What's your favorite controller?

Generally speaking, any xbox one or later generation controller. Theyre all relatively the same.

Real shit though, Xbox The Duke is my favorite

i miss the black and white buttons from the mini xbox controller days. still feel like 4 buttons is not enough on the right pad, especially considering how often games use L3/R3 joystick click which i fucking loathe.
- Get a controller with underside buttons. I also consider stick-clicks an abomination, but it's great now that there are under-buttons we can hard-remap to L3 and R3.
  
  8BitDo Ultimate Bluetooth controller has some awful ergonomics on several things, but the underbuttons are excellent examples.
Big handed bastard
The Duke was so good!
It's been funny seeing the Playstation controller slowly morph into an Xbox controller. Which is great because I definitely preferred the Xbox controller since the 360.

I still prefer the offset sticks on the Xbox controller though.

8bitdo Pro 2 is very versatile, I'm curious about the Ultimate. I love my SteamController for modern games.

When I played games on my PC I ended up spending more time configuring my Steam controller than I did playing the game.

A classic example of perfect being the enemy of good.
- SC is more of a brother to grow up with than a controller

Used to be the Logitech F310. Simple, reliable, used my preferred layout, inexpensive, and durable.

Then I got a PS5 and experienced the DualSense's adaptive triggers and I can't go back.

I had a Dualsense for my computer just because it has the best D-pad

Then I got Returnal and experienced the haptics and triggers and HOLY SHIT. I tried a keyboard and mouse and the game felt FLAT. It really is incredible! Pacific Drive also takes full advantage of it, the brake trigger feels like and actual car brake and the accelerator trigger rumbles and vibrates with the haptics as you go.

Absolutely fuckin dope.
- Do you need to do any config to use the adaptive trigger on PC? And I assume it mainly supported on Sony's first party title ?
Honestly, it's still the F310 for me. I have mine since the early 2010s and it's still working perfectly. Those things are built like tanks and between XInput and DirectInput are compatible with just about any PC game of the last forty years, no extra software required. Also, they're dirt cheap.

Honorable mention to the F710, the wireless version. While Windows 10's USB stack unfortunately broke compatibility with it (causing randomly dropped inputs), Linux does not have that problem.
- I have two and I can't vouch for the "built like a tank" since one of them once in a while decides to drift around.
  
  Still 110% worth it for the price.
I had an F310 and I disliked it haha. Never found it to be ergonomic.

I'll controversially say that I really love the Steam controller. Not the steam deck (which is honestly my number 1 if we're including handhelds) but the original controller intended for use with the steam link device.

It really just needs a right analog stick and it would be great. The lack of one takes it from 10/10 to like a 7/10. It's so good otherwise, great weight and size, good design. Sensible layout and the big track pads work really well! It was clearly a prototype for how the Deck layout ended up, though I actually like the controller's big circular pads more than the decks little square ones.

The steam controller is absolutely my favorite shape and feel for the controller.

The one big flaw is the plastic bumper mechanism that has broken on 3 of my units, 1 I was able to send back, 1 replaced with PETG 3D printed part which is less clicky, but more durable, and 1 still intact.

Still, I have exclusively used those for years when not playing on Switch
The steam deck honestly is my favorite controller. If valve releases a controller that's the steam deck without a screen I'll be first in line and I'll take two please.
I'm a steam controller simp. I've got 7 of them and will use them until they all crap out or they release a new version

At the moment, my PS5 controller connected to my Linux PC via USB-C. It has perfect support due to official in kernel drivers from Sony and very little lag when used via USB-C.

I'm switching to Linux when I get set up again. Fuck the Recall bull shit. Straw that broke the camels back. I had not considered controller drivers. Is Xbox One over Bluetooth a thing, or will I need to go with Sony?
- The XBOX One controller should be fully bluetooth hid compliant and it should work out of the box for at least all the buttons and axis. There are userspace and kernel drivers for the XBOX controller too (xpad and xboxdrv) but I don't have much experience with them or with bluetooth controller in general.

Me personally, I like the 360 controller the most

Have you tried the Xbox One controllers? If so, what do you like better about the 360?
- I have, I had the day one 2013 controller, it was nice but it developed drift quite fast, and also is harder to repair
- Not op but the 360 controllers a tiny bit smaller, thumbsticks are shorter and wider which makes aiming easier imo
I'm currently playing with a wired 360 controller, myself. its old and creaky and kinda scratched up but it works gorgeously still!
- Me too, it's aged very well.

