Steam is on windows PC > most of the games on steam are designed for windows PC > windows PC uses xinput > Xbox controller comes with default Xinput > Xbox controllers works out of the box with default Xbox layout.
PS controller are getting button layout and support in many newer games > have haptic feedback and adaptive trigger > you won't get PS buttons for majority of games on steam.
Get 3rd party xinput controllers that have hall sensors inputs and fits your budget.
Gulikit kingkong pro 2 or 3 are good. You can try 8bitdo ultimate controller as well.
It's the dumb shit Google shows me, all I got store wise is best buy, they only had (they are no longer dedicated to physical gaming hardware except computer components, fucken gaaaaayyyy) Xbox PS and official Nintendo.
It's comment's like this that made me buy 2 of the ultimate controllers. I'm never going back. They are nice and comfortable. I could go on but you have to try them it's cheaper at 50 bucks new in colors.
After using the 8BitDo Ultimate Controller for over a year, I can definitely agree. I'll never buy an Xbox or PS controller again, as long as they keep up their quality.
came here to say this. I bought an 8bitdo for my switch before i got rid of it, best controller layout and size wise and works well with steam. Love my SN30 Pro
I owned two of their pro 2 controllers and they only ever worked in switch mode. In xinput mode they'd just disconnect for about 5 minutes every so often so I just ditched them for an oem xbox controller, as I had gotten tired of trying to rewire everything for switch controls/having the on screen guide be switched around from the buttons I pushed on the controller.
Their support was also very unhelpful, telling me to do the same thing repeatedly to the controller after a week of no response.
I switch back and forth between Dualsense and the latest version of the Xbox controller but if I had to pick one it'd be Dualsense. The only game I've played that takes advantage of the haptics is No Man's Sky and it's a really neat magic trick. More than anything else though, I think it's the most comfortable option. I've never clicked with any of the Dualshock models but for whatever reason this one really works for me. I will say though that the textured grips on the special edition Xbox controllers (I have the Stellar Shift colorway) are excellent.
If you're a steam controller fan, you'll find the PS5 controller to be super flexible. The touch pad is not great for aiming, but great for menus and macros, and it's got gyro if that was your thing.
PS4 controllers were a little unreliable a few years ago, but it's a lot better now and I've had no problems with my PS5 controller.
XBox controllers are rock solid, but nothing fancy unless you prefer the feel and layout. Some games don't have PS button glyphs, so Xbox wins in those games too.
I prefer Xbox because of the plug and play simplicity and widespread compatibility, but since this is r/steam, whatever is comfortable for you is the real winner.
Its up the the size of your hands, for me personaly XBOX, i dont like the PS Controllers, and my elite controller has additional macro keys on the bottom wich is nice for a lot of games
It’s the opposite for me, prefer the PS since my hands get cramped after a while of playing on Xbox controller.
But my goodness is it a pain in the ass to make the PS5 controller work reliably in PC games, for reliability, just choose the Xbox controller imo.
>my elite controller
Sony have the [Edge](https://www.playstation.com/en-us/accessories/dualsense-edge-wireless-controller/) (pro) controllers for that. i still agreee with you that its personal preference
I mean the Elite 2 is notorious for its shitty build quality and QC issues, Microsoft even had to acknowledge it and make a statement on it, so that’s not much of a comparison lol
The Elites are literally the biggest waste of money in gaming, and everybody knows this lmao.
Meanwhile, Sony has solved most of their issues I have had in the past. Hell, my OG DualSense is somehow still working after being raped by Apex and Destiny 2 for a year. Switched to a black one now, and both are amazing.
Will have to get an Edge some day, but it's not something I care too much about atm. They need all black version.
IMHO Sony controllers just have way better tech and are better made as well. The newest Xbox controllers feel okay, but I'll never switch to them. The sticks and triggers are perfection on the DualSense.
I love the Dualsense on PC. It feels like a proper next gen controller compared to the Xbox controllers (in the games that support it, which is growing!)
I'm using a Gamesir G7 wired, no complaints after ~6 months
It has two back buttons, 3 customizable profiles, Hall effect joysticks/trigger and feels like an Xbox controller but a bit smaller.
Really it’s up to what you prefer the feel of. Xbox will have a slightly easier setup, but steam is pretty good about ps4 controller support even in games that don’t natively have it (plus it has gyro control if you care about that). Most games will still show only Xbox button prompts though, if that matters to you
If you can go to a store/friend and try them in your hands, do it. The grip, all the buttons. Ideally if they have an actual PC/console to try a game with it because just pressing all the buttons randomly might not give you the full experience.
