banner



The best PC game controllers in 2022

The all-time PC game controllers in 2022

Included in this guide:

Best PC game controllers
(Image credit: Tom'due south Guide)

The best PC game controllers can enhance first-class titles like Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Mortal Kombat 11 — even though get-go-person shooter and MOBA purists might swear by the mouse and keyboard. That'south why we tested the most popular PC-friendly gamepads to assistance you find the perfect fit for your playstyle.

Our top overall pick for the best PC controller is Microsoft's Xbox Wireless Controller, cheers to its comfortable blueprint, impressive build quality and instant compatibility with pretty much every PC game out at that place.

But at that place are enough of other great options bachelor. The Xbox I Elite Controller Series 2 offers an incredibly comfortable, sturdy design with tons of customization options, while the 8BitDo SN30 is a great selection for retro gamers.

Astro's $199 C40 TR is a solid alternative to the Xbox Elite controller, offering a effectively degree of physical customization and an impressively solid build quality. Sony's DualShock 4 is also becoming an increasingly solid PC controller option, thanks to its Steam integration and growing list of compatible games.

No thing your needs, hither are the best PC controllers to buy now.

What are the best PC game controllers?

The best PC game controllers range from inexpensive wired accessories to premium wireless models, brimming full of bells and whistles. For well-nigh people, though, we'd recommend a standard Xbox One controller, which represents a reasonable middle ground. These controllers mostly go for effectually $50 apiece, and pairing them with a PC is trivially simple. Newer models have Bluetooth; older ones require a dongle. Either mode, y'all turn them on, pair them, and most games recognize them straight way. Using them on a PC is identical to using them on an Xbox One, which means that many gamers will already be familiar with their performance.

If you tin can live without wireless functionality, the Logitech F310 is a comfortable, no-nonsense controller that usually costs $25 or less. This wired controller has all the buttons and functionality you'd look from a modern peripheral, just without the high price tag. Since it's from a major manufacturer, you can also count on information technology working for years and years to come. Many other cheap controllers tin can just give out after a yr or two.

If you take a lot of money to spend, though, the Xbox 1 Aristocracy Wireless Controller Series 2 is the way to go. This supremely comfortable wireless controller offers a highly sensitive D-pad, optional paddles in the back to replace the shoulder buttons and a variety of analog sticks, to let yous find the one that's nearly comfortable for your playstyle.

For other selections, read on to find a variety of other controller styles, prices and feature sets.

The best PC game controllers yous can purchase today

Best PC game controllers: Xbox One controller

(Image credit: Microsoft)

ane. Microsoft Xbox One Controller

The best overall PC controller

Comfortable, ergonomic design

Instant compatibility with most PC games

Snappy buttons

Solid build quality

Older models lack Bluetooth back up

Microsoft's Xbox One controller takes the impressive build quality and ergonomics of the Xbox 360 pad and improves upon them, making information technology the best all-around controller for any type of game.

The controller D-pad has moved away from the 360's disc style to a more traditional four-manner cross style, which allows for better accuracy.

The shoulder buttons are as comfy to press as they are to rest your fingers on, and the triggers rumble, which provides improved force feedback. The sticks are topped with a smooth centre and rasped edge to reduce slipping, and the Xbox Guide button has been moved upwards and away from the center carte buttons to avoid accidental inputs.

The Xbox Ane Controller forgoes fancy actress features, instead focusing on being the best-built and near comfortable option for gaming across all genres. Since the device has the same instant plug-and-play back up as the 360 pad, it will piece of work natively with just about any mod PC game with controller support. The latest version of the Xbox I Wireless Controller sports textured rear grips as well as Bluetooth back up, which promises better range equally well as wireless support on Windows PCs without a dongle.

Best PC game controllers: Logitech F310

(Image credit: Logitech)

2. Logitech F310

A great upkeep choice

Affordable

Familiar, easy-to-use design

Works with about modern PC games

Cheap build quality

Logitech has long offered PC users a broad range of quality accessories, both economic and high-stop, and the F310 matches that pedigree well.

The button layout is similar to that of a PlayStation controller, with symmetrical, bottom-aligned command sticks. The F310'due south D-pad, which is sometimes an afterthought on other controllers, features a responsive design that lends itself well to platformers such as Shovel Knight and the simple menu surfing and push button combos in Terminal Fantasy 14.

By including back up for as many games as possible, Logitech aims to make the F310 the only PC gamepad yous'll e'er need. The controller installs and operates instantly out of the box with most modern PC titles, but it has other pack-ins to allow for use with other games. If you're looking to game with older PC titles that existed before current input standards, such every bit DirectInput, you tin toggle a physical switch to bandy the device into that mode.

Best PC game controllers: Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

3. Xbox Ane Elite Wireless Controller Series 2

Premium, satisfying design

Tons of customization options

Support for three onboard profiles

USB-C support and charging case

Front grips can be slippery

Expensive

The Xbox One Elite Wireless Controller was already the all-time high-terminate PC gamepad, and the Series ii makes it even better. The latest version of Microsoft'due south pro-form controller features improved grips, more trigger lock options for faster firing, improved swappable components and even finer software customization.

The incredible robust Xbox Accessories app lets you fully remap every button on the controller while tweaking the stick and trigger sensitivities to your liking, and you tin can store up to 3 profiles on the controller so that you're always ready for your favorite games. The Elite Series two also has a rechargeable bombardment (finally!) and USB-C port (also finally!), and can even accuse up while in its included carrying case. If you lot take your Gears, Fortnite or Forza seriously, this is the controller to own.

Read our total Xbox I Elite Wireless Controller Serial ii review .

