The Best Game Controller for Every Kind of Player

There are so many game controllers out there, but not all of them were good enough to make the list above. These are the other controllers we have tested recently.

Nacon Revolution 5 Pro for $200: This highly customizable PS5 controller boasts Hall Effect sticks and triggers, programmable back paddles, and a great D-pad. You can tweak the weight, stick length and grips, and even the trigger actuation. It boasts a 10-hour battery life and you can connect your headset via Bluetooth or plug-in. Unfortunately, it’s expensive and you don’t get the haptic feedback or adaptive triggers that you’ll find in Sony’s excellent DualSense controllers.

Nacon Pro Compact Controller Colorlight for $50: I am a sucker for translucent tech, so this Nacon controller immediately caught my eye. Not only can you see through to the electronic innards, but they also added colored LEDs with lighting effects you can cycle through. As the name suggests, this is a compact controller. The smaller size may suit kids or folks with smaller hands, but I found it slightly uncomfortable after an hour in Minecraft. It is also a wired controller, but you can tweak stick sensitivity and some other bits and pieces in the Nacon app, and it’s not too pricey.

Power-A Fusion Pro 3 for $78: With a detachable faceplate, nicely textured grips, trigger locks for different depths, swappable thumbsticks, and a long detachable cable, this controller has a lot to recommend it. The shoulder buttons and relatively high price are why it misses out on a place above (the GameSir G7 edges it on value). But this is my daughter’s favorite wired controller because she plays with a headset and loves that there is a 3.5mm audio jack with volume and mute controls. She also likes the four mappable back buttons.

Nacon Revolution X Pro for $100: This wired Xbox and PC controller comes with a long (around 10 foot), detachable, braided USB-C cable. Nacon offers an impressive level of customization, including interchangeable thumbsticks, programmable back buttons, and weights to help you get the feel you want. The Profile button lets you cycle through four presets, a switch toggles configurations, and it has a 3.5mm headphone jack. You can tweak everything in the flaky Revolution X app for Xbox or PC. While it works well, I don’t love the cheap feel (even with adjusted weight), and the rear triggers are awkward. At full price, the Revolution X Pro is too expensive for a wired controller, but discounts are frequent.

QRD Spark N5 for $49: This affordable PS4 controller has Hall Effect joysticks and triggers, programmable back paddles, adjustable LED lights, and decent battery life (around 8 hours). It also works with Windows, Steam Deck, Android, or iOS and can be used to play PS4 games on PS5 (but not PS5 games). It can’t compete with our pick above (Scuf) but is a decent alternative at a quarter of the price. Unfortunately, it feels kinda cheap, with the shoulder triggers and D-pad particularly disappointing.

QRD Stellar T5 for $59: I love the idea behind this Nintendo Switch controller. At first glance, it looks like the official Nintendo Switch Pro Controller above, but you can take it apart to slide your Switch into the middle. The controller boasts Hall Effect joysticks, mechanical switches, adjustable vibration, and LED lights. It also has a six-axis motion-sensing gyroscope and programmable back buttons. It works with Windows, Android, or iOS, too. Unfortunately, the triggers are mushy.

Logitech G Pro Racing Wheel for $1,000: WIRED editor Parker Hall raved about Logitech’s racing wheel accessory, and racing game fans with deep pockets will love it. It adds a layer of reality to your in-gaming driving with force feedback and vibrations that help you feel every surface. The gear shift paddles have Hall Effect sensors. There is also an OLED display that enables you to tweak settings without opening the app.

Power-A Advantage Wired Controller with Lumectra for $45: This Xbox Series X/S controller is affordable, and a lengthy (10-foot) detachable cable comes in the box. It feels much like a regular Xbox controller, but it’s not very grippy, and I’m not keen on the shoulder triggers. The 3.5mm audio jack is handy, but there are no volume and mute controls (unlike Power-A’s superior Fusion 3). The Lumectra model comes bundled with an RGB light strip, but we found the lights tricky to control, and they often changed unexpectedly. Over time, the detachable USB-C cable got quite loose and occasionally slipped out in the middle of a game.