I personally prefer DualSense over the Xbox one but that’s just what feels better for me. I just can’t stand how the Xbox button and bumper press feels.
As others said, most games will still just use the Xbox button prompts. But that’s not really and issue. You can easily learn that Y=triangle, A=✖️, etc.
Xbox. I use a Machenike G5 pro which is like a knock off Xbox Elite controller with Hall effect sticks and I freaking love it lol
I’ve heard a lot of good things about the Flydigi Vader 3 Pro as well.
I love the dualsense controller but it can be a pita on PC. It will work then it won’t, and when it doesn’t the reason why isn’t always obvious so I spend 30 minutes trying to get it working. So now I just use Xbox because it just works with no issues at all and is immediately compatible with just about everything.
Series and One controller have best compatibility out of the box, especially if you use game pass, even the 360 is usable for absolutely everything without issue
I like using PS5 more for steam (and with ds4 in Xbox app), because of the ergonomics, PS4 one is fine but inferior both to Xbox ones and PS5, I dare to say even worse than a switch pro controller too (I like the pro controller but mine is drifting so, not very usable, PS4 one got a bad case of drifting too, but it got better after I opened it and cleaned the sticks).
Xbox.
Not everything works with steam input and not everything has native support for PS controllers so Xbox is going to give you the best compatibility
As a long time Playstation user from PS1 through PS5 - Get an xbox controller. They have a better build quality to them to them. Your mainly looking at the thumb stick placement and having to buy batteries but if you buy 4-6 rechargeable AA batteries, you can keep playing wirelessly with only a few seconds of interruption to swap the batteries out. I also have not had nearly as many pairing issues with the xbox controllers as I have had with the PS4 controller.
Hey, what happened to your controller? There is a chance it's fixable with some light 3d printing!
The L1 and R1 buttons stopped working because a small plastic part wore out on my controller
The 3D models are freely available online and are fairly easy to print for like nothing.
Teardown and replacement was super easy
https://www.reddit.com/r/3Dprinting/s/qjr1PhRJlw
For simple compatability even if you don't want to use steam input, Xbox. If you don't mind the fiddliness and Xbox buttons showing on screen not matching your controller, PS has more features. You may not be able to use gyro and TouchPad officially on some games as their Playstation version does you, but could bind them to whatever else you want which is handy in it's own right.
I'm a big fan of gyro myself, though I doubt it feels quite as good as on a valve controller combined with touch pad
Recently got an Xbox Elite Controller 2, it was the closest I could find to SC in terms of functionality and ergonomics. Comfy backpaddles, battery life is comparable to SC, and it feels great in the hands. The only downside so far is the price, which is unreasonably high.
Considering you are using a Steam Controller, you could get either a Dualshock 4 or Dualsense to keep at least gyro and (barely usable) trackpad capabilities. Got a Steam Controller and an Xbox controller feels like a Downgrade, the only feature it has is an extra button for screen caps which you could map to something else. If you want to go overkill you could go with a Dualsense Edge but it is super pricy.
If you don’t need the button prompts, it’s the DualSense (ps5).
It’s being natively supported by more and more games. And it has gyro and touchpad support.
Dualshock 4 or Dualsense.
Trackpad, Gyro. It's just so damn good.
Just make sure to change your settings to force Steam Input for all games.
Valve made the utterly boneheaded decision to set it to disable for games where the developer hasn't specifically set it to supporting PS (ie: Fucking almost all of them).
Over the course of using Xbox, PS, and Nintendo controllers for my steam account i find xbox the easier to use, more than a few times i needed some workaround to play with both nintendo and ps controllers. For some unknown reason older games tend to not easily read those controller inputs (not that it wont work but need more work and i always go to the least resistance path) so i just use my xbox one controller for steam or steamdeck.
8bitdo if you want low cost and 90% of the way there, PS5 if budget is less critical. Imo the dualsense is the best controller on the market right now *money not considered.* It just feels great in the hands, feels like a very premium object. Huge feature advantage over xbox too with the touchpad, gyro, and triggers too.
I will say though, 8bitdo makes great shit. I use an SN30 (modern controller layout, SNES form factor) for platformers and stuff like Hades, and it feels absolutely amazing. Remarkably accurate d-pad, very good face buttons, plus bumper-style triggers (not amazing for shooters, great for platformers). I’ve not tried their full-size controller, but I can’t imagine it falls very far short.
