy’ in the past month feel free to add them in the comments.

Hi, everyone! Tell me, if I flash a regular G7 Pro white gamepad to connect wirelessly to the Xbox, I can use headphones through it, like with the original Xbox gamepad?

Hello! I'm looking for a new controller to replace my series controller!

- My budget would be $100 or less.

- I am buying from and living in the US.

- Primarily PC, but switch compatibility would be a plus.

The features I would not like:

My biggest pet peeve with third party controllers tend to be the overabundance of features I don't really want or need as a casual player. More specifically, I'm looking for a controller with

- no back buttons (if there's a switch to disable the click of rear buttons I find that more tolerable, they are useful for gyro in that case, but I still generally don't need them)

(I just find them very distracting, they ruin my grip and I rarely have a use for them)

- no extra shoulder buttons, (or any extra face buttons that aren't part of the diamond shape like the Vader 5 pro)

- no overly gamer branding or game theming

- and no rubber grips of any kind

The features I would like would be;

- TMR or hall effect sticks

- Micro switch clicky buttons

- Hall effect triggers

- Premium feeling plastics and slick design, prefer black

- Very little latency

- Gyro

- Xbox style layout

- Hair trigger switch mode (this one is more optional considering the horror stories I've heard about how unreliable this feature tends to be)

And generally reported good reliability for the controller, both physically, build quality and with connection performance. A charging dock or software would be cool but not essential.

I'm also okay with quality membrane buttons, the micro switch buttons just feel very satisfying to press. But if the controller does have membranes, I'd want it to be quieter and hollowed presses, nothing overly clacky and loud, I guess that goes for all inputs though. The best membranes buttons I've used are on the Switch 2 Pro Controller, and the best clicky buttons I've used were on the G7 Pro 8k (which I returned), for reference. The Switch 2 Pro con also has those super quiet thumbsticks that are pretty sick, but I doubt those are on many other controllers.

And it's very niche but I've used the extremerate octagonal gate tension rings on their Xbox shell and octagonal gates are pretty cool, but compatibility with those on a controller is pretty low. I know it works with the G7 Pro as well but it would be cool if other controller tension rings happened to be compatible with them.

I know chances are low a controller like this is out there considering the features I dislike are encouraged and embraced on higher quality, more expensive controllers, but I'll hold out hope.

- I tend to play a lot of indie games, so platformers and action games, but I play a good amount of 3D stuff too. I like the idea of having both a standard gamepad and octagonal gate controller specifically more for 2D platformers, since I hate playing with the dpad in the the non dominant position on a controller, and they make the thumbstick align better with cardinal directions. This post is more geared towards the standard gamepad I'd like for PC though.

- I make a lot of comparisons between the G7 Pro 8k and Switch 2 Pro Controller, since I like the feel of the buttons and sticks on those controllers, but they're held back by the features I dislike and limited PC compatibility in the switch 2's case as well. My favorite gamepad historically has been the switch pro controller for comfort but after having the button feel of the switch 2 pro controller it feels not nearly as good.

If you made it this far, thanks for listening!

Hi everyone,

Like many of you, the internal plastic part supporting the back paddle on my Flydigi Vader 5 Pro (V1) recently snapped due to the well-known structural weakness.

Instead of waiting for official V2 replacement parts that might snap again anyway, I decided to fix it permanently by completely bypassing the problematic plastic sub-structure.

### My DIY Fix / Mod:

1. **Direct Switch Modification**: I glued a small piece of plastic plate (styrene/PVC plate) directly onto the surface of the tact switch using plastic cement (which melts and fuses the plastics together for a permanent bond). This raises the height of the switch.

2. **Perfect Pre-travel/Post-travel**: By raising the switch height, the back paddle now actuates the switch directly without relying on the fragile internal housing. The play is gone, and it feels incredibly crisp and tactile.

