When I was younger, our family always seemed to need an extra controller or three. And for me, the youngest child, that meant I was the one using the Mad Catz controller. Or in the case of the Wii, the PDP Rock Candy controller is in transparent green.
Fast forward to 2024, and I’m on the hunt for “cheap” or “budget” controllers to fill that gap in my third-party heart for PC. So over the past couple of months, I’ve gathered 9 controllers for under $40, and I’d like to tell you what’s worth your time, or if you should spend a little more to get a little more. From cheap and clicky to pleasantly potent, join in as I share my experience over the past few months and what might be an actual budget banger.
Disclaimer
For reference, my preferred PC games don’t span every genre, and I’m not the controller man who knows everything; that’d be Klef at Game Tech Talk. What I do know is that I used every controller in Forza Horizon, non-PICO-8 Celeste, and AK-olotl (a twin-stick shooter). Overall, my experience with these controllers is based on that usage as well as the general out-of-the-box and-go feel.
9. Abxylute C6
- Battery: 600mAh (listed)
- Sticks and Triggers: Hall Effect
- Face Buttons and D-pad: Membrane
- Polling Rate: 125hz Bluetooth and 2.4ghz/200hz Wired
- Gyro: No
- Rumble: Yes (4 Levels)
- Weight: 185 grams
Let’s get this started with what I’d consider the least exceptional controller of the bunch, the Abxylute C6. This one I borrowed from BassDerek, a friend of RH, and it’s nothing special. It’s lightweight, it’s textured plastic on the back, and it just seems to work fine. The dongle is small, the face buttons have a light clack when pressed, and the D-pad feels a bit mushy.
In Forza Horizon the sticks got me through the races, but the small through of the shoulder buttons felt off. AK-olotl gave me no issues in terms of aiming with the right stick, and Celeste, while a bit frustrating with a mushy D-pad, got me through just fine. The 600mAh is rated for 18 hours according to Abxylute, and the lack of any RGB makes me believe them. It’s fine, but at the $30 average price, you can do better for less.
8. Anbernic RG P01
- Battery: 600mAh (listed)
- Sticks and Triggers: Hall Effect
- Face Buttons and D-pad: Membrane
- Polling Rate: 150hz Bluetooth/200hz 2.4ghz/400hz Wired
- Gyro: Yes
- Rumble: Yes
- Weight: 204 grams
Next up is the controller that doubles in price after shipping, the Anbernic RG P01. A $15 dollar controller with a $15 shipping cost, this $30 controller I feel has a little bit more value than prior options, but leaves a bit to be desired still. The dongle on this one is quite a bit larger than the C6 but connects just as well. The face buttons are a little louder, but the D-pad is way better than before.
To keep things moving, I’m going to be really brief with some of my descriptions. Forza: the sticks are nice and responsive, but others have mentioned the right trigger on their controllers are bit sticky, which can certainly make me nervous in racing games. AK-olotl: same as before, but the slick stick tops would mess me up when things got intense. Celeste: the D-pad is reminiscent of some Anbernic D-pads, which is good, and the face buttons are a bit louder but responsive.
The extra back paddles, RGB lights, and textured plastic grips help add value to the controller, but there’s still more value to be had for less than $30. Especially when the battery life is listed for only 9 hours.
Buy Anbernic RG P01 at AliExpress
7. Machenike G5 Pro
- Battery: 600mAh (listed)
- Sticks and Triggers: Hall Effect
- Face Buttons and D-pad: Clicky
- Polling Rate: “Up to 500hz”
- Gyro: Yes
- Rumble: Yes
- Weight: 238 grams
The most expensive controller on this list at $35, and you can see why. Click is the name of the game on the G5 Pro. The D-pad is clicky, the face buttons are clicky, the shoulders are clicky and the menu buttons are too. The G5 Pro is a weighty controller with a lot of functions. Dual back paddles (I don’t use them), Macros specifically for how far you pull the triggers, and a turbo function that other controllers before and after have.
