For a gamer, the controller you use is probably the most important part of any experience. It’s your vessel of control in the interactive worlds you become immersed in. It has to feel “right.” It has to be comfortable. For some people, it just has to work.
Whatever the case may be, we’ve gone and tracked down the best gaming controllers suitable for any situation, budget, need, or need.
Best By Category
Buy at AmazonMicrosoft’s Xbox One controller is largely considered the most ergonomic and comfortable design we’ve ever seen. Refined from years and billions of dollars worth of research, the Xbox One controller features your full suite of buttons, triggers, and analog sticks, including innovative rumble motors underneath the rear pull triggers for enhanced immersion. It also has some of the best analog dead zone ever. Plus this into any modern Windows PC for plug-and-play functionality and full Xbox integration with Windows 10.
Buy at AmazonSony doesn’t have a strong history of proper PC support, but that has changed a lot in recent years. Drivers have come out, mapping programs basically bust all compatibility issues, and some games are even beginning to fully support the DualShock 4 (including proper assets for its button layout). If you have a PS4 and want a controller that can do double duty for those times you want to game on PC, this is it.
Buy at AmazonBelieve it or not, mobile gaming is pretty advanced these days. Smartphones and tablets are beginning to rival consoles when it comes to quality and complexity. Some of these games do best with a controller, and MOGA has some of the best you’ll ever find fit for a phone. The MOGA Hero Pro is a full-sized gaming controller with an integrated arm latch that can be erected to house almost any phone out there.
Buy at AmazonIt’s like the MOGA Pro Power, but even more compact and portable. If you don’t need the extra precision and comfort that a full-sized controller provides and want something that’s cheap, light as a feather, and fits in your pocket, accept no substitutes:
Buy at AmazonIf you want that great Xbox layout without the price of the latest advancements, the Xbox 360 wired controller is where you want to be looking. For just over $20, you’re getting a USB-powered plug-and-play controller usable with your PC and the Xbox 360. It features concave thumb sticks, broad-traveling triggers, and the ergonomic design Xbox has become known for.
Buy at AmazonIt looks like the result of a bad breakup between the PS3 and xbox 360 controllers, but the Logitech F310 is from a lineage of solid PC controllers that have served gamers well over the years. It’s compatible with almost all new and old titles which offer controller support, and best of all, it’s only $20.
Buy at AmazonCompatible with Xbox One and PC, the G920 offers up a dual-motor force feedback racing wheel with full 3-way acceleration and brake control. The smooth travel of the wheel helps you turn corners with ease, and if the stainless steel shifting paddles on the underside of the wheel aren’t good enough for you then you can pair it which a dedicated force shifter for another $59.
Buy at AmazonHORI’s latest and greatest fighting stick features a slick monotone design with metallic accents. A Hyabusa-style stick and KURO buttons give you fluid and tactile controls to ensure you’re hitting your combos without fail. It’s the same technology you’ll find inside actual arcades and present at fighting game tournaments everywhere. Need to move it around a lot? Its built-in cable storage feature lets you keep the cords tucked away so you aren’t tripping all over them.
Buy at AmazonWith 12-programmable buttons, a 5-axle hilt, and integrated (but detachable) throttle, the Thrustmaster T-Flight Hotas X offers up enough control for any flight simulation gamer. Whether you’re taking to the skies for combat or jettisoning passengers to their desired destinations, it’s very capable. Other features include quick switch profiles for easily transitioning between games, as well as dedicated memory to ensure your button mapping profiles are saved no matter which PC you use.
Buy at AmazonFor those who want a controller to play classics on an emulator, a retro-style controller is the perfect match. Here we have 8BITDO’s SNES30 controller that’s compatible with Android, iOS, PC, and Mac. It’s a Bluetooth controller that looks and feels the part. With a full directional pad, 4 face buttons, 2 shoulder buttons, and buttons for Start and Select, it should offer enough to play any of those classics, and maybe even some modern games, too.
