3rd party controllers have always been sort of hit and miss in gaming with some being very cheap knockoffs and others being suprisingly great. What are the best ones you've used over the years?

(For PC I'd also say any controller counts that isn't Xbox or Steam)

Hori Mini Pad (Nintendo 64)

Snack Box Micro (Multiconsole)

The 8bitdo Ultimate 2 Wireless controller has been the best controller I've ever used. The bundled charging dock that also houses the dongle is an awesome convenience. The controller auto connects in less than a second after being removed from the dock thanks to 8bitdo's "8Speed" wireless tech that's supposed to have ultra low latency as low as 1ms. And I believe it lol. Doesn't matter how far it is, I haven't experienced any sort of lag from the controller. Very rock solid connection.

And as far as the controller itself, it has a really nice feel somewhere between a Switch Pro and Xbox Series controller. Has a lot of standard features you come to expect like TMR joysticks, back buttons, built in memory for profiles, 6-axis gyro controls, the ability to switch between tactile triggers and hair triggers, and of course a software suite to customize everything. They also added in a third programmable shoulder button that could be useful in specific scenarios.

But overall, the controller feels amazing to use with an even better connection. I'll be using this controller for a long time!

Can't remember the name or make but I had a third party PS3 controller which felt way better than the official one thanks to being bigger, more ergonomic, and having better triggers. Never liked Dualshock 3.

Every other system I've had I only used official controllers.

I’ve used a few 3rd party controllers, and some of them were surprisingly good! One of my favorites is the 8BitDo controllers they feel solid, work well with different systems, and have a cool retro look. I also liked the PowerA controllers for the Switch they’re comfortable and more affordable than the official ones. It’s great to see good quality options out there!

For PC + Switch: 8BitDo Ultimate, was £45 when I bought it, came with a charging dock. Has bluetooth, and 2.4ghz and Nintendo Switch support. Hall Effect sticks. Basically just a better Xbox controller. Currently it's only £36 on Amazon so it's an even better deal. It has motion control support also so it's perfect for Switch, I don't know why I would ever consider Nintendo's official controller over this.

EasySMX 05 was a decent budget pickup. I got it for only £24 on Amazon and it's a fine controller. Not as good as the 8bitdo but super cheap and also has Switch support too.

For other consoles I haven't had a third party controller since the PS2/Xbox/GC/Wii. None of them were better than the official controller or really note worthy.

I have never used a third-party controller that I liked more than first party. Ever.

The 8bitdo Ultimate controller is of superior quality to the Switch Pro controller. I also like the Retro Fighters Wireless Dreamcast controller. I hate PS2 controllers, so right now when I play PS2, I use the Retro Fighters Defender controller.. Even has the analog face buttons.

The 8bitdo Ultimate 2 Wireless controller is by far the best controller I've played with, far exceeds any first party controller.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DR8Y5W6Z

Been playing FF Tactics on Steam with it and have to say, have had no issues at all with it - imo way better than Dualsense, Xbox Series and the Switch controllers.

Its like a hybrid of the Switch Pro and Xbox Series controllers with its own unique differences.

-TMR sticks, so a more effective version than hall effect
-hall effect triggers
-additional customizable buttons
-Comes with a dock station and a 2.4 ghz dongle/adapter that you can plug in directly or use through the dock to connect
-Choice of going bluetooth or 2.4
-RGB joy sticks with different styles

I paired it to my iphone and works flawlessly.

Also works instant with Steam due to xinput - have had issues with my Xbox series and Dualsense in syncing but this controller had no issues whatsoever.

Highly recommend it, I bought it when it was on pre-prime day sale late last week.

It also had the best feeling to it, the size and grip - it was really comfortable. Cheaper than the first party controllers but has a lot of great aspects to it that the first party controllers lack.

Here's some pictures of mine - I bought the Cosmic Purple one (so it matches my Cosmic purple Dualsense which I got for PC gaming lol)

Hori are the only third party controllers I’ve liked since Atari days. I used to like the Slik Stik back then.