Gaming Controllers

Top 10 Gaming Controllers for PC

A game controller is a device used with games or entertainment systems to provide input to a video game, typically to control an object or character in the game. A controller is usually connected to a game console or computer by means of a wire or cord, although, since the mid-2000s, wireless controllers have become widespread. Input devices that have been classified as game controllers include keyboards, mouses, gamepads, joysticks, etc. Special purpose devices, such as steering wheels for driving games and light guns for shooting games, are also game controllers.

Game controllers have been designed and improved over the years to be as user friendly as possible. The Microsoft Xbox controller, with its shoulder triggers that mimic actual triggers such as those found on guns, has become popular for shooting games. Some controllers are designed to be deliberately best for one type of game, such as steering wheels for driving games, or dance pads for dancing games.

One of the first video game controllers was a simple dial and single button, used to control the game Tennis for Two. Controllers have since evolved to include directional pads, multiple buttons, analog sticks, joysticks, motion detection, touch screens and a plethora of other features. Let’s take a look on the list of top 10 Gaming Controllers for PC in 2016:

1. Xbox 360 Wireless Controller

Price: $31.40+ $18.50(wireless receiver for pc) [amazon.com]

The Xbox 360 Wireless Controller borrows many design elements from the Controller S. The left and right analog sticks and triggers, the control pad, and the face buttons are all in the same spots, constructed rather similarly. The start and Back buttons have been moved to the center, flanking the new guide button, which can turn on the system remotely and allows access to your gamer card at any time. Removed from the older controller are the black and white buttons, which were awkwardly placed below the face buttons. Taking their place are the left and right bumpers, which make their home on the top of the controller in front of the triggers. Atop the controller is a small white sync button that, for the first time, allows your controller to communicate with an Xbox 360 console. The slight changes have resulted in a nearly perfect design; not only is the controller great for Xbox 360 games, but you may just prefer the new layout for the backward-compatible Xbox1 titles, as the bumpers are better located than the black and white buttons.

A variety of inputs are unobtrusively located on the Xbox 360 Wireless Controller. On the top is the input for the Xbox 360 Play and Charge Kit, which allows you to recharge the battery pack via a cabled USB connection to the console--though we found the Quick Charge Kit to be a far better solution. On the bottom is a headset input. You can plug in any headset with a 2.5mm minijack (standard for cell phone headsets), but the input is form-fitted to accept the Xbox 360 Headset, which has built-in volume and mute buttons. Compared to the wired controller, this model is slightly heavier and bulkier, due to the presence of the battery pack at the back of the controller.

As for performance, it's phenomenal, besting even Logitech and Nintendo's wireless wares. Response time is even with that of any wireless controller released before. The controller is as responsive as its wired counterpart, with the exception of the guide button, which takes a few seconds longer to sync wirelessly. The force feedback is strong but not quite as strong as the wired controller's. That said, where the 360 Wireless Controller separates itself from the rest of the pack is its ability to connect multiple controllers at once. While other controllers require multiple dongles and manually chosen frequencies, each of these wireless controllers will sync with the Xbox 360 console once the guide button is pressed. Once connected, the quadrant of the guide button corresponding to the player's number lights up.

2. SteelSeries Stratus XL

Price: $53.99 [amazon.com]

SteelSeries is a company largely known for its gaming mice and keyboards. Last year, it jumped into the mobile gaming market with the introduction of the Stratus and the full-sized Stratus XL for iOS some months later. More recently, the company released a new version of the Stratus XL controller for use with Android and Windows PC. Given that PC gamers have no shortage of controllers to choose from, SteelSeries was entering a tough market already dominated by the standard Xbox 360 controller.

The Stratus XL feels well-made, with a matte black surface. It runs on two AA batteries and is slightly heavier than a DualShock 4, but not so much so that it feels uncomfortable to hold. Despite the "XL" in the name, it's around the same size as the DualShock 4, so you won't need extra-large hands to use it.The concave analog sticks are stiffer than the DualShock 4, which makes precision aiming in first person shooters harder as a result. The analog sticks are slightly closer together, but there's no perceptible difference in how it feels beyond its stiffness.

The charge on the controller lasts a long time, even on standard disposable AA batteries. I was able to play Fallout 4 and Assassin's Creed Syndicate for a week (for many hours at a time) without having to swap out the batteries. The battery life lives up to the box specifications' claim of delivering an estimated 40 hours of playtime.

