I want to replace my old GameSir G3s with a controller preferably under €70-75. Initially I wanted an european gamepad but the only 2 options (ready2gaming and snakebyte) was so non existent or questionable that I had to swallow my EU nationalism.
Gaming style:
- Only use controllers where it’s highly recommended
- Preferred genre for controllers would be arcade racing and JRPGs mostly
- Will only play on wireless (2.4ghz)
Preferences:
- Either TMR or high quality HE sticks
- Doesn’t look boring (preferably it has some amounts of LED / RGB)
- Xbox stick position layout (I want to try it out)
- Linux compatibility (don’t care about consöles)
- Doesn’t have a shit QC (8bitdo’s are apparently like that)
- I have larger hands, so maybe not a small controller
Currently these are some controllers that seems to be in my range. I’m interested if you know about even better controllers.
- GameSir Cyclone 2
- GameSir Supernova
- FlyDigi Direwolf 4?
Really? My 8bitdo outlived any other controllers I have owned, minus some features lacking
I own a couple of 8bitdo Ultimate 2, they’re excellent and seem to tick all the boxes, but they’re on the smaller end I guess.
Do you feel that it’s a bit too small for you?
I seem to have minor compatibility issues with most controllers on my EndeavourOS PC, but it seems to vary more with the games than with the different controller brands themselves. Seconding 8BitDo being pretty tough though.
Now the real question is, has anyone designed an open source controller (not fightstick/hitbox), that is purchasable? Like Ploopy or Tindie or something?
I have a ton of 8bitdo stuff and have never had any issues. They’re my favorite controllers.
The 8BitDo Ultimate Wireless 2 has been perfect for me and fits all your criteria.
I know they had QC issues with their dpads on their earlier controllers but it seems they’ve long fixed that as I don’t see people reporting it anymore on their subreddit.I know they had QC issues with their dpads on their earlier controllers
Anecdotal: I just had a trigger on an 8BitDo Ultimate Bluetooth fail. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a button or trigger fail on any other gamepad I’ve ever owned, so that was a bit disappointing.
Letsgooo! One last question. Do you have big hands and does it fit good on you? Ultimate 2 seems less wide than other GameSir controllers.
if you want an alternative to the List, I have had really good experience with the Anbernic RG pro. I had a little bit of a problem getting started with it, but after you update the firmware for the controller it’s been working perfectly for me and is a outstanding controller for the price.
Doesn’t have a shit QC (8bitdo’s are apparently like that)
Can’t confirm. I own 3 controllers, a keyboard, a numpad and a mouse by 8bitdo. None of them have any hardware issues. Only issue is that the software is meh and Windows/Mac-only. But it’s a plug-and-play controller, so you really don’t need the software unless you want to do stuff like define macros (which you can just use Steam input for).
Also came here to suggest 8bitdo, it is genuinely higher quality than any official Xbox or PS controller I’ve owned. Not sure what OP is on about.
Yeah, 8bitdo’s also have official SteamOS support too, which is a plus point.
I owned both GameSir and 8bitdo controllers. All my GameSir ones have fallen apart (stick drift, trigger broke off), while the 8bitdo ones are still alive despite my kids’ best efforts.
I have two 8bitdo controllers and they’re both great. I’m not sure what makes you think they are shit. I’ve only ever heard good things and that’s been my experience. I intend to get a third one to replace my dying ps3 controllers.
Well you may be right, I’ve just read comparably more complaints on faulty 8bitdo Ultimate 2 controllers compared to the Cyclone 2 (these 2 controllers are frequently being compared to eachother) and whilst I don’t trust too much in TrustPilot but the ratings of these 2 brands are far away (2.2 and 4.0 basically) which was sus. So it seemed to me that their QC isn’t as strict as GameSir’s is.
Maybe it is one of those “victim of their own success” situations. Hey have more complaints than some other brands because they sold so many more products that theres bound to be someone with a problem somewhere by statistics alone.
