Best PC Controller?

I would like to get a controller for the PC. Was going to get the Xbox Controller but I came across some bad reviews. Then I checked out the Razer edition of the controller and there were also numerous complaints. Anyone could give me some suggestions please?

The most important thing is that any controller you mention is compatible with all games (or almost all...surely all GFWL games).

Thanks in advance.

I would like to get a controller for the PC. Was going to get the Xbox Controller but I came across some bad reviews. Then I checked out the Razer edition of the controller and there were also numerous complaints. Anyone could give me some suggestions please?

The most important thing is that any controller you mention is compatible with all games (or almost all...surely all GFWL games).

Thanks in advance.

Visualix

the your going to want toe microsoft official xbox 360 for pc controller then but not all gfwl games work with it.. dow 2 & universe @ war come to mind

The xbox controller for windows is good, its the same as 360 quality, easy to use, no bloated programs to run it.. But if youre playing online games that are fps, you'll just get ripped to shreds...

I'll use it for racing games, sports games and adventure games mostly ot fps for sure. What do you think about the Razer one? And the Xbox controller for PC is good or bad?

Well the 360 controller is perfectly good for playing games, it just depends if you like 360 controller shapes, can you post a link to the razer one?

http://store.razerzone.com/store/razerusa/en_US/pd/productID.218523900/parentCategoryID.54297600/categoryId.54746700

That will probably be better quality, you'll just pay a lot more.... read some reviews

That will probably be better quality, you'll just pay a lot more.... read some reviews

Richard_The_Gr8

Thank you; I'll check some reviews. The only disadvantage with the Razer one is that there is no wireless version; guess I'll have to get used to that.

Gaming PC owner here no PS3s or Xbox 360s

Was going to get the Xbox Controller but I came across some bad reviews.

Visualix

Thanks for all the comments, really helped me decide what I'm going to do: going for the 360 controller for PC; the Razer one I think but only if I find a good price; if not, just the normal one. Thanks again to all.

You mean not the Razer one?

Thanks for all the comments, really helped me decide what I'm going to do: going for the 360 controller for PC; the Razer one I think but only if I find a good price; if not, just the normal one. Thanks again to all.

Visualix

I would strongly recommend the original Xbox 360 controller. There is no distinction between the 360 controller sold for Xbox and the one sold for PC except the PC one comes with a driver disk. The controlers are otherwise identical and interchangable.

That being said, the reason I recommned the 360 controller is because as mentioned in this thread many game natively support it. What that means is, if a game is cross developed for 360 and the PC version of the game supports the 360 controller then you get the benefit of an already configured button and joystick map that was created by the game's designers. In many games, a controller doesn't necessarily have enough buttons to support every action you can take in the game. When games like this are developed for the 360 the control map is designed to compensate by making button presses context sensitive (i.e. in Fallout 3 the button to reload your weapon also puts it away if you hold it down, etc). Some games will even change their onscreen prompts to match the 360 controls if you are using a 360 controller.

Not all cross platform developed games support the 360 controller on PC. Dragon Age 1 and 2, Mass Effect 1 and 2, Bioshock 2, FEAR 2 are a few glaring examples. In those instances you can use a 3rd party utility like XPadder to emulate Mouse and KB input with your controller. Depending on the game this can work anywhere from perfectly to clunkily based on how much mouse input your game uses for things like menus.

I do not know if the Razer controller is recognized as a 360 controller the same way the actual Microsoft brand controller is. Since they are both USB controllers it seems like it would be, but I don't know for certain.

-Byshop

[QUOTE="Visualix"]

Thanks for all the comments, really helped me decide what I'm going to do: going for the 360 controller for PC; the Razer one I think but only if I find a good price; if not, just the normal one. Thanks again to all.

Byshop

I would strongly recommend the original Xbox 360 controller. There is no distinction between the 360 controller sold for Xbox and the one sold for PC except the PC one comes with a driver disk. The controlers are otherwise identical and interchangable.

That being said, the reason I recommned the 360 controller is because as mentioned in this thread many game natively support it. What that means is, if a game is cross developed for 360 and the PC version of the game supports the 360 controller then you get the benefit of an already configured button and joystick map that was created by the game's designers. In many games, a controller doesn't necessarily have enough buttons to support every action you can take in the game. When games like this are developed for the 360 the control map is designed to compensate by making button presses context sensitive (i.e. in Fallout 3 the button to reload your weapon also puts it away if you hold it down, etc). Some games will even change their onscreen prompts to match the 360 controls if you are using a 360 controller.

Not all cross platform developed games support the 360 controller on PC. Dragon Age 1 and 2, Mass Effect 1 and 2, Bioshock 2, FEAR 2 are a few glaring examples. In those instances you can use a 3rd party utility like XPadder to emulate Mouse and KB input with your controller. Depending on the game this can work anywhere from perfectly to clunkily based on how much mouse input your game uses for things like menus.

