For as much as we love the traditional deck and pointer setup, the best PC controller for gaming offers a much more viable way of enjoying certain genres of games available on the platform. Few would argue that the best gaming keyboards and best gaming mouse are the ideal way to experience first-person shooters, RTS titles, and RPGs, but the same cannot be said for everything. Simply put, you’re going to struggle pulling off full combos in fighting games (such as Street Fighter V or the upcoming The King of Fighters XV) or taking pole position in the latest racers (like Forza Horizon 5 or the soon to be released Grid Legends) when restricted to digital inputs just to name a few examples.
There’s also the fact that the best PC controller for gaming is going to be preferred by some gamers, especially those who may be switching over from consoles or wanting to maximize the performance setup on one of the best gaming laptops when in transit. At a time where Xbox Series X stock and PS5 stock are still incredibly challenging to find, a gaming PC build with a controller could offer a viable alternative for those looking for a big screen, or more familiar, experience.
It’s the dawn of a new year, and we’re expecting big things from many PC controller manufacturers, especially considering that third-party options made for PS5 are beginning to be rolled out. We’re hopeful that we will be inundated with both wired and wireless options, with some gamepads featuring mechanical microswitches and Esports-centric feature sets to suit any preference and budget from all the established names. Below you’ll find our top picks for the best PC controllers available in 2022, though if you’re after more options, we recommend checking out our best Xbox controller guide, too, for native compatibility.
The best PC controllers 2022
We recently reviewed this controller and praised it for its accessibility options. That goes hand-in-hand with the build quality – being a larger than average gamepad with a suitably heavier, more substantial, feel. Similar to the Razer Wolverine line, it’s wired, but this approach means that there is zero latency in the response time; perfect for those gaming sessions where milliseconds matter.
It’s in the surplus of extra buttons – including the phenomenal feeling triggers and the four on the face – that elevate this controller above its similarly priced competition. If you’ve been waiting on a great feeling modular controller that finally allows you to swap the positions of the D-pad and left analog stick at will, this is the one.
It should be of little surprise to anyone that the latest revision of the Xbox gamepad tops our list for its performance and comfortable feel. Couple that with the fact that it works natively on PC – just plug it in or link up via Bluetooth – and it’s ready to go with no further messing around.
The new additions this time around, though distinctively minor, are the inclusions of USB-C charging – much faster than Micro-USB (if you use a rechargeable pack at least) – as well as the ‘hybrid’ D-pad which takes its cues from another much more expensive Xbox model that we’ll get to later. There’s also a share button – as was found on the DualShock 4 – which does exactly the same thing; create and share photos and video clips to upload to social media; something which offers limited functionality for use on PC.
There’s a reason why not much has changed in eight years – when the Xbox One controller launched – and it’s because it was already damn near perfect. If you want to go even further back, it’s only really been iterative since the Xbox 360’s gamepad back in 2005 – because it all just works exceedingly well.
Read more: Our impressions of the Xbox Series X controller
Sony’s newest controller sees the biggest departure from the DualShock brand in, well – ever. For a start, it’s not only the first PlayStation controller to forgo the moniker, but it deviates both in design and ergonomic feel almost wholesale – a change that was made for the better in our opinion.
As mentioned above, getting this controller to work on your PC has never been easier. Gone is the need to run third-party drivers like the ever-popular DS4Windows. Instead, boot up Big Picture, configure the controller with the PlayStation pre-set and you’re away.
The biggest drawback to the Dualsense on PC is that those all-impressive haptic feedback rumble motors aren’t configured to run at their full potential on the platform – if this omission is a deal-breaker for you – you may want to turn your attention to a different entry on our list.
Vibrating aside, one thing is for sure. This is a very well-made and comfy controller that serves as an excellent alternative for an Xbox gamepad.
Read more: DualSense PS5 controller review
The Nacon Revolution X Pro Controller is one of the studier gamepads we’ve had our hands on recently, and it has exceptional build quality and a satisfying weight to it. Its suite of adjustability and customization options (both physically and through software) offers functionality comparable to high-end Esports controllers (like the Xbox Elite 2) for a fraction of their asking price.