To conserve battery charge, the controller shuts off on its own when you're not in a game. You can also turn it off manually with a switch located at the back. Though not as effective as having a warning pop-up on screen, the orange LED indicator on the controller tells you how much power you have left.

3. Razer Wildcat

Price: $99.99 [amazon.com]

Razer offers its own elite Xbox One PC gamepad in the form of the Wildcat. It feels good in the hand and is very responsive, and you can customize it much like the Elite controller. However, it's strictly a wired gamepad, and for the same price tag you, can get the first-party Elite controller and have the option to cut the cord whenever you want. If the Wildcat cost half as much as the Elite, it would be a viable, premium wired gamepad to consider, but as it stands it simply doesn't justify its price.

The boldly styled Wildcat looks and feels like an overbuilt Xbox One controller. Its layout and the general build quality of its matte black plastic body are nearly identical to the Xbox One gamepad, with all of the standard controls feeling indistinguishable from the stock controller's buttons and sticks. The direction pad is a four-segment cluster closer to that of a DualShock 4, but otherwise everything else feels the same. A pair of sliding trigger lock switches sit under the top set of alternate triggers. They limit the pull distance of the standard triggers, just like the trigger locks on the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller.

Razer added some extras in addition to the standard controls. A built-in wired headset adapter sticks out of the bottom of the gamepad between the hand grips, and is laid out exactly like a standard Xbox One Stereo Headset Adapter. This is a nice touch, and one the Elite controller lacks.

Two additional pairs of triggers sit on the underside of the Wildcat, similar in purpose to the removable paddles on the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller. They're smooth, glossy black plastic rather than metal, and feel more natural to reach with your fingers. One pair sits between the grips, comfortably resting under your middle fingers while your index fingers hold the standard triggers. The other, more bumper-like pair, sits between the standard triggers and can be accessed by stretching your index fingers slightly further around the gamepad.

You can remove the multifunction triggers on the underside of the Wildcat with the included screwdriver, if you wish. Once they're out, a pair of small covers flip down over the mounting holes and lock in place. If you want to put the triggers back, two small switches next to the covers release them. You can't remove the multifunction bumpers higher on the gamepad.

4. Logitech Gamepad F310

Price: $19.96 [amazon.com]

The Logitech F310 gamepad has a sturdy design and is compatible with nearly any PC game. It is missing vibration feedback, which may be a deal breaker for some, but its dual-analog joysticks and pressure-sensitive triggers make it a great choice for many games.

Because the Logitech 310 lacks vibration feedback, you will miss the tactile cues some games use. For example, if an enemy is shooting you with silent rounds, you might not notice it as quickly without the vibration warning. If you don't want to lose touch feedback, this controller isn't for you.

One feature we really enjoyed is the profiler software. Not all PC games come with the needed support to handle a gamepad. With the Logitech F310 you don't have to worry about that since the profiler software allows you to customize the various buttons and eliminate the need to coordinate a keyboard and mouse. We also found the multiple input modes useful.

It comes with both XInput and DirectInput modes. Older games tend to use DirectInput while newer games use XInput. The primary reason for this difference in input modes is the shift in gaming that took place when the Xbox 360 launched. The 360's controller uses XInput, and many game developers switched to the newer, easier controller setup. However, if you have older games, it's good to know that the F310 will work with those games as well.

5. Xbox One Elite Wireless Controller

Price: $134.00 [amazon.com]

The Xbox Elite Wireless Controller came as surprise when it was first announced. Both its price and its purpose seemed misaligned with the image Microsoft wanted to put out there after the Xbox One's slow start out of the gate.

It's expensive, extravagant and perhaps most useful for only a small niche of the Xbox community i.e. it's everything Microsoft was trying to avoid when it rebranded the Xbox One from a next-level gaming machine on par with PCs to the more affordable, all-in-one entertainment center we see today.

But despite what the lavish, pro-only price suggests, the controller has a universal appeal that anyone - from the tier-one Call of Duty players to the casual Peggle kings - can enjoy.

Why? The Xbox Elite Wireless Controller is easily the most comfortable controllers on the market, with rubberized grips, a cool-to-the-touch finish and stainless steel components that can be swapped out to suit your needs.

