Convention tells us that to be a PC gamepad, the gamepad in question must follow the layout – or, at least, match the button glyphs – of the Xbox controller’s ABXY design. Even the new Steam Controller is doing it. To convention, though, I say: appreciate you’re an important component of usability design but also get lost. One of the best PC controllers right now is the PS5-pattern DualSense, which today’s Black Friday deals have brought down to its lowest price in months.
Specifically, that’s £43 in the UK and $55 in the US, with a choice of colours up for grabs. I already have the default white version but oof, the all-black look is tasty. As for why this is worth ditching the Xbox style for: it’s comfortable, the thumbsticks feel nice, and it packs a few little tricks that certain games can employ for added flourishes of tactile detail. Its haptics, for instance, are noticeably more sophisticated than the Xbox Wireless Controller’s rumble, and adaptive triggers can cleverly add or subtract resistance depending on the strenuousness of the in-game action you’re using them for. Here’s a lengthy list of those compatible games, which may be longer than you think; it’s certainly longer than I thought, and I’m sat here endorsing the thing.
