I'll share some information about controllers I used so far, maybe someone will find it useful. The controller I've used the longest, and the one that was most reliable was a 25 euro
Speedlink Torid that was made for PS3 and PC. It served me well for a little over 5 years, and it worked in every game I tried it in. The best thing about it was how responsive it was even though it was wireless. It came with a little dongle you just plug in and play. No driver updates, no messing around, zero disconnects in 5 years, no problems after Windows update like with other controllers - it just worked, which is crazy when you consider the price. The battery life was also incredible, I charged it maybe once a month and the battery didn't become worse over time. Of course, it wasn't perfect. The D-pad was not ideal (it was a copy of x360 d-pad which also sucked), analog sticks were covered with cheap material which started peeling off after many, many sessions of Dark Souls, and the side grips also started coming off. Also, when you charged it via USB, you still had to have the dongle plugged in for it to work. I eventually threw it away when analog stick fell apart. But 25 euros for 5 years of use, that's good value. I'd gladly buy it again, but the store I bought it from doesn't sell them anymore (maybe they're not even made anymore)
And these are the ones I have right now (none of them are as satisfying as that cheap one, even though they were much more expensive)
First off,
8bitdo SN30 Pro Plus. Great ergonomics, solid build, good connectivity (bluetooth works great, very easy to turn off by holding the start button for 3 seconds to avoid accidental vibrations when playing with mouse and keyboard). D-pad is almost the same as on SNES, although a bit too loose. The triggers are very creaky, it feels like you're opening an old wooden door every time you use them. But the biggest problem are the drivers, because 8bitdo is staffed by monkeys who can't make a single driver that doesn't introduce new bugs while fixing previous ones. You shouldn't even need to update your controller firmware, but this is 2021 and for some strange fucking reason, it's a thing. Basically, it's a good controller for emulators and general gaming, but there are drawbacks you need to know about. It was supposed to be the Swiss knife of controllers, which could be true if those idiots weren't fucking around with firmware so much.
Logitech F310 There's nothing to say here honestly, this thing is just trash. The fact it's still one of the best selling controllers on Amazon is baffling. Buttons are mushy and sound terrible, it feels hollow and rattling, it has insane amounts of deadzone on both sticks, triggers are as stiff as a badger's ass, it's ugly as sin and just as unwieldy. Throw your money on something else if you really have to.
Last but not least, the new
Xbox Series controller. Amazing build, good weight, feels great in hands (especially with batteries inside), hands down the most satisfying D-pad I've ever used. Good shape, although I never liked Xbox layout in games like Dead Space where LB is used for sprint, since my hands are big and it makes my fingers cramped, but others obviously love it. Best material on any controller I used, the surface is rough so it doesn't attract dirt and fingerprints while not slipping out of your hands if you're sweaty (triggers also have rough texture which really helps with grip). But there is one huge downside if you're using this on PC - the batteries. To use this wirelessly, you'll need to buy rechargeable AA batteries and charge them yourself or get the official battery pack, which sucks. And battery life is not that good either. But if you're using it via cable all the time, you'll run into the aforementioned problem of some games recognizing controller as the default input which can cause conflicts. For example, the 8bitdo one comes with its own battery pack that you can charge via USB (while also being able to use the controller at the same time) and it's very easy to disconnect by pressing a button, which is a much smarter solution. You have to hold the Xbox button for more than 6 seconds to turn off this one. It's annoying. Otherwise it's great. You have to pay 60 euros for it, but at least it feels like a 60 euro product, and not some Chaiwanese trash.
Hopefully this can help someone decide what controller they want to buy. I'd still recommend the cheap Speedlink, just for how much it offers for the price (if you can find it, that is)
