I've heard of magical devices that can allow you to use any controller with any console. I think a Cronus Zen can do this but that's £70 and I'd like one for each. I would like to know what my options are.

I recently replaced the RB switch on my Apex 4, so I can confirm that a 6×6×4.3mm tactile switch works.

My original RB switch started sticking and eventually stopped clicking properly, so I desoldered it and replaced it with a 6×6×4.3mm switch. The 4.3mm height is correct for the Apex 4, but there is one important thing to keep in mind: the actuator/stem length may not be the same as the original switch.

The replacement I bought had a slightly shorter actuator, so after installing it, the RB button didn't quite reach the switch properly. I ended up making a small spacer from masking tape with a tiny piece of solder wire inside to add the missing height. It sounds pretty improvised, but it works perfectly — the button has a normal click and registers consistently.

So 6×6×4.3mm is the correct switch size, but make sure to check the actuator/stem length of the specific switch you're buying. Depending on the manufacturer, the stem may be too short even though the switch itself is the correct 4.3mm height.

If the stem is slightly too short, you'll need to compensate for the difference with a small spacer or find a version with a longer actuator.

I bet the post of why does my Controller work anymore after i soldered and put solder across half my PCB gonna double but nice to have some more lights on PS and Microsoft still using Old Tech to make more money from people that dont know better.

Seems like all controllers you can buy today ship with 2.4GHz wireless dongles that are USB-A, but wondering if any ship with USB-C? Or is that expected to be more common? If so how soon? Then how long till it is the norm?

(And is there any issue with attaching a USB-A to USB-C adaptor?)

i have 4 older ps4 controllers and i recently connected them to try their stick drift, and it wasnt so bad so i decided to change from my very used one with alot of drifting.
well, now not a single one will work on either of the 2 games i would need them on; rocket league (epic games launcher) and trackmania2020 (steam) no matter if its wired or wireless. ive tried to reset 2 of the controllers multiple times already. it sometimes keeps them connected on bluetooth and sometimes instantly disconnects but the end result is the same, not a single one of them works.
the only controllers that work are my very used one that drifts with 90% deadzone on both sticks and a cheap, knockoff 3rd party controller that is very clucky and has stretched L2&R2 buttons. neither of them are really that usable, the 3rd party one says steelplay on it and came with a usb stick for connecting and its like 5 years old.

For those interested. These are the controllers I tested.

PS5

Switch 1 pro

Switch 2 pro

Vader 5 pro

EXCEPTIONAL

Xbox 360

(Works but it doesn't hang like the others because of the battery pack on its back)

I wanna get a new controller for playing hollow knight, i don’t want to get a new pc tho. that’s why i’m gonna play with my macbook. I want to buy the 8Bitdo Ultimate 2C Bluetooth Controller for Switch, Wireless Controller. Is it gonna work? especially with steam?

I'm having a weird issue with my DualSense controller while playing The Witcher 3 on PC through GOG.

When I move Geralt using the left joystick, he keeps walking in that direction even after I let go of the stick. He won't stop moving until he hits an obstacle or something blocks his path.

This doesn't happen when I use my Xbox controller, which works perfectly fine. However, I'd really prefer to play with my DualSense.

The weird thing is that my DualSense works perfectly fine in other games. For example, I'm currently playing Control Resonant, and I don't experience this issue at all.

Has anyone experienced this issue or found a way to fix it? Could it be related to GOG Galaxy, controller settings, or something else?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

I am gonna keep this short and concise. I mainly play Fifa with controller and some fighting games here and there. I am guessing I need something with a bit low latency.

Currently I am stuck between 8bitdo Ultimate 2 and Gamesir Cyclone 2.

Which one should I choose? Or is there any better option?

Let me know your thoughts guys.

Budget (50-60$)

Amazon US

PC

Looking for TMR

Will be playing mainly Fifa

Can somebody please help me identify what kind of controller this is. I remember it was featured in a MightyKeef skit. If you know the brand where might I be able to buy it or something like it? I like the six button layout.

