Wired Xbox 360 controller

•             Affordable
•             Officially supported by most game            Poor D-Pad

The DualShock 4 is my favorite controller, but the Xbox 360 and Xbox One controllers are still excellent choices. I've had an Xbox 360 controller since 2006 which, aside from desperately needing a cleaning, still works great. The slightly-smaller Xbox One controller feels just as well-made, and has an improved d-pad. Both have official drivers (Xbox 360 and Xbox One) and have required no troubleshooting—most PC games which support controllers are made with these controllers in mind.

And even though the DS4 is my overall winner, I'll probably still use an Xbox 360 controller often simply because I prefer the analog stick layout. I also prefer its triggers and bumpers to the Xbox One's.

Getting an Xbox 360 controller is a good way to save a bit of money compared to the DualShock 4. A wireless Xbox 360 controller is only a few dollars cheaper. But the wired version is cheaper still.

The best thing about a wired 360 controller is that it's dead simple to use. Most PC games have button prompts based on the Xbox controller and immediately autodetect that the controller is plugged in. With DS4Windows, the DualShock 4 works just as well as the Xbox controllers, but it does require a bit more setup.

The Xbox One controller with a micro USB cable (there is no wireless option) is the most expensive of the first-party console controllers. If you're not especially concerned with the d-pad (and the 360's is workable, if not great), I'd recommend saving some money and going with a wireless Xbox 360 controller.