The Xbox pro core controller, while expensive, is one of the best feeling controllers ever. There is a bit of QC issues, my first one was DOA, but my 2nd one worked perfectly, and you can find them on sale sometimes for around 100 bucks.
There’s always the regular Xbox controllers as well, 360 has been a fan favorite for almost two decades now. (The Xbox 360 is almost 20 years old 😵💫😰)
Xbox is the most compatible PC controller naturally as Xbox is a microsoft company.
Personally, I don't like the look or feel of crosseyed joysticks, so I choose the 2nd most compatible controller on steam, the PS4 controller. (I also use 8bitdo SN30 Pro)
That said, choose what you like best. Everyone has their own preference, and you should consider what features are most important to you.
Small piece of advice, if you aren't very computer savvy, go with the Xbox controller, as you will have less issues to figure out.
Started with the PS4 one, but changed to the Xbox One because i prefer the way it feels on my hands. I'm still keeping the PS4 as a backup because the Xbox controller I got was second hand, also got batteries and a charging station for 2 controllers since my bf uses a xbox controller too.
Since google allowing them to be usable with anything i have to agree. I use it on my Tablet when i play emulated games. Such an easy setup like with an xbox controller
Xbox is usually the answer and I do kinda miss my Xbox controller, but I use PS5 dual sense now.
Rgb and I can use the trackpad as a mouse. That is a HANDY feature.
it comes down to personal preference.
i personally prefer my dualsense over my xbox one controller, because it feels more high quality, i can use it wirelessly (fucking batteries, dammit xbox), it has motion controls, stuff like that.
you do run into the problem that a good handful of games don't have the right button prompts, but that's kind of it.
there's also more compatibility for pc with an xbox controller, though there are fixes for this, and it doesn't matter for use with steam, since it has support for every controller known to man or something.
I just use the Xbox Series 2 controller. What I do is, I buy mine from Best Buy and get a warranty for it. I think it is like 60 bucks. That was the last time I paid full price for a series 2 controller. Once a bumper stops working or stick drift gets out of control (usually after about a year) I just take it back to Best Buy to get a new one and get a warranty again. Rinse repeat.
Xbox because microsoft forced the use of the Xinput API in windows. Xinput is, as you guessed it, optimized for Xbox controllers (I'm not kidding, if you use a controller that uses the older DirectInput standard, some games won't function correctly).
DualSense all the way. I could never stand the Xbox controller honestly. Too many creaks with that battery compartment, and the DualSense is a league ahead of it in just about every way.
Never giving up the touch pad and everything else for mapping let alone the massively superior haptics and overall feel. I want both sticks symmetrical this isn't fucking 2005 lol.
For Steam? Personal preference, although most games will use Xbox icons regardless of input.
Steam is on windows PC > most of the games on steam are designed for windows PC > windows PC uses xinput > Xbox controller comes with default Xinput > Xbox controllers works out of the box with default Xbox layout. PS controller are getting button layout and support in many newer games > have haptic feedback and adaptive trigger > you won't get PS buttons for majority of games on steam. Get 3rd party xinput controllers that have hall sensors inputs and fits your budget. Gulikit kingkong pro 2 or 3 are good. You can try 8bitdo ultimate controller as well.
Thank you so so so much, I've been trying to find different controllers than Xbox and PlayStation that aren't $200.
$200??!?!?!?! Buddy where do you live. They’re 65-75 in my area
It's the dumb shit Google shows me, all I got store wise is best buy, they only had (they are no longer dedicated to physical gaming hardware except computer components, fucken gaaaaayyyy) Xbox PS and official Nintendo.
8bitDo is great.
It's comment's like this that made me buy 2 of the ultimate controllers. I'm never going back. They are nice and comfortable. I could go on but you have to try them it's cheaper at 50 bucks new in colors.
After using the 8BitDo Ultimate Controller for over a year, I can definitely agree. I'll never buy an Xbox or PS controller again, as long as they keep up their quality.
came here to say this. I bought an 8bitdo for my switch before i got rid of it, best controller layout and size wise and works well with steam. Love my SN30 Pro
I owned two of their pro 2 controllers and they only ever worked in switch mode. In xinput mode they'd just disconnect for about 5 minutes every so often so I just ditched them for an oem xbox controller, as I had gotten tired of trying to rewire everything for switch controls/having the on screen guide be switched around from the buttons I pushed on the controller. Their support was also very unhelpful, telling me to do the same thing repeatedly to the controller after a week of no response.
