Xbox Elite Wireless
MICROSOFT $180The best luxury controller
The ‘Elite’ nomenclature
is typically marketing
nonsense, but in this
one instance, I think it applies.
It’s a sturdy, configurable, and
gorgeous controller for
enthusiasts of fancy. The shell
and button layout don’t feel
distinct from the vanilla Xbox One
controllers, though it feels heavier
than most pads I’ve used. I like a
bit of weight in my controllers and
mice, but it might not feel good
on tiny wrists after a long play
session. The face buttons are
large and still mushy, the
bumpers and triggers have a
responsive click and pull—they
just feel identical to using an Xbox
One controller.The addition of some slick
software that allows for tweaking
of trigger min/max values, stick
sensitivities, button assignments,
and profile designations makes it
even more attractive for PC
experimentation. Everything
about the Elite controller feels
considered, so even though its
familiar design isn’t stepping
outside of what’s tried and true,
the configuration options make it
an easy recommendation for
those who can afford it.Easy to swap out components
Robust companion software for
button mapping
Triple the price of a normal gamepadVERDICTSPECS WEIGHT: .85 LBS (348G +/- 15G) / CONNECTIVITY: XBOX WIRELESS / BATTERY: 2X AA (INCLUDED)2
HARDWARE
DualShock 4
PL AYS TATIO N $40The best controller for PC
It isn’t intended for use
on the PC, but the
DualShock 4 is my
favorite controller anyway.
It doesn’t look as durable as
the Xbox One controller, but it’s
solid. When I squeeze the handles
with as much force as I can, I can
barely hear the strain. I also
pushed each of the buttons,
triggers, bumpers, and analog
sticks down with as much force
as I could, and each sprang back
as if untouched.
The biggest caveat, which
doubles as a positive, is that the
DS4 is not designed with
Windows PCs in mind. Whereas
it’s very easy to get an Xbox 360
or Xbox One controller working,and most PC games will use their
ABYX button prompts, you have
to purchase Sony’s expensive
USB adapter or use the free
unofficial DS4Windows software.
The software essentially tricks
Windows into treating the DS4
like an Xbox 360 controller, so
just about any game which
supports an Xbox 360 controller
(basically any game with
controller support) should work
with the default profile. It also
allows for a ton of customization.Great analog trigger feel
Sturdy construction
Requires unofficial software
More expensive than Xbox WirelessVERDICTSPECS WEIGHT: 7. 4 O Z ( 2 1 0 G) / CONNECTIVITY: BLUETOOTH / BATTERY: 1000MAH RECHARGEABLE1
1