I don’t need anything special or pricey, just a basic controller that does basic controller things.

I’ve tried a few generic controllers, but they have issues with bluetooth, battery life, and automatically shutting off too early from idling.

Does anyone know of any generic controllers that don’t have these issues? I don’t mind if the battery life isn’t the same or better than official controllers, but they shouldn’t straight up lie about the capacity. It should be illegal.

Update: I ended up going with a generic PS4 controller from Walmart. The brand is Yuoy, which I am unfamiliar with but I’m willing to see for myself how good their controller is.

This is the one I got https://www.walmart.com/ip/seort/5486552170 and so far I am satisfied. It’s a bit heavier than the other generic controllers I have, which I hope is a sign of a bigger battery. The d-pad isn’t quite as good as the legendary Sony d-pads, but I’m getting used to it. It’s not nearly as bad as the 360 or logitech d-pads, for example. I think it’s pretty good.

I’m also not having the issue with it turning off after 5 minutes of idle time. So far, it hasn’t turned off at all from idling. I’m not sure if there’s no auto-shutoff at all, or it may just be respecting my Steam setting to have it shut off after an hour of idle time. I don’t feel like testing it right now.

So far, for $17 this controller seems to be acceptable. I’d still like to shut off the touchpad, but that’s not really the controller’s fault.

I will continue testing and update this if I have any issues. As it stands right now, I’m looking forward to getting another one and hope it’s the same.

Update: I am having issues reconnecting the controller after I disconnect it with bluetooth. I need to go through the re-pairing process by holding the share button (select) and the PS button. The controller shows up as connected for a few seconds, then goes back with the other disconnected devices saying the connection failed. This is a big issue. I will try to see if I can find an easy fix, if not then this is enough to make me return the controller.

Here’s a video documenting the issue: https://freediverse.com/w/2DVMHpkjaA4rcX8WqhuKts

  • chronicledmonocle@lemmy.worldEnglish
    2·
    3 days ago

    If you want to go as cheap as possible while retaining usable status, I’d recommend generic Xbox 360 controllers. You can get deals on two of them in a set for sub-$20 and they’re usually fine functionally. They will have cheap sticks and poor build quality, but they take AA or the Play N Charge packs and their 2.4ghz dongles they come with work on Linux perfectly for every “brand” I’ve tried.

    If you want a nice non-Xbox/PlayStation controller, as others have said: get an 8BitDo.

    Don’t bother with anything else. I’ve bought plenty of generic Switch controllers, off brand Xbox or PlayStation controllers, etc. They all lead to pain, connection issues, and frustration. ESPECIALLY if they’re Bluetooth. You might be OK if they come with a dongle for 2.4ghz, but even those are spotty sometimes and often have range issues.