Flydigi Vader 3 Pro
- $50-60 AliExpress (the Pro is worth the extra couple bucks)
- https://www.aliexpress.com/w/wholesale-vader-pro-3.html
- https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006234248182.html
- https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005753760083.html
- https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005738234659.html
- https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005738060526.html
- https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005895969492.html
- Amazon.com $70 - https://www.amazon.com/PC-Controller-Changable-Triggers-Vibration-Multi-Platform/dp/B0C7GYX6MH
For ~$50, I highly recommend the Flydigi Vader 3 Pro:
- Hall effect analog sticks
- Digital + Analog triggers (trigger locks)
- Very responsive/clicky face buttons
- D-Pad also clicky and is a molded shield-type face for easy rotation
- Bluetooth, 2.4GHz wireless (with dongle), USBC 500Hz polling rate (KK3 Max claims 1000Hz but seems to have latency issues?)
Other considerations that were secondary for me:
- Battery life (Vader 3 Pro is 8h, a bit short, but maybe can be improved turning off the LEDs)
- 2 extra programmable lower (membrane) face buttons, 4 backside paddles
- ABXY - default XBox layout, don’t know how easy it is to swap, not hot swappable
- Configuration software (haven’t even tried it, but apparently terrible)
- Gyro (for Switch, has it but didn’t switch)
- HD rumble (almost no 3rd party controllers have this)
- Trigger haptics (does anything besides PS5 controller support this?)
2024-02: I picked up Dead Cells recently and was giving it a go - I was dying a lot in previous tries and just gave up, but (managed to beat it with a lucky weapon combo in only 5 tries this time, now I’ve been playing through the rogue-lite metaprogression)
Current other controllers:
- 8BitDo Pro 2 https://www.8bitdo.com/pro2/
- 8BitDo SN30 Pro https://www.8bitdo.com/sn30-pro-g-classic-or-sn30-pro-sn/
- Gulikit KingKong 2 Pro https://www.gulikit.com/productinfo/737791.html
I got these mostly to use with the Nintendo Switch and console emulation, and I got the KK2 Pro for the hall effect joysticks and for a more comfortable form factor. That being said, all of them have relatively slow/mushy buttons and directional pads and I was looking to see if there was an upgrade.
I started looking at the new Gulikit KK3 MAX, but found that there were some big issues with it:
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAALfBZj5zI
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPssvfMOXRc
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gy8NPpp-SLI
While reading this, I came across multiple recommendations for the Flydigi Vader 3 Pro instead:
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=od1ZjMtx0EQ
- https://www.reddit.com/r/Controller/comments/1961qb0/flydigi_vader_3_pro_vs_kk3_max/?rdt=64964
- https://www.reddit.com/r/GyroGaming/comments/16aoms4/flydigi_vader_3_pro_vs_gulikit_kingkong_3_max/
- https://www.reddit.com/r/Controller/comments/16aojxh/flydigi_vader_3_pro_vs_gulikit_kingkong_3_max/
- https://www.reddit.com/r/Controller/comments/14gqrxo/flydigi_vader_3_pro_review/
- https://www.reddit.com/r/Controller/comments/192r413/flydigi_vader_3_pro_review_controller_of_the_year/
Vader 3 Pro vs Gulikit KK3 Max
- https://www.reddit.com/r/Controller/comments/16aojxh/flydigi_vader_3_pro_vs_gulikit_kingkong_3_max/
- https://www.reddit.com/r/Controller/comments/14in8pe/2023_hall_effect_controller_purchasing_guide_if/
- https://www.reddit.com/r/Controller/comments/1adm4ev/as_someone_who_owns_both_a_vader_3_pro_and_a/
Gulikit KK3 Max 80 AliExpress GuliKit Official Store https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006317647572.html
Hall Effect Joysticks https://www.reddit.com/r/Controller/comments/14in8pe/2023_hall_effect_controller_purchasing_guide_if/