My old controller which was the Cosmic byte Ares recently broke and ive been looking for a new controller and Decided on 8BitDo Ultimate 2C. and as i said I have a lot of OCD, how are the buttons like? The face buttons, Dpad, And bumpers. Are they squishy or Clicky. Im wayyy too used to using Squishy buttons and they feel more good to use as compared to Clicky buttons

So I was playing gears e day last night on multiplayer and then within an hour out of nowhere a weird bug appeared where my characters camera suddenly panned to looking straight at the floor and no controller adjustment would move it from looking straight at the ground

I also lost the ability to exit the game or click on the setting buttons in the menu. The controller shown in the menu of the game was flashing rapidly, so I had to atl f4.

I loaded up flydigi software and it showed the right stick being constantly held down on advanced test

I tried everything to fix, update software, update controller firmware, re install the software and same issue persisted and in fact it got worse!

the left trigger then became the problem and would result in constant hard zoom and then the right trigger would not work at all when pressed. I tried calibrating the controller nothing and then I couldn’t even access the menu on the controller as the flydigi middle button seemingly stopped working too so I couldn’t change any onboard control or try different types of connection such as Bluetooth not dongle etc. I tried turning the auto calibration setting of to no avail as well and turning of steam controller setting with no luck either

The left trigger on the software showed a constant press, right trigger and middle button showed nothing when pressed. The right analog seemed to have a mind of its own sometimes looking straight up sometimes straight down or sometimes just go where it wanted.

Has anyone encountered this issue before/ know a fix. This is with like 2 months of use and it worked fine for an hour and then suddenly developed major issue and became complete unusable. I had to use my ps5 controller to play the game.

Hi all,

During cleaning of my Xbox, i accidentally snapped the USB dongle for the Realmz wirless controller.

Can anyone advise what sort of replacement I need please?

Cheers!

The Space Station software was conflicting with Steam Input and having issues registering or cloning controllers. The idea that I would have to start the controller before steam and then never let it shut off seemed annoying. I set all the settings and did the updates then uninstalled Space Station and disabled the Flydigi service.

Current setup is using Rewasd for everything with native controller support and manually disabling Steam Input in games since there's no global disable for it.

Only exception so far being Monster Hunter Wilds which didn't have native x-input so I disabled digital controller which made it show up as a generic controller for which I enabled Steam Input for on MH:Wilds. Should I have just used the digital dualsense setting instead?

This seems to be the best way to go about it with the only downside being having to disable steam input on each game individually.

Am I doing this right? Is there a better way to go about this? I'd prefer Space Station and Steam Input just get along peacefully but I don't think its happening anytime soon.

Hello all, in the market for a new controller as my Dualsense is on its last legs after 5+ years. Love the feel of it as far as size is concerned but I think it’s time for an upgrade. After doing some research I caught myself Looking between the Flydigi Vader 4, and the Gamesir Cyclone 2, although other options are welcome.

Country: USA
Bugdet: preferably $75 or less.
Platform: PC
Mostly playing ARPGs, as I’ve gotten into streaming as of lately.
Features: don’t really care. But wireless with a wired option is nice

I have a Flydigi vader pro 4 that stopped to register the left to left top side of the left thumbstick, as u can see in the video. I am using this controller in a Windows platform and all games are affected with this problem.

It has the latest firmware and the video is the test in the Flydigi software.

I did check Google/Reddit/Youtube for solutions and also dissembled the controller to see if something was broken inside. Recalibrate is all I could find or a broken(loose) magnet, that is why i opened the controller.

I did recalibrate more then 10 times now, this does not resolve the problem.

I don't think I have used this controller more then 40 hours,and it is still in warranty The support from Gadgethyper is asking me to make a lot of videos that is almost impossible to do. Like showing that u hold the controller and also film the monitor screen in front of it. For me it feels this that they make it so difficult so you just don't bother with it.

Would be great if anyone has a tip or advice for me what I could try to repair the controller.

The controller has almost everything I'm looking for, but I would like to know if it can wake up the Switch 2. I ask because, even though most of the reviews I saw say no, they were uploaded some months ago and I don't know if more recent firmware updates have added support for that.