For the $30-$35 price, the G5 Pro gets a lot right, however, there are a couple of downsides in my eyes. The Hall sticks are super light to move and are responsive, but I think the soft touch caps will yellow over time. While some people like clicky buttons, they aren’t for everyone including me. The biggest thing I can say is that the D-pad gave me every indication of which way I was going in Celeste, but in general use, it just feels like a louder version of some of our other options.
Buy Machenike G5 Pro at AliExpress
6. Beitong Asura 2 Pro
- Battery: 600mAh (listed)
- Sticks and Triggers: ALPS Sticks, Hall Effect Triggers
- Face Buttons and D-pad: Clicky
- Polling Rate: Unlisted
- Gyro: No
- Rumble: Yes
- Weight: 240 grams
Wait this is how much? If you’re an Amazon Prime member you can get the green colorway for $10. If you’re not, the black-and-white versions are still usually $20. For the price, the Asura 2 Pro offers a lot of value in it as well. Clicky face buttons, D-pad, and rear paddles. All are paired with hall effect triggers, and standard Alps sticks. What gets my seal of approval is that you can store the dongle in the back of the controller. But compared to the G5 Pro’s giant dongle, you can see why not all controllers do that.
It’s not all great though, the battery life isn’t the best. On par with the Anbernic PG01 really. The face buttons have a bit too much pre-travel before they actually click. And the software is a bit on the questionable side. But if you’re planning to use this thing as is, for as low as $10 with a turbo function and the ability to swap the left stick and D-pad functionality on the fly, I’d pick it up just to have it.
Though maybe spend more for the better color.
Buy Beitong Asura 2 Pro at Amazon
5. GameSir Nova Lite
- Battery: 600mAh (listed)
- Sticks and Triggers: Hall Effect Sticks
- Face Buttons and D-pad: Membrane
- Polling Rate: Unlisted
- Gyro: No
- Rumble: Yes
- Weight: 207 grams
We’re really touching on value here. For $18 on Aliexpress or $25 on Amazon, you get a controller that comes with a full hard shell carrying case, that has a spot to store its huge 2.4GHz dongle. It feels cheap, but for the price it’s fine. Face buttons are once again clacky, but really responsive. The D-pad was decent at best in Celeste, and the sticks are actually really nice in Forza.
What keeps it from going any higher though are the triggers for me personally. The shape of them causes my fingers to slide down the more I use them, and in the end, I rest my fingers atop a pointy end. Over time I found this caused my fat fingers some discomfort. If you’ve got smaller fingers, this honestly might be all the controller you need. It does all the basics right, and I have minimal if any complaints. Plus for you case lovers, it’s already got you covered.
Buy GameSir Nova Lite at AliExpress
4. Fantech Shooter III
- Battery: 600mAh (listed)
- Sticks and Triggers: Hall Effect
- Face Buttons and D-pad: Membrane
- Polling Rate: 1000hz 2.4ghz/Wired
- Gyro: Yes
- Rumble: Yes
- Weight: 186 grams
Compared to the prior options, the Fantech Shooter III offers a higher listed polling rate, a battery life of up to 20 hours, and a USB-A dongle that has a detachable USB-C dongle. That means it’ll be usable on an Android phone or Switch via 2.4GHz. On PC, it just works.
It finished all three of my game tests with reasonable expectations, the textured back plastic gives it some nice grip, and the shield-styled D-pad offers a surprisingly nice experience. Hall sticks, hall triggers, membrane shoulders, and clacky face buttons give this a familiar experience. But what gets me to like this over the others is its dongle functionality, and the sheer value at only $22-$25 depending on where you find it.
But what keeps me from fully recommending it is how cheap the dongle is built. I accidentally broke the shell of the USB-C portion just trying to remove it from the main portion. I just popped it back together and kept moving. But for the price, what can you expect?
