This feels familiar…
When I recently moved I discovered ten third party controllers that I forgot I had, and discovered five I forgot had existed. The world of third party controllers has changed so much over the years. During the PS2 era it was always about finding something comparable at a lower price, nowadays these controllers are trying to offer additional functionality and design changes to make them more appealing as a replacement as opposed to a backup. This includes designing controllers that mimic the design of other consoles.
We have seen numerous controllers for PS5 that use the Xbox philosophy. Offset analog sticks are a big thing for a lot of people, but rarely do we see the reverse. Hyperkin is looking to change that with the Competitor. This new controller designed specifically for Xbox and PC instead mimics the design of the new Dual Sense controller, complete with symmetrical analog sticks. We can argue all day long about which is superior, it is completely subjective, but one thing is clear, everyone has their own preference.
MSRP: $49.99
Platform: Xbox/PC
Price I’d Pay: $49.99
OK, for the easy stuff first, what is in the box. We get the controller itself, two replaceable thumbsticks and the connection cable. That is it. This is a wired controller at its core, and thankfully priced as such, so there is no dongle or extra pieces to worry about here. The extra thumbsticks just swap between convex and concave if you have a preference. It is a simple package, it is clear what this controller is setting out to do.
With it being wired there is no need for a battery or extra tech inside, which makes it a lightweight controller. So if you prefer a weighty experience, you won’t find it here. The triggers have hall effects and feel fantastic. Pushing them with just the right amount of pressure really works. Make no mistake though, this is NOT a Dual Sense. It does not have any of the main features of that controller such as force feedback and touch controls, it is still an Xbox/PC controller. The face buttons feel fine with a sharper edge than the original Xbox controller and the dpad mimics Sony’s design with the separated directions. It is miles better than the Xbox one with its clicky nonsense, but still not the best I have ever experienced.
As with every modern third-party controller it does have a set of back buttons. There are two in total and they rest perfectly where your middle fingers usually rest. They are obvious when holding the controller and easy to press. What i love is that each one has a switch that locks them, so I don’t hit them by mistake. They are easily programmable using the other button on the back of the controller, so I could take or leave them. Most of the time I set one to jump and one to reload for games like Overwatch, so I never have to remove my thumb from the right analog.
After spending a week or so using the controller exclusively, I actually enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I am not a huge fan of symmetrical thumbsticks, but the simplicity of this design works great. It feels good and smooth in the hands, and the analog sticks have a great amount of travel. The triggers are also excellent for shooters. The dpad is outstanding for 2D games, and nothing about it really bothered me when using it. Its biggest downfalls are the fact that if you don’t prefer the analog placement, this won’t change your mind. It is also only wired, which is an immediate deal breaker for a ton of people.
The Hyperkin Competitor is a very solid offering with some big drawbacks when it comes to preference. Still, I really enjoyed using it and think if they spiced it up and added a wireless mode would really make it stand out. Still at $50 it is a fantastic deal, and I really cannot stress how much I liked the triggers and the dpad. Sometimes simplicity is king. Definitely worth checking out if you don’t mind a wired controller and are looking for a Dual Sense-inspired offering for your Xbox or PC at half the price.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
