The best PC controllers are the best alternatives to playing games with a mouse and keyboard on desktop. Outside of a few specific genres, playing on PC with a controller can be more comfortable and feel better overall - especially if you've already been hunched over a desk for eight hours during your working day.
We've chosen the best PC controllers based on a number of factors that we consider to make for an excellent play experience. Build quality, performance and suite of features are the big three pillars that separate truly great PC controllers from the rest of the crowd. But of course, we have options all across the budget spectrum, so you don't necessarily have to pay a premium for top quality kit.
Furthermore, TechRadar Gaming has tested and reviewed every PC controller on this list. That means you can expect expert buying advice, and reasoning as to why we've selected each controller for their respective category. For more console-specific choices, though, be sure to check out our guides to the best PS5 controllers, best Xbox controllers, and best Nintendo Switch controllers, too.
The quick list
Best overall
Our overall pick for the thanks to its excellent software support, fair price, and wide variety of available colors and styles.
Best premium
The Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra is a high-end gamepad with Hall effect thumbsticks and a showstopping color screen.
Best budget
The GameSir T4 Kaleid punches above its affordable price tag thanks to its hall effect joysticks and micro switch buttons.
Best wired
The Thrustmaster eSwap X2 is a highly versatile wired controller with satisfying buttons and a brilliant D-pad.
Best immersive
The DualSense is also compatible with PC where its haptic feedback and adaptive triggers shine on supported games.
Best symmetrical
Prefer symmetrical stick layouts? The GameSir Tarantula Pro has a huge, impressive feature set at an extremely aggressive price point.
Load the next 3 products
Best modular
If you want the ability to swap out components like the joystick and D-pads, the Victrix Pro BFG has you covered.
Best racing
Made specifically for racing games, the Thrustmaster eSwap Pro XR offers an impressive level of racing game immersion.
Best fight stick
If you're after a true arcade-quality experience in fighting games and retro titles, the Nacon Daija is your best bet.
Best overall PC controller
The Xbox Wireless Controller is our pick for the best overall PC controller. This workhorse gamepad is readily available globally and stands out thanks to its high build quality, comfortable ergonomic design, tactical buttons, and formidable D-pad. The Xbox Wireless Controller is also readily compatible with Windows PCs, meaning it's ready to go right out of the box.
Offering both wired and wireless play, it is also a very versatile and easy-to-use choice. With prices starting at $59.99 / £54.99 / AU$74.99 (and receiving frequent discounts in sales), you're getting an awful lot of bang for your buck. There are also a wide range of color options to choose from, including the ability to fully customize the look of your controller with the Xbox Design Lab.
The only drawback is the lack of any additional features. While some other controllers on this list offer modular input options or additional buttons, you’re only getting the basics here. If you're interested in extras like remappable rear buttons or trigger stops, consider checking out the Victrix Pro BFG, which we have listed below.
- Read more: Xbox Wireless Controller review
Best premium PC controller
It’s certainly pricey, but it really doesn’t get much more premium than the Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra. An eye-catching gamepad with a futuristic color screen, we were certainly surprised to discover that this feature is far more than a gimmick in our testing. Offering the ability to quickly remap your button inputs without the need for external software, the screen is the kind of innovation that makes you wonder how you ever lived without it. You're also getting bright RGB lighting down the grips, which really helps emphasize the almost sci-fi aesthetic.
Like the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2, a robust carrying case is included in the box alongside a useful charging stand too. While docked or in use, the color display shows your current battery level which makes it easier to ensure that things always stay topped up. The screen is also perfect for headset users, offering a range of EQ settings and easy access to options to change your current audio levels.
One of the things that we love most about the Turtle Beach Ultra are its extremely satisfying mechanical buttons. They make a pleasing click sound when pressed and are extremely responsive when the action picks up. As you would expect from a high-end controller, there are four rear buttons on the controller that can be mapped to other button inputs or special software features like the pro aim focus mode. The use of Hall effect thumbsticks makes this one of the more durable entries on this list too.
Granted, its high price tag won't be for everyone. If you're not looking to spend much, you'll be better served with either the Xbox Wireless Controller or the GameSir T4 Kaleid; the latter still offers desirable features like remappable rear buttons and Hall effect thumbsticks.
- Read more: Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra review
Best budget PC controller
The GameSir T4 Kaleid is one of the best budget PC controllers on the market today. For only $41.99 / £41.99 (around AU$62), it offers a level of comfort comparable to some of the more established brands in our list and packs a suite of unique features, too. One look at the GameSir T4 Kaleid will tell you that this isn't your everyday budget PC controller. Armed with RGB lighting and a translucent design, this look might not be for everyone but it definitely helps it stand out from the crowd.
