PC Gamer - USA 2019-09)

3

Steam Controller

VALVE $120

The controller for games that don’t support controllers

Valve’s first attempt at

making the living room a

viable PC gaming space

doesn’t feel complete yet. Sure,

the Steam Controller can control

games, but it still feels like a

midpoint between gamepad and

keyboard-mouse control.

The grips are huge, part of an

intentional convex design meant

to arch your thumbs over the

touchpads comfortably. Problem

is, they’re too bulbous and jut out

a bit too hard into the heel of each

hand. My fingers tense up after a

few minutes of play, which leads

to a few too many accidental back

paddle presses and thumb

cramps. It’s not possible to

outright recommend the Steam

Controller, even though with

enough tinkering and patience,

it’s a completely viable way to

control a ton of PC games from

the couch.

So why is it listed here, among

our round-up of the best

controllers you can buy? Because

the Steam Controller ultimately

occupies a unique space in PC

gaming: It’s the only gamepad

specifically built to let you play

games that don’t support

controllers out of the box.

Can be used to control mouse-and-

keyboard games

Highly configurable control mapping

Design isn’t very comfortable

VERDICT

SPECS WEIGHT: .63 LBS (287G) / CONNECTIVITY: 2.4GHZ WIRELESS / BATTERY: 500MAH RECHARGEABLE OR 2X AA

4

Wolverine Ultimate

RAZER $120

Clicky with a side of Chroma

Although I’d prefer to
have a choice in the
matter, Razer does have
a point with its Wolverine Ultimate
controller. In a competitive
setting, wired is better than
wireless. Compatible with both
PC and the Xbox One family of
consoles, the Razer Wolverine
Ultimate is similar in many ways
to the Xbox One Elite Wireless
Controller, customizable back
paddles included. And for the
price you may be wondering: Why
not just buy one of those instead?
Well, it’s not for everyone, but
the Wolverine Ultimate does have
its fair share of unique, downright
enticing features. For starters, the
face buttons—the ones labeled A,

B, X, and Y—click in like a mouse.

Coming from a standard Xbox

controller, this minuscule detail

makes a huge difference.

Of course, no Razer product

would be complete without a

healthy dose of Chroma, the

three-headed green snake

company’s signature brand of

RGB lighting. However, rather

than integrating it into the existing

Synapse 3 app for Windows,

Razer decided to develop an app

specifically for Xbox One.

Swappable sticks and d-pad

Loud, satisfying face buttons

No wireless option

Expensive

VERDICT

SPECS WEIGHT: .6 LBS (272G) / CONNECTIVITY: USB WIRED / CORD LENGTH: 10 FT (3M)

3

GROUP TEST

THE WOLVERINE

ULTIMATE DOES HAVE

ITS FAIR SHARE OF

UNIQUE, DOWNRIGHT

ENTICING FEATURES