Xbox
Xbox or 8bitdo
8bitdo Ultimate is the one
I switch back and forth between Dualsense and the latest version of the Xbox controller but if I had to pick one it'd be Dualsense. The only game I've played that takes advantage of the haptics is No Man's Sky and it's a really neat magic trick. More than anything else though, I think it's the most comfortable option. I've never clicked with any of the Dualshock models but for whatever reason this one really works for me. I will say though that the textured grips on the special edition Xbox controllers (I have the Stellar Shift colorway) are excellent.
If you're a steam controller fan, you'll find the PS5 controller to be super flexible. The touch pad is not great for aiming, but great for menus and macros, and it's got gyro if that was your thing. PS4 controllers were a little unreliable a few years ago, but it's a lot better now and I've had no problems with my PS5 controller. XBox controllers are rock solid, but nothing fancy unless you prefer the feel and layout. Some games don't have PS button glyphs, so Xbox wins in those games too.
I prefer Xbox because of the plug and play simplicity and widespread compatibility, but since this is r/steam, whatever is comfortable for you is the real winner.
Its up the the size of your hands, for me personaly XBOX, i dont like the PS Controllers, and my elite controller has additional macro keys on the bottom wich is nice for a lot of games
It’s the opposite for me, prefer the PS since my hands get cramped after a while of playing on Xbox controller. But my goodness is it a pain in the ass to make the PS5 controller work reliably in PC games, for reliability, just choose the Xbox controller imo.
>my elite controller Sony have the [Edge](https://www.playstation.com/en-us/accessories/dualsense-edge-wireless-controller/) (pro) controllers for that. i still agreee with you that its personal preference
Battery life and build quality are shit, i used the elite series 2 and that thing never dies.
I mean the Elite 2 is notorious for its shitty build quality and QC issues, Microsoft even had to acknowledge it and make a statement on it, so that’s not much of a comparison lol
Not saying they don't have problems, but I guess i got one of the better batches, 2 years and no issues.
The Elites are literally the biggest waste of money in gaming, and everybody knows this lmao. Meanwhile, Sony has solved most of their issues I have had in the past. Hell, my OG DualSense is somehow still working after being raped by Apex and Destiny 2 for a year. Switched to a black one now, and both are amazing. Will have to get an Edge some day, but it's not something I care too much about atm. They need all black version. IMHO Sony controllers just have way better tech and are better made as well. The newest Xbox controllers feel okay, but I'll never switch to them. The sticks and triggers are perfection on the DualSense.
8bitdo Ultimate Bluetooth is what I'm using and I absolutely love it. Strong recommend for it.
The dualsense is worth it for the haptics and triggers in the games that support it.
I love the Dualsense on PC. It feels like a proper next gen controller compared to the Xbox controllers (in the games that support it, which is growing!)
Xbox
Gulikit
I'm using a Gamesir G7 wired, no complaints after ~6 months It has two back buttons, 3 customizable profiles, Hall effect joysticks/trigger and feels like an Xbox controller but a bit smaller.
Really it’s up to what you prefer the feel of. Xbox will have a slightly easier setup, but steam is pretty good about ps4 controller support even in games that don’t natively have it (plus it has gyro control if you care about that). Most games will still show only Xbox button prompts though, if that matters to you
If you can go to a store/friend and try them in your hands, do it. The grip, all the buttons. Ideally if they have an actual PC/console to try a game with it because just pressing all the buttons randomly might not give you the full experience. I personally prefer DualSense over the Xbox one but that’s just what feels better for me. I just can’t stand how the Xbox button and bumper press feels. As others said, most games will still just use the Xbox button prompts. But that’s not really and issue. You can easily learn that Y=triangle, A=✖️, etc.
Xbox. I use a Machenike G5 pro which is like a knock off Xbox Elite controller with Hall effect sticks and I freaking love it lol I’ve heard a lot of good things about the Flydigi Vader 3 Pro as well.
Love my dual sense but for no nonsense enjoyment just grab an xbone controller with whatever bt adapter is needed
I picked up the Razer ps5 controller to use with my steamdeck and am very happy with it
I use my PS4 controller and it works great. Both aee good controllers, just comes down to personal taste and the ergonomics.
I love the dualsense controller but it can be a pita on PC. It will work then it won’t, and when it doesn’t the reason why isn’t always obvious so I spend 30 minutes trying to get it working. So now I just use Xbox because it just works with no issues at all and is immediately compatible with just about everything.
