Fantech Revolver III Review: Hitting the Mark?

Everyone has a different definition of “Budget”. For handhelds that may be anything under $50. For controllers that may be anything under $50. For Keyboards that could be anything under $50. Actually, I think that’s just the pattern in the Google algorithm. Regardless, when shooting well below that number, you can still find a few good options for controllers.

Last year, one of the better picks was the Fantech Shooter III at $20-$25. Today, Fantech is back with something for the PlayStation enjoyers; the Fantech Revolver III. There’s definitely more to see than just the swapped sticks, so let’s take a look and see if Symmetrical sticks are really the answer for you.

Fantech Revolver III Specs

For the $25 asking price on the Fantech website, I think you’re getting a decent overall package, and if you’re looking for something to use with older PlayStation consoles, this could be the move overall.

Sticks and Triggers: Hall-Effect
Face Buttons and D-Pad: Membrane
Battery: 600mAh
Extra Features: M1-M2 Paddles, Adjustable Vibration, Turbo, Usable Software
Polling Rate: 1000hz Wired and over 2.4ghz
Connectivity: Wired and 2.4ghz
Listed Compatibility: Windows, Switch, Android, PS3, and PS4

Fantech Revolver III

What I Like

The Controls (Mostly)

Compared to the Shooter, the Revolver III features slightly grippier sticks, and while these are advertised as Gulikit Hall Sticks, the main point of promise is just how smooth they are in use. I’ve used cheap controllers that just grind along the edges as it’s rough plastic on rough plastic, but this isn’t that bad. It at least feels nice and smooth to use.

The Face buttons are a little bit stiffer than the Shooter and take a bit more force to press down; however, they work just as well as membrane buttons can. One thing to note is that they are spread out further than a standard Xbox controller or similar. While that may be a personal preference for some, it did take me a bit to get used to, and once I did, it was good.

The Triggers

The triggers themselves are something I actually find to be an improvement over their older Shooter III controller. The Revolver III features wider hall-effect triggers that are nice to move down and get to the bottom fairly quickly.

One thing to note is that their software does offer a quick trigger feature, which essentially means that the moment you press down on the trigger, they activate. For most, that will be fine as it essentially turns them into digital triggers with an analog actuation, and for me, that’s the case too. But stock out of the box, it works well as a pair of triggers.

The Dongle

Usually, a dongle isn’t much worth talking about, but in the case of the Revolver III, I just want to point out that it does really well in connecting automatically, and doesn’t have any issues with connectivity in my time testing.

The coolest thing, though, is that it’s a USB-A dongle, and a wide USB-C dongle if you remove a small portion of it. This makes it perfect for use with Android devices as well as on the Nintendo Switch (or Switch 2).

This one also feels more durable than my first C/A Dongle on my first Shooter III, which I was able to peel open like a banana on the first use. The two gripes come from the bright green LED on it, as well as its large, bulbous shape. Otherwise, it is a solid dongle as well.

What I Don’t

The D-pad

Maybe it’s just my unit, as variation is possible with cheaper devices, but the D-pad isn’t great. When doing my Celeste runs for diagonal testing, I found myself missing my upper right diagonals about 50% of the time, as trying to pivot off the top arrow on the D-pad would lead to me either going straight up or straight right. I also had this issue with down and to the left, so it could just be an issue with the D-pad.

Otherwise, if you just need single directions at a time, it works well. This is just a shame, as the D-pad is currently in the primary position when you’re using it.

The Ergonomics

Maybe it’s my lack of experience with DualShock and DualSense controllers, but ergonomically, it’s not quite right. The Revolver is a taller controller with longer grips when compared to the Shooter, and while it may make sense for reaching the sticks, they’re angled just right to where reaching for the sticks can be a stretch in its own way.

At the time of writing, when compared to a HexGaming Phantom, which is based on the DualSense for PS5, that one just feels more comfortable as a whole. But this is truly a “down to preference” dislike.

Software

When it comes to software, a lot of it you can take care of on the controller itself. From turbos, rumble, and macros to calibration and even face button layout swapping, though it doesn’t change physically. However, if you want to use their software to do it, it’s a perfectly palatable option as well.

Just like other Fantech options, it covers exactly this one controller, but it touches on every last feature of it, and it does the job well enough. I don’t like required software, and this isn’t required to use the Revolver III, so at the very least, this one will get some kind of a pass from me.

The Verdict

Coming into this, I felt that the biggest competition to the Revolver III would be its older brother, the Shooter III. In that sense, I was definitely correct, and in the end, I came away liking the Shooter III more than before.

But I think the true thing to watch for is some of Fantech’s upcoming Symm stick controllers instead. The Nova II seems to be listed on their website for just $30, and even the original Nova Pro is $30 as well, both of which come with a trackpad and dedicated PlayStation buttons.

The Revolver III is a decent budget option, especially if you want symmetrical sticks on the cheap. And if you want to use this with a PlayStation 3 or a Nintendo Switch, this is absolutely going to be fine for those.

But if you want an actual PlayStation experience at a budget price, I think there are better options. As it stands, I still really like the Shooter III, and if you can only afford one, that’s probably the one I’d go for instead.