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Memorial Day is upon us, and that means that, while the Steam Controller goes in and out of stock due to popularity, there are plenty of others worth considering right now. I've gone hands-on with Valve's Steam Controller and reviewed it now, and along with all the other gamepads I've tested, I have a good idea of alternatives to go for if you have certain preferences.
Overall, Valve's new PC controller is in a league of its own - but that doesn't mean it's the best one out there, and that doesn't mean it's automatically the only one you should go for. The Steam Controller is excellent as a general-use pad, and its trackpads mean it is quite simply unmatched at letting you play mouse and keyboard games from your couch. But as a competitive, or even as a simple controller purchase for you to play the odd cozy game with? You can definitely do better, and you can almost certainly do cheaper too.
Memorial Day weekend is upon us, and while the controller deals I'm seeing aren't massive and aren't exactly widespread, you never know what might happen to prices as the next couple of days unfold. Either way, these are the alternatives to the Steam Controller I'd recommend right now.
Microswitch face buttons & D-pad
If the Steam Controller's fairly slow, membrane face buttons don't sound appealing to you, I understand where you're coming from. On another note, they're also shiny and are a total magnet for fingerprint smudges. If you'd much rather have clicky microswitch buttons under your thumb, I'm happy to say you have so many other choices right now. I'd say the majority of gamepads these days come with microswitches; in fact, the only ones that don't tend to lean into a more traditional feel, or just straight-up aren't trying to be "competitive" controllers.
If you're up for spending more money than you would on Valve's gamepad, I'd take a look at the Nacon Revolution X Unlimited. Annoyingly, this isn't one I'm seeing discounted anywhere, but I'm really happy to say that I'm finally seeing availability on its Xbox 360 Anniversary edition, which I've linked to below.
Of all the controllers I've tested, I think Nacon has developed the very best microswitch face buttons. They're clicky and have that responsive feel you're probably looking for, but they feel luxurious and almost mimic membrane in terms of their cushioned actuation. That last bit may put you off, but rest assured, they don't feel spongy, and a really short travel distance means they don't lose their speed.
Besides that, you get six extra buttons, lots of physical parts to swap around, and a similar big and broad feel to Valve's Steam Controller.
If you're looking for a cheaper alternative for this particular feature, I'd recommend looking at the GameSir G7 Pro, since it has similarly designed microswitch buttons as the one I described above, has four extra mappable buttons, and TMR thumbsticks.
- GameSir G7 Pro: $79.99 at Amazon | £89.99 at Amazon
A faster polling rate
One thing that is truly surprising about Valve's Steam Controller is that (at least at launch) it's locked to a 250Hz polling rate, which is far less than most PC and Xbox Series X controllers that have launched lately, which usually tend to give you a 1,000Hz speed.
There are loads of 1,000Hz controllers out there, so it's honestly worth looking around if this is something that bothers you. But just as an extreme alternative, a couple of gamepads have even taken things to the absolute limit by providing an 8K polling rate. First was the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro 8K, which strips back the weight and feel of the popular Xbox controller for an Esports-facing, super-speedy pro controller that makes a mockery of latency.
You might think that 8,000Hz is overkill, and you'd be right. Honestly, past a certain point, there will be no way for a human nervous system to register the differences in that kind of speed, or at least, have the reaction skills for it to really make a difference. What you're buying here is peace of mind that latency isn't going to hamper your performance, and insurance that a TMR controller is being used to its full potential.
- Razer Wolverine V3 Pro 8K: $199.99 at Amazon | £179.99 at Amazon
Then again, if you're looking to save some money, you could wait and grab the new GameSir G7 Pro 8K PC model when it's released? That way you'll still get the super-fast polling rate but won't miss out on the rumble motors in the grips. That'll cost you $89.99 at Amazon when GameSir makes it available, or you can pre-order it through the brand's website now.
Trigger stops and swappable parts
If you were interested in the Steam Controller but you're disappointed by its lack of customization and on-board playstyle switch-ups, I don't blame you. The ability to make a controller your own in this day and age is paramount for competitive players, and gives you a lot of value for money.
The alternative I'd look to, which gives you trigger stops and a case full of swappable parts, is the Victrix Pro BFG for Xbox. It has a modular design, so it really acts as a blank canvas for you to make your own, depending on the game you want to play and your own preferences as to where you want the sticks to be.
If you're looking to spend as little as possible, I can also recommend the PowerA OPS V3 Pro, which doesn't have as much in the way of swappable parts, but has an impressive amount of customization hiding just under its surface. Its thumbstick heights can be adjusted by twisting them - no annoying bits to potentially lose and no faff of trying to actually swap them around with tools. And, of course, it has some trigger stop switches on the back. It's seeing a big reduction over at Amazon which lets you get it in your hands for $40 less than a Steam Controller.
- PowerA OPS V3 Pro: $69 at Amazon | £29 at Amazon
Convenience
One of my least favorite things about the Steam Controller is that assigning back buttons and map profiles happens on a per-game basis. It is the "Steam" controller, so I see why this is the case, but you're locked to the Steam menus if you want to play around, and the Steam Controller menus are not the best. This made me miss my time with the Manba One controller, which moves all of its customization (including deadzones and vibration adjustments) to its onboard display.
It's amazing having all of that customization at your fingertips at all times, and it's one I'd absolutely recommend if you'd rather not make a new profile for each game you play. Admittedly, it's missing some trackpads that'd make it a real rival across all the mouse and keyboard-optimized games the Steam Controller thrives in - but then again, so are all of the alternatives on this list.
The cool thing about the Manba One is that it's already a really cheap alternative, so it's pretty tough to find an even more affordable option. It helps that this is a great controller in its own right too, even if you don't use its integrated screen.
Check out the best Nintendo Switch 2 controllers for more inspiration, or hit the starting grid with the best racing wheels for PC.