I do not know if the Razer controller is recognized as a 360 controller the same way the actual Microsoft brand controller is. Since they are both USB controllers it seems like it would be, but I don't know for certain.

-Byshop

Wow thanks for the great comment and help. Guess I'll have to rethink what I'm going to buy causeyour comment makes a lot of sense. Thank you.

Just so you know, GfWL compatibility isn't an issue with most gamepads with a modern layout because of the X360CE XInput emulator. You'd have to be comfortable with .INI file editing to tailor it to a particular DirectInput gamepad, but once you've got it all right, you shouldn't have to change it any further. A lot of older games only use the DirectInput API, and the X360 pad with the stock Microsoft drivers sucks for that. Triggers are locked as a combined axis; no separate axes (better for racing games so you can have simultaneous gas/brake), and no button emulation for games that don't let you bind certain actions to buttons. Also, the analog twiddlysticks are rather loose, and since there's no deadzone on the DirectInput axis output, if the games don't let you set a deadzone and it's too small, you're screwed. You can fix this and then some with XBCD, but it's a bit of a kludge to install on Win7 64-bit, and you might lose rumble while using the XInput emulator. Mind you, the X360 pad is great from an ergonomics standpoint, but there are other viable gamepads out there, some moreso if you're, say, playing a game that works best with a 6-face-button layout. Others might benefit from analog buttons like the original Xbox pads and the DualShock 2/3 have. (Yes, the buttons actually are analog, even if most games don't use them as such. Even the D-Pad on the DualShock 3 is analog.) Or maybe you just want a decent D-Pad, or twiddlysticks that aren't horribly loose (center play) so you don't need such a huge deadzone. In other words, the X360 pad is NOT the end-all be-all of gamepads, though it's certainly a good starting point.NamelessPlayer

I never meant to imply it was the best, just the easiest. Not having to tweak INI files or manually configure button/stick layouts for every new game is pretty nice. I haven't used it on legacy games so I haven't run into too many of the issues you are describing (triggers as a single axis has caused me some grief in the past though).

-Byshop

if you want out of the box controller support the 360 controller is what you are looking for, I have the wireless and wired version and they are both good no complaints, the only reason any problem could come to mind when a game does not support it but then any other controller would be in the same shoes.

I never meant to imply it was the best, just the easiest. Not having to tweak INI files or manually configure button/stick layouts for every new game is pretty nice. I haven't used it on legacy games so I haven't run into too many of the issues you are describing (triggers as a single axis has caused me some grief in the past though).Byshop

Bu will it be good for games coming out now?

Bu will it be good for games coming out now?

Visualix

Asregards support....yes I'll only use it for racing games and some sports games (ie FIFA).

I would also get the 360 controller. It is the only controller that has native support for windows right out of the box. Its plug and play and most game devs support it. It is quickly becoming or is already the standard even for pc gaming.

I would also get the 360 controller. It is the only controller that has native support for windows right out of the box. Its plug and play and most game devs support it. It is quickly becoming or is already the standard even for pc gaming.

blaznwiipspman1

Plug and play for some games.. No support or messed up controller support for others.. Anything under xinput you good but old controller setups are a pain in the assets to setup.. Sadly, controllers are not any issue. Its developers trying to take away ability to set controllers up and giving you this 1 standardized configuration.. Its why I love the ps3 motionjoy, 360CE, and all older controllers.. So much freedom, sets up really easy and get whatever you want...

I still love playing super meatboy with my SNES arcade sticks. Its just awesome.

if you want out of the box controller support the 360 controller is what you are looking for, I have the wireless and wired version and they are both good no complaints, the only reason any problem could come to mind when a game does not support it but then any other controller would be in the same shoes.

Silicel1

Is the wireless receiver ok bcause I've seen some complaints..good or not? I hate wires lol....Thanks..

Xbox 360 controller is the most comfortable pad ever made BUT there is a HUGE shortcoming and that is the d-pad.

Is there any game that you want to play with the d-pad? The 360 controller will simply not cut it. Like I cannot play pro evolution soccer with it as I have always dribbled with the d-pad.

And as others have said the 360 controller is the most hassle free for new games, games are optimized for the analog sticks of the 360 controller so you wont get the same perfection with other controllers and tweaking analog sensitivity is a pain. And then most new games show the 360 buttons during tutorials and all so you will constantly need to remember which buttons are mapped to which during tutorials.

Logitech claims that their new controllers are recognised as xbox 360 controllers but I dont know if there are any issues or not. But nevertheless the playstation style is not the most comfortable for long sessions of gaming so if you are really serious about your gamepad gaming then I suggest you buy 2 controllers for best of both words. Xbox 360 controller and one of the newer logitech controllers.

PS2/3 controller has the best d-pad ever but there is no official support in any game and the logitech d-pad gets the job done for me.

