This Hall effect controller with six extra buttons is supremely underrated, and it's half off right now

A reviewer holding the PowerA OPS V3 — (Image credit: Future / Duncan Robertson)

In a very competitive controller market, it's very easy for hidden gems to fly under the radar. In my opinion, the PowerA OPS V3 is currently doing exactly that. If you're searching for the best PC controller, chances are you'll have run into brands like GameSir, FlyDigi, Gulikit, or even bigger names like Razer and Turtle Beach. But PowerA keeps a pretty low profile, and I'm not exactly sure why.

The TLDR here is that this brand has a Hall Effect controller with six additional, mappable buttons, and ingenious, quick-twist, height-adjusting thumbsticks. Right now, it's 50% off. If you ask me, its launch price of $99.99 still isn't bad for what you get here, but for $49.99 at Amazon, you're getting more functionality than those other brands and at a fraction of the price.

PowerA maybe doesn't get the attention it deserves at the most competitive end of the market because most of the time, you'll find the brand mainly focusing on the budget side of things. If you've looked into Nintendo-flavored controllers adorned with Kirby, Mario, or your favorite Pokémon, you'll likely have found PowerA on your own. For that reason, I feel people may look past its competitive options that try to cater to the "pro" gamers.

But I think those gamers are missing a trick here. The PowerA OPS V3 is just as worthy of your cash as any other pro controller at the moment - and the Xbox equivalent, the PowerA Fusion Pro, has been sitting on our Xbox controller leaderboard for a while now, and not simply because of its stunning ghost RGB.

A reviewer extending the PowerA OPS V3's thumbsticks by twisting them — (Image credit: Future / Duncan Robertson)

The OPS V3 has four back buttons that are integrated well, giving you lots of scope for mapping extra functions in FPS games and PC/keyboard-optimized titles. But you also get the best of both worlds with two additional bumper buttons. Okay, you may not get that stunning ghost RGB lighting, but the OPS V3 has its own form of RGB eyeliner that highlights the product's facial elements.

But maybe more than any of this controller's features, my favorite has to be the twisting thumbsticks. So many controllers fall short of the mark for me, either making swappable thumbsticks such a faffy thing to swap out, or just not catering to that need at all. But PowerA has such a clever solution. No annoying, easily lost swappable thumbsticks in the box, just one set of thumbsticks you can adjust by twisting them in either direction. It's so easy to do that you can actually swap thumbstick height mid-match. If you switch to a sniper in an FPS game, you could give the stick a quick twist so it's taller, and all of a sudden, you have even more accuracy for small adjustments.

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The RGB lighting on the PowerA OPS V3 set to green — (Image credit: Future / Duncan Robertson)

It's kind of perplexing to me that this controller hasn't made more of a name for itself by offering this much value for money - even when it's at full price. It's easy to see that the controller market is super competitive right now, so it's no surprise that some products can fly under the radar, but even the reasons to avoid the OPS V3 aren't dealbreakers.

The texture on the grips is a tad overwhelming and does attract dust. The back buttons could maybe be a little lower down the controller's grips, and occassionally, you'll get a bit of a stuttery connection in wireless mode. Again, slight gripes, but not reasons to write the OPS V3 off by any means.

Especially while it's $49, the OPS V3 is so worth investing in. Right now, you're getting more functionality than the GameSir G7 Pro, the GameSir Cyclone 2, and even the Gulikit KK3 Max for less money.

Also see the best mobile controllers, the best PS5 controllers, and the best Switch 2 controllers.

One of my earliest memories is playing SuperMario64 and wondering why the controller I held had three grips, but I only had two hands. Ever since I've been in love with video games and their technology. After graduating from Edinburgh Napier University with a degree in Journalism, I contributed to the Scottish Games Network and completed an Editorial Internship at Expert Reviews. Over the last decade, I’ve been managing my own YouTube channel about my love of games too. These days, I'm one of the resident hardware nerds at GamesRadar+, and I take the lead on our coverage of gaming PCs, VR, controllers, gaming chairs, and content creation gear. Now, I better stop myself here before I get talking about my favourite games like HUNT: Showdown, Dishonored, and Towerfall Ascension.

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