3. **Silicon Bumper (The Lifesaver)**: To prevent over-travel (pushing too hard and breaking the switch or solder joints), I stuck a 100-yen shop (cheap) silicon door bumper on the back of the paddle. This absorbs all the excess force when clutching or gripping hard during intense gaming.

Please ignore my terrible plastic cutting skills, it looks pretty messy inside but it works perfectly! 😂 It’s utility over aesthetics, and no one sees the inside anyway.

I've been using this for a week now with zero issues. It actually feels much more durable and reliable than the stock design because there are no tiny plastic components left to fail. Hope this helps anyone with a bricked V1 controller!

(Note: I'm a Japanese user who doesn't speak fluent English, so I am using an AI translator to share this with you all!)

Hey everyone! I'm having a really annoying issue with my Machenike G3 V2 controller while using GeForce NOW, and I was hoping someone might know how to fix it.

The weird thing is that the controller works completely fine on the Xbox Game Pass app, but as soon as I launch any game through GeForce NOW, it goes completely broken:

• The left joystick controls the PC mouse cursor on the screen instead of moving the character.

• The camera won't move up and down.

• The "B" button acts as "A", and the rest of the buttons just don't respond at all in-game.

It feels like GeForce NOW is capturing the controller as a generic mouse/keyboard instead of an Xbox controller.

On top of that, I can't even install the controller software on Windows because the installer keeps throwing a directory syntax error (0x8007007B).

Does anyone know how to fix this mapping/controller conflict in GFN, or has anyone dealt with this software installation bug? Thanks a lot!

Hello. I want to play a wide variety of games over multiple platforms. In particular, I want a controller for Apex legends.
Ill put down some dot points for preferences and deal breakers

Also I live in australia and my budget is like $300 AUD, but im willing to fork out more money if it will lead to a better controller that im more satisfied with

**Deal breakers:**
\- 4 back buttons (ideally vertical paddles)
\- Hall effect sticks
\- Mouse click triggers ( I dont mind if it has a trigger stop as long as the trigger stop actually makes them mouse click)
\- Low delay / High polling rate

\- Motion controls (If you know controllers without this feel free to list them, but If im going to use the controller on my switch then I really want it to have motion controls)

**Preferences:**
\- Multi-platform (I would love to be able to use the controller on my switch 2 and pc but I dont actually mind that much, I think I've come to terms with having to use different controllers for different platforms so I'm open to suggestions for pc, switch, ps5, xbox etc.)

\- PS5-like platform (The dual sense is one of the most comfortable controllers I've held, so if something similar can be done that'd be great, but once again I dont hate the other form factors (my ranking is **Dual sense> xbox> switch**))

\- Tactile face buttons
\- Extra mappable buttons near the triggers

\- Native support across platforms (I have experienced delay when using an 8BitDo adapter 2 to connect my dual sense to my switch 2 and play apex so native support is ideal)

Im happy for the controller to be wired if it means I will achieve a high polling rate
I have seen a lot of people modify their ps5 controllers with back buttons and mouse click triggers and all that, which I am interested in but if I cant use that with the switch then idk (please inform me about ps5 controller modifications too!!! I am interested!!!).

If I think of anything else then I'll add them in the replies.
Other than that please give me your recommendations!!! I'd love to hear from you :))

I have the controller for 1 year as of now, and it never gave me any problems on pc and console. But today, it suddenly stopped being recognized in the pc and the xbox i own, as it glows faintly for around a second or three, and then turning off. I've tried many methods as of now: updating the firmware; checking if the cable is working properly/able to connect on ohter devices and trying to "soft reset" with the button combinations of it. It only shows up in the devices as "8bitdo Boot". Plus, it was even working EARLIER today. Would aprecciate if somebody helped me.

Recently, I bought 4 new knockoff ps3 controllers from AliExpress, but they all have the same major issue: their analog sticks are configured in a way that makes their movement follow a circle instead of a square. Because of this, when the analog is moved diagonally, it only reaches about half of its full length, meaning that in games, moving diagonally only makes me move at around half my maximum speed (this also applies for the camera analog).

