So after many years of service my custom made PS360 controller finally started kicking the bucket. I say "started" because over the past few weeks and during my live streams on DLive I started noticing "ghosting" effects, which basically means that it would register an echo button press or a lingering trigger pull. It doesn't help that the best drivers you can get for PS3 controllers to play on the PC are the SCP driver kits, which served me without any real issues until my controller started to protest.
I dug through some bins in the basement that are filled with tangled cables and "what-nots" to find a spare PS3 controller and, lo and behold, it began doing the same thing my other custom made controller was doing. So I kinda narrowed the issues down to age and drivers for these 2 controllers but I decided to shell out some hard earned moneys to buy a decent, XBox based, controller. Something I wouldn't need drivers for, and that didn't fit awkwardly in my hands like PS3 controllers do. The entire reason I had a a guy custom fit PS3 guts into an XBox360 controller shell, was because the guts from a PS3 controller were of a higher quality than its opposition. PS3 controllers have a better wear and tear threshold, smaller wiggle room in the sticks, and longer lasting battery life. But the thumb orientation and size of the controller made it feel awkward in my hands. So, I opted for a hybrid.
I needed a proper replacement, and this leads me to the WeTek Gamepad.
The WeTek gamepad is a beautiful controller, that sports back-lit buttons and high (but not the highest) quality plastic casing, thumb sticks, and buttons. It's affordably priced at $22.99 on Amazon compared to name-brand controller prices, but is $34.90 at the WeTek shop. I particularly love the precision of the thumb sticks and triggers. It reminds me of how my old PS360 controller felt after I first ordered it. The one thing that tends to throw me off about the buttons is the left and right bumpers. They almost feel like they are pressure sensitive, lacking a "click" noise when pressed. But otherwise the layout and feel of this controller feels so forgiving in my hands. I absolutely love it.
Aside from having to be plug and played into my PC (because it lacks wireless compatibility via PC) its wireless for any Android device, like smart TV boxes, smartphones, and tablets. This doesn't offend me in any way seeing as how I am used to playing on a wired controller, but I also have a Steam Link box which lets me play steam games from my PC on my TV, and I haven't had a proper Bluetooth controller until now. I also didn't want to shell out $50 on the Steam controller which has mixed reviews recently. But the Steam Link is great for lounge gaming, especially considering you can get it for $2 during a Steam sale. Pairing the gamepad to the Steam Link is relatively easy, by pressing the "home" button (directly in the center, and the B-button together. But you will still need either a mouse or keyboard to get to the Bluetooth menu.
The WeTek gamepad is as accurate over Bluetooth as it is wired to my PC, and it sports a 15 hour battery life, with distances up to 12 meters away from its source. So overall, gaming on this controller either wired or wireless is a great experience and I am very happy with the purchase. Besides having no wireless connectivity to PCs (which could change in the future), my only gripe about the WeTek gamepad is this mysterious little button below the "home" button, called "Vol". It's virtually unspoken of except in the manual which labels it as (obviously) a volume control button. However, I can't get the dang thing to do anything, either on my PC or the Steam Link, so it's pointless for me.
But this concludes my review of the WeTek Gamepad, and hopefully you pick one up if you are in need of a decent, affordable gamepad.
JoeOhs
