Ignore those who seem to think every game is best with a mouse and keyboard. Grid Autosport is not best played with a keyboard. Super Meat Boy is not best played with a keyboard. Ultra Street Fighter IV is ridiculous with a keyboard. True, we play most games with a mouse and keyboard, but for PC gamers with ranging tastes, a good controller is a must.
Microsoft and Sony’s own console pads, the Xbox One controller and the DualShock 4, set the standards by being the default, first-party options for the two most popular consoles, while third-party controllers tend to mimic them. In this case, the standard is the best: I haven’t found a controller better than the DualShock 4 for PC gaming, though the wireless Xbox 360 controller is very close.
It’s a slightly surprising conclusion when the Xbox 360 and Xbox One controllers are the industry’s accepted Windows controllers, and even contradicts a previous article I wrote in which I recommended the Xbox One controller over the DualShock 4. In that article I explain that I prefer the shape and layout of Microsoft’s controllers, but after further testing I’ve decided that when I put aside my personal preference for offset analog sticks, the DS4 stands out. The older Xbox 360 controller is still great, but the DS4 is slightly better in a few areas, and the Xbox One controller can’t currently be used wirelessly on PC, which is a major flaw.
Testing controllers
My hands are an average size for a man: 7.5 in long (from the base of the palm to the tip of my middle finger) and 3.5 inches wide across the palm. Obviously, I can’t test controllers with your hands, but I have asked around to ensure that others find the same controllers comfortable. Most notably, both women and men have told me that the DualShock 4 feels comfortable to them.
What I can test is the quality of the materials and construction, how the buttons feel and if their placement makes sense with my average man hands, the feel of their d-pads and analog sticks, and their software. I tested the three most commonly used console controllers—Xbox 360, Xbox One, and DualShock 4—as well as two Logitech controllers, a Mad Catz controller, and a Razer controller.
Though I’ve done some testing with first-person shooters, I’ve largely ignored the genre. While it may be important for console gamers, we’re almost always going to use WASD for any kind of shooter. That in mind, the games I primarily used for testing are the ones I mentioned above:
The best PC gaming controller: the Sony DualShock 4
It isn’t intended for use on the PC, but the DualShock 4 is my favorite controller anyway. I’ve used each of its predecessors, the two current Logitech controllers, the Mad Catz C.T.R.L.R., the Razer Sabertooth, the Xbox 360 and Xbox One controllers, and just about every console controller from the NES to present day. The DualShock 4 isn’t superior in every way to every one of these competitors, but it is priced well.
It doesn’t look as durable as the Xbox One controller, but it’s durable. When I squeeze the handles with as much force as I can, I can barely hear the strain. I also pushed each of the buttons, triggers, bumpers, and analog sticks down with as much force as I could, and each sprang back as if untouched. Long term, I’ve heard reports of damaged rubber on the analog sticks and sticking triggers. The former can be fixed with GelTabs, and while the latter sounds bad, the only trigger wear I’ve personally experienced is a slight creaking after a lot of use. They still feel springy, and I’ve never had one stick.
The flat, matte face buttons, though not as pronounced as the Xbox 360’s bulbous, glossy things, are easy to feel my way around. They feel firm and clicky, but their shape puts very little pressure on my thumb, which I appreciate. I find that extended sessions with the Xbox 360 controller’s harder buttons are more likely to give me those calloused gamer-thumbs.
Unlike the 360’s triggers, which better take after their name by being long and skinny, the DS4’s triggers are short and fat. I haven’t found that the design makes any difference to me when I play—both are equally easy to reach and pull. What I do prefer about the DS4’s triggers is that completely pressing them down brings them to a clear halt with a click, while the Xbox 360’s triggers softly recede into the housing. The same goes for the Xbox One triggers. It doesn’t really affect their functionality, but it’s a better tactile experience