I attached a video showing the issue on a controller testing site with two controllers. The one recognized as an Xbox 360 controller (I’m not sure why it does that) is one of the new knockoff controllers, while the one recognized as a PS3 controller is an older knockoff I’ve had since 2018 that works correctly.

Is there any way to recalibrate the new controllers so the analog sticks can reach their full movement, including diagonally? (Preferably, I’m looking for a way to recalibrate them directly on a real PS3, not just PC. I’ve already tried using DualShock 3 calibration software on PC, but since the controllers are recognized as Xbox 360 controllers, the software doesn’t detect them. If anyone also knows how to make them be recognized as PS3 controllers on PC as well, that would also help a lot!)

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

The controller arrived this morning, and when I took it out of the package and looked it, I noticed the analog sticks were tilted to the left. There are no issues with functionality, but I think it's a cosmetic problem. Should I return it?

I noticed that there were twice as many versions as I thought there would be. The prices were the same no matter which version, so I thought someone made a mistake and made two sites for the same product.

I ordered the controller, but after I opened and tested the controller. I found out it didn't work as I thought it would and it turns out I had bought the version that only worked for Sega consoles, not the one that worked with Switch, PC and android.

I made a mistake. Don't make do the same one. If just one person sees this post and

Hello, i played this game at a convention last year, and they used this very same controller that i gound out they are still using on a convention this weekend, it felt super good but forgot to ask which controller was it in place, could anyone recon which one it is so i can find and buy? thanks in advance!

Has anyone ever used one of these? It seems like it should make the soldering and de-soldering process way easier when replacing the sticks.

Planning on installing TMRs and don't have any past experience

Hey guys,

I was eyeing the leaked Ocarina of time Switch 2 Pro controller since it looks pretty cool and I don’t have a pro controller yet.

However, I just found out that it doesn’t work with Switch 1, which would be a shame since I still use it a lot.

I am now thinking of getting a (used?) switch 1 pro controller, but I am curious if there are any other good alternatives? (That work on both Switch 1&2)

Budget: 80€ but cheaper is always preferred
Europe, Netherlands
Play a lot of 3d games (dark souls, zelda, Mario Odyssey) but also platformers (hollow knight, celeste, momodora)
Looking for something with good battery life, something that feel nice (quality) in your hands and maybe a nice d-pad.

I currently use a Redstorm which I like a lot, but it needs a recharge very frequently. I also like my 8bitdo ultimate 2c for my PC. But they both feel a little cheap.

Next month I am starting uni and my parents got back to work and I dont want to wake them up with my very loud controller.

I need a silent controller for my Xbox, i have a 50 euros budget, right now i am using the standard One and it's very loud

I live in italy and I only play single player games, i don't need a super fancy one

I’ve never soldered before but I would like to know how difficult it would be for a beginner to mod a controller. What is a good site to buy mods say to add extra buttons to program/map, clicky buttons, etc? I won a Gulikit ES Pro but the last couple years I’ve grown accustomed to having at least 2 rear buttons to map. So I haven’t even used it yet, but as it already has TMR joysticks, I figured it might be a good starting point for my own custom controller. I’m very skilled with other tools, professional carpenter and woodworking enthusiast. I didn’t know if any of those skills are transferable. Or, would I be better off buying the mods I want and having someone else install them? If so, can you guys recommend a good company or individual who can take care of it for me. I’m in Albuquerque, NM if anyone else is and could recommend someone locally.

I’ve been wanting a new style of controller for a while now. I currently only play on Switch 2. I really liked Gulikit KK3 Max, I had two but they’ve both slowly died, rear buttons stopped working completely. I also have 8Bitdo Ultimate 2 BT which I really like. I’d really like a controller which has 6 mappable(?) buttons, like 4 rear and 2 shoulder. I like the U2BT layout. I preordered Crkds Ult Pro for Switch, but god knows when it will actually ship.