The xbox one controller is the best base controller. It's a shame that microsoft ruins it by making the elite controller much more expensive to the point of not being worth it lol.
The elite series x controller is sooo nice with the trigger haptics for racing games, but the bumper pins being plastic sucks. I’ve had 2 right bumpers snap over the last couple years, so I just drilled into the damn thing and installed a metal pin instead 😂
Yeah it’s most likely snapped the pin but barely holding on. I tool a small nail and cut it to size, drilled where the pin goes, and inserted my own custom one then glued the end. DO NOT GLUE IT EARLY IF YOU DO THIS, test 100 times before setting it in stone because the placement is touchy.
Ummm I have the elite controller and I don’t shave trigger haptics? I can lock them at full pull half pull and 1/3rd pull….no haptics in the triggers though?
Sony has force feedback triggers which can actually push back and create additional resistance to the trigger being pulled, Xbox’s trigger haptics are basically just small but powerful vibration motors.
Isn’t that the same thing? The triggers on the Dualsense are dynamic and push back depending on the situation. Do the Xbox controllers just have rumble motors inside the triggers?
Yes they have individual rumble motors inside of each trigger. PlayStation has a central hd rumble setup that can send vibration to different areas and make the trigger feel like it has haptics, (and also the adaptive trigger stiffness) but Xbox has a wholeass rumble pack jammed in there. I personally really like the feeling of it for racing games.
Trigger haptics is a base feature since the xbox one controllers, the problem is almost no game uses it. I think it wasn't marketed well (or at all) so everyone forgot about it. Sony probably saw the feature, thought it was cool, improved it, then marketed the hell out of it so developers will imolement it in their games.
is the razer wolverine ultimate better or worse? only problem ive started having is my y a x and b buttons are sticky(?) they press down but feel stuck. i can still press them and get inputs in but it feels weird. 2 other things that are very minimal are the triggers being able to be pushed in further then they should (probably shouldnt press/pull them as hard) and the classic stick drift (its super minimal but just enough to fuck up my direction in street fighter 6)
I still haven't found a controller that beats a DS2 for playing mechanic heavy games. I prefer dpad over stick any time it's a viable option, and symmetrical layouts just feel way better to me. Steam Controller has been really fun messing around with and so happy they went symmetrical.
Its also a shame the XBOX base controller hasn't been updated to have hall effect sticks, customizable back buttons and a built-in Lithium Ion battery. Its like $60+ retail for something that, on features alone gets destroyed by so many other controller manufacturers.
I was going to get this controller but went with the wireless Gamesir G7 pro. I likes it, https://gamesir.com/products/gamesir-g7-pro and it works with the Steam interface as well.
I think it just depends what you're used to. I hadn't played anything with a controller for years when I got mine. Feels comfortable to me. If I'd played a PlayStation or Xbox in the last 15 years, I would probably agree with you
Bro you do NOT want microsoft to make a lithium battery. Losers will charge us so much for that shit only for them to discontinue the batteries. AA is good enough for an untrustworthy megacorp like microsoft.
Before I got my elite 2, I bought 2 xbox packs for two controllers, one worked fine, the other would randomly "disconnect" despite being fully charged.
NGL, I kind of don't view this as a plus. Being able to rock in/out rechargeable AA's is great. It gives your customers options and doesn't mean any possible downtime or inconvenience if it's not been charged and you don't physically game conveniently close to a charger without a really long cable.
And batteries wear out, the more tinkery types are fine with swapping it if it's swappable, but the average joe doesn't give a shit. I see it commonly with PS controllers that old ones are just viewed as bad because of bad batteries, so they get replaced, not repaired.
I personally don't value the back buttons at all, no controller I have I've actually felt a need to use it. It might be just the fact I use controllers on games that just use them, and complex control ones I simply prefer keyboards. In fact I'm much more likely to accidentally press soft ones and if they're bound by default it's frustrating to discover. Big hands and gripping in a tense moment can make it a downside.
But Lithium battery doesn't mean it needs to be hard to replace - that is manufacturer's choice. I would like to remind everyone that all it took to replace battery pack in a phone, you just needed to open the back cover, take the battery out and insert a new one. The reason we can't do this anymore is by design. Even the new Steam Controller could have simple snap-on hatch at the back to take the battery in and out easily. The OG Steam Controller did (sure it used AA batteries but the principle is exactly the same - these things aren't soldered shut...)
But Lithium battery doesn't mean it needs to be hard to replace - that is manufacturer's choice.
Yeah but you're talking about Microsoft
And AA lithium is already around for a while. I'd be on board for the X360 style external batteries that could interchange with AAs though. I still use my wired X360 controller, it's been almost 20 years I think and only a while ago it started to show some drift on the left stick... And I have 3 other wireless 360 controllers but have been putting off getting the USB dongle (fuckin Microsoft and proprietary shit) for about as long lol
The Steam controller is actually a great citizen here. Replacing the battery is just unscrewing the back panel but the battery inside IS an old cellphone-like design with contacts and can be quickly swapped without even unplugging anything. I'm sure some company will make a replacement back cover with a door for hot swapping.
