I finally ditched the Xbox Series X controller for PC and Im not looking back

Date:
Wed, 16 Mar 2022 18:06:41 +0000

Description:
I found an 8BitDo SN30 Pro+ on my desk today, so of course I played some
Elden Ring with it. Im not going to look back.

FULL STORY ======================================================================

If you look around in the gaming scene long enough, youre going to find that
a lot of folks have their own special hardware that they swear up and down makes them better at the b est PC games . One of the advantages of using a gaming PC over something like a PS5 or an Xbox is that you have total flexibility in the peripherals and accessories you use with them.

And while controllers, gamepads whatever you may call them are more
commonly associated with game consoles, theyre an important part of any PC gamers arsenal, especially if youre playing Elden Ring as much as Ive been.

At home, Ive been using a standard Xbox Series X controller that I got
through the Xbox Design Lab. Its seen me through some of the hardest parts of Elden Ring, and through pretty much every third-party game thats come out
over the last couple of years. However, there is a controller that a lot of gamers secretly swear by: the 8BitDo SN30 Pro+.

Ive heard so much about it in the past, but this morning I walked into the office and there was one just sitting on my desk in its packaging for some reason. So, I did what any reasonable person would do. I downloaded Elden
Ring and put it to the test. The ultimate test

Everyone is talking about Elden Ring right now likely because its sold 12 million copies, according to a press release from the developer but games like it are the perfect test of a new PC controller.

Elden Ring will both put your reflexes to the test, and if there is an issue with a gamepad, youll know immediately. If a button doesnt register
sometimes, you are going to die. If a button gets stuck occasionally, youre going to die. And if youre using a wireless Bluetooth PC controller like the 8BitDo SN30 Pro+.

The unforgiving and precise nature of games like Elden Ring and Dark Souls is exactly what Im looking for when Im testing any piece of gaming hardware. Although, please never ask me to play these games with a mouse and keyboard
I dont deserve that level of torment.

But after about an hour of playing with the 8BitDo controller, I dont really want to put it down. (Image credit: Future) Rock-solid

When I first pulled the controller out of its package, I was shocked at how light it was. But, even though it weighs less than the Xbox Series X controller, it already had a battery pack in it an immediate point in its favor.

I had some problems setting it up initially, but only because I looked at the charging status LED and assumed that would be what would be blinking when I was trying to pair it with my PC. That just goes to prove that even if youre constantly opening and setting up new and shiny tech toys, you should always read the instructions that come packed with a device.

But even with how light the controller is, it doesnt feel like a cheap
plastic toy. The 8BitDo SN30 Pro+ is made of plastic, sure, but the body of the controller is rigid, and the buttons feel nice and crisp. Thats a weird word to describe how a button feels, but I cant really think of something
more accurate like taking a crunch on a fresh apple, but pressing your
finger down on a controller.

Pretty much any controller Ive ever picked up theres been a period of adjustment, where my muscle memory is adapting to the controller layout, the shape and even the weight of the thing. But with how comfortable this 8BitDo controller is, that adjustment period was minimal. The only thing that I
still cant get over is how skinny the D-Pad buttons are, but its not enough
to distract me from what Im playing. (Image credit: Nintendo) More than retro

It hasnt escaped me that these controllers are designed with retro gaming in mind, and Im rambling about how well it works for the most trendy modern game around. But in a lot of ways thats appropriate for a game like Elden Ring.

There arent any gimmicky features to the 8BitDo 30+ Pro that are completely unnecessary. I still dont know why the PS5 controller has a touchpad, and especially why the company thought it would be necessary to add it to the latest controller.

The 8BitDo SN30 Pro+ really is a stark contrast to the DualShock 5. Where
Sony felt the need to stuff its controller with a new vibration engine, shiny lights and an even bigger touchpad, the 8BitDo SN30 Pro+ skips all of that
and just focuses on what makes a controller good in the first place.

Its a bit early for me to say that its going to be a long-term win here for 8BitDo. I have only been using the controller for an hour or so, but I can already tell its going to be the controller I pack in my backpack. I use a
lot of gaming laptops for work, and its lightweight and easy Bluetooth
pairing means that I can easily carry this around without worrying about cables or dongles. (Image credit: Scuf) A whole new world

Whats perhaps more important is that the 8BitDo SN30 Pro+ has opened my eyes to other third-party controllers. I have to admit that when it comes to PC games, I typically just stick with the Xbox controller and call it good. I dont have to worry about compatibility issues, and the form factor is familiar.

But this controller is so good . The last time I used a third-party
controller was a Logitech F310 gamepad. I basically bought the thing because
I needed a gamepad for some game or another that I was playing back then and it was cheap. The thing is it felt cheap, too. The buttons were mushy and the cable was firm, and after a while, it simply stopped registering button presses sometimes.

After that, I moved on to the Dualshock 4 controller, due to the familiar stick layout, and called it good. I never really looked back at other controllers after that. But when I look around at the market, there are
dozens of controllers for PCs that look wonderful. Now I want to try more of them out, and its all thanks to 8BitDo. This controller showed me that sometimes, the grass really is greener on the other side. Here are the best gaming mice



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/news/i-finally-ditched-the-xbox-series-x-controller- for-pc-and-im-not-looking-back/


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