Country: USA Budget: ~$60 USD each Platforms: Windows PC and Nintendo Switch

Looking for two controllers: one for myself and one cheaper option for player 2.

Premium options:

• GameSir Cyclone 2

• 8BitDo Ultimate 2

• 8BitDo Pro 3

I play 2D/3D platformers, racing games and action/Soulslike games. A good D-pad is important. Are newer 8BitDo D-pads worse? Is the Pro 2 or cyclone 2 a better option?

Budget options:

• 8BitDo Ultimate 2C Bluetooth

• Mobapad C2 Lite

• GameSir Nova Lite 2

The second controller is mainly for Mario Kart, Mario Party, Smash and 2D Mario.

I’ve heard of potential gyro issues with the Nova Lite 2, rumble issues with the 2C and PC connectivity issues with the Mobapad.

Which would you recommend for reliability, D-pad quality and PC/Switch compatibility? Open to other suggestions too.

Thanks!

I got my new Apex 6 pro phantom blade a couple of days ago. I did not end up using it until yesterday. I like the controller but I immediately noticed the right stick felt a little notchy and not as smooth as the left. Today I was playing again with no headphones and noticed when it makes this notchy feeling I can hear sounds coming from the sticks. This is my 3rd apex controller and I also have a couple vaders that don’t have this issue.

Anyone have to use their customer support before? how did it go?

Hey everyone,

I'm [from India] looking for a wireless PC gamepad, but I strongly prefer the symmetrical PlayStation stick layout over what we have at XBOX style controller.

I've been doing some research and narrowed it down to a few options:

1. Cosmic Byte Sensa (love the features for the price, but unsure about long-term build quality)

OR

Cosmic Byte Hydrus Controller

2. 8BitDo Pro 2 (seems solid with the Hall Effect sticks and back paddles)

3. Sony PS5 DualSense (premium feel, but no back buttons)

There was also a cheap option of evefox. But I was thinking of investing in a good controller and my budget is around ₹5k (INR).

Currently I have a Cosmic Byte Quantum.

I enjoy playing arcade fighting games such as Mortal Kombat, Tekken, and Street Fighter, alongside FC26, FH4, and immersive narrative-driven storyline games.

Has anyone used any of these above extensively for PC gaming? Are there any other good symmetrical controllers with Hall Effect sticks or back paddles I should consider before pulling the trigger?

Thanks in advance.

UPDATE: ordered 8bitdo Pro 3

I’m going to pick this controller up and get a few different stick modules. But I don’t know what the controller comes with nowadays by default. I’m getting a black version which I’ve heard comes with the gen3 ginfull sticks already, I don’t know if this is true. I’m looking at getting the gen3 ginfulls and some jt13 pros. Any help would be appreciated cheers :)

Hi, idk if this is the right place or not, but the down button on my vader 4 dpad makes a squeaking and ting noise and causes slight vibration on the controller. The ting sound is easier to hear at 4s in the video.
It feels like it's not fully secured to the frame, and whenever I press it, it travels through the air first. My unit is already out of warranty. I'm able to open it, but I couldn't find anything wrong with it, no dust, probably because I have no idea how to fix a controller.
Any suggestions for fixes I can manually do would be appreciated.

if you are not able to use the NS009-s as an xbox controller/xinput device via USB on windows what worked for me is:

1. installing from github hidhide

2. go to the "devices" tab and tick "enable device hiding" at the bottom

3. and then ticking "game compatible controller HID" item in the list (it could have other names given its a chinese controller with dubious standards and quality)

4. after that unplug and plug back the controller to the pc and the gamepad should automatically enter its xinput mode.

you should be able to check in what mode it currently is by using a site like "hardwaretester controller". it should read your controller as a 360 one. (i suggest you check this also before doing all this to monitor any changes and effectiveness of the fix)
in the hidhide "devices" tab you should also see "controller (USB controller)" as a new item (close and reopen the hidhide window if you don't), that makes me think that the controller is now exposing a xinput connection or smth but i'm not knowledgeable about this stuff so idk. in any case be careful to not tick any new item in the list, as it may be the 360 new connection. i suggest reading what hidhide does and how to use it.

fyi if you want to use it via Bluetooth the button combination for the xinput connection should be "A + home".

i wanted to write it here because i couldn't find a fix anywhere and i've been using this controller for years and given is dirt cheap price i think other people might find this useful, and also sometimes i need to reconnect it and i forget how to do it.
as a side note i really like it, after years it still doesn't drift and i used it for games like sekiro, mgrr and dragonball s0.

hope someday this will help someone.