Steam deck's controls hands down if that counts. If not, surprisingly I'd have to say my stadia controller. Got one for $20 and it's fantastic.

I wonder how much the Deck translates to the Steam Controller. I haven't had enough time with a Deck
- deck is mostly more input options (right stick, d-pad, 4 back buttons instead of 2).
  
  the biggest difference is the placement of the touchpads imho, as i cant use both shoulder buttons and the touchpad on a side without adjusting my grip, but that only mattered in shooters for which i use flickstick on the deck and not the right touchpad.
I love how functional the Deck's controls are, but I do end up with claw hand after playing for a while

X-Box 360. I have an old official one for my PC. I played Dark Souls with it so it is now ingrained into my body. Also all the years of Halo.

I really dislike the X-Box One controller. Feels too big in my hand and just off.

I fear the day my wired one breaks since they stopped making official wired ones for PC.

Aside from Microsoft selling it as one, there's a reason the 360's contoller design is basically the de facto basis for most PC controllers. It's the most comfortable one I've used for 3D games by far. Everything you need is easy to access. Nintendo lifted essentially the same design for their Wii U and Switch Pro controllers.
The d-pad on the 360 controller was garbage. It was the only thing holding it back.

I think they've found a great place with the One/Series controllers.

I also really appreciate that with the jump to the Series X/S they didn't change controllers. They had one that worked that people liked, so they kept it. And it works via Xbox's proprietary wireless protocol, USB, or Bluetooth, so it works on pretty much anything but a Playstation or Nintendo.
- I couldn't care less about the D-pad. All that matters is how it feels in my hand and access to the primary controls like joysticks, triggers, and face buttons.

There is no perfect controller…

…But I do have a list of features I would want my perfect controller to have based off all the controllers that have ever been made :

TMR joystick modules (successor to Hall effect sticks)
adjustable tension springs and locking mechanism for varied stick cap types (Xbox Elite series 2 does most of this but uses magnetic caps which would interfere with the TMR sticks so ball bearing connections or other option would be preferable)
6 DOF / gyro sensors + infrared camera (Wii Motion Plus)
Adaptive haptic triggers (PS5) which can be toggled to hair trigger mode via switches (Xbox Elite series 2)
multi-touchpad on face (PS5)
analog face buttons (DualShock 2 controller had this but only a few games utilized this… the best example was the PS2 era Metal Gear Solid games)
customizable “per-button” color assignment / micro OLED or e-ink screens so button graphics can be swapped (PBTails new controller does the per button RGB color assignment)
USB-C / 4 wired connectivity + charging
baseplate contact-charging (PS5 controller has these so you can set them on charging docks)
hot swappable battery pack + AA battery holder pack or ability to not have a battery on at all when connected via USB-C (Xbox 360 controller had this)
swappable non-magnetic Zinc-alloy faceplates (PBTails new controller has these)
removable back triggers with dedicated button assignments (like the Steam Deck’s L4/5 and R4/5 buttons; not just cloned face buttons like Sony and XBox do)
integrated microphone with hardware toggle (PS5)
proper “separate keys” d-pad… not the mushy type
touch-sensitive surfaces for every button and stick (Meta / Oculus Quest controllers do this)
per-finger-joint touch sensitive grips for each finger segment (Valve’s VR controllers did this)
the ability to separate the halves of the controller so that each hand could hold one half independently and have them track similar to most standard VR controllers (think combining the switch controllers and Quest controllers)
NFC communication (Amiibo-stuff for example)

If any single controller did even half of this, they’d easily be the GOAT.

That'd be the best controller, but probably like 500 dollars lol
- If it had all those features and was made with some real quality parts, I would gladly pay 500 bucks for it.

Xbox 360 was/is peak controller design

What made 360 better than series One (i own this one)?

Better ergonomics? It has such negligible difference design wise, and the d-pad looks awful
- I think it's mostly nostalgia, and the fact that it was kind of the first iteration of the design all controllers use now. The 360 controller was good but it was really only the start. In my opinion each xbox controller has been a massive improvement over the last.
  
