Earlier this year, I picked up the 8BitDo Ultimate 2C. I’m a PC gamer who likes using a controller for racing and third-person action/adventure games, and I got sick of Microsoft’s official Xbox Series X/S controllers wearing out extremely quickly – so I opted for 8BitDo’s third-party option with more durable Hall effect sticks and triggers and was immensely impressed.
I can’t deny that it’s a great controller, but it’s now got me wanting to try other third-party options to see how good they are. And with Amazon’s Prime Day sale underway, there are some great deals on gamepads on my shortlist. If you’re also sick of breaking official gamepads and tempted to make the leap, I’ve compiled a list of five third-party controllers that are on my shortlist. (Now I just need to decide which one I should pick up as a spare…)
All the pads below are from trusted brands that we (or our colleagues at PC Gamer, GamesRadar+ or Tom’s Guide) have reviewed; these aren’t just cheap no-name controllers – some of them actually have design or technology aspects that are better than what Xbox and other official console pads employ, such as the earlier mentioned Hall effect modules, but also things like integrated batteries and additional buttons.