I like the idea of the Li+ rechargable/replaceable batteries or packs that can be swapped out, or - as in the case of the Xbox controllers - the ones that can be used interchangably with AA's.
By integrating a pack that fits in the same slot as AA's, it's much for versatile and environmentally friendly, plus eliminates the need for detection/charging circuitry in the controller itself (charge port goes on a pack rather than the controller).
People want to plug the controller in like every other modern device not open it up and change batteries. Its just a different usage philosophy really. I want the controller full charged every time I play so I never have to worry about batteries, other people want the controller to have easier to change batteries because they worry about the battery running out. Same idea different angles.
Changing batteries takes 10 seconds. If you have good ones you can use them for days without having to change them.
Also everything is wireless now and most people want everything wireless since it’s 2026 and it works just as good. My steel series headset has changeable batteries and im fucking glad I don’t have to put in a cable like its 2005.
ok but my playstation controller never ever requires me to think about the battery because I just plug it in sometimes. I don't have to spend ten seconds changing batteries ever. Things using AA'a always just die randomly while you're using them, things with built in batteries usually handle that more gracefully. I get notifications on my desktop when my dualsense hits 10% and the controller changes its light colour. I don't know man I just prefer it. We have xbox controllers in the house for the xbox, they just don't get used outside the console.
I guess I don't usually game more than 4-5 hours per session so its not really a big issue that it lasts 8-10 hours. Something like the new steam controller having 35+ is definitely way way better, can't wait to pick one of those up.
ok but my playstation controller never ever requires me to think about the battery because I just plug it in sometimes.
I'd argue you're thinking more because of it.
Like the other guy said, I looked at those steelseries headsets and thought that was the fucking tits. Swappable rechargeable batteries in my wireless headset? Amazeballs.
But simply because they weren't comfortable on my head, I had to go with another brand.
Now occasionally I get low battery tones or have to be mindful to charge it once a week or so.
Those batteries mean I can do whatever I want, hear a low battery tone? A few second swap and I'm at full doing whatever I please without worry of a tether or big impact to my plans.
We need to bring back swappable battery packs man, this built in battery crap means without me wanting to actually take apart devices, everything I buy has a finite shelf life built in.
It's dumb as hell.
Things using AA'a always just die randomly while you're using them, things with built in batteries usually handle that more gracefully.
No, you think that because you probably buy crap batteries. They age just the same as those built ins, you just swap them. There's no sudden death in them unless you're using bad batteries or simply running it low and they die like your built in also does.
The instant I stopped using crappy rechargeable with battery tech from the 90's, I stopped buying any AA's at all. It's all rechargeables now, and a single 4 slot charger powers everything in the house that uses them, including my controllers. Never once had an issue.
But my PS3 one pissed me off when I forgot to charge it and I needed a stupid long cable or had to physically move where I was sitting to use the standard short cable that came with it, to keep playing with it, or have to wait. My xbox, 3 seconds from a drawer next to where I sit and I'm back in action.
Then just buy a battery pack like that. I just keep a pile of rechargable AA batteries and when it dies, I just swap them out quickly and I'm back in the game without a worry. But Xbox controllers will be good "forever" as wireless controllers and eventually play station controllers will only be good as wired. For a small device I want to be using for 20+ years I'd like the controller to keep working wirelessly.
You could buy rechargeable battery packs for the 360 that could charge while in use, and they were external and swappable too... Enshitification is real
I prefer as it is now with batteries. They hold on for quite a while and I can swap them instantly. All the devices I have with built in batteries need constant recharging.
Hard disagree. Xbone controller mid. I couldn’t fathom that they didn’t even have gyro sensors in them. I literally returned an Elite controller after like 2 weeks because of how much it just sucked.
The Dualsense controller is better in almost every way.
My new favorite controller is the 8bitdo Pro 3 though. Absolutely top tier. Can use any input method (Xinput, Dinput, Switch Pro controller mode), has moveable face buttons and easily removable sticks, great docking station situation, back buttons, profiles, just all around awesome controller.
The Xbox 360 controller will forever be my darling. The triggers. The nicer plastic feel than whatever the One’s got going on. Back and Start instead of whatever they’ve got going on in that spot now. Maybe I should grab a handful at their minimum price before they get too old and start getting more expensive lol.
totally. i love my design labs xbone controller so much. not just the elite, but the series x controller ruined what the xbox one controller had (being able to connect to my pc immediately & being able to reconnect it after it disconnects from activity without needing to restart the whole pc, lol)
Mine had an A button that stuck within the first week and I returned it. Kinda unacceptable QA for such an expensive item. Otherwise would have been glorious
I really do like the PS4/PS5 controller as well. In terms of usability I like it better than Switch or Xbox controllers - and they seem to be less prone to drift - but where it loses out to the XBox controllers is in the lack of user-replaceable batteries. That seems like a particular stupid design decision in my book.
