Controllers are among the most consistently discounted gaming products in November, and unlike most of the categories around them, the discounts tend to be real. They are also the component most likely to have a genuine fault you have been putting up with.
The drift question
Stick drift — the controller registering movement when you are not touching it — is the most common hardware failure in modern gaming. It is caused by wear in the potentiometer-based sticks used in most standard controllers, and it is a matter of when rather than if.
Before you buy, work out whether you should. Warranty repair is free if you are inside the window, and stick modules can be replaced by a competent hand for a fraction of a new controller. Our full decision framework is in controller drift: repair, replace or buy Hall effect.
Hall effect and TMR
These are magnetic sensing technologies that eliminate the physical contact wear causing drift. They were an enthusiast feature two years ago and are now available across the mainstream price range, which is the single most useful thing to know when looking at controller deals.
| Stick type | Drift risk | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Standard potentiometer | The usual failure over time | What most first-party controllers still use |
| Hall effect | Effectively eliminates contact wear | Widely available now, including on budget third-party pads |
| TMR | Similar benefit | Newer, generally lower power draw, appearing across more products |
What to buy for what
- A drifting first-party pad: consider repair first, then a Hall effect replacement. This is the most common genuine need.
- Local multiplayer: a second or third pad. This is where cheap third-party controllers are perfectly adequate — see the couch co-op setup guide.
- PC gaming: the field is wider and the value better. Our picks are in the best PC controllers.
- Fighting games: a pad is genuinely fine for most people. Whether a stick is worth it is covered in are arcade sticks worth buying.
- Racing and flight: different categories entirely — wheels and flight sticks.
Judging the deal
What works
- Discounts on controllers are usually genuine rather than manufactured
- Special edition colourways of first-party pads often discount hardest with identical internals
- Hall effect pads at mainstream prices are the best value in this category right now
- A second controller is one of the few purchases that improves games you already own
What doesn't
- Do not buy a premium 'pro' controller unless you know exactly which of its features you want
- Beware very cheap unbranded pads — the sticks are usually the corner that got cut
- Charging docks and grips are low-value additions marketed hard this week
- One good controller beats three mediocre ones unless you play locally