  The series x controller is probably the most well refined controller I've used, and the only reason it's not my pick for best controller is because I'm a sucker for all the fancy tricks of the dualsense.

8bitdo SN30 pro. Small, lightweight, perfect button placement. SNES controller designers knew their shit, just add two sticks and a pair of triggers and you can play almost anything with it.

I love this little buddy too. So much so I replaced the ABXY silicon contact pad with replacements from their official website. I love that they sell spare parts, I hate that they gouge me on shipping. So I bought 6 ABXY and 6 crosspad and still have 5 each remaining.
great little controller. 8bitdo has a knack for small controllers that feel good in the hand.

My favorite layout so far is on the Razer Wolverine V2 Chroma Xbox wired controller. It has x/y up between the shoulder and triggers, back buttons for a/b, so you can keep your right thumb on the thumbstick without moving it to hit face buttons a/b/x/y.

I had one of those. Loved it, but the sticks didn't last long enough to justify buying another.
- That's true, I've had mine 2 years and am seeing some up/down drift on the left stick. Not great on the quality but I have used it often, and I can't find anyone else with that button layout.
Yes! I love this controller, and I never see people talk about it. The mechanical click of the face buttons is so satisfying and consistent to press. Other controllers feel so cheap to me now.
How big is this controller? I have wide palms but shortish fingers. From palm to tip of middle fingers like 7.5”, which is low side of male hands, but 4” wide palm which is above average. Makes finding ergonomic controllers difficult. I can reach the middle of controllers without too much difficulty, but reaching lengthwise (eg the shoulder buttons) can be problematic (perhaps why I like the ps4 controller — it’s wide but squat; it just lacks usability with no back buttons, and it only pairs to a single device at a time). I guess a smaller Xbox style controller would work okay for me — is Wolverine worth a try you think?
- The back buttons are near the middle so I'd assume it's more comfortable for bigger hands, I think the v3 wireless version has the back buttons closer to the outside where the controller grip connects to the middle of the controller like the elites, I haven't tried that style yet but I think that may be better for a shorter grip or hands.
  
  V2:
  
  V3:

Switch Pro controller for its asymmetrical layout + gyroscope (it’s so much better for aiming). I’d love to test a PS5 controller but symmetrical layout tend to hurt my hands (it was already the case for the PS3/PS4 controllers, so I have little hope for the PS5 controller).

I think the gyro and layout of the switch pro controller are good, but it just feels so cheap, and the buttons are way too mushy. Also doesn't have analogue triggers. The d-pad is pretty terrible as well.

Overall not a great controller imo.

For fighting games, my own custom built stick. Put this together last year to replace the Hori RAP4 that had served me well for seven years until a button cap broke off. Super happy with how this turned out. It's much lighter, I like having a detachable cable. GP2040-CE supports Switch natively so I no longer need an adapter (and I can feel the difference in latency now), and Sanwa silents mean I can practice late at night without keeping anyone awake. And it just looks good, it's on brand for me.

For everything else that is not fighting games, 8BitDo Pro 2.

I also have a soft spot for the Wii Classic Controller Pro, I miss having gates on the analog sticks. I'd kill for a modern refresh of that with L3/R3, gyro, and USB instead of having to plug it into a Wiimote.

That’s a mighty fine stick you got there. One might even refer to it as lovely.
Oh man, after reading your comment I now have begun reading about the GP2040ce project. I got an empty wooden shell off AliExpress and have been wondering what to do with it for the longest time. They sell sanwa parts along with these generic Chinese encoders that I don't care to bet on. This pico project looks like just the thing I wanna build

not a separate controller but the steam deck controller.

if that doesn't count then it's the Stadia controller.

I have been playing videogames since 1992. Went through almost every controller design possible. From the modern ones, I never liked the layout from the playstation so sticked to Xbox. At the moment I'm using a GameSir T4 Kaleid and absolutely loving it. Mechanical buttons and hall effect joystick are very nice. Since I've had it only for a year I can't say anything about reliability. Most reliable Xbox controllers in order are Xbox classic controller S, 360, One. After that every single one is bad IMO. Series controller start to drift pretty fast, same as both elites. So at the moment my most favourite is the Xbox One controller 2nd revision (1708) also known as Xbox one S controller but if the GameSir won't break for the next couple of years it will be the top one for me.