I have two 8bitdo ultimate 2c controllers (the cheaper Xbox style controllers) and they’ve been great. The only thing they’re missing is RGB, other than that they tick every box. I use them for my steam deck and on my bazzite PC and they work flawlessly, have held up very well in the ~8 months of regular use they’ve seen. My one (minor) gripe is battery life. A charge lasts several days, but my Xbox one controllers lasted about a week, sometimes more when I was using them. They’re USB-C, charge pretty quick, and you can use them while they’re charging so it’s not a big deal but still worth mentioning
Ultimate 2 actually fits all of the boxes if I’m lucky with QC because it has some tasteful RGBs in there and it looks beautiful honestly. Battery life isn’t a problem if you use the dock tho. Did you buy it without the dock?
The 2C doesn’t have the connection points for a dock, that’s part of the features they cut back on for the budget option. It also doesn’t have the RGB or the buttons on the underside of the controller. I’m happy with my choice but I’ve also been tempted for the higher end version for all of that stuff too
On the QC thing, the 8bitdo controllers are less “refined” than a dual shock or an Xbox controller. The abxy buttons have a little play side to side in them and minor stuff like that. They’re slightly lower build quality than the big name controllers, but not in any way that will affect gameplay or responsiveness. The joysticks have tuneable dead zones, you can test the pressure sensitivity in the triggers, and fully configure the layout to suit your needs. They connect without a hitch and the 2.4g is very low latency. I watched a few vidoes comparing controllers when I was looking and the QC thing came up too. I was a bit apprehensive but pulled the trigger and, with the experience I’ve had (on cheaper controllers no less) I feel that a lot of professional reviews place an undue emphasis on their QC. They may have been lower quality in the past, but I genuinely haven’t had an issue with them and they’ve held up great so far
+1 on that. I own an old SN30 pro+ and a new ultimate 2c (which has amazing value for 30$). Both are flawless.
I have a SN30 Pro and i havent used it much since probably '18 or '19 but the rubberized sticks completly dissolved already. I have 30 year old PS1 controllers in the basement where the rubber held up better. You can buy replacements for a few bucks though! Not too happy about it but its okay i guess all things considered.
My PS5 controller works perfectly on mint DE.
does it report the battery status via bluetooth for you?
I asking because I use it on Kubuntu and it doesn’t so have no way of knowing how much akku is left
Yeah 8bitdo is good in my experience, you can return it anyway if it’s sussy on arrival. Works with everything, steam input or not
Thanks for the return idea! Do you perhaps use the Ultimate 2? If yes then how does it fit for your hands if yours are big?
I use a Dualsense controller and it’s great. It feels as responsive on my desktop as it does on a real PS5.
Though I mostly use it to play old Pokémon games through emulators and occasionally Bloodstained
I really like the ps5 dualsense controller and had no issues whatsoever in Linux. Works really well. I’d even say better than in windows.
Dualsense 5 is too heavy i don’t like using it, the extra functions are not nice or necessary, i miss the dualsense 4
Do you feel better response times on Linux compared to WIndows?
I don’t feel any particular lag, neither in windows nor linux, when using Bluetooth (compared to usb): to me they feel almost the same. But it should be noted that I almost never play games where you would notice more.
In my experience, though, Bluetooth generally works better in linux than windows, esp. pairing and connecting.
Anyways, steam does an excellent job in making the controller work in games, also those that don’t officially support.
In the past, I have owned: an xbox controller (and I hated it) , other cheap controllers (and they broke). The ps5 for me works very well, it appears to be good quality, the battery lasts long and is rechargeable via usb c.
It’s pricey but it’s good.
But I don’t know how it compares with the steam controller.
The PS5 controller battery is my primary complaint about it.
It lasts like 6-8 hours where my ancient xbox elite controller still goes for 40ish hours of gaming between recharges.
Obviously both last more than usually necessary but forgetting to charge the PS5 controller is way more annoying.
It lasts like 6-8 hours
mine does definitely more than 8 hours…maybe yours is defective?
forgetting to charge the PS5 controller is way more annoying.
In that regard the experience on Linux is better than on Windows: on Linux I can see the level of charge directly in the Bluetooth menu, and then I can plug it in after I finish using it
I have four of them, purchased at different times and they’re all the same.
You can look it up. 6-12 hours is the most commonly stated battery life depending on feature use.
And I’m on Linux when I use it with my pc.
