#d-pad

#d-pad

Playerbase is a community initiative that gives PlayStation gamers a chance to step into the games they play on their PS5 by getting their likeness scanned.

The EasySMX S10 Lite is the first third-party controller to offer native support for the Switch 2. It's an improvement on all non-Nintendo wireless controllers, which rely on macros to execute system-level commands, like GameChat, and require a strange, yet common first-time setup process to be able to wake the Switch 2.

Game controllers have not changed much in shape since the mid-1990s. They're still two-handed symmetrical slabs built around adult grip dimensions, loaded with enough buttons to pilot a small aircraft. For a 10-year-old just getting into gaming, picking one up for the first time is a bit like being handed a TV remote and told to perform surgery, no sweat.

Nintendo's Switch 2 Pro controller committed the one cardinal sin no gamepad should ever perpetrate: it made me lose. Nintendo's $90 first-party controller exclusive to the Switch 2 has large, snappy stickstoo snappy, in fact. Flicking the joystick from one side and releasing it will cause it to flick back so fast that the gamepad will register an input in the opposite direction.

The third-party market in 2025 is no longer playing catch-up. It's producing controllers with drift-proof magnetic sensors, modular physical architectures, trigger calibration measured in millimeters, and battery lives that nearly triple what Sony ships as standard. The gap has flipped.

Settling in for "just one more run" usually means your thumbs, wrists, or forearms start complaining long before the game is done. Most controllers are fixed objects that expect your body to adapt, which can lead to repetitive strain or numbness. You either push through the discomfort or take breaks that feel like interruptions, but rarely can you adjust the hardware itself to match how your hands actually feel in that moment.

Vertical mice promise ergonomic relief. MMO mice deliver tactical control. Pick one, because the market says you can't have both. Except SOLAKAKA apparently didn't get that memo. The E9 Pro arrives as the first vertical MMO mouse, featuring a 45 degree ergonomic grip alongside a 10 button thumb panel that would make World of Warcraft players weep with joy. It feels like the peripheral equivalent of discovering your favorite coffee shop also serves excellent ramen.

HELIX is a biomorphic controller concept that borrows its overall stance from an owl, symmetrical, balanced, and ready to move. It's designed to come apart and fit back together easily, working as a single controller or as two separate pieces. The flexible shape is meant to follow how players actually sit and shift during long sessions instead of forcing one rigid grip that starts to ache after the third hour.

The Android gaming handheld dubbed Pocket Super Knob 5000 has a knob that can be turned to select from one of the four performance profiles in games where the function is supported. One advantage that dedicated gaming handhelds have over a phone-controller setup is the freedom of a full-blown set of physical controls. This handheld is another example of a gaming console with a specific set of control inputs targeted at a niche set of gamers.

The Xbox Elite Series 2 Core Controller contains adjustable-tension thumbsticks. These allow you to adjust the tension to either loose or tight, based on what feels best for you. Shorter hair-trigger locks allow less travel, reducing the time it takes for actions to register. The wraparound rubberized grip covers the back and sides of the controller, providing additional grip during longer gaming sessions.

Textured grips on the triggers, bumpers, and back case make it easy to lock onto targets and stay on them, while the new hybrid D-pad offers incredibly accurate yet familiar input that gives you a competitive edge. Additionally, if the standard layout doesn't quite work for you, or you simply want more control over the way you play, you can also customize button mappings with the Xbox Accessories app.

A keyboard is more than the sum of its parts. To have a truly great typing experience, a lot has to come together-each aspect of a keyboard needs to be designed (or selected) with the rest of it in mind. But not every keyboard needs to strive for a great typing experience. Sometimes, they just need to get the job done. Take, for example, the Razer Huntsman V3 Pro.