You can adjust the thumbstick tension of this Xbox controller with a quick twist in either direction, and that impacted my gameplay in more ways than I expected

The Flydigi Vader 4 Pro earned the lowest review score of anything I've tested in my time as Hardware Editor and resident controller nerd here at GamesRadar+. After hearing glowing reviews about it all over Reddit, I was faced with a PC controller that literally bricked itself, and a brand that made its software so difficult to access that most of my time testing it was spent just trying to assign its extra buttons to actually work.

But here I am with the successor, the Flydigi Vader 5S in front of me, and it's a different story entirely. Flydigi has already impressed me in 2026 with its Apex 5 gamepad, and I'm glad to say this brand has gone from strength to strength with the Vader 5S. It marks the first-ever officially licensed Xbox Series X controller from this brand, and that's forced some quality assurance changes into place that I'm very happy about.

For $85.99 / £50, it comes in under some of the other wired-only Xbox controllers we've seen from bigger brands in recent times. Depending on which one you're considering, it could also be said that it's a bit expensive for a wired-only controller. Still, I think it gets by on account of offering adjustable thumbstick tension, something that's really unique in the Xbox controller pantheon. Does that make it right for you?

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Design

The Flydigi Vader 5S is the Xbox-flavoured sidekick to the official Vader 5 Pro. The full-fat Vader 5 Pro isn't compatible with Xbox, but it does have the Flydigi Apex 5's excellent back button/paddle hybrid setup that nets it a total of 8 extra buttons from a typical gamepad. It also gets wireless play and a price tag of $79.99, but doesn't have access to the more accessible software available for the Xbox version.

So what we have with the Vader 5S is a slightly more expensive controller than its sibling, which functionally does less and has fewer features than the Vader 5 Pro. An interesting setup, but one absolutely born out of the fact that paying for Xbox licensing demands a higher price for both peripheral maker and its consumers.

Besides those differences, the Vader 5S shares the same body and design language as its Pro model, and a very similar look and feel to the Flydigi Vader 4 Pro. It adds a beautiful strip of RGB along the bottom of the controller's face, which frames its black and gold visage with a premium look. If there's one thing aesthetically I'm not a fan of with the Vader 5S, it's the clear face buttons, which don't really align with the rest of the product's design language. Of course, the additional two face buttons are just a standard black color, which almost camouflages them into the gamepad's body.

Overall, the Vader 5S has a really sturdy feel to it. The materials used for the chassis have a really great mix of textures, which adds some grip, and there's little to no flex or creakiness as I try to bend the controller and twist it. This thing is solid, and it's clear that some effort has been made to make it worthy of its price.

Features

Turning the Vader 5S over, you'll see two standard back buttons integrated into its upper grips. These are a bit small for my liking, and could ideally be placed lower down, but I imagine they've been kept consistent with their placement on the Vader 5 Pro, which are most likely placed this high so there's room for the bottom pair.

It's somewhat ironic that the two additional face buttons blend into the body of the controller, because in all honesty, they feel a little too far down for me to ever find them with my thumb. Of course, these have been designed for fighting games first and foremost, which most players will use a different grip for and be able to actuate like an arcade fightstick controller. That's a decent bit of versatility for the Vader 5 controllers you won't find elsewhere, but not one I think a lot of gamers who aren't fighting game aficionados will get use out of.

Then again, maybe that's just my preference. It doesn't help things that these two extra face buttons don't sync up with the central face buttons, which are microswitches. The clicky feel differentiates those, but the two small plastic buttons underneath end up feeling a bit unsatisfying in practice.

Topping off the extra buttons are an additional pair of bumper or shoulder buttons. These are placed well, they actuate clearly with strong feedback, and they're easy to find.

The main draw to the Vader controllers, for many, will be their adjustable thumbstick tension. This is something that's super unique in the controller market, and even if a few outliers do allow you to fine-tune this aspect, many will make you grab a tool, disassemble part of your gamepad, or otherwise demand a bit of a faff from you to make the most of. With the Flydigi Vader 5S, a simple twist of the thumbstick gates will tighten or loosen the tension, and there's a really good range of tension for you to test out. This is by far my favorite aspect of this controller, and one that proved to have so many functional uses during testing.

A word on software

One of the biggest reasons I've been so eager to steer people away from Flydigi as a brand since my review of the Flydigi Vader 4 Pro is due to the experience I had with its software. Long story short, as someone in the UK, I've been unable to access the Flydigi Space Station or Game Centre app that you need to use to get the full use out of one of this brand's products. Whenever I try to access Flydigi's website, I'm met with security issues on any browser that block me from accessing it, and downloading the software, contacting support, or otherwise looking up warranties and manuals for the controllers becomes impossible.

The same is true of the Flydigi Apex 5, but thankfully, due to its onboard display and menu, I didn't have to access the software to make full use of the controller's features.

With the Vader 5S, things are looking up because to secure licensing from Microsoft, a version of Game Station has had to be made for the Microsoft store to keep in line with Xbox's controller product standards. This made it very easy for me to access what is actually a pretty simplistic piece of software to fine-tune aspects of the Vader 5S. Opening it up, there are menus for button assignment, thumbstick and trigger deadzone tuning, and RGB customization. That's it, it's not the deepest controller software I've used, but it has what you need to ensure you're getting the most out of your purchase.