Best PC game controllers Astro C40 TR

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

4. Astro C40 TR

Killer customization

Premium, satisfying design

Tons of customization options

Works both wired and wirelessly

Not ideal for smaller hands

Slightly strong D-pad

Expensive

The Astro C40 TR is one of the about premium, feature-rich PC controllers available, and a solid culling to Microsoft'due south popular Elite Wireless Controller. Like other high-end gamepads, the C40 TR sports fully remappable buttons and trigger/stick sensitivities, as well as hair-triggers for faster fire and swappable components. While Astro is amend known for its headsets, the C40 TR demonstrates that the company can brand other peripherals just every bit well.

But the C40 doesn't terminate there -- you tin also fully rearrange the pad'southward stick and d-pad layout, allowing you to opt for Xbox-manner offset sticks or PS4-style parallel sticks. The C40 is a scrap hefty and ane of the more expensive high-end options out there. only information technology'south an excellent choice for those willing to pay upwards for a ton of customization tools.

Read our total Astro C40 TR review .

Best PC game controllers: Sony DualShock 4

(Image credit: Sony)

v. Sony DualShock iv

Incredibly comfortable

Customizable touchbar, lightbar and gyroscope

Full Steam customization

Non equally natively supported as Xbox I controller

The DualShock 4's layout and grip are more comfortable than e'er, with triggers and sticks that are particularly well-designed compared with their PS3 counterparts. There'southward too a front-facing touchpad, which brings some interesting possibilities to the familiar design. The DualShock four works well with titles such every bit Shovel Knight and Final Fantasy 14, and more and more modern games are including native support for Sony's controller.

In fact, the DualShock 4 is now fully supported in Steam, pregnant you lot can tweak the touchpad, light bar and savor the robust remapping and sensitivity options found on Valve'southward Steam Controller. You can even tap into the DualShock 4'southward gyroscope, allowing yous to, say, aim your gun in a shooter by using motility controls. Oddly plenty, withal, if you want to employ the DualShock 4 for PS4 Remote Play on a PC, perhaps for the best dissever screen PS4 games, y'all'll need to connect information technology via USB cable, or use 1 of Sony's old, hard-to-detect wireless adapters.

Best PC game controllers: 8BitDo SN30 Pro

(Epitome credit: WeChip)

six. 8BitDo SN30 Pro

Well-built, nostalgic design

Great d-pad

Lots of functionality for the cost

Gets uncomfortable after long stretches

Non ideal for intense modernistic games

If your Steam library consists of pixelated platformers and former-school activity games, 8Bitdo's SN30 Pro provides a wonderfully authentic way to enjoy them.

This gamepad faithfully replicates nearly every detail of the original Super Nintendo controllers, while adding extras such as dual analog sticks, rumble functionality and rear triggers to make information technology play nice with more mod titles.

Cheers to its tight d-pad and clicky buttons, the SN30 Pro is an excellent companion for titles like Sonic Mania, Cuphead, the Mega Man Legacy Collection and the trove of indie fighting games bachelor for PC. Just go on in heed that while its thumbsticks feel great, the controller's ergonomics aren't exactly platonic for playing, say, an intense online shooter at a competitive level.

Withal, the SN30 Pro (and its Super Famicom-inspired counterpart, the SF30 Pro) is an excellent and versatile retro pad for a not bad price. Information technology'll also work with your Switch, Android device, and even that Raspberry Pi you've rigged up to imitate the SNES Classic.

If you want the SN30 Pro's former-school experience only with proper triggers, grips and a ton of customization options, nosotros recommend checking out the $50 SN30 Pro+.

How to choose the best PC game controller for you

The virtually of import matter to consider when you lot purchase i of the all-time PC game controllers is what kind of physical configuration y'all'd similar. If you desire something that looks and feels just like a traditional panel controller, get an Xbox One controller, or a DualShock 4. If you'd similar something that looks and feels more than or less the same, but don't listen dealing with a wired configuration, the Logitech F310 is fine.

On the other hand, if yous want something premium, the Xbox One Elite Wireless Controller Series ii or the Astro C40 TR is the way to become. These controllers look a lot similar standard console controllers, only you can customize them to a considerable caste. These options come up at a price, however — somewhere betwixt $100 and $150 more than a standard controller, to be precise.

Price is also a consideration. Mostly speaking, fancier controllers cost more money; wireless controllers are also more expensive than their wired counterparts.

How we exam PC controllers

Nosotros run every controller nosotros examination through the latest and greatest PC games in a variety of genres. We typically test at least one shooter, one fighting game, ane action/risk game and one driving game, which gives us a good idea of how a gamepad performs in different play scenarios. We also gene in battery life for wireless controllers, and if a controller offers swappable components and multiple modes, we test all of them. We employ all controllers nosotros review for days on cease equally our principal gamepad both in our labs and at dwelling house.

How well a controller works in-game is the master review benchmark, just other factors come into play: comfort, price and versatility, for example. All other things being equal, we like controllers that piece of work with a diversity of different games and platforms, and anything that can function with both a PC and a console gets a special nod.

Fight sticks, racing wheels and more

Demand something more than niche? Driving-game aficionados seeking total immersion can cheque out dedicated racing wheels. Driving wheels such as Thrustmaster'south Ferrari 458 ($89) are just that — a cycle — while others, like Logitech'due south G920 Driving Force ($399), include pedals and stick shifts for the full experience.

Andrew Melcon is a freelance author who specializes in covering games and gaming hardware. He's tackled everything from PC game controllers to Pokémon and PUBG and his work has appeared on sites including Tom's Guide, Tom's Hardware, Laptop Mag, and more.

Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/us/best-pc-game-controllers,review-2776.html

Posted by: grahamtwort1941.blogspot.com

0 Response to "The best PC game controllers in 2022"

Post a Comment

Iklan Atas Artikel

Iklan Tengah Artikel 1

Iklan Tengah Artikel 2

Iklan Bawah Artikel