$10 controller review (Gaming)

by stabbim , Des Moines, IA, USA, Thursday, January 25, 2018, 10:12 (2276 days ago)

This concerns the "PowerA" brand controllers that often show up on NewEgg or NewEggFlash's sale emails. Example (sale isn't currently active).

I wanted a spare controller for VERY occasional local co-op, and hey, 10 bucks. Thought I'd relate my experiences in case anyone else is looking for the same thing.

Basic function is actually pretty good. It feels OK in the hand, if a bit lighter than the normal XBone controller (which feels pretty flimsy to start with, TBH). The button actions and joystick feel are good, and I've been able to pick up and play Destiny with no real issues. Unlike some generic controllers I've used in the past (a LONG time ago, like original XBox days), the joysticks aren't hyper-sensitive or set in concrete. They just feel normal. The only different is that the actionable area on the bumpers is smaller, so you have to be more accurate when hitting those. Vibration is noticeably cheaper-feeling, though.

It is wired only. I actually consider that a good thing, but YMMV.

Some reviews have stated issues with buttons sticking, I haven't experienced that at all.

There is a bit of weirdness with the audio jack/chat, though. They've done something weird with the way they're getting audio from the console, and as long as the controller is plugged in, the console thinks I have a headset connected. I can see the icon change in party chat when I plug it in. And it's not just the icon - Kinect chat actually stops working when I plug the controller in. Others can't hear me, but I also can't hear them - it's apparently routing their voices to the controller. But the problems don't stop when I plug the chat headset in (and to be clear, it is a CHAT headset, not a surround headset - I do not want one of those, for reasons that I'm tired of explaining/justifying). Once the headset is connected, others can hear me, and I can hear them. At least, I can hear them IF there's nothing happening in-game. For reasons I can't quite figure out, ALL system audio is routed to the chat headset in addition to the voice chat. Not just the game sounds, but even the bleeps and bloops from the XBone system menus. It's still coming out of the speakers, too, it's just ADDITIONALLY in my ear. And it's incredibly loud, so much so that I cannot hear anyone if there's a single gun firing or enemy grunting. The XBone does have a mixer setting, but when I move the slider, it has no apparent effect, and when I go back into that menu later, it's moved back to the default spot. I was once, briefly, able to enable the "mute headset mic" option (which, confusingly, muted the game audio that was coming into my headset, rather than muting MY microphone), but the setting re-enabled itself after a few seconds, and the problem came back. I was never able to turn that off again, even briefly.

So, the verdict is that it works quite well, provided you are alone, or playing with someone in the same room. If you're trying to use a chat headset or Kinect chat, forget it.