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?


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).
They have software? Had a couple of them for a while and never even considered a need for any software.
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.
Is that all of them or just some? Got a couple of the wireless 2C currently and probably going to get a few more at some point. Not sure how others compare.
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.