I hope more first party controllers will get a proper higher tier version with real reliable parts like everything hall effect and mechanical buttons...

N64 controller. Obviously it wasn't exactly great to use, but its completely unique look is so iconic and that makes it my fave.

I grew up with a Wii, and never held an n64 controller, so I always will wonder: How do you hold those? Do you hold it like a regular controller and then reach your thumb out to the joystick in the middle, or do you hold the middle grip and then one of the other outer ones, and have to reach as well? Is it subjective?
- So, there's more than one answer. When it came out the idea was, and it's debatable how much Nintendo used this concept as a marketing tool or with a design in their head, tha the controller allowed flexibility. For different games, different sections or different preferences, you could hold the two outer handles, and get a basic SNES type thing, or you could hold the mid and either one of the sides.
  
  I feel part of it was a bit of mistrust, maybe from some early testing or internal, about the accuracy or the familiarity of users with the joystick, the design allows people to opt into it or go for the tradizional buttons.
  
  I recall some weird stuff was supposed to be meant for the full left side combo, so directional buttons + analog stick. That was a bit of a far reach...
  
  So beside all the intentions, 99% of the games were played with your left hand on the middle handle and the right hand on the righ handle. Consider there's a very comfy trigger button below the middle handle that is mirrored or mirrors the left shoulder button.

Right now I’m mostly using the Xbox One controller (on PC). It’s a controller that feels really good to hold. No weird gimmicks like motion control either. I think it’s one of the all time greats.

Runner up is GameCube.

My friend do I have some exciting news for you…

https://youtu.be/2Tf342fIUVs

PS2. Before all the unnecessary extra expense got added in.

I'm not sure what you are referring to here. The Dual Shock 2 was the standard PS2 controller throughout its lifetime.

Do you mean the OG PlayStation, which had the standard controller, then the dual analogue stick, and finally the Dual Shock with the two analogue sticks plus rumble?

I liked the analogue sticks, loved Katamari. Rumble didn't add enough.
- I like the sticks and rumble. By extra stuff I meant like haptic triggers and stuff like that in the newest controllers.
  
  The old standard Playstation controller. With sticks and rumble.
  
  I own a Series S. And I've been looking for a PS pattern Xbox controller forever. But I've never found one.

Keyboard and mouse :^)

The Playstation controller is pretty great. I have a PS2 and it still feels nice to use

I really love the current gen controllers. I was using a Series X controller, which has a fantastic weight and feel, but I started experiencing drift. I decided to get a PS5 controller after that, and it's even better! I use it with my PC, and the touchpad works as a mousepad, which has allowed me to play a LOT of games comfortably on the couch, when I'd normally have to fumble with my mouse and keyboard.

Switch pro controller previously and Xbox controller lately. I especially like the detachable AA batteries of the Xbox controller as I can charge extra batteries separately.

To be specific, the Xbox One Elite controller. I really liked the Series 2 but it fell apart on me. I never had much issue with the original. I'm a glutton for punishment though, and I'd get another Series 2. I don't mind working on them so it isn't the biggest deal

I really love the Switch Pro controller, but I wish it had analog triggers. I also have love for the GameCube controller. I am at home with the N64 controller, but I can't say it's a favorite

It's probably because I have bias, but I've never cared for any of Sony's offerings. Something about the sticks doesn't feel right with both being at the bottom

I grew up with the PS Dualshock and Dualshock 2 controllers. They were all I ever knew as a kid. But, I absolutely prefer the XBox layout now as well. Something about it just works better for me. On the other hand, my wife also only knew PS growing up and she just can't get used to the XBox layout.
- I can switch between any controller and not think about it. My poor partner has to try to keep up with what console or PC and controllers we are using
My series 1 ended up developing a pretty bad flaw with the input chip and is dead-dead. It also developed a sticky X button right away, which I could repair but went back to not being perfect. The Series 2 has been more reliable, but I also use it less.

Stadia controller. I switched my old Xbox 360 controllers for stadia controllers. Chargeable, heavy, ergonomic. Win for me.

