Best, Cheap PC Controller?

[dragonborn123]

I'm entirely new to PC gaming, and I don't know almost anything about compatibility or which brands to buy. Do I need a wired 360 controller to play some games? If not, which brands should I buy?

If anyone would be willing to give me a brief (or not so brief) summary of what to look for in a PC controller, I'd really appreciate it.

 

[mjmacka]

You are going to want to shoot me for saying this, but you get better control out of a keyboard/mouse. I would invest in a decent mechanical keyboard and a gaming mouse instead of a controller. Most games aren't set up to use a controller, meaning that you have to re-map keys so they match the buttons on your controller. I should also say that there is 3rd party software that will do this for you.

 

[mjmacka]

I'd stick with a wired 360 controller if you are a die-hard. I've also seen people using PS3/4 controllers too.

 

[dragonborn123]

You are going to want to shoot me for saying this, but you get better control out of a keyboard/mouse. I would invest in a decent mechanical keyboard and a gaming mouse instead of a controller. Most games aren't set up to use a controller, meaning that you have to re-map keys so they match the buttons on your controller. I should also say that there is 3rd party software that will do this for you.

I'm far from a die-hard, and I think I may one day switch to the keyboard/mouse, but as someone who grew up on consoles and is finally making the transition to PC, I don't think I'm ready to let go of the controller just yet. But I totally get where you're coming from, it's a good point and it's the reason why in games like Shadowrun, PC players curbstomped console players. But to use keyboard/mouse for everything, I don't think my body is ready.

 

[Hazle]

an xbox360 controller is the only best choice here, what not it being widely supported. wired is usually preferable since you can get one meant for the console far cheaper than one meant PC (yeah, they apparently charge you for the driver), and just download the driver for free. if you do decide to get wireless, you'll need a usb wireless dongle for it. the PC version will come package with it, but if you just so happen to have one, then you'll need to buy the dongle. unfortunately, i keep hearing of overheating issues regarding the official dongles resulting in failure in the long run, with cheaper 3rd party dongles from a no-name brand having a better chance of lasting longer.

alternatively, there's Logitech's F310 & F710. they're quite solid & cheap. lots of complaints regarding dead zones on the analog stick though, and i'm not at all sure if they fixed that.

if you want something fancy, there was a Razer xbox360 controller look alike. improvements includes a better D-pad and snappier buttons from what i'm told. damn expensive though.

other than that, there's the PS4 controller and Steam controller, though i don't quite know how well supported the former is & the latter isn't widely available yet & may not be a satisfying experience for you.

 

[dragonborn123]

I'd stick with a wired 360 controller if you are a die-hard. I've also seen people using PS3/4 controllers too.

I guess my question is, is there any kind of consensus about which controller is the best for the money? I love the 360 controller, but it's somewhat expensive and I'm trying to consider other options. There's so many more controller options on the PC as opposed to a console, so I thought I'd ask the community what they think before I buy a 360 controller just because it's what I'm accustomed to.

 

[dragonborn123]

an xbox360 controller is the only best choice here, what not it being widely supported. wired is usually preferable since you can get one meant for the console far cheaper than one meant PC (yeah, they apparently charge you for the driver), and just download the driver for free. if you do decide to get wireless, you'll need a usb wireless dongle for it. the PC version will come package with it, but if you just so happen to have one, then you'll need to buy the dongle. unfortunately, i keep hearing of overheating issues regarding the official dongles resulting in failure in the long run, with cheaper 3rd party dongles from a no-name brand having a better chance of lasting longer.

alternatively, there's Logitech's F310 & F710. they're quite solid & cheap. lots of complaints regarding dead zones on the analog stick though, and i'm not at all sure if they fixed that.

if you want something fancy, there was a Razer xbox360 controller look alike. improvements includes a better D-pad and snappier buttons from what i'm told. damn expensive though.

other than that, there's the PS4 controller and Steam controller, though i don't quite know well supported the former is & the the latter isn't widely available yet & may not be satisfying

Thanks, this is what I figured. So, to talk a bit more about support and compatibility, for games that don't support controllers I can just map the controls manually, correct? Are there any games where I will literally be unable to use a controller in any fashion?

 

[thor220]

Logitech makes the best play station style controllers for the PC at all kinds of price points.

The only good xbox style controller alternative that I know of is the Razer Sabertooth. It's expensive and awesome.

 

[Hazle]

Thanks, this is what I figured. So, to talk a bit more about support and compatibility, for games that don't support controllers I can just map the controls manually, correct? Are there any games where I will literally be unable to use a controller in any fashion?

from the games i've been playing so far on Steam, expect to take some time mapping on some of them. i don't really mind the time to set it up, so i can't say much about the 3rd party applications that mjmacka mentioned, but it can't hurt to try.

and as for which games supports controllers, you can check them out on Steam in their respective page. now you may see some will say full controller support & some partial. an explanation;

Games with Full Controller Support will work without a mouse and keyboard on hand, from installation to play and beyond.

Games with Partial Controller Support may require a keyboard and mouse from time to time, during installation or for limited interactions.

 

[Akaza]

an xbox360 controller is the only best choice here, what not it being widely supported. wired is usually preferable since you can get one meant for the console far cheaper than one meant PC (yeah, they apparently charge you for the driver), and just download the driver for free. if you do decide to get wireless, you'll need a usb wireless dongle for it. the PC version will come package with it, but if you just so happen to have one, then you'll need to buy the dongle. unfortunately, i keep hearing of overheating issues regarding the official dongles resulting in failure in the long run, with cheaper 3rd party dongles from a no-name brand having a better chance of lasting longer.

alternatively, there's Logitech's F310 & F710. they're quite solid & cheap. lots of complaints regarding dead zones on the analog stick though, and i'm not at all sure if they fixed that.

if you want something fancy, there was a Razer xbox360 controller look alike. improvements includes a better D-pad and snappier buttons from what i'm told. damn expensive though.

other than that, there's the PS4 controller and Steam controller, though i don't quite know how well supported the former is & the latter isn't widely available yet & may not be a satisfying experience for you.

The PS4 is HID and not supported with many new titles, mostly older ones.