Add to that a slew of paddles located on the back of the controller that can be assigned the function of any face button and a set of reinforced hair triggers that can be programmed and physically set to different sensitivity levels and you have the makings of a great gamepad.

Best of all, it works on PCs running Windows 7 or higher - including, of course, Windows 10. Drivers for PC release on October 27 which, unsurprisingly, coincide nicely with the recent release of the Xbox One Controller Wireless Adapter.

6. NVIDIA SHIELD wireless controller

Price:  $59.99 [amazon.com]

If the Nvidia Shield already sounds like a familiar name, that's because it is. Nvidia has used the Shield moniker a couple times before, with its Shield Portable and Shield Tablet.But the Shield console is different from its predecessors, both in its form factor - obviously - but more importantly in its intentions.

This is the world's first-ever 4K Android TV set-top box, and the first widely offered streaming device that's capable of handling Ultra HD. That means, unlike the Roku 3, Chromecast or even Amazon Fire TV, you can actually connect this to a 4K TV in your home, throw on Netflix, HBO Now or YouTube, and be treated to stunning 3,840 x 2,160 resolution content.

Where the Shield Portable failed to capture the Nintendo 3DS's spot in our pockets and the Shield Tablet a spot in our bags, the Nvidia Shield is attempting in earnest to claim a space beneath our TVs.

 The Shield is exactly what you've been waiting for.But maybe you can't see yourself enjoying gaming on a micro-console with a limited library of PC-quality games, or you've decided that you're not ready for 4K yet (or more likely it's not ready for you). In either case, then you should probably save yourself some cash and buy one of the half-dozen other equally good, if not a hair more complete, set-top boxes.

7. Mad Catz L.Y.N.X. 9

Price: $99.99 [amazon.com]

Mad Catz has always done things a little differently. The Rat gaming mouse looked like nothing before it when first launched 5 years ago, but has proven its staying power with a new version, the Rat Pro X.

PC and console gaming is all well and good, but those markets aren’t growing; they’re flatlining. Mobile gaming on the other hand is going from strength to strength and it’s more than just casual gaming that’s fuelling the growth. Games such as BioShock and FIFA look and play great on phones and tablets – that is, if you have the right controller.

So it’s not quite such a surprise that Mad Catz has announced an incredible new mobile controller for those wanting the very best experience across mobile, tablet and even smart TVs. It’s called the Mad Catz L.Y.N.X. 9 and it’s part Swiss Army knife, part transformer, part Lego Technic and entirely bonkers. But bonkers in a good way.

The Mad Catz L.Y.N.X. 9 attempts to combat this by folding into a smart little package. We’ve seen this sort of thing before on the likes of the Phonejoy gamepad, which is a nifty little mobile controller, but the L.Y.N.X. 9 is on another level entirely.

It consists of three core components – a ‘left wing’, a ‘right wing’ and the controller’s ‘brain’ – which can be rearranged to work with a phone or joined to the included tablet stand. This can accommodate tablets with screen sizes of up to 7 inches.

Connect the L.Y.N.X. 9 to a Smart TV or desktop PC and you get a controller that runs rings around remote controls. Aside from the keyboard the Mad Catz L.Y.N.X. 9 includes a mouse control sensor near the top of the controller, with left and right mouse buttons. It takes a little getting used to, but works well, floating the cursor around just like the pointer stick on a Lenovo ThinkPad does. Still not enough inputs for you? Well you could always just keep the right thumbstick pressed to activate the microphone. Yes, that’s right, the L.Y.N.X. 9 comes with a mic built into it, too.

8. Thrustmaster GPX LightBack 

Price: $49.49 [amazon.com]

Thrustmaster also sent us their GPX Lightback Ferrari F1 Edition. The controls are in many ways comparable to those of the standard GPX. This gamepad does offer a number of extras. Grip is clearly improved by the additional rubber coating on the bottom, and the plastic on the top feels more luxurious. Numerous Ferrari decorations are also present.

Additionally, we find four leds for both triggers on top of the controller which act as speed indicators. Also, red lighting has been incorporated into the ball of the thumbsticks. This lighting is visible when the vibration in the gamepad is activated. You probably won't be seeing much of this while gaming, as you'll naturally be too busy focusing on other things.