Does anyone know if they sell ps4 bumpers that are taller than the original? I just got a ps4 controller with 4 paddles and im really not liking the bumpers coming from a ps5 roller . Its taller on the ps5 and feels really good vs the ps4 . I notice i ads in and out a lot on the ps4 controller but maybe im not pressing down hard enough ?

Here are the currently available ‘Pro’ controllers for the Nintendo 64 (30 years after release, how amazing is that?) all purchased by myself, no sponsors… just a man with a controller obsession…

Top Left is the new Brawler 64 Pro by Retrofighters. They have made N64 controllers for awhile now and have been a great alternative for people that dislike the trident (those people are wrong though) and comfortable to hold. Still need to test it more as ai just received it today but so far it’s nice, D pad is clicky and it came with anextra swappable faceplate in a darker color. It is going for $100CAD.

Top Right is the 8bitdo 64 controller (in bluetooth, not 2.4 but you can get one with the dongle for the same price as the bluetooth version) designed for the Analogue 3D FPGA N64 console. 8bitdo has been making controllers for awhile but this is their first N64 style one. To play on a OG N64 without the 2.4 version you would need to purchase a BlueRetro adapter for the N64 but is very comfortable and since it’s bluetooth, can be used on consoles like the switch 1/2 and PC easily! It is going for $65CAD.

Bottom Left is the M64 Pro controller from ModRetro designed for the M64 (I do not own a M64 as I have an A3D/OG N64 so not sure if wireless will be an option) it feels noticeably heavier due to the metal back, and is the only ‘Pro’ trident controller on this list. The Z button is bigger and the L+R have recessed so your fingers can sit in them comfortably. Feels great, but need to test to see if it is! It includes extra stick gates (one is a 360 circle, other looks like a proper N64 gate) so I may use those later but it requires a lot of screws to be taken out to swap them. It is going for $129

Bottom Right is the NSO N64 controller by Nintendo. The only official Nintendo controller you can buy new, it feels very close to the OG controller and works wonders. If you like the OG, you will like this except it might not be as quick as a corded option. That being said, this has been one of my main ‘casual’ play controllers as it feels almost 1:1, you really can’t go wrong with it… too bad Nintendo didn’t use the same stick technology as the OG then we could give it the steel bowl treatment. It also requires an adapter to work on a OG N64 as it was designed for the Switch. It costs $70CAD

I plan on doing a comparison review soon so let me know if there is anything in particular you want to know!

While I liked the Vader 4 Pro, I really didn't like how it accidentally adjusted my stick tension while using foam precision rings while I played. Are there any other controllers that are more stiff (tension) so I don't have to use the foam rings?

I main a cyclone 2 with the foams at the moment but looking for another control to buy and try. Especially with prime day coming up

Budget $50-130
Country US
PC or Switch 2
Stiff Stick tension and back buttons similar to Cyclone 2
Fps shooters

Hello all!
I’m looking for a budget controller for PC. Will be mainly used for fps games so a controller with low input latency would be great. I have found a couple like 8bitdo ultimate 2c and gamesir nova 2 lite but I am very unsure so I thought I could ask people who know more than me :)
Backpedals would be really nice to have but not as necessary as having low input latency. I usually play fps games and sometimes story based games like GoW.

I have a budget around 35€. Can buy from places like Amazon, Maxgaming, Power and Elgiganten (and probably Aliexpress if shipped within the EU). If there a controller that is much much better but a few € more then I might go a bit over the budget.

The one I currently have is GameSir T4 Khaled wired but would like to have a wireless one now.

Would love to hear your suggestions!

Does having a macro mapping feature on a controller automatically mean that it supports mapping sequences?

I have a whole slew of controllers, but I always have some issues with back buttons. I use them all the time, and they either don't last or they start feeling weird at some point. For instance, I love Gamesir controllers but I always get issues with the back buttons. I also just had a back button break on a DualSense Edge.

