My old Dualshock PC controller did not die well. After years of abuse at the hands of well... me, it packed it in, but after the cocktail of Soulsborne and first-person shooters I'd subjected it to for years, perhaps I shouldn't have been so surprised. Luckily, it happened right around the time that both the PS5 and Xbox Series S came out, though that did present me with a new quandry: which of the controllers should I buy?
In the back of my mind I remembered how the original Xbox controller felt in my hands—sturdy, like a piece of industrial equipment, and when it vibrated you could almost feel your teeth rattling. Considering what killed my last controller, I decided that durability was the most important thing. You don't want to have to shell out more money on a new PC controller every couple of years, especially if you don't own the corresponding console.
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That said, I opted for the Xbox Wireless Controller and it's a purchase that I don't regret. Even though I now own a PS5 and a Dualsense, it doesn't feel as sturdy and straightforward to me in the way that its competitor does. Sure, the PS5 controller has those fancy haptics that even work in some of the PlayStation-to-PC game ports now, but it doesn't always map in the most precise way, and on PC the touchpad can often feel like a hindrance as much as a feature.
If you're looking for a PC gaming controller that will likely last you for years, the Xbox Wireless Controller is well worth the investment, especially at $40, which is cheaper than the current best deal we've seen for a Dualsense so far. As you'd expect from the name, you can use the controller wirelessly with bluetooth, and it'll function for Android or iOS if you play any mobile games on the side. Sadly, this deal only applies to the Carbon Black or Robot White versions, but it's hard to beat the classics.