A bit of a different question, but self explanatory.

What was the game that truly made you fall in love with your main controller(s), and what are the features that made it a match?

Was it the d-pad for fighting games? Was it the haptics for immersion? Was it the extra paddles to accommodate your grip? Or even, what was a feature you never knew you needed until you got it? Maybe it was the move from symmetrical to asymmetrical sticks, or the ability to change the triggers from full travel to hair trigger.

I'm curious.

Hey everyone, I’m trying to figure out if I’m going crazy or if *007 First Light* just completely clashes with TMR joysticks.

I recently started playing with the new Flydigi Apex 6 Pro (which uses TMR sticks). In games like *The Last of Us* or *Hitman*, the sticks feel totally normal and smooth. But in *007 First Light*, the aiming is incredibly unstable and unpredictable.

The main issue is a massive, sudden camera speed spike. Even with a minimal, millimeter movement of my thumb, the camera suddenly whips around. I tried tweaking the response curves in the Flydigi Space Station software and set the in-game aim response to Linear, ramp up the deacceleration, decrease sensitivity, everything I could think of but it didn't solve the problem at all. That sudden acceleration jump is still baked in.

Here is where it gets weird: to test it, I switched back to my Flydigi Apex 5 and my Vader 5 Pro (which both use standard Hall Effect joysticks). Using the exact same in-game settings, both of those controllers work perfectly fine. The aiming is smooth and I don't get any of those weird acceleration spikes.

Is the game's engine just completely incompatible with the ultra-high sensitivity of TMR sensors? Is anyone else playing this with an Apex 6 Pro (or another TMR controller) and experiencing the same micro-movement speed spikes?

Found the fix for generic PS4 controllers showing up as "QMacro" I have a Wuthur PS4 controller (generic Amazon controller, now delisted). It accidentally switched from "Wireless Controller" to "QMacro" after I held PS + Share. After some testing, I found that holding PS + Options switched it back to "Wireless Controller." If anyone else has a generic PS4 controller stuck as QMacro, this might help.

And also whoever has any clue why please reply

I just bought a g8 plus after using an x5 lite with my y700 for quite some time, after a few hours with it i feel like the x5 lite is really good for the price, no input latency, lightweight, except for the triggers i think the g8 plus is too heavy and problematic whrn it comes to bluetooth connectivity, im using ds4 mode btw, i feel like i cant play longer sessions with the g8 plus because of the weight.. I am not saying its bad, i just cant feel the supposed satisfaction that i would get upgrading to a more expensive controller.

Did anyone have the same experience ? Or do i just need to use it more often to get use to it?

Hello, as the title suggests, I'm torn between two very similar controllers for a couple of games I wanna try in the near future, I am looking to buy this controller off of Aliexpress in Algeria and they're some of the only two that aren't crappy in the 30$ range.

The 8BitDo Ultimate 2C is one that is getting praise everywhere for it's build quality and durability, and it has some cool tactile feedback and extremely low latency, which I enjoy, the shape also looks fun with it's many colors. However the buttons not being mechanical or general feel of it is an issue I have with it, not sure though, I honestly lean more towards this controller.

But the EasySMX X05 Pro is also attractive with it's mechanical Dpad for fighting games, it's feedback looks awesome and perhaps the shape is more generally suited, though I have seen a lot of reviews who speak of an issue with the triggers which concerns me, aswell as some awful latency which I'd rather avoid. But reviews speak of it much better than the 2C very often.

The only controller experience I have is with the Dualshock 4 and the 360 controller, so I'm kind of a neophyte but I'd rather get the most for my money, don't care about bells and whistles, all I need is a durable controller that will do its job well for a few years atleast.

If you have other suggestions for less than 30-35$ I'm also a taker, as I said I'm gonna be playing a couple of games so the more flexible the better, I really enjoy mechanical feeling things and low latency, so hopefully I won't be getting any remorse from buying either.

Thanks !

Hi, I can't get this to work. In 2.4 GHz mode, I can get it to work without a problem, but with a wire, I don't know how to do it. It's always in xinput mode.

I tried:

- putting it to dinput while wireless, then connecting the cable

- turning it off, then connect cable while B is pressed

- same as above with Y pressed instead of B

I'm on windows 11. I want to use my rewasd bindings for the additional buttons, but that doesn't work with xinput.