There is a major misconception in your statement on x360CE byshop... Once you setup your controller (takes literally 3-5 minutes), you never have to make any other file ever again for your controller... Once file is made.. Copy paste into any game folder and enjoy. Even better is that you now have the ability to tweak some controller layouts if a game is really bad on giving options on controller features but just allow a base 360 controller support. jedikevin2

I have no experience with x360CE and as such I didn't mention it in my post. Your point is valid, however, since it would essentially make any non-360 controller as useful as a 360 controller if you use that utility with an initial setup.

-Byshop

[QUOTE="Silicel1"]

if you want out of the box controller support the 360 controller is what you are looking for, I have the wireless and wired version and they are both good no complaints, the only reason any problem could come to mind when a game does not support it but then any other controller would be in the same shoes.

Visualix

Is the wireless receiver ok bcause I've seen some complaints..good or not? I hate wires lol....Thanks..

[QUOTE="Silicel1"]

if you want out of the box controller support the 360 controller is what you are looking for, I have the wireless and wired version and they are both good no complaints, the only reason any problem could come to mind when a game does not support it but then any other controller would be in the same shoes.

Visualix

Is the wireless receiver ok bcause I've seen some complaints..good or not? I hate wires lol....Thanks..

Wireless receiver works fine. You can also use a PS3 controller with Motioninjoy (100% free) and set it to emulate the 360 controller (Any game that supports the 360 controller will think it is one) set it to a regular gamepad, or assign your own button combination to it.

Xbox 360 controller is the most comfortable pad ever made BUT there is a HUGE shortcoming and that is the d-pad.

.

Gambler_3

[QUOTE="Gambler_3"]

Xbox 360 controller is the most comfortable pad ever made BUT there is a HUGE shortcoming and that is the d-pad.

.

imprezawrx500

[QUOTE="imprezawrx500"][QUOTE="Gambler_3"]

Xbox 360 controller is the most comfortable pad ever made BUT there is a HUGE shortcoming and that is the d-pad.

.

Gambler_3

sonys dpad is just another analogue stick......how hard can it be to use an analogue stick for anything...its a cheap imitation of a dpad. I still like the thumb pad and it has its uses in 2d scrollers and fighting games.

The Xbox controller is great, however if your going wireless, maybe the PS3 one would suit you better. The built in rechargable battery is such a step up from having to replace batteries in the 360 controller.

But it really depends on which you find more comfortable. Both are excellent controllers...

The Xbox controller is great, however if your going wireless, maybe the PS3 one would suit you better. The built in rechargable battery is such a step up from having to replace batteries in the 360 controller.

But it really depends on which you find more comfortable. Both are excellent controllers...

Urworstnhtmare

The solution to that is to use the charge and play kit.

http://www.amazon.com/Xbox-360-Play-Charge-Black-Controller/dp/B000P5FEJC

I have 3 or 4 wireless 360 controllers between my various Xboxes and PCs and I never use actually batteries on any of them. Only drawback there is you are getting the price up to around $80 US for the whole kit since you still need one of these:

http://www.amazon.com/Xbox-Wireless-Gaming-Receiver-Windows-Pc/dp/B000HZFCT2/ref=sr_1_1?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1307375135&sr=1-1

-Byshop

Since we're now talking on d wireless...will wireless controllers be more vulnerable to faults? Thanks.

[QUOTE="Urworstnhtmare"]

The Xbox controller is great, however if your going wireless, maybe the PS3 one would suit you better. The built in rechargable battery is such a step up from having to replace batteries in the 360 controller.

But it really depends on which you find more comfortable. Both are excellent controllers...

Byshop

The solution to that is to use the charge and play kit.

http://www.amazon.com/Xbox-360-Play-Charge-Black-Controller/dp/B000P5FEJC

I have 3 or 4 wireless 360 controllers between my various Xboxes and PCs and I never use actually batteries on any of them. Only drawback there is you are getting the price up to around $80 US for the whole kit since you still need one of these:

http://www.amazon.com/Xbox-Wireless-Gaming-Receiver-Windows-Pc/dp/B000HZFCT2/ref=sr_1_1?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1307375135&sr=1-1

-Byshop

I am well aware of the plug and play pack. I also understand it costs more than a PS3 controller... :?

However, how does the PS3 controller connect to the PC?

I am well aware of the plug and play pack. I also understand it costs more than a PS3 controller... :?

However, how does the PS3 controller connect to the PC?

Urworstnhtmare

I am well aware of the plug and play pack. I also understand it costs more than a PS3 controller... :?

However, how does the PS3 controller connect to the PC?

Urworstnhtmare

USB and if you want, Bluetooth. If you use Bluetooth keep in mind that you can't have any other devices working off it because Motioninjoy changes that to work with PS3 controllers only (Which you can easily revert back and forth)

I am well aware of the plug and play pack. I also understand it costs more than a PS3 controller... :?

However, how does the PS3 controller connect to the PC?

Urworstnhtmare

Even the 360 controller by itself is more than the PS3 wireless controller, and you still need the reciever to use it on a PC which is another $25.

-Byshop