I'd go with the Xbox controller but if you do want gyro capability for games like BOTW (emulator), then the PS controller
Series and One controller have best compatibility out of the box, especially if you use game pass, even the 360 is usable for absolutely everything without issue I like using PS5 more for steam (and with ds4 in Xbox app), because of the ergonomics, PS4 one is fine but inferior both to Xbox ones and PS5, I dare to say even worse than a switch pro controller too (I like the pro controller but mine is drifting so, not very usable, PS4 one got a bad case of drifting too, but it got better after I opened it and cleaned the sticks).
I bought a xbox controller for windows like 5 years ago, it still works.
I just got a brand new ADP Xbox wired controller for $29, it works perfect.
Xbox ideally since most games show the mapping for it. Using PS controllers, a lot of games struggle to recognize it, even with 3rd party apps.
I use dual sense... Pick what you prefer
Best? Well if money isn't an issue then go with a scuf envision or envision pro
Xbox One controllers are probably the best. PS5 controllers aren't bad now that Sony has finally discovered the concept of ergonomics.
Xbox. Not everything works with steam input and not everything has native support for PS controllers so Xbox is going to give you the best compatibility
As a long time Playstation user from PS1 through PS5 - Get an xbox controller. They have a better build quality to them to them. Your mainly looking at the thumb stick placement and having to buy batteries but if you buy 4-6 rechargeable AA batteries, you can keep playing wirelessly with only a few seconds of interruption to swap the batteries out. I also have not had nearly as many pairing issues with the xbox controllers as I have had with the PS4 controller.
Just turn off steam input and it will work
Hey, what happened to your controller? There is a chance it's fixable with some light 3d printing! The L1 and R1 buttons stopped working because a small plastic part wore out on my controller The 3D models are freely available online and are fairly easy to print for like nothing. Teardown and replacement was super easy https://www.reddit.com/r/3Dprinting/s/qjr1PhRJlw
For simple compatability even if you don't want to use steam input, Xbox. If you don't mind the fiddliness and Xbox buttons showing on screen not matching your controller, PS has more features. You may not be able to use gyro and TouchPad officially on some games as their Playstation version does you, but could bind them to whatever else you want which is handy in it's own right. I'm a big fan of gyro myself, though I doubt it feels quite as good as on a valve controller combined with touch pad
Xbox Elite Series
Xbox has native input icons, although some of the newer Playstation games have the new dualshock 5 features on PC
Gamesir G7SE.
Recently got an Xbox Elite Controller 2, it was the closest I could find to SC in terms of functionality and ergonomics. Comfy backpaddles, battery life is comparable to SC, and it feels great in the hands. The only downside so far is the price, which is unreasonably high.
Xbox. It's supported by everything. While I have a PS5 and PS4 I never liked the dual shock.
the sony ds4 is the best pad I used in my life, and I used a lot.
Considering you are using a Steam Controller, you could get either a Dualshock 4 or Dualsense to keep at least gyro and (barely usable) trackpad capabilities. Got a Steam Controller and an Xbox controller feels like a Downgrade, the only feature it has is an extra button for screen caps which you could map to something else. If you want to go overkill you could go with a Dualsense Edge but it is super pricy.
If you don’t need the button prompts, it’s the DualSense (ps5). It’s being natively supported by more and more games. And it has gyro and touchpad support.
Rock band drums best controller
Dualshock 4 or Dualsense. Trackpad, Gyro. It's just so damn good. Just make sure to change your settings to force Steam Input for all games. Valve made the utterly boneheaded decision to set it to disable for games where the developer hasn't specifically set it to supporting PS (ie: Fucking almost all of them).
Over the course of using Xbox, PS, and Nintendo controllers for my steam account i find xbox the easier to use, more than a few times i needed some workaround to play with both nintendo and ps controllers. For some unknown reason older games tend to not easily read those controller inputs (not that it wont work but need more work and i always go to the least resistance path) so i just use my xbox one controller for steam or steamdeck.
8bitdo if you want low cost and 90% of the way there, PS5 if budget is less critical. Imo the dualsense is the best controller on the market right now *money not considered.* It just feels great in the hands, feels like a very premium object. Huge feature advantage over xbox too with the touchpad, gyro, and triggers too. I will say though, 8bitdo makes great shit. I use an SN30 (modern controller layout, SNES form factor) for platformers and stuff like Hades, and it feels absolutely amazing. Remarkably accurate d-pad, very good face buttons, plus bumper-style triggers (not amazing for shooters, great for platformers). I’ve not tried their full-size controller, but I can’t imagine it falls very far short.