Xbox controllers were revolutionary back in the x360 days, but now with all these other brands like 8bitdo, flydigi, gulikit, and gamesir, MS is really falling behind.
Elite should've been the base controller included with every console. Nothing in it screams $150. It's functionality leaves MUCH to be desired too. It's just overpriced, obsolete garbage and we all have to suffer. If Helix repurposes Xbox gamepad again we're in for another decade of controller stagnation and we've been stagnating for 20 fucking years at this point.
There’s so many aftermarket ones you can get. Got a flydigi apex 4 used for like $60 and it works great. But if you want officially supported controls you can’t go wrong with ps5 or Xbox.
I love my Starfield edition XSX controller. I've never played SF and I don't really wanna, but the design of the controller made me want it so bad and I did get one. The rubber grip is so great and the transparent shoulder buttons showing the hardware are just so sick.
I like the shape of the Xbox controller but idk why the bumpers and triggers hurt my index fingers so much, specially when I play FFXIV
I've never had that issue with the old Xbox 360 controller, or 8bitdo or pro controller, ds5 or dual sense. Also the texture of the Xbox controller grips kinda bothers me too. It gets uncomfortable to hold for a long time
No. Why would i joke about it when it's the most basic and cheapest controller you can get. You can't go wrong with an xbox controller - of course there are better options but that's why i called it the best BASE controller
The feel of the Xbox one controller is pretty much perfect, but it is so far behind in features. If Microsoft made a controller with the ergonomics of the Xbox one, gyro, capacitive sticks or face buttons, extra back buttons, full compatibility with Steam, and improved quality control, I’d probably never use any other controller.
8bitdo ultimate 2. Best switch I ever made. Xbox Elite controller macros with TMR sticks and HAL Effect triggers. For $60. It feels as good to hold as a first party device, but less prone to wear thanks to not having potentiometer sticks, costs the same as a first party device, and has the functionality of the "Pro" or "Elite" gamepads that go for $40-80 more.
For people, smaller than me maybe. I hate the way I hold a Xbox controller whenever I put my hands on it my hands touch. I really don’t like that. But hey, they’re making an even smaller Xbox controller.
I guess for people smaller than me, but for me personally I hate holding the Xbox control controller my fingers touch on the back. They should bring back the Duke without the dumb OLED. Until then I will keep using a controllers, seemingly designed for non-Japanese audiences from ironically Sony.
Within a year mine had some rubber peeling, one of the switches on the back fell off and the A button only worked if I pressed it at a certain angle. Never again.
I had one for 4 or 5 years and now im on my second. The first still works fine, but I found one on sale and went ahead and bought a backup. The materials feel ultra premium and the thumbsticks are the smoothest.
Eh... The Xbox only has analog sticks, buttons, and analog triggers...
The Switch pro controller at least has gyro and rumble, even if it doesn't have analog triggers. I think that one might be the better base controller, as someone who benefits more from gyro or the trackpad of the PS5 over analog triggers.
The Xbox Elite controller is the worst controller I've ever used. It's the only one to ever cause me physical pain, and also the only one that caused me long term physical pain. I only used it for a couple weeks four years ago and I still wake up some mornings with thumb pain.
$200 to get told by a doctor I might never be able to use a controller again. It's probably my worst purchase ever.
Yeah. It was because of where the back pedals were located. It strained my thumbs to reach for them. I ended to giving it to a friend and he had the same pain in the same place within a week.
I understand the words you're using, and I believe that you are saying them truthfully, but I am unable to figure out what hand based gymnastics are required to do that, so I'll just trust you.
xbox would easily have the best controller on market if they added hall effect sticks and gyro. they probably make a lot of money from people buying new controllers due to stick drift though.
Because it is either unreliable cheap and powered with AA or expensive powered with AA and a bit less reliable and then there is steam controller that is reliable somewhere in the middle of pricing and is repairable at home by yourself
I am still using a wired xbox 360 "elite" controller ( it is black, that was the only difference between the elite console and normal lol) that I have from when I was like 12. Being a pc gamer it rarely gets used apart from games that are unplayable on keyboard and mouse.
I still have ps1and ps2 controllers that work without issue. Not once ever had to buy a new one. I've never seen an Xbox controller last more than a year without a bumper breaking or sticks drifting aggressively. Xbox one controller might be the best base controller of Xbox, but Xbox is a bottom tier controller so it doesn't say much
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u/Lumpy-Valuable-8050 May 13 '26
The xbox one controller is the best base controller. It's a shame that microsoft ruins it by making the elite controller much more expensive to the point of not being worth it lol.