You not only benefit from being able to swap out thumbstick heads, or adding or subtracting movement from your analog sticks but there is also the option to restrict trigger feedback too which can prove instrumental in certain competitive game genres. On the audio front, it’s also nice to see Dolby Atmos present and accounted for, and while your tweaking options are a little on the thin side, the sound that comes through the Nacon Revolution X Pro Controller (through all the headsets tested) was suitably impressive.
Read more: Nacon Revolution X Pro Controller review
The thing that stood out for us the most in our testing was just how good the battery life on this controller was. We’ve been used to the average lifespan of gamepads – such as the DualShock 4 – only lasting between 4-8 hours with moderate use, so the fact that the Switch Pro controller can go for up to 40 hours – after a six-hour full charge – is frankly astounding.
If you’ve had hands-on experience with the ill-fated Wii U pro controller, then the look and feel should be somewhat familiar to you. We found the weight and sturdiness of this gamepad to be comfortable enough over long periods of time. It should be noted, it’s a touch heavier than both Sony and Microsoft’s current generation offerings, but that dissipated quickly.
Read more: Nintendo Switch Pro controller review
If you’ve been in the market for a solid E-sports gamepad – but didn’t want to spend in excess of $150 – then you should find that the V2 proves its metal from the offset. Tweaking and tinkering really is the name of the game with this modular controller; especially for its ‘mecha’ tactile buttons – which were satisfyingly clicky in our testing – and the adjustable sensitivity of the two analog sticks.
It is wired, however, something that may not gel with those looking to sit a decent distance away. If you play a lot of fighting games with a pad – as I do – you should feel right at home with the options afforded to you. At just a touch over the MSRP of the standard Xbox gamepad, it’s worth a second look if these features are appealing to you.
Read more: best Razer controller
There’s a lot of impressive features that this $60 Xbox controller has that gamepads twice its price point don’t. For a start, there’s a whole host of audio options available through the dedicated audio bar atop the dashboard button.
Through this menu, you can toggle things such as what Turtle Beach calls ‘superhuman hearing’ which isolates and amplifies subtle noises that would have otherwise been washed out in the chaos, such as gunfire and footsteps. In our testing, we found that this audio boost worked well to help us focus in the few games we tested it out on where the music could drown out such sound effects; Katana Zero, Hotline Miami, and Sonic Mania. That’s just scratching the surface of what the Turtle Beach Recon Controller provides from a purely audio perspective, though you will need a wired gaming headset. We tested the EQ and the four different levels of audio intensity and found the results were more than pleasing through a Razer Kraken Tournament Edition headset.
Sound aside, the two most interesting features relate to the physicality of gameplay; ‘Pro Aim’ mode and button remapping. The former is a form of sensitivity reduction that can be manually set to four different levels of force to suit the situation, with the 4th setting (highest) offering a restricted amount of stick movement for more precise inputs; it works surprisingly well. The button remapping refers to the two buttons on the back of the controller which can be programmed to cycle through four different profiles for different configurations of resistance and audio settings. This means that you spend less time desperately wading through the options and have your desired setup for any given in-game moment.
The only feature that you miss out on when using this controller on PC, however, is the Chat Mix function, which is controlled through a dedicated rocker on the right-hand side of the panel, it’s unlikely to be much of an issue for most, as applications such as Discord have their own audio monitoring software.
Read more: Turtle Beach Recon Controller review
Here’s where things start to get serious – with a price tag to match no less. I’ll preface this by saying that this gamepad is, at heart, a mega-charged edition of the standard Xbox Series X controller.
Included in the box are replacement thumbstick heads, a classic cross-design D-pad, and tools to tailor the feel of the controller to your liking – with physical adjustments to almost every part of the controller. Also to note, the extended 40-hour battery life – akin to the Switch Pro controller – a good 8-hour bump up from the Xbox Series X gamepad’s lifespan between charges.
I’ll be as brazen to say that the Elite 2 justifies its asking price through its premium design and suite of features, but as the most expensive item in our list, it’s not going to be to everyone’s tastes – or budget – and that’s understandable, too.