It would make sense to me that this fully accessible application was granted support to all Flydigi products so that the problems I've raised won't be a barrier to entry anymore, but at the time of writing, that hasn't happened. I've asked my contact at Flydigi for a reason why, or for any indication that wider product support will be given in the future, and things do seem to be looking up.

I've been told that "The current Space Station software on Microsoft Store is exclusively built for Xbox licensed Vader series controllers, which is a mandatory requirement set by Microsoft for all its licensed peripherals. That’s why it cannot support our other non-licensed Flydigi controllers for now. We do keep the possibility open to expand its compatibility with more new Xbox licensed controllers in the future."

"Our team is already evaluating and pushing forward the plan to launch the general Flydigi Game Center onto more mainstream official platforms besides our official website. We aim to make our software much easier and more secure for global users to download and use, avoiding browser security blocks and access failures," Flydigi's reply read.

While that points to a brighter time ahead for Flydigi's controllers in the broader market, the fact that the Vader 5S does offer some solace in that regard is a reason I'm happier to recommend it.

Performance

The Vader 5S performed well across all genres, and I think there's a lot to be said for this controller's versatility in lots of different games. But what makes it even more versatile than its design is its ability to lean into different genres with adjustable thumbstick tension.

In first-person shooters like Hunt: Showdown, having some extra buttons goes a long way to making you feel like you don't need to take your thumbs off the sticks, but aiming those sticks is going to be vital in securing wins. Everyone can head into the settings menu and fiddle around with sensitivities and deadzones, but the hidden element that hardly anyone takes into account with controllers is the tension differentials in each gamepad. Some prefer looser tension, as found on the Nacon Revolution X Unlimited, and some prefer a much tighter tension.

We don't often get the chance to change how a thumbstick feels to flick around, and it can dictate so much of our ability to gel with one. The joy of the Vader 5S is being able to find the exact feel you prefer, and either keep it that way across each game you play, or adjust it game-to-game.

While Hunting, I had a great time adjusting the thumbstick tension to my loadout. Playing with a Sniper, I'd use slightly looser tension so I could make the micro adjustments to account for bullet drop and muzzle velocity. Going guns blazing with a shotgun, I'd turn the tension up so that flicks felt more responsive and speedier.

This was the name of the game across all genres. In platformers, I could find the exact feel I wanted, in third-person games like Crimson Desert and Sable, I could just focus on what felt most comfortable. It's slightly disappointing that the Vader 5S isn't a TMR controller, because that really could have ramped things up a notch or two, but being able to adjust tension does give these Hall sensor sticks an added usability that some gamers might actually prefer.

As for the other aspects of the Vader 5S, they're certainly good, but don't feel like standouts compared to rival controllers on the shelves. These microswitch buttons feel responsive, the back buttons are okay, albeit a bit small and high up, and the additional bumpers are good. The D-pad is really great, with an ergonomic shape that makes its 8-way directions easy to control. The two extra face buttons aren't really my bag, but will no doubt be a reason to buy for some fighting game enthusiasts. It's the thumbstick tension that really left an impression on me, but it's hard to recommend that as the sole reason to buy.

Should you buy the Flydigi Vader 5S?

Running against other officially licensed wired Xbox controllers, the Vader 5S has a tough race ahead of it. The GameSir G7 SE is a budget king, the Hyperkin Competitor offers a symmetrical layout, the Scuf Valor Pro offers a fairly conclusive pro controller package for $99, and the Razer Wolverine V3 TE gives you all the competitive, responsive feel that you could want for a similar $99.

The Vader 5S offers its own unique spin. It's a great all-rounder with a really standout feature to its name. While it can function as a pro controller with six extra buttons in all genres, it's going to offer fighting game enthusiasts in particular, something special, and tunable thumbstick tension is a really novel perk you won't find elsewhere in the Xbox market.

For how much it costs, I'd recommend the Vader 5S, but the problem is that it doesn't do anything that those other wired controllers do, besides that customizable thumbstick tension. Even the Victrix Pro BFG for Xbox and the Turtle Beach Stealth Pivot can give you a fightpad option.

For a first crack at this particular niche in the controller market, this is an impressive outing from Flydigi. I'd be much more interested in a "pro" model, though, because it feels like this peripheral is being held back by its price when it wants to be a competitive controller that takes on the biggest brands in the space. The full-fat Vader 5 Pro certainly attests to that.

A wireless version of this product with a charging stand, case, swappable thumbstick tops, wireless play, and two more back buttons would be a force to be reckoned with, and I hope that's where all roads lead for Flydigi.

How I tested the Flydigi Vader 5S

I adopted the Flydigi Vader 5S controller into my gaming setup for a few weeks before writing this review. In that time, I played with it in all sorts of gaming genres, from FPS games to third-person adventures, to 2D platformers and fighting games. Most of my time spent testing it was having fun with the novel ability to adjust the thumbstick tension and seeing how it impacted my gameplay.

I used the version of Flydigi's software that can be found on the Microsoft Store to fine-tune its other aspects.

For more on how we test controllers, check out the full-length GamesRadar+ Hardware Policy.

Still searching for your ideal gamepad? Take a look at my list of the best PS5 controllers, the best Nintendo Switch 2 controllers, and the best joysticks.