I haven't tried everything out there, but so far nothing I've tried is true perfection. The controller I use as daily driver for my PC is an Xbox 360 controller, which I find extremely nice - except for the D-pad. It also lacks the fancy tricks of the PS5 controller - a controller I Iike less for ergonomics but love for stuff like haptic feedback.

Oh, how long do you have.

First of all, favorite for what? For accesibility reasons if it's not a dual stick game I am defaulting to a fightbox-type device these days. I favor a WASD configuration, rather than a thumb-for-up configuration and I currently favor a tiny, minimalist haute board box with cherry switches (blue for buttons, greys for WASD). It's great, it lies on my desktop and it causes minimal strain even in high APM games.

For dual stick stuff, it again depends. Is this a shooter where aiming is a factor? Because then I'm gonna want some gyro. The DualSense is amazing to hold, just bonkers build quality. It is heavy and ugly as sin, though. It also doesn't work perfectly with every PC game, so it feels like a hassle to use it as my default. There's the KK3, which has gyro in Switch mode and seems to be less fussy than the DualSense. Plus they are trying to sell their hall effect sticks to third parties, so those are very smooth. It is a jack of all trades, though, and I actively hate KK's dumb extra button configuration, with start and select all the way at the top, I keep pressing the screenshot buttons by accident.

If there's no twitch aiming, and thus no major need for gyro, Victrix's Pro BFG is fun. It has modular design where you can put the dpad on either location. The dpad isn't great, but hey, the fightbox's there for that. It does have a six button configuration, too, if you're a controller fighting game guy. The best feature, though? Replaceable eight-way gates for the sticks, Gamecube-style. If you're a Smash guy or emulating Gamecube it's such a no-brainer high end replacement.

But honestly? Honestly?

The JoyCon.

I know people hate the JoyCon, but the idea of a split controller is amazing to me, and everybody else who has tried to do it, Lenovo Legion Go included, gets it wrong. The big handles aren't the answer without a middle segment to hold the controllers. The two little boards are fantastic for 3D action games, the amount of tech in such a small frame is astounding and the button-based dpad is so good I'm using fightboxes on the regular now. It's a shame there are some reliability issues, but I would buy a device just like it for PC tomorrow if they could sort out connectivity reliably.

Connectivity is just one of many problems with joycons.

The shitty sticks that may or may not drift after a dozen of hours and the faulty rail cable that disconnects the SL/ SR buttons are worse.
- I don't know that I have used the SL/SR buttons on my Joycons once in years, so I don't know that is a priority for me.
  
  Drift is a problem, but I've had it more on PS5 controllers, frankly. I do think that at least some portion of drift issues are actually connectivity. The Switch fills in connectivity gaps with the last remembered input and if you have a weak signal that sometimes manifests as the stick being "stuck" off center.
  
  I do think Nintendo should have gone for a slightly bigger battery and a more powerful antenna, although I see why they didn't want to. Still, as far as form factor and usability goes, those things are the best controller this generation, if not ever.
I like the joycon but I don't like how easy it gets drift... Also not a big fan of how annoying it is to connect to computers.

Back in the day, I think it was Logitech or similar who redesigned a PlayStation controller with some minor ergonomic tweaks. It was a masterpiece. This was back in maybe PS2/PS3 era.

Sounds see if any modern versions exist. I'm still a Sony controller purist, having never really fallen in love with Xbox like so many others.

I think I still have one of those. It was Logitech. I thought it was good unless I wanted to use the thumbsticks or triggers. I always thought the Sony design of putting the thumbsticks down in the lower-middle was really awkward, and for some reason, using the triggers on the Logitech controller sometimes felt a bit painful.
- Might've just been the glass slipper my hands needed then. Felt like a peak optimization of the sony layout, least in my mitts.
  
  I know several folks who prefer the offset Xbox style, but I always appreciated the more symmetrical design of PlayStation. Thumbs were same height on controller for FPS or fighting genres, which I did a bunch of back then. Didn't mind offset thumbs for other games like God of War. I think the designer in me also appreciated sony's cleaner aesthetic as well.

An Xbox one controller. I bought a newer seriesX controller but it developed stick drift almost immediately. My Xbox one controller is going on 6 or 7 years now and is still rock solid. And I play rocket league so you know I am hard on them.