Buy Fantech Shooter III at AliExpress
3. EasySMX X05
- Battery: 750mAh (listed)
- Sticks and Triggers: Hall Effect
- Face Buttons and D-pad: Membrane
- Polling Rate: 200hz BT/250hz 2.4ghz/1000hz Wired
- Gyro: No
- Rumble: Yes
- Weight: 219 grams
This is what I’d consider a “Slightly better Gamesir Nova Lite without the case”. The thumbsticks look similar, the face buttons are quieter but have a familiar vibe, and the dongles are almost identical too. This means that Forza and AK-olotl they’re going to feel similar, which is incredibly usable. But the difference is in the D-pad. I found it to have a bit more pivot to it, which made my jumps in Celeste a lot easier, and a better experience.
The pointy trigger concern is still visible, but not nearly as present. With a similar range of motion to the Nova Lite, I don’t find myself sliding to the end of the triggers nearly as much, which means I’m not resting my fingers in a painful place. This in combination with a slightly larger battery at 750mAh makes this the better choice in my book.
Even if it doesn’t have a case.
2. 8BitDo Ultimate 2C
- Battery: 480mAh (listed)
- Sticks and Triggers: Hall Effect
- Face Buttons and D-pad: Membrane
- Polling Rate: 1000hz 2.4ghz/Wired
- Gyro: No
- Rumble: Yes
- Weight: 220 grams
A classic company in the third-party controller world, the 8BitDo Ultimate 2C is what most of these companies are striving to beat. There’s nothing special about this controller outside of its R4 and L4 buttons on the back, but it does nearly everything right.
The triggers have good movement, the face buttons are nice, and the D-pad emphasizes directions well. Even the hall effect sticks move nicely and respond to every poor turn in Forza I make. Even its smaller 480mAh battery is great, as it still manages 19 hours of battery life in 2.4GHz mode. For 99% of people, this is probably the controller I’d recommend. But for those who want value in exchange for other things. I think I have my personal favorite to recommend.
Buy 8BitDo Ultimate 2C at AliExpress
1. Aolion K10
- Battery: 600mAh (listed)
- Sticks and Triggers: Hall Effect
- Face Buttons and D-pad: Membrane
- Polling Rate: “Up to 1000hz”
- Gyro: Yes
- Rumble: Yes
- Weight: 245 grams
A clear plastic value king. The evangelical omnipotent gaming controller hits up to 1000hz and comes with its own charging dock. There’s no L4 and R4, and there’s a lot of RGB to boot. The Aolion K10 has become my favorite controller of the bunch and there’s no doubt about it. In the past month, this is the one I’ve come back to for almost every game I play. Even as I venture out past my racing game-safe space, I go for the K10.
It’s not perfect. The shoulder buttons are clicky, but mine had different pressures on either side. The clear plastic is slick, and unfortunately, the grip is minimal so your hand cheese will be the only thing saving you from slipping into the unknown. But the rest of the controller covers everything else so well that I don’t mind. I simply love being able to put the controller down when I’m done and not worry about charging it.
For $25-$35 depending on the color you get, this is the one I’m happiest to recommend. It simply does nearly everything right. It even competes with the Gulikit KK3 Pro I was using for most of the year prior to this. But that’s all for me.
Final Words
In all honesty, out of all 9 of these controllers, I don’t truly think you can go wrong with any of them. With that being said though, I do believe there are a couple of options that I did miss when putting this list together. From what I’ve heard the EasySMX X10 is a better controller than the X05 for not a lot more money. Or if you want to stick to $20 specifically, the 8BitDo Ultimate C regularly drops to $20 on Aliexpress if you want to save a bit of extra money.
But if you’re looking for a PC-specific controller that uses a 2.4GHz connection, this list is going to cover a lot of bases for you. The only reason you need to spend more than this is if you’re looking for that one specific feature you need. And if that’s the case go for it.
Or I don’t know buy an Xbox Series Controller. They’re not 2.4GHz, but they’ll do basically everything. They usually drop down to $40 if you look around. I have three already. Send Help.
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