We were also impressed with the controller's performance in our testing, where we noted the satisfying buttons and responsive joysticks. As this controller is on the cheaper end, it should be no surprise that it is restricted solely to wired play. Thankfully, however, with a total cable length of 2m / 7ft it shouldn't be much of a struggle to use this with your existing setup.
Unlike other controllers in this price range, the GameSir T4 Kaleid also benefits from a modern USB-C connection and the T4k desktop app, which allows you to program and map the buttons on the controller to suit your preferences.
Sadly, console compatibility is limited here. If you want to game on console as well as PC, consider checking out the Xbox Wireless Controller (for Xbox users) or the DualSense (for those of you on PS5).
Read more: GameSir T4 Kaleid review
Best wired PC controller
Like some other entries on this list, the Thrustmaster eSwap X2 features a versatile modular design that allows you to mix and match parts as you wish. It can be configured to either an asymmetrical or symmetrical layout with ease by simply removing the modules from their magnetic sockets. With a very classy black and gold design, the controller is packed with suitably high-end components including an extremely satisfying set of tactile buttons and a responsive D-pad.
There are also trigger locks, in addition to four rear buttons. Although your mileage is likely to vary, our testing found that the round shape of these rear buttons meant that they could be a little fiddly to press at times. Elsewhere, the controller connects to your PC via an included USB-C cable and will work well with any titles that support a traditional Xbox controller. If you crave even more customization, Thrustmaster sells a wide variety of modules that are compatible with this controller. These range from modules with extra buttons intended for the best fighting games to alternate thumbsticks and D-pads.
- Read more: Thrustmaster eSwap X2 review
Best immersive PC controller
The DualSense is a truly excellent PS5 controller, but it's also perfect for PC. While you need to be plugged in via USB-C to utilize the haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, it's well worth it for the level of immersion that these features add to games which support them. If you're going to be playing Sony published PC titles like The Last of Us Part 1, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, and Returnal, this should be your top pick.
As a PC controller, the DualSense will be immediately familiar to anyone who is more used to a symmetric layout as opposed to the Xbox asymmetric sticks. It's got a highly ergonomic design and you're also getting a laptop-like touchpad which can be used in supported titles for added functionality. It's incredibly easy to use on PC either plugged in or with Bluetooth thanks to the custom controller mapping features of Steam's Big Picture Mode.
With a starting price of $69.99 / £59.99 / AU$109.95, and plenty of colors and styles available, the DualSense is a competitively priced PC controller that offers a lot more than many premium offerings. While the support may not be quite as widespread as with the Xbox Wireless Controller, you're benefiting from immersion you just won't get anywhere else. Just be wary of the battery life, which is very much on the shorter end.
- Read more: DualSense Wireless Controller review
Best symmetrical PC controller
The GameSir Tarantula Pro is easily one of our favorite controllers to be released in 2024. As PC controllers go, it's among the best that adopt a PlayStation-style symmetrical stick layout. It also handily has the DualSense Wireless Controller beat on features, and at the same price point too.
One of the GameSir Tarantula Pro's standout features is its quick-switch LED-based face button layouts. A quick macro via the multifunction button on the rear of the pad can swap between Xbox and Nintendo Switch face button layouts. Many PC games also offer these layouts as in-game options, too, making the Tarantula Pro a fine choice for those who prefer either/or.
Known for being an innovative brand, GameSir has employed its own TMR thumbsticks which aim to combine the longevity of Hall effect and the responsiveness of more traditional stick types. They feel great and responsive during gameplay, and it's likely GameSir will stick to this standard for its future controllers.
- Read more: GameSir Tarantula Pro review
Best modular PC controller
If you're after modularity, then the Victrix BFG Pro is our top pick. With easily removable parts, it boasts a wealth of alternate options on how you can set it up. The sticks and buttons can be moved around to suit different play styles and there is even an entire fight pad module that can replace the traditional four-face buttons for better performance in fighting games. You can also swap the orientation of the sticks to either an asymmetric or in-line layout. There are also four remappable paddles on the back for added versatility as well.
With its price point of $179.99 / £179.99 / AU$269, the Victrix BFG Pro is one of the most expensive options in our roundup, however, it offers a level of modularity that a lot of the other options don't. Unlike the DualSense, our choice for the most immersive PC controller, you won't be getting any of the fancy PS5 features here, as there's no adaptive triggers or any rumble to speak of whatsoever.
- Read more: Victrix Pro BFG review
Best PC controller for racing games
What happens when you combine the functionality of one of the best racing wheels with a conventional PC controller? The answer is the Thrustmaster eSwap Pro XR Forza Horizon 5 Edition - a modular controller with its very own wheel module. In our testing, we found that this gamepad's unique racing wheel accessory made for a truly exceptional racing experience , even if it took a little getting used to at first.