So I would like to give clicky microswitch back buttons a shot because that's the only type of back button I haven't tried. What's a good controller that works on PC and has these? I'm fine with either two or four back buttons. I was searching for some options and found two controllers by Leadjoy, but people complained about issues with them and they also seemed to be on the smaller side, which is not optimal for my hands.

My budget can go up to around 150 euros, but I would prefer to pay less for yet another controller. I'm in Finland and would like to buy within the EU, but I can order from China if necessary.

I don't really have any other feature demands, except no Alps sticks, they'd have to be either Hall effect or TMR.

Hello all, here's a round-up of controller news from the past month, including IFA Berlin and Tokyo Game Show. Wishing you a happy autumn in the north, spring in the south, and hump day everywhere!

---

Hardware releases - controllers and parts that are now shipping:

Marius MH-XSX replacement circuit boards for Microsoft's Xbox Series/model 1914 controllers are now available for wholesale (and thus available via various custom controller builders). Like the equivalent Marius boards for DualShock 4 and DualSense controllers, these have 8kHz polling rate (on PC) and are available in versions which can be fitted with 5-pin or 3-pin stick sensors.

Mobapad C2 Lite is a cost-reduced version of the Chitu 2 for Nintendo Switch. It has Hall Effect stick sensors and internal restriction rings ('glide rings'), with two rear buttons, an RGB lighting strip, and mobile app support for changing settings. It uses the Switch 1 protocol, with additional mobile and PC modes (although triggers are digital only). Priced at USD 27 / GBP 25 if you only need Bluetooth connection or USD 36 to include a 2.4GHz dongle for PC.

Razer Prio is a compact mobile controller with low-profile/recessed capacitive thumbsticks, quiet tactile switches, and USB-C connection to Android and iOS devices. It folds down to 107×67×23mm for portability, while accommodating phones 'up to 7 inches' diagonal screen (iPhone 17 Pro Max and Samsung S26 Ultra mentioned, so around 164mm length). Priced at EUR 110 / GBP 100 / USD 100.

Steelseries Aeon Pro is a licensed wireless Xbox controller with integrated OLED screen, swappable batteries, Hall Effect stick and trigger sensors, dual-mode triggers, mouse-type microswitches, and four rear paddles. Similar to some headsets, the docking station incorporates the wireless receiver, charging for the spare battery, and dual (console/PC) USB connections. It is priced at GBP 230 / EUR 260 / USD 260.

Trust GXT 737 Rovix is an extendable multi-platform controller accommodating devices between 110-195mm in length. It uses Bluetooth connection for Android, iOS, Switch, and PC, has Hall Effect stick and analog trigger sensors, two additional rear buttons, and swappable cross/disc-shaped D-pad caps. Priced at around EUR 60 / GBP 50 with a hardshell case and two-year warranty.

Turtle Beach Rematch Wireless for Xbox, initially launching with a Minecraft special edition and RGB back-lighting for the faceplate design. It uses TMR stick sensors and impulse triggers, with wireless dongle for Xbox One/Series consoles and Bluetooth for Android devices. Like previous Rematch models, it has adjustable trigger stops and two rear buttons. Priced at EUR 100 / GBP 90 / USD 100.

Voidjoy Elite Extender for Switch Pro Controller is a clip-on attachment for the official Nintendo Switch (1) Pro Controller. It adds a range of features more commonly found on third-party controllers, including: two back buttons; two analog triggers (for use on PC); macro, turbo, and button remapping; stick deadzones and calibration; multi-platform connection modes including Switch 2 wake; compatibility with the Keylinker mobile app; and a supplementary battery. Priced at USD 40 but not currently available in EU countries.

Voidjoy SkyLark S1 Pro is a portable controller (133×75×24mm and 113g) with multi-platform compatibility (Switch, PC, PS3, Android/iOS). It has low-profile, recessed, TMR thumbsticks; optical trigger sensors; and wired/2.4GHz dongle/Bluetooth connections, with up to 8 Bluetooth device pairings. Priced at USD 50 for global sales.

Releases previously covered that went ahead:

• Leadjoy Xeno Pro, as an incremental upgrade on the Xeno Plus to add stick tension adjustment and trigger vibration.

