I Didn’t Know SteelSeries has Game Controllers, and They’re Actually Good?

My Logitech F710s had been getting outdated, and it was excessive time I changed them. As I peered over Amazon’s controller suggestions, I observed one thing unusual. SteelSeries? The fellows who make the headsets and keyboards? Bizarre. This required some investigation.

How I Found That SteelSeries Had Wi-fi Controllers

As somebody who follows gaming expertise and {hardware}, it is not possible to not discover SteelSeries as a producer. Their Apex Pro keyboard was fairly superb to make use of, and so they have a well-deserved repute for ​​​​​​​making among the best mechanical keyboards around. Nevertheless, let’s be sincere: making a keyboard is not the identical as making a wi-fi controller.

I checked out my Logitech F710s, which had been round for greater than a decade. At round $40, they had been effectively price a purchase again in 2011 after I bought them. In 2024, nevertheless, I might spend that $40 on a greater wi-fi controller for my PC that did not require me to leap by so many hoops to get it working. No, I used to be on the lookout for one thing I might plug in, and it’d simply work.

I initially thought of the Xbox wi-fi PC controllers. Whereas the usual controller, at $45, wasn’t a foul purchase, I wasn’t going to spend $145 on the Elite possibility. It is pretty easy to connect your Xbox controllers to a PC, which signifies that I used to be spending an additional $5 for the comfort of connecting my controller.

Nevertheless, wanting on the costs of different wi-fi controllers on supply, I observed the SteelSeries Stratus Duo. Not solely was it manufactured to be used with Home windows AND Android (each of which made up the vast majority of my units), nevertheless it was additionally cheaper than shopping for an Xbox controller. “How dangerous might or not it’s?” I requested myself, as I paid $32 for a controller by a model I did not know even made controllers.

SteelSeries Has a LOT of Controllers

The Stratus Duo is not the one controller SteelSeries gives to customers. Along with this one, the corporate additionally has the Stratus+ and the Nimbus+. Primarily based on what different folks have stated about them, each of those have their very own positives, however there have been good the reason why I did not get them.

The Stratus+ is a Bluetooth gaming controller that prices $25, a bit of cheaper than the Stratus Duo. It additionally comes with USB-C charging cables, making it a extra fashionable possibility for avid gamers. Designed primarily for Android gaming, it would not work effectively as a wi-fi PC controller. Some folks reported that the controller requires a wired connection to work with a PC, and that is undoubtedly not what I used to be on the lookout for.

The Nimbus+ prices $69, which is much costlier than an Xbox controller and places it out of my consideration. Nevertheless, in accordance with customers, it is in all probability the very best manufacturing high quality of the three. It is also licensed to be used with Apple units (the Stratus Duo would not work with them). It additionally requires AA batteries paying homage to my outdated F710s, and I used to be by shopping for a controller that required me to have batteries charged individually. Should you’re on the lookout for an honest controller for Apple or iPhone gaming, this may be an excellent buy.

These Controllers Are Higher Than I May Have Dreamed

So, SteelSeries had a blended rating when it got here to their different controllers. That made me a bit anxious. It was with some fear that I plugged within the adapters for the controllers (I purchased a pair, after all) to check them. Surprisingly, the controllers linked instantly and did not want any excessive quantities of setup. I examined the button configuration with a number of video games, together with Tekken 7, Monster Hunter World, Monster Hunter Rise, and Apex Legends, and in all instances, the motion was easy and responsive. It is even bought a one-button Massive Image Mode integration with Steam, making it even simpler to make use of my controller with the service.

The analog sticks had been straightforward to maneuver, and the buttons had been responsive and proof against the contact. Nevertheless, there have been much more than simply these pluses to this pair of controllers.

The battery life is superb. Because it would not use exterior batteries just like the Logitech F710s, I might simply plug it into my PC with a micro-USB cable to cost it. Granted, using a micro-USB cable is dated, however these aren’t cutting-edge controllers both. They were released in 2019, so their expertise could also be a bit dated by fashionable requirements. Nevertheless, they’re nonetheless higher than a number of of the fashionable funds controllers releases on the market. My testing confirmed that the controller managed to maintain going previous 25 hours earlier than needing a cost. The controller is rated for 20+ hours of utilization on a single cost, so I feel I lucked out right here.

The wi-fi connection was stable, and the controller was in a position to detect the receiver from as distant as the subsequent room over. There wasn’t any enter lag I might detect, even when enjoying it from as distant from the receivers as I might get.

Not Every thing Is Nice

Whereas I do like what I bought from this controller, it isn’t all upside. The controllers have a sequence of 4 LEDs between the D-pad and the buttons which might be supposed to present you an thought of the participant quantity by which lights are lit up. Greater than as soon as, I’ve had points with this LED show giving me the unsuitable participant quantity. It additionally doubles as a battery gauge and works effectively for that perform. I simply want they sorted out the LED issues with a firmware replace or one thing.

One other peeve I noticed some mates have with the controller was the shortage of vibrational suggestions. I perceive that it is a actually essential a part of gaming, nevertheless it would not actually matter that a lot to me. The dearth of a motor is a mark in opposition to the controller, however at $32, that is not a foul tradeoff.

One of many greatest complaints I’ve had concerning the controller is that the analog sticks sound “clicky,” which suggests that they are made cheaply. I can not actually fault SteelSeries for this (it is a $32 controller, in spite of everything), however I by no means noticed this as a unfavourable.

One factor I did discover about it was how heavy the controller sits in your hand. Whereas some folks would possibly see this as a unfavourable, I see it as a constructive. The analog sticks would possibly sound low-cost, however the remainder of the physique means that quite a lot of work went into making a controller with substance.

Ought to You Get The SteelSeries Stratus Duo?

The SteelSeries Stratus Duo won’t find yourself on an inventory of the best PC gaming controllers, nevertheless it’s not a foul buy. I might recommend anybody who’s on the lookout for a stable different to the Xbox controller for his or her PC examine this one out. It isn’t probably the most cutting-edge controller on the market, and it has its points with low-cost analog sticks, however the remainder of the development is stable. With nice connectivity, stable battery life, and first rate vary, it is one thing a PC gamer ought to take a look at if they need an inexpensive however useful controller.