There’s a strong possibility you have a favorite game controller if you’re a gamer. Even PC fans like myself can’t dispute that some games are better with a controller, so we all have our favorites. Over the years, there have been a plethora of game controllers, some of which are unquestionably superior to others. SlashGear has compiled a list of the best of the best.
9. Special Mentions
Of course, a few fantastic controllers didn’t cut, so let’s have a look at a couple of honorable mentions. The Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons are wonderful, but difficulties with thumbstick drift and overall durability keep them from being great. The Wii remote is another controller that will certainly appear on many similar lists due to its motion control capabilities alone. Still, it never felt as nice to me as a genuine gamepad.
8. Sega Genesis gamepad with six buttons
There are a lot of Sega Genesis fans out there, but the controller you used the most was probably decided more by your location than anything else. Most of us in the United States are probably better familiar with the three-button Genesis controller, an intriguing controller that would likely appear on other lists like this. I preferred the three-button controller back in the day, but there’s no doubting that the six-button controller was ultimately superior.
7. Gamecube controller (Nintendo)
When it comes to the Gamecube controller, there are two camps of thought: those who love it and those who despise it. Beginning with the Nintendo 64, Nintendo has released a series of unique controllers: the Gamecube controller was followed by the Wii remote, followed by the enormous Wii U gamepad. However, I believe that the Gamecube controller is the greatest of all of them.
6. Gamepad for Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 gamepad was, for a long time, the controller to beat – the king of the controller hill, if you will. Microsoft made some blunders with the first Xbox and its colossal Duke controller, but the Xbox Controller S, released in 2002, fixed many of the Duke’s flaws and paved the way for the great gamepad that debuted with the Xbox 360.
5. Adaptive Controller for Xbox
The Xbox Adaptive Controller outperforms every other controller on this list in terms of functionality. The Xbox Adaptive Controller looks very straightforward on the surface. Its two large face buttons are positioned in a slate-like layout for those who can’t operate a normal gamepad due to disability.
4. Switch Pro Controller
Nintendo has been creating Pro Controllers for a few generations, and with the release of the Switch, we saw Nintendo hit the nail on the head when it came to Pro Controller design. With that said, Nintendo tends to charge a premium for its peripherals, and the Switch Pro Controller is no exception, coming in at $80.
3. Gamepad for Super Nintendo
If you’re a retro player, it doesn’t get much better than the SNES gamepad. Even though the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo were competitors for much of the fourth generation in the early to mid-1990s, the SNES gamepad appears to have gained an iconic status that the Sega Genesis controller has not. What is the reason for this?
2. DualShock 4
While I’ve owned every version of the PlayStation, I’ve never been a great admirer of Sony’s controllers, which have mostly maintained the same design from the launch of the DualShock controller with the PlayStation 1 to the DualShock 3 with the PlayStation 3.
On the other hand, Sony did more than merely alter the controller design for this generation. When it came to the DualShock 4, Sony’s design team was firing on all cylinders, offering us one of the best controllers ever manufactured. It’s comfortable to handle, the thumbsticks are excellent, and it generally feels like a step forward from previous DualShock controllers. The DualSense controller included with the PlayStation 5 appears to improve on the DualShock 4’s already fantastic design, and I’m looking forward to getting my hands on one.
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The Xbox Elite Controller Series 2
You undoubtedly saw this coming if you followed rankings like this one. The Xbox Elite Controller Series 2 is the best controller money can buy right now, so it shouldn’t surprise controller fans to find it at the top of this list. The issue, of course, is that purchasing one is prohibitively expensive.