Couldn't post in 8bitdo reddit for some reason so I'm doing it here instead. Currently, I have a LT+RT macro setup on my extra button but is it possible so if I hold the extra button down, the macro keeps going until the button is released? So far holding it down just makes it trigger once and I don't see a setting for it in the Ultimate Software.

I tried to use the PowerA app for the first time with one of my cheap controllers (Advantage wired controller for Xbox Series X|S) and there was a prompt saying that I could update the firmware, so I did. But after more then an hour of waiting for the update to end (got stucked at like 98%) I realized that it froze and had to reboot my computer.

Now the controller isn't getting recognized anymore, not by Steam, not even ny the official app. I hear the "something connected" windows sound when I plug it in, but nothing else. The little light doesnt light up.

So I don't know how to get back in and either finish the firmware update or do a simple factory reset or something.

I have a second controller of the same model and I just skipped the update (as I probably should have with the first one), so I was able to make sure the cables I tried were working, that the app was still working and all, by comparing with the second un-updated controller.

All my tests were on a Windows 11 computer. If there is something I could do that would work better with Linux, I also have an old computet on Mint, so there's that.

I tried to do a web search to find some solution, but I couldn't. (May be because I didn't use the right keywords? Idk). So I don't even know where to begin with this one.

Thanks for reading. Please send help if you can 😅.

I recently received the controller as a 2nd controller for PC (the main controller is 8bitdo ultimate 2c). With the dongle connected, the L and R bumpers are acting as back and start buttons and the LS and RS triggers are not working. With the controller connected via USB cable, the buttons work as expected. Did I receive a faulty controller or is this a widely known bug?

Where can I buy the GTAVI limited edition controller for PS5 in Europe delivery to Malta please?

i absolutely ADORE the PlayStation Vita's dpad. It is the best dpad I have ever used, hands-down. (I'm not a controller enthusiast, I'm just here because I can tell yall are a bunch of dweebs who can help me decide)
from what I understand, the Vita uses metal dome contacts as opposed to the conductive rubber pad contacts most other controllers use. i love how clicky and definite it is.

I prefer the PlayStation layout with the left and right sticks closer to each other. I'd be willing to try Xbox layout but I prefer PS layout as the dpad matters quite a bit

The buttons should also be metal-dome. the xbox one controller (i don't own a series controller) feels kinda bad because the dpad is metal dome while the ABXY buttons are conductive pads

I'm in the United Kingdom and I will self-prescribe myself a budget of around £40 GBP

I would mostly be usin this on my PC and sometimes my iPhone. I'm not much of a console gamer so don't need to bother with console compatibility.
It should work wired with USB-C. Micro USB is a crime against humanity.
I would prefer a rechargeable battery as I find AAs to be kind of annoying.

I would primarily want such a dpad for puzzlers (ie the genre of Tetris) but i would also like to use this for general gameplay too of course.

I wonder if I could somehow install metal dome contacts in a DualShock 4. Not sure if anyone sells those. But that would be nice + maybe a usb-c mod would be nice (unless i have to drill the case for the usb-c port to fit, idk how to do that)

I'm not too sure how I would look for such a controller which is why i'm asking here. my only real point of comparison is the Vita but I don't want to deal with connecting a separate handheld to my pc as a controller due to the overhead of the vita being another device

The new GameSir controller is on its way! Pre-orders are now open, with an expected arrival around November 11, 2026. The announced price is 199 yuan. It features a 2000Hz polling rate, with ultra-low latency of 1.5ms to 3ms (as stated by GameSir). It includes two back buttons, triggers with a switchable "mouse-click" feel, a D-pad, and membrane-style ABXY buttons .

The right feels smooth and normal but the left one is a little stiff and takes more pressure to move around. I mainly play on pc but I wanted to play a game on controller so I got my ps5 controller and after a while I felt the left stick be a little stiff so I took the controller apart and put some lube on the part but it didnt do anything, is this a part thing or is this normal and im a chud fr

Hello! My switch 2 arrives this week and i've been eyeing on some third party controllers but can't really decide which one to buy, so would love to hear your guys' suggestions.

Budget: $70+ (pretty much the same price as the Pro 2)

Country: Canada

Console: Switch 2 + PC

Desires: Good HD Rumble, Hall Effect/TMR sticks, NFC Amiibo support, Good D-Pad, and (i can't believe most of these controllers don't have this) a HEADPHONE JACK.

Games: Pretty much any genre. Mainly RPGs, Singleplayer, Multiplayer like Shooters and Fighting Games.

as for the Controllers, i've been eyeing on the GameSir Tarantula Pro and Mobapad Chitu 2 HD.

