The best gamepads for advanced PCs

While most gamepad manufacturers blindly copy the design of controllers from Xbox and PlayStation, the American company Hori periodically surprises with its creative approach to design. For example, their Fighting Commander controller, specifically designed for fans of fighting games (and to a lesser extent platformers), is an interesting solution. The key feature of Fighting Commander is the unusual Sega Mega Drive-style button layout with 6 ABCXYZ control buttons, with which the player will be able to more effectively deal spinners in Mortal Kombat, Injustice, Tekken and any other fighting game.

To control the character's movements, you can use either the 8-position D-pad or the analog stick with an octagonal stop located next to it. Here it is more convenient for anyone. But Hori didn’t stop there and went further: the user can adjust the sensitivity of the D-pad, change the purpose of the keys, save settings for different games in separate profiles (4 profiles are supported) and switch them on the fly using a separate button on the central panel.

Overall, Hori has come up with a rather interesting, unusual and at the same time far from the most expensive device, which combines the best of both worlds - the convenience of traditional controllers with the precision of fighting game sticks and hitboxes. The only thing is that all owners of Hori Fighting Commander OCTA strongly recommend immediately installing the proprietary application and updating the firmware, since not everyone is satisfied with the initial responsiveness of the stick and cross. Well, people who are accustomed to premium devices may not like the quality of the plastic. Oh yes, the manipulator also officially supports the Windows and Xbox platforms, and for owners of PS4 and PS5 there is an alternative option with a more familiar layout.

Asus ROG Raikiri is a professional eSports gamepad from Asus with a wired connection, adaptive triggers and a built-in digital-to-analog converter for improved audio in a headset connected to the gamepad. Unlike the flagship modification Asus ROG Raikiri Pro, the standard version is not equipped with an OLED display and does not support wireless connectivity, but it retains most of the functions, including customizable triggers, additional bumpers, programmable keys, RGB Aura backlighting and proprietary Asus Armory Crate software.

The Asus ROG Raikiri has an ergonomic design similar to the Xbox controllers. The control set includes two asymmetrical analog sticks, a 4-way D-pad, four main ABXY control buttons, four side triggers and several additional buttons located on the rear wall. The device is equipped with textured handles for improved grip. And in the proprietary Armory Crate application, the owner of the gamepad can adjust the sensitivity of adaptive triggers, adjust dead zones, change button assignments, and also play with the backlight and vibration strength.

Like the older ROG Raikiri Pro, the regular version of the manipulator is equipped with a high-quality digital-to-analog converter (DAC) to improve sound quality when used with wired headsets. The controller also features RGB lighting and several additional programmable buttons in the style of the popular Xbox Elite eSports controller. Xinput support ensures full compatibility with Microsoft gaming systems, including Windows PCs and laptops, as well as Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S gaming consoles. In general, Asus has produced a rather interesting, well-thought-out and at the same time quite affordable gamepad, which quite claims to be a professional one.

For a long time, fans of the Sony PlayStation console have been spreading the stereotype that Microsoft does not know how to make gamepads, and the DualShock is the crown of creation and a role model. In fact, 99% of these disputes came down to either taste or habit, because not all gamers are comfortable controlling asymmetrical sticks. But in fact, Microsoft knows how to make excellent controllers, as confirmed by the second version of the professional e-sports gamepad Xbox Elite.

The design of the Xbox Elite 2 follows the appearance of the original controller from the Xbox Series S. But as usual, the devil is in the details. In particular, the Xbox Elite 2 is equipped with interchangeable impulse sticks with adjustable pressure. For convenience, the set includes 3 interchangeable sets of sticks of different lengths and heights, as well as a special case for storing the gamepad and spare parts. The 8-position D-Pad, which was once criticized by all and sundry, can now be called synonymous with convenience. And it is also replaceable, and in the box you can find an analogue in the form of a standard cross.

On the back panel of the gamepad there are 4 petal buttons with pressure switches. By default, the petals duplicate the functions of the main buttons, but they can be reconfigured to suit your needs. And guess what? They are also replaceable, and the set includes 4 additional smaller petals. Key settings can be saved and quickly switched between them using the Profile button. The gamepad is connected to a PC or Xbox via cable or over the air (Bluetooth). When connected wirelessly, the built-in battery provides an impressive 40 hours of battery life. For charging, a carrying case is used, like in modern TWS headphones. Against the background of all that has been said, the only disadvantage of the Xbox Elite 2 is its high price, but in our opinion it is fully justified by the ultimate quality of workmanship, equipment and status of the gamepad.

The Sony DualSense Edge is Sony's first professional controller designed for the PlayStation 5 console, but also works great with Windows-based computers and laptops. One of the key features of the DualSense Edge is the ability to customize the button layout, saving the resulting combinations in the memory of the manipulator and switching them using the Fn button. The only pity is that profiles cannot be transferred from PS5 to Windows and vice versa.

In addition to changing command functions, users can also adjust trigger and analog stick sensitivity and vibration strength, which is especially useful for games with varying control requirements. In the Spider-Man games, adaptive triggers change the feeling of flying on a web, in the Horizon series they enhance the sensation of drawing a bow, and in Gran Turismo they change the resistance of the gas and brake pedals.

In general, the DualSense upgrade is reminiscent of the story with the popular e-sports controller Xbox Elite: a pair of programmable triggers are located on the back of the controller, most of the gamepad buttons are now replaceable, and the device comes with replaceable sticks of different heights and rear buttons of different shapes. Plus, the DualSense Edge features a touchpad and unique tool-free thumbstick replacement, and the controller now comes with a stylish charging case and holder. And this medal has a reverse, not very pleasant side - they ask for 9,000 hryvnia for a gamepad, despite the fact that a slightly simpler DualSense can be bought for 2,500 hryvnia.

The Razer Wolverine V2 Pro is an elite gamepad for PC and PlayStation 5 with advanced customization options. We are talking about additional programmable buttons and interchangeable sticks, adapted to different playing styles: short ones provide greater response speed, long ones guarantee more precise control. The gamepad belongs to the highest price segment and is an almost exact copy of the Wolverine V2 Chroma model, which was adapted for use with the PS5 console.

In particular, the device was repainted in black and white PS5 colors, and a DualSense-style touchpad was placed in the center. The key feature of the Wolverine V2 Pro controller is its Mecha-Tactile mechanical switches with tactile feedback, increased sensitivity and accuracy. According to Razer representatives, each button is 35% faster than standard switches in classic gamepads from Microsoft and Sony. The stated service life of the mechanics is 3 million clicks. In addition to the main keys, the design uses six additional buttons: 2 bumpers under the index fingers and 4 petals on the back side.

The controller supports the Sensitivity Clutch function, which allows you to temporarily change the sensitivity of the sticks depending on the game scenario. And the triggers have special buttons to switch between two sensitivity modes. Other features of the gamepad include neat Razer Chroma lighting, a proprietary HyperSpeed Wireless receiver, good battery life (up to 28 hours without backlighting) and replaceable stick covers. Against this background, only the official cost of around 10 thousand hryvnia is confusing; For this money, I would like to get completely replaceable sticks, not caps, adaptive triggers, like Sony, and a replaceable D-Pad, like the Xbox Elite.