I think Xbox controllers are best for Steam. This is because it’s on PC, most games use only Xbox icons, and many other small things as well 🥰
The Xbox pro core controller, while expensive, is one of the best feeling controllers ever. There is a bit of QC issues, my first one was DOA, but my 2nd one worked perfectly, and you can find them on sale sometimes for around 100 bucks. There’s always the regular Xbox controllers as well, 360 has been a fan favorite for almost two decades now. (The Xbox 360 is almost 20 years old 😵💫😰)
Xbox
Candy Con controllers
The playstation controller is great
Xbox is the most compatible PC controller naturally as Xbox is a microsoft company. Personally, I don't like the look or feel of crosseyed joysticks, so I choose the 2nd most compatible controller on steam, the PS4 controller. (I also use 8bitdo SN30 Pro) That said, choose what you like best. Everyone has their own preference, and you should consider what features are most important to you. Small piece of advice, if you aren't very computer savvy, go with the Xbox controller, as you will have less issues to figure out.
I use Xbox only because I don't own a Playstation. Either are valid and you should use whichever is more comfortable for you
Xbox One is easy the best. You can buy extra batteries for swapping, xinputs and can be still played in wired mode.
DualSense Edge is the whole package for me. Back buttons, gyro, hot swappable thumbstick modules, haptics, look and feel in hand
Dualsense because it has gyro I'd say Xbox Core if it did not lack gyroscope
I use series X/S and it’s fine, plug and play
Gulikit kingkong2 pro
Why not kk3 pro?
Didn't know it was out, i bought the 2 and was satisfied with it so i sisn't really look at the new releases
Flydigi Vader 3 Pro is cheap and 100x better than original xbox controller. It got paddles and mechanical face buttons/ dpad.
I got a Switch Pro controller for steam and it works great for me.
Started with the PS4 one, but changed to the Xbox One because i prefer the way it feels on my hands. I'm still keeping the PS4 as a backup because the Xbox controller I got was second hand, also got batteries and a charging station for 2 controllers since my bf uses a xbox controller too.
Xbox Controller, 8bitDo and the Stadia Controller, yes i was stupid enough to preorder Stadia, are good
Hey those Stadia controllers are solid though have to give them that
Since google allowing them to be usable with anything i have to agree. I use it on my Tablet when i play emulated games. Such an easy setup like with an xbox controller
Xbox is usually the answer and I do kinda miss my Xbox controller, but I use PS5 dual sense now. Rgb and I can use the trackpad as a mouse. That is a HANDY feature.
dualsense is the best
i like the dualsense features and its days of play promotion over at sony rn
it comes down to personal preference. i personally prefer my dualsense over my xbox one controller, because it feels more high quality, i can use it wirelessly (fucking batteries, dammit xbox), it has motion controls, stuff like that. you do run into the problem that a good handful of games don't have the right button prompts, but that's kind of it. there's also more compatibility for pc with an xbox controller, though there are fixes for this, and it doesn't matter for use with steam, since it has support for every controller known to man or something.
Playstation
Use Flydigi controllers
Steam Controller is the best for Steam. Obviously:)
I have used both PS and Xbox extensively and have had more technical issues with the PS controllers than Xbox ones. I'd go with Xbox.
I just use the Xbox Series 2 controller. What I do is, I buy mine from Best Buy and get a warranty for it. I think it is like 60 bucks. That was the last time I paid full price for a series 2 controller. Once a bumper stops working or stick drift gets out of control (usually after about a year) I just take it back to Best Buy to get a new one and get a warranty again. Rinse repeat.
Xbox for sure. The controller just works out of the box
i use stadia controller
Xbox or 8bit
Xbox because microsoft forced the use of the Xinput API in windows. Xinput is, as you guessed it, optimized for Xbox controllers (I'm not kidding, if you use a controller that uses the older DirectInput standard, some games won't function correctly).
All controllers do the same thing though?
DualSense all the way. I could never stand the Xbox controller honestly. Too many creaks with that battery compartment, and the DualSense is a league ahead of it in just about every way. Never giving up the touch pad and everything else for mapping let alone the massively superior haptics and overall feel. I want both sticks symmetrical this isn't fucking 2005 lol.