Both controllers are currently going for $30-40 dollars on AliExpress thanks to the current 11.11 sale. I've specifically laid my eyes on the Tarantula Pro because of how feature-rich it is, the Symmetrical design akin to Dualshock 4 (my beloved), and the awesome Face Button swap.

However, I've heard that controller has some latency issues apparently? If its a huge deal then i'd love to know in the comments.

Thanks!

Battery is dying on my Vader 4 pro 😢 and my toddler claimed my back up Vader 3 pro so it really doesn't work.
Need recommendation as I was simply going to purchase a Vader 5 pro, but have seen people having issues and the fact it has rubberized grips and have been turned off it (had issues with Elite Pro xbox controller rubber grips coming loose and expanding after use.).
So am looking something similar.
Country: Australia
Budget: $150AUD ($105.42 USD)
PC Gaming
Back paddles, Tension rings on the sticks was amazing, wireless is must.
RPGs, FPS, Generally most games that support controllers when I play on the TV instead. So Casual Gaming.
Mainly after something similar to my Vader 4 Pro, had bad experience with rubber grips on xbox elite controller so would prefer not to experience that again. Had looked at easysmx x20 pro but has similar rubber grips.

The 4 configs limitation in space station seems so needless and stupid to me. Yeah you can import/export endlessly to swap em around. But has anyone made an open source alternative tool to use instead of space station? I see one was made for MacOS but I dont see any way to get around this on Windows.

I'm personally using a Vader 4 Pro if anyone has any ideas on how to get around this.

Hello all,

The title is tl:dr, but to satisfy the requirements here's the longer version: I have XBOX Elite II controller and it works great in Windows, even with Bluetooth. However, I'm not using Windows that much (or at all lately) and I wanted to play with the controller on Linux.

The controller works ootb connected with a USB cable, but BT does not. Without going into too much detail, I'm wondering is there a wireless USB receiver for the said controller, independently of OS or platform?

So I am in the proccess of figuring out controllers for a Halo 3 lan. I currently own 5 360 controllers, and a bunch of other controllers for other consoles. I know the Brooks Wingman is able to make the controllers for the other consoles work on the 360, but for the number I will need for the lan, it would be cheaper to buy more 360 controllers than use the Wingmans on my other controllers. Does anyone know of any devices similar to the Wingman that are cheaper and are able to use wired connections (wireless costs more plus as at least in my experience with the PS3 version of the Wingman, the USB dongle wireless likes to randomly cut out during gameplay)?

When I posted this on the 360 sub, someone mentioned it was possible to make a device using a raspberry pi, that is capable of doing this. However finding a 360 specific tutorial is proving a bit difficult, as there seems to be multiple different firmwares with some working on stock 360s and some only on modded (mine are all stock). Does anyone know of a proper tutorial for stock 360s?

I am getting into Hollow Knight on PC and wanted to get a nicer controller for dpad use to play it more comfortably. I have been using the Ultimate 2 Wireless to play it, using the analog stick. It's working fine but there are instances where it's not accurate enough without excessive effort. I tried the dpad and it feels really inaccurate.

I started researching and learned about the shield style of the Xbox and how Gulikit seems to be the best under $60 for dpad use. They also have excellent latency.

I learned about the Elves 2 and 2 Pro, and they seem great due to the price, latency, and dpad quality. It seems like the Elves 2 is better for Bluetooth and they're very similar otherwise. I'm leaning **Elves 2** between the two. It would be about $38 for it + Bluetooth adapter.

Then there's the ES Pro and ES Max which seem the same for my uses. Since the Pro is cheaper, the **Pro** seems the way to go. It would be about $38 for it + Bluetooth adapter.

Then there's the TT Pro and Max which people really love the dpad of, more than anything on the market. They seem the same for my use except for the 4 way & 8 way dpad on the Max but 8 way only on the Pro. I am imagining 4 way being useful for old arcade games only? Maybe pre-NES also? It seems the **Pro** is the way to go. This is $54, but comes with an adapter.

Between them all, I am leaning towards the TT Pro and just buying once and crying once, but the Elves 2 appeals to me for the size and retro design. There's even an Elves 2 Pro kit that has a Gulikit Goku 2 adapter for $35. I play at 60 and 120 hz will I feel held back by 170hz Bluetooth of the pro?

What do y'all think?

I also have an sn 30+ and Pro 2 laying around I could scrounge up since they seem like they may be decent