I guess you’re right, I’ll do some testing 🤣
my new ps4 controller also does only about 6-8 hours, but that’s with vibration turned on
I’d save up +30€ and wait for the steam controller to be available
8BitDo work well with my Steam Deck
And on Bazzite too.
I have the 8bitdo 2c with PC dongle. The only game I had issues with is No Mans Sky, but those problems do occur on Windows as well. I like them better than my Xbox controllers.
The battery last a lot too.
Strong recommendation for Cyclone 2. I’ve been so happy with my first one that I’m about to order a second one.
Excellent ergonomics. The RGB you asked for. Works perfectly with my CachyOS and Bazzite setups out of the box. Premium metal charging stand included. Excellent clicky switches including changing triggers to micro switches. Hall effect triggers. TMR sticks. 2 back buttons.
This is available brand new on eBay for £30 in UK. You won’t be disappointed.
Okay that excellent ergonomics sounded reassuring because I’ve heard that it had weirder ergonomics, so maybe that’s just such a small nitpick from those ytbers. What games do you use it for?
I’ve got big hands too and I find it very comfortable. Depends on whether you like offset sticks.
I’m playing a lot of Dead Cells these days. But the controller has been good for any game ive played (Expedition 33, Thronefall, Hotshots Golf, Mario Odyssey, Super Meat Boy, Enter the Gungeon, etc). The D-pad is also great for precision platformers like Super Meat Boy.
It must also be really durable if you played Super Meat Boy with it and couldn’t break it in half out of frustration!
Frustrating difficult games are my jam. They don’t bother me at all. I’m into roguelites. It’s a great life lesson in being Zen and accepting what is…when you play an hour long run of Dead Cells with excellent legendary items, only to die a dumb death to curse just before the final boss ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
The spirit of NetHack lives on!
It’s so great hearing you love the D-Pad because most of the reviewers and redditors said that the D-Pad feels meh. I mean I don’t care about the D-Pad mostly, but yk.
Every aspect of the controller might not be “best in the world”. I don’t play fighting games or anything with the D-pad. Overall the value you get here is unbeatable. £30 on eBay is just mind blowing to me. You can even get a connector on Ali Express to hold your phone if you use it for phone games.
I’d say ymmv. I struggle reaching L1 while using the analog stick. Depending on a game, I’d often switch L1 and L2 around. It works, but it’s mildly annoying.
I also seem to have an issue with the face buttons double clicking sometimes. This doesn’t matter 99% of a time, but some games (Persona) don’t like it. It’s a shame, because otherwise it’s a fantastic controller.
Before this I had a 360 and 2 gulikit controllers and none of those had this issue. I actually really love the feel of the newer gulikit, unfortunately the wireless performance is atrocious.
Hmm do you have bigger hands or smaller? Maybe the Cyclone 2 is actually preferable for taller hands.
WHich Gulikit do you use? The Gulikit TT Pro / Max honestly seems amazing seeing by just some reviews and specs. Even the latency is excellent on both wireless modes. https://gamepadla.com/gulikit-tt-pro.html
I’d say on the larger side of medium. The way I hold it I use my index finger for both L1/2 and the curve on the back (of the controller) makes it that I need to shift my grip when I wanna switch between them. I can hit the corner of L1 with the last knuckle, but it feels kinda off to do that.
I have the old NS09 (KK Pro) and NS39 (KK3 Max). The dongle latency is on par with bluetooth, which is not great. https://gamepadla.com/gulikit-kk3-max-kingkong-3-ns39.html
I have the GameSir Cyclone 2. The first thing I would say about it is that it’s rather clicky. The buttons, the d-pad, and the hair triggers are all quite clicky. The sticks feel pretty great to me. I’ve had no issues with connecting it to a linux PC, and the 2.4 ghz dongle is a nice touch. Finally the only issue that you might run into is that the d-pad is a bit on the smaller side imo, although that might only come up for you if you play older style top-down JRPGs. Also as a side note I haven’t had significant QC issues with 8 bit do and I have 4 controllers from them.
Do you have big hands? There is a commenter with Cyclone 2 in here who wasn’t able to reach the L1 comfortably.
Yeah that QC issue might actually not be as big as it seems to be. Something, something negativity bias.
