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?
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?
Those led rings were part of the selling point for me, but honestly I turn them off all the time. It's nice that they're there, but they're so bright and, well, I'm not looking at my hands when playing.
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