You don't have to spend that much money to be able to purchase a rather sterling gamepad for use with the computer. Most of the gamepads we tested can additionally also be used in combination with the Xbox 360. If you find yourself unable to spend a lot of money on a gamepad, then both the Thrustmaster GPX and the Xbox 360 controller are good choices. The Thrustmaster has better vibration, whereas the Xbox 360 controller in general features slightly smoother controls. The Thrustmaster GPX Lightback Ferrari F1 Edition is a little more expensive, clearly has a better grip, and feels more luxurious.

If you already have a Playstation 4, then you won't have to search for a good gamepad for the computer. The Sony Dual Shock 4 Controller can also be used quite well for this purpose. The vibration function feels the most powerful, and the triggers and thumbsticks are very pleasant to use. All round this is the best gamepad, and as such, it'll take home a Hardware.Info Gold Award. The Hardware.Info Silver Award goes to the Thrustmaster GPX Lightback Ferrari F1 Edition and the Hardware.Info Bronze Award is for the Microsoft Xbox 360 Controller and the vanilla edition of the Thrustmaster GPX.

9. Steam Controller

Price: $49.89 [amazon.com]

The Steam Controller brimmed with potential when it first came out. The atypical touchpad setup and customisation options made the Xbox and PlayStation’s gaming pads look like archaic children’s toys last year.

The touchpads’ tweakable sensitivity also promised to offer mouse and keyboard precision on a gamepad – something console gamers moving to PC have longed for, for quite some time.

But what really set it apart was its loadout system. The Steam Controller lets you customise what each button and axis does on a game-by-game basis. You can then share any control scheme you make with the Steam community. This should have made it easy to find decent control schemes for most games, even if the developer didn’t bespoke create a Steam Controller setup.

Steam’s owner, Valve, has taken its time entering the hardware scene. It’s been two years since SteamOS was announced, and almost as long since we got a first glimpse of the Steam Controller. And we’ve yet to see any living-room boxes on shelves.

That’s set to change next month with a raft of Steam Machines hitting the market, but in the meantime Steam has released two peripherals: the Steam Controller and the Steam Link. The latter lets you play games on your TV via your gaming rig, but it’s the controller – with its haptic pads – I’ll be looking at in more detail here.

It’s an interesting product, no doubt. It attempts to bridge the gap between PC and console gaming, aiming to be the gamepad that's a jack-of-all-trades. But it risks being seen a master of none and a tepid living room replacement for the mouse and keyboard.

10. Microsoft Xbox 360 Wired Controller

Price: $26.99 [amazon.com]

The Xbox 360 Controller borrows many design elements from the Controller S. The left and right analog sticks and triggers, the control pad, and the face buttons are in the same spots, constructed rather similarly. The start and Back buttons have been moved to the center, flanking the new guide button, which allows access to your gamer card at any time. Removed from the older controller are the black and white buttons, which were awkwardly placed below the face buttons. Taking their place are the left and right bumpers, which make their home on the top of the controller in front of the triggers. The slight changes have resulted in a nearly perfect design; not only is the controller great for 360 games, but you may just prefer the new layout for the backward-compatible Xbox1 titles, as the bumpers are better located than the black and white buttons.

On the bottom of the controller is a headset input. You can plug in any headset with a 2.5mm jack (standard for cell phone headsets), but the input is form-fitted to accept the Xbox 360 Headset, which has built-in volume and mute buttons. Compared to the wireless controller, this model is slightly lighter and less bulky due to the absence of a battery pack at the back of the controller.

The performance of the Xbox 360 Controller on the console is phenomenal, with instantaneous response time. The controller syncs with the system much faster than the wireless controller, and the force feedback is a bit stronger. On the PC, the controller performs more than admirably. Once you download the software from Microsoft's official site, the controller will work with any controller-compatible game. As long as the game you're playing allows you to customize button usage (most do), the controller ranks among the best available for the PC. Games specifically designed to work with the controller can also make use of the headset input and the force feedback.

The Xbox 360 Controller is one of the best-designed and best-performing controllers on the market. If you're looking for faults, you might argue the controller lacks any startling new features--especially in comparison to the motion-based controllers for the upcoming Nintendo Wii and Sony PlayStation 3--which may hinder true game design innovations. And you might also say the controller's about $10 too expensive. Overpriced or not, however, it serves as a great third (or fourth) Xbox 360 controller and, when called upon, fills in nicely as a PC gaming controller.