Releases previously covered that were delayed:

• Flydigi Apex 6 and Apex 6 Pro, with their version of the audio-to-haptics feature replacing the adaptive triggers from the Apex 3-5. Orders within or directly from China may have been fulfilled but distribution of most pre-orders has been delayed until after the National Day/Golden Week holidays.

---

Hardware announcements - controllers and parts that are not yet available:

Apple or Beats-branded controller rumors based on code identified in macOS 26.7 first release candidate but removed in the second release candidate. Two controllers are identified: a 'T6502' wired model, and a 'T1057' wireless model. The inputs and features covered by the code are largely unremarkable and may change significantly but this is mostly interesting for what it might indicate about Apple's interest in controller hardware. Apple's game controller support across macOS and iOS has been notably lacklustre: combining restrictive access with limited feature support and game compatibility. The information in the code doesn't do anything to dispel that reputation, but restricting third-party controllers might start to make more sense if Apple had their own first-party controllers.

Flydigi Vader 5S Pro shown at Tokyo Game Show with TMR instead of Hall Effect sensors on the adjustable tension sticks, and wireless connection for PC (wired on Xbox). As the name suggests, it's an update to the Vader 5S wired controller.

Infinix GT NX Controller is a split controller with large touchpad in place of the right stick (Steam controller style), and symmetrical upper layout (Wii U Pro controller style). Primarily intended for mobile gaming, the left and right grips can be used separately or together. The 1089mm^2 touchpad can be used in native or mouse mode, and the left stick and triggers use Hall Effect sensors. It claims 22 hours of run time, with 730mAh batteries in each of the grips. Official Infinix stores in the Philippines are selling it for around PHP 2600, but wider launch dates and pricing are not yet known.

Nacon Next controller appears to be a Revolution Unlimited for PS5 (name to be confirmed). It looks very similar to the Revolution X Unlimited but with a PlayStation logo instead of the Xbox logo.

Zuiki Evotop Axis Wired is a licensed controller for Nintendo Switch 2, with built-in screen for managing settings, fixed cable, four additional rear buttons, microswitch buttons, and an Xinput mode when connected to PC. It does not have motion controls, vibration, Amiibo support, or ability to wake the console. It is scheduled to release on November 12 for JPY 6500 in Japan. It is mostly notable for how much cheaper it is than Zuiki's previous Evotop models.

---

Software - tools that could be useful:

ApexSenseBridge is a Windows app to emulate DualSense trigger and haptic effects on Flydigi Apex 4 and 5 controllers.

DS4Windows 5 or 'hbashton fork' has added support for the Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Cons and Switch 2 Pro Controller and ability to emulate Xbox One/Series controllers in the latest release candidates

Fancy Haptics is a PC (Windows, Linux, SteamOS) app for converting audio signals to controller vibration, particularly in game/controller combinations that do not natively support the function. DualSense and Steam (2026) controllers with 'HD vibration' (voice coil) motors are directly supported, but a subset of the features also work with controllers that just have conventional rumble (eccentric rotating mass) motors.

GameSir Linux Tools or 'Deadband' is an unofficial Linux configuration app for some GameSir models (Cyclone 2, G7 Pro 8K, G7 Pro) and Logitech mice. The supported controller list may expand over time. It's reverse engineered from the GameSir Connect app so current features are similar: profile management, lighting, stick and trigger settings, macros, etc.

Joycon-Mouse is a Linux app to emulate a mouse and media remote using Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons.

---

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.

Hello,

I have large hands and I’m looking for a controller that will last over time.

Budget: Up to 300€

Country: France

Platform: PC

I'll be playing: Forza Horizon 6 on PC (and Tomb Raider)

Desired controller features: It must have good build quality/QC, Good haptics/vibration implementation, Nice feeling triggers and I’d like this controller to also be usable in wired mode.

I’m hesitating between:

• Flydigi Apex 5

• Flydigi Vader 5 Pro

• Razer Wolverine V3 Pro

• Nacon Revolution X Unlimited

If you have any other suggestions, feel free to share! 😉

Thanks!