So im looking to buy a new 360 controller for my PC. My wireless one is so trashed that it time for a new one. So I will be buying a new wireless one and I would also like to try out a wired one as well. Anyone know which one I should buy? I have looked at the razer onza online and i am seeing its getting very mixed review any where from a great controller to total shit that falls apart. I will mostly be playing super meat boy and other non fps with it. Mostly racing games and anything thats not an fps. Also a very good D-pad is a must (for meatboy). Also can you use PS3 controllers on PC because I never thought of that but if I can then any good suggestion for good wired PS3 controllers will also help. Thanks everyone.

@Funzzo: I have the razer onza - so far I haven't had any problems with it, but the D-Pad may not be as good as the ones you get on other controllers - you can't "roll" your thumb on it as effectively, in my opinion. Other than that, it's pretty good.

You could just buy a regular ass 360 controller with a wire on it, you know, the ones they make for the 360. They totally work.

Just buy an official 360 pad. Stay away from any third party ones.

Your SOL on looking for a controller with a good d-pad. Best bet would be to pick up a FightPad and just swap to that when you dont need analog sticks. Another option is to find a USB Saturn controller but they are super rare and expensive. You can get knockoffs on ebay but the build quality is shite.

I would just stick with the Microsoft controller. You can get a PS3 controller working but its a hassle and it only shows up as a generic pc gamepad.

@Atramentous said:

Your SOL on looking for a controller with a good d-pad. Best bet would be to pick up a FightPad and just swap to that when you dont need analog sticks. Another option is to find a USB Saturn controller but they are super rare and expensive. You can get knockoffs on ebay but the build quality is shite.

I would just stick with the Microsoft controller. You can get a PS3 controller working but its a hassle and it only shows up as a generic pc gamepad.

Actually you can use a piece of software called MotionJoy with a PS3 controller that will emulate a 360 gamepad.

I've had really good luck with my microsoft controller.. But I dont play fighting games.

I was in a similar situation. I thought about getting the wireless gaming adapter for PC, which would allow me to use the xbox wirless controllers on it. That is actually the cheapest option if you already have the 360 controller. But I ended up getting the Madcatz officially licensed 360 control pad because I found them on sale. It's been a decent controller so far, has a two year warranty and the d-pad is much better then the stock 360 d-pad (haven't tried the silver xbox d-pad though). It feels like a solid controller and I've had no problems with it so far. Been playing Dirt 3 and Assassins Creed Revelations.

There is a way to use the PS3 controller on PC but you have to download third party drivers (MotionJoy). I've heard mixed things about the drivers, such it's possibly spyware, so I didn't want to try the PS3 controllers. Also, PC games seem to all have immediate compatibility with 360 controllers, so it was the better option.

@WinterSnowblind said:

Just buy an official 360 pad. Stay away from any third party ones.

This. Third party stuff are rarely reliable.

Thanks everyone for the input. I have a fight pad and like its d-pad but i hate the big flat buttons. also I hate the d-pad on the microsoft 360 controller. i guess ill try the razer if it sucks ill just take it back.

ps3 controller + motioninjoy

@JCTango said:

@Funzzo: I have the razer onza - so far I haven't had any problems with it, but the D-Pad may not be as good as the ones you get on other controllers - you can't "roll" your thumb on it as effectively, in my opinion. Other than that, it's pretty good.

See I would disagree about the D-pad, I've found that it is easier to roll with, but I will say that I still get tripped up on the Start and Select buttons.

@kyteki said:

I was in a similar situation. I thought about getting the wireless gaming adapter for PC, which would allow me to use the xbox wirless controllers on it. That is actually the cheapest option if you already have the 360 controller. But I ended up getting the Madcatz officially licensed 360 control pad because I found them on sale. It's been a decent controller so far, has a two year warranty and the d-pad is much better then the stock 360 d-pad (haven't tried the silver xbox d-pad though). It feels like a solid controller and I've had no problems with it so far. Been playing Dirt 3 and Assassins Creed Revelations.

There is a way to use the PS3 controller on PC but you have to download third party drivers (MotionJoy). I've heard mixed things about the drivers, such it's possibly spyware, so I didn't want to try the PS3 controllers. Also, PC games seem to all have immediate compatibility with 360 controllers, so it was the better option.

silver x-box d-pad???? Whats that?

@Funzzo: http://www.xbox.com/en-US/Xbox360/Accessories/Controllers/Xbox360WirelessControllerDPad

The d-pad can be adjusted to a different mode. I guess it's supposed to be more accurate then the regular pad, but I've never tried it.

Thanks everyone for all the info. Sorry bout the double post(damn IE9) I think I will get the Onza,the silver 360,and a PS3 controller just to see for sure which one I like. might keep all three. thanks again everyone.

If you looking for a good wired 360 controller with a good d-pad, try the Hori turbo pad ex 2. Handles all my fighting needs for tekken 6 and SF with ease. Plus it has an analog speed control on the pad, which can change the sensitivity of the analogs on the fly. Also it has a 6 button layout if you play street fighter or any other fighting games with 6 buttons. Its a great controller for the price. Real quality stuff.

http://www.amazon.com/Xbox-360-Pad-EX-Turbo-Black/dp/B002LT9PXQ

@Funzzo said:

silver x-box d-pad???? Whats that?

The newest model of 360 controllers that have the better 16 way d-pad as opposed to old 8-way, and a better plus sign layout. These can also "transform" to have the tradition 360 style pad for games that need more precise diagonal input. I have one of these and it is excellent. I use it mostly on a 360, but I also use it on my PC with the wireless 360 USB adapter. Unfortunately, as far as I know, these controllers only come as wireless, so you would have to pay the $60 for the controller plus the $20 or whatever the wireless adapter go for. If you have a PS3 controller already, there is a program, as others have said, that allows you to get it working on your PC with just the basic USB charging cable that comes with it. You can even have your dualshock emulate a 360 controller, so most games can recognize it and you can implement force feedback.

I just use a DS3 with Motioninjoy and a two dollar Bluetooth adapter. You can use the Six-axis for some Wii games on Dolphin, it can emulate a 360 controller so it can be used for games that use xinput like GFWL titles, and you can even emulate keyboard and mouse so if I just need some background noise I can just launch stuff from my bed without having to get up to load something new. That and it has an awesome dpad.