Modular superiority

I am in the minority when it comes to the Dual Sense controller for PS5. The design makes my hands sore after extended use and the battery life is just plain disappointing. I am always looking for a replacement option but few companies make a controller with the same quality Sony produces. The latest attempt comes in the form of a premium modular controller from PDP. This controller comes with a ton of features and a hefty price tag which makes a purchasing decision tough. Is a controller ever worth nearly $200? Well if you are looking for options and quality the Pro BFG may just be your best option yet.

Let’s kick things off with the design and what is in the box. Upon receiving the controller it immediately screams quality. The box it comes in is super well made. Then opening it up we are presented with the usually carrying case complete with all the extra pieces and controller modules. There is a very long braided USB C cable, a USB dongle, extra analog toppers, the fight pad module and a host of other bits and pieces. It can feel overwhelming at first, but if you have ever had a premium controller these are all standard inclusions.

One of the biggest tests is holding a controller for the first time. The Pro BFG feels fantastic with its combination of plastic and rubber grips. It feels premium without overbearing. I am a huge proponent of offset sticks. I feel like this is the way it is meant to be (sorry Sony, you are wrong) so having the option to flip the left module is a godsend. The right hand module can be swapped out for a fight pad, but I have issues with this piece. The buttons feel a little too clicky and the positioning is just bad. The X and Square buttons are too close to the d-pad and it doesn’t feel natural. I think if they had moved the graphic to the bottom and pushed the buttons up it would have been a better design. As it stands I did not use the fight pad style all too often.

The sticks can also be replaced with included ones that feature convex and concave styles. These are not the best design and feel like they could be pushed in a little too easily. I am never a fan of the high stick so that one was a non-starter. I ended up preferring the sticks that exist out of the box. Swapping anything is simple using the included tool. Simply remove a couple screws and they pop right out. Be careful though as they are super small and if one gets lost, it can cause issues. I found myself mostly finding one config and sticking with it as I don’t want to chance losing any of these pieces, but that is how I use most of my premium controllers.

There are three total d-pad configurations for just about every style. I actually really like the flat pad it comes with. While it looks unorthodox it actually feels great for everything outside of fighting games. The standard cross d-pad is not the best I have used, but it is good enough.

This controller has a lot of functionality. It features the full touchpad as well as the share buttons, PS button and the rest. It also includes a function button on the front, switches for PS4/PS5/PC, and trigger locks on the back. There are also four back buttons which are built in and cannot be removed. As someone who never likes using these it was an issue at first due to customization. The app for Windows is not updated yet to assign buttons. So I had to do it manually. This is not ideal, but once I learned how it worked, it was simple to disable them. By default they are set to the face buttons, which makes sense, but my large hands are always hitting them by accident, so I just want to disable them. I wish the app would have been updated, as it would make this process so much more simple.

The trigger locks on the back are a bit finicky. You have to hold down the trigger sliders while adjusting which leads to less than ideal accuracy. Not sure why they didn’t just go with the three level settings like most controllers like this. Swapping out sticks also requires removing this outer layer of plastic that holds them in place. It always came off without much force, but it always made me nervous.

Setting it up for use is fairly easy. Wired is self-explanatory. Plug it into a PC/PS4/5 and it just works. For wireless there is a 2.4 Ghz dongle that comes with the package. Simply plug it in and switch the setting to the desired console and away we go. It cannot turn on a console sadly as is the case with most third party controllers using the dongle. Battery life is better than the Dual Sense at around 12-15 hours on a full charge. Sadly nothing quite matches the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller or the Elite 2 for Xbox, those controllers are on another level apparently.

Overall this controller has become my defacto for the PS5 and even on my PC. I love my Xbox Series Controller, but this one has just enough extra functionality to make it my go-to even on PC. Still the price feels excessive if you don’t intend to use all of what it offers. The fight pad is disappointing and the parts are small. This is by far my new favorite controller for Sony’s new console. I am happy to give up haptics for better feel and battery life.

Review hardware provided by publisher.

Good
  • Being able to use offset sticks
  • Build quality is fantastic
  • Simple button reconfiguration
Bad
  • App is not updated to remap buttons
  • Fight pad feels off
  • Dongle required
8
Great
Written by
Ken is the Editor-in-Chief of this hole in the wall and he loves to troll for the fun of it. He also enjoys long walks through Arkham Asylum and the cool air of Shadow Moses Island. His turn-ons include Mortal Kombat, Metal Gear Solid and StarCraft.