Although I grew up with Playstation controllers in my hands, ever since I tried an XBox 360 controller I never went back. I've been using XBone controllers on my PC for years now, and I just love the ergonomics of them in my hand, the clicky D-pad, the rounded buttons. I've always hated the PS dpad, it hurts my thumb. Now, I probably won't keep buying "original" XBox controllers, but anything with that shape and feels that comfortable in my hand, will be my choice.

Logitech RumblePad 2 for the PC.

Basically a knockoff clone of the PlayStation 2 controller for the PC, from around 2008 or so I think.

Still mostly works somehow, except the mode swap button. I don't even need that button anyways.

King Kong 3. 1000hz low delay polling rate, great size, good battery life. Hall effect sticks. Good price for a premium controller too.

Though there are a lot of built in shortcuts which are very confusing but I don't use those.

I really want to get one of those.
I have this one too and I love it. All it's really missing is a way to remap the back paddles to non-controller buttons and it'd be an easy 10/10. As it is, though, 8.5 or 9, still very very good.

Ducky One 3 TKL + Logitech G305 or the 8BitDo Pro 2, depending on the genre.

Xbox series X Elite controllers. I'll never go back. They have a good weight and feel.

Sorta on topic, what do people use for N64 emulation? I can't find a 6 button controller that I like.

USB N64 controller
I used a Steam Controller for the N64 stuff. The right pad worked great for the C buttons.

I picked up a Gamesir x2 recently and it really ticks all but one of the boxes for me. It's a liiiiittle too big to carry around in a pocket, and a liiiittle too small if you've got bigger hands, but its still great at what it does.

+1 for the Gamesir, completely dropped sitting at my desktop. Now my main screen is for shows and the secondary is for game streaming through SteamLink.

I grabbed the X2 because it seemed the most compact without sacrificing triggers or joysticks, but I now think the G8 would have been a better choice with the larger grip
- Yeah I'm thinking the same. The X2 was my pick because I wanted something the size of a DS, but its just a little too big for that. I'll be picking up a g8 to replace it later since it seems like a better fit for using around the house.

Nvidia Shield controller, 2015 version.

Power Glove! Anyone? Anyone?

It's like a slightly worse wiimote lol
Right up there with the ergonomic comfort and ease of use of the N64 tripod!

I can't say I've ever really liked a controller, so I never experimented with fancy ones. The one that was the most fine was the ps controller. the joycon was ok until drift kicked in. The xbox controller made my hands hurt after too long. I think if I'd had more xbox games back then I would have gotten more into controllers to find one for my tiny hands. I mostly prefer a keyboard.

Index controllers for VR.

Playstation DS4 for flatscreen desktop.

I love the XBOX Lunar Shift controller, it seems like they added a nice rubber coat around the - what do you call these - wings? so it has a very nice feel to it. Sadly, of course, still no hall sticks.

But I also haven‘t really tried a dozen different controllers so I‘m not sure how helpful my opinion is.

The PS5 controller is pretty sweet.

But the PS1 Dualshock is the original version of that, and has influenced basically everything since. It's the Ocarina of Time of controllers.

That second analogue stick fixed everything to do with cameras in early 3D games.

For VR it's the Oculus Touch. Takes everything about the classic Dualshock design and adds hand tracking.

Mouse and keyboard, optionally a Xbox Controller or similar.

But my least liked one? Probably any PlayStation one, I hate them all.

Right now, a kind of weird one: the Bridget MX, from SGF Devices. It's a 3D printed, all-button controller for fighting games. They don't make that specific model now (it was a very early one), but this is the closest to it: https://sgfdevices.com/products/bridget-pe

At first I thought that not having a joystick would make games kind of boring. Like, too practical, not enjoyable. But no, it's actually fun. Kind of like tapping out notes on a piano. It uses low-profile mechanical keyboard switches, and I have some stiffer, clickier switches on the way right now.

It's meant for fighting games (Street Fighter, etc.), but I've used it for some 2D platformers and it worked great for those, too.

A non-3D-printed, less cheapo one would probably be even more fun to use, but I think I'll stick with this one for now.

The chameleon wireless PS2 pelican controller. Fits hands perfectly, light weight, just feel perfect, I'd pay so much to be able to use it on modern systems.

Eswap pro by thrustmaster