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I'm not in charge of testing controllers here at GamesRadar+, Duncan's our go-to for gamepads. So while I might not have hundreds of dollars' worth of buttons to reach for at a moment's notice, I was able to get a good look at one of the market's cheapest options a couple of years ago, and I haven't needed to upgrade since.
That's why the EasySMX X10 is at the top of my recommendation list this Black Friday. If it were just $5 cheaper today, I'd be shouting it from the rooftops. The X10 has dropped to $29.99 in the past, a position I'm fairly confident we'll see again when Black Friday gaming deals really hit their stride. Right now, it's up for $35.99 at Amazon (and still worth it if you can't wait), but for the absolute lowest price possible, this is your early warning to watch this space.
I jumped at the chance to review the EasySMX X10 simply because it offered the clicky mechanical face buttons I'd been eyeing up on more premium Razer gamepads. For the price, though, you're getting much more than that - a solid battery life, comfortable rumble, Switch and PC compatibility, and easy-to-hit back buttons. All for much less than the rest of the best PC controllers.
Should you buy the EasySMX X10?
I've had the EasySMX X10 on my desk for over a year now, and I cart it out for everything from Clair Obscur to Doom: The Dark Ages. I've been more impressed by its longevity than its slew of features, considering the amount of time I've been hammering those buttons, but let's dive into what exactly you're getting for the price here.
First up, the very feature that drew me to this gamepad - those mechanical face buttons. I hate "mush" in anything that I'm using to control a game - so when premium Razer options started using clacky clickers in their gamepads, I was certainly intrigued. Outside of the general feel, these snappers perform much better in competitive gameplay, allowing for crisp repeat presses.
Then we get to that wireless connection, and I hit my first caveat. One thing I've noticed over the last year is that the EasySMX X10 is for PC players first, and living room players at a push. That's because both connections run through one USB dongle, and that signal strength weakens with distance. Sitting on a couch, I've struggled to maintain a sturdy tether when using an Asus ROG Ally, while everything runs smoothly up close and personal at my desk.
Other than that, you're getting a slick set of back buttons, a swappable face plate (I prefer the clean white look compared to the out-of-the-box gray experience), and nicely tensioned Hall effect joysticks.
For reference, Duncan's currently testing the GuliKit ES Pro (which is only $29.99 at Amazon). That drops your battery from 40 hours to 30, and kills those snappy mechanical buttons. It does, however, use newer TMR thumbsticks and introduces gyro controls.
The GameSir G7 SE is your next best bet, though. This is one of our favorite gamepads on the market, and comes with some back buttons and Hall effect sticks. Even at $44.99 (Amazon), though, you're still upping the price versus the X10, and you're even dropping back to a wired connection.
With all those gamepads considered, looking at the EasySMX X10 sitting next to me now as fresh as the day I pulled it out of the box, this is the gamepad I think you should be looking out for during next week's Black Friday deals.
- See all Black Friday controller deals at Amazon
- EasySMX X10 |
$39.99$35.99 at Amazon - GuliKit ES Pro | $29.99 at Amazon
- GameSir G7 Pro | $44.99 at Amazon
Keep an eye out for next week's Black Friday PS5 deals and Black Friday Nintendo Switch deals with our guides, or find more inspiration from the best Xbox Series X controllers on the market.
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