Retailing for around $179.99 / £179.99 / AU$379, you're paying a hefty premium on the complete package. However, it is also possible to pick up the racing module alone for only $29.99 / £26.99 / $62.74 that is fully compatible with the standard Thrustmaster eSwap Pro which can often be found much cheaper. Still, it's hard to overstate just how much precision this addition adds to the racing experience. If you're going to be playing any of the best racing games, consider picking one of these up.
Best PC controller for fighting games
The Nacon Daija is our top pick for the best fighting game controller on PC and is an excellent accessory choice thanks to the extensive catalog of fighting games available on the platform including the most recent AAA fighting titles like the excellent Street Fighter 6 and Mortal Kombat 1.
In our testing, we found that the Nacon Daija ranks well above its competition thanks to the ultra-responsive Sanwa joystick and robust buttons that lend the pad a very authentic arcade feel. It's a rugged design, however, which means that it could be considered too bulky side for some - especially if you want play with it on your lap. Despite this, there's nothing that comes close to this level of quality for the price.
While this price is very reasonable for a fight stick, it does set you back around $249.99 / £249.99 / AU$427, which is quite steep compared to other controllers on this list. This is one for only the most hardcore fighting game fans.
- Read more: Nacon Daija review
How to connect and use controllers on PC
Given the amount of contenders there are for best PC controllers nowadays, it's not always simple knowing how to pair, connect, and use them with your rig. That's especially the case when looking at the controllers of other consoles you might be familiar with or already have. Luckily we have all the tools you should need for those major console controller.
For PlayStation pad users, we've got guides on how to use a DualSense on PC or how to use a DualShock 4 on PC, while for those who prefer an asymmetrical controller, we've got guides on how to use an Xbox One controller on PC, how to use an Xbox Series X controller on PC (spoilers: it's similar to the former), and also how to use a Switch Pro controller on PC.
Best PC controllers - FAQs
What controller do pro PC players use?
Players who like to take their game to the next level, particularly in online multiplayer environments, may opt for a controller for more advanced features, assuming they're not already playing with a keyboard and mouse. Gamepads like the Victrix Pro BFG or the Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra offer useful features in this regard, but do command higher price tags as a result. Similarly, pro players may opt for more specialist kit like a racing wheel or a fight stick like the Nacon Daija for more specific genre needs.
Is it possible to use a Nintendo Switch or PS5 controller on PC?
The short answer is yes! While Nintendo doesn't advertise its Nintendo Switch Pro Controller as PC compatible, you are able to hook it up to your PC as Steam offers compatibility for the controller. Similarly, both the DualSense and DualSense Edge for PS5 will work on PC, and even offer their bespoke haptic feedback and adaptive triggers for compatible titles.
Should you buy a PC controller?
At the end of the day, whether or not you should buy a PC controller will ultimately come down to how much you think you will use it. If you often play lots of racing games, for example, then it will definitely be worth investing in a controller. The same goes for fighting games, where most players prefer to use a controller or even specialist fight stick.
If you play lots of genres that don't traditionally benefit from that control scheme, however, then a PC controller might not be worth it for you. Those who play lots of strategy games likely won't spent a lot of time using it, making it far from the best use for your money. That said, you can always choose a budget-friendly controller if you're on the fence.
How we test the best PC controllers
We test the best PC controllers with a variety of factors in mind. The main thing we look at is overall value for money; what does a controller offer at its price point that makes it stand out from the crowd?
For example, we love the GameSir T4 Kaleid for its excellent build quality and robust feature set despite the low price tag. Similarly, the Victrix Pro BFG is impressively modular, justifying its higher retail price with plenty of modifiable extras.
We also consider controllers from a longevity standpoint. Longer lasting controllers will typically boast exceptional build quality, and often have features like Hall effect thumbsticks to help prevent that dreaded stick drift. Furthermore, dedicated software that lets owners customize their controllers even further is a great bonus, too.
Each of the entries included on this list has been extensively tested by a member of the TechRadar team. We only choose controllers that we know will deliver the best performance for you based on our hands-on experience.
How to choose a PC controller
The closest to a one-size-fits-all controller in this list is our 'best overall' pick, that being the Xbox Wireless Controller thanks to its excellent build quality, versatility and reasonable price point. However, we're aware that many of you will want a controller that's either flashier, has more features, or both.
Looking for a gamepad that packs in extra features like RGB lighting and remappable rear buttons? You may wish to consider the GameSir T4 Kaleid. For those of you who prize modularity and customizability, then the Victrix Pro BFG or Thrustmaster eSwap X2 can be considered.
Similarly, some controllers are fantastic for specific genres. As an example, you may want to look at the Nacon Daija if you're planning on purchasing a dedicated fighting game controller. Meanwhile, the 8BitDo Pro 2 is perfect for retro and arcade titles.
