The rise of pro controllers: Why gamers are paying over £200 for a new controller | Tech News

We’ve all been there: You’re on track to win a Call of Duty or Fortnite game, only to get beaten at the last minute by a teenager with Spider-Man-like reflexes.

you should put your game console Throwing your controller out the window in rage, you might want to replace it with one of the growing number of “pro” controllers on the market.

Their rise in the world of gaming hardware has been rapid, with the range of high-tech alternatives to the default gamepad increasing every year.

Later this month, Sony enters the fray with its Edge controller for the PlayStation 5 (PS5) – priced at a whopping £210, which is significantly more than the already pricey £60 standard tablet.

Gaming giant Razer’s own new PS5 controller, the Wolverine V2 Pro, even costs a whopping $250 (£208).

So why are you spending so much money?

Ali Homayounfar, lead designer of Razer’s gamepads, explains that they’re designed to give you an edge in those split-second situations.

He told Sky News: “They’re mostly used in shooters – basically, you want to keep your thumb on the joystick all the time.

“Let’s say you get shot — if you take your thumb off the right stick, you won’t be able to run left and right, you’ll get shot.”

Removing the thumb from the right stick, traditionally used to turn a character’s perspective and adjust aim, to press the jump or reload buttons, can cause the player to lose mobility and become vulnerable to enemies.

To alleviate this problem, Pro Controllers feature paddles on the back, allowing players to keep their thumbs on the joystick while performing other actions.

The Wolverine V2 Pro’s joystick location design also breaks with tradition – a first for a PlayStation controller, making it the same as the Microsoftof xbox.

“We did a lot of research and some PlayStation and pro gamers prefer offset sticks,” Mr Homayounfar said.

Razer’s developers were “surprised and very pleased” that Sony approved the deviation.

“All other PlayStation controllers will have the joystick in the center,” Mr Homayounfar said.

“So that’s a nice differentiator for us as well. We’re the only version.”

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Pro pads from Razer and Sony follow in the footsteps of Microsoft’s Xbox Elite controller.

The company’s flagship gamepad is incredibly customizable, allowing players to adjust the resistance of the triggers, swap sticks, and remap buttons.

Microsoft also broke new ground in 2018 with its Adaptive Controller, designed to meet the needs of gamers with limited accessibility, and Sony announced its own product this week at CES.

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even though nintendo The Switch gets the professional treatment, including the recently released 8BitDo Ultimate Controller, which boasts many of the features of similar controllers for Xbox and PlayStation consoles.

Nintendo is facing continued scrutiny over the performance of its own Joy-Con controllers, which are notorious for “drifting” – The console registers movement even when the joystick is not being used.

Nintendo is repairing faulty controllers for free, but the problem persists even after the game’s release Premium Switch OLED console.

That means the market is ripe for a do-it-all song-and-dance gamepad that can fix factory failures.

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But while Joy-Con alternatives may be free, Pro Controllers obviously aren’t cheap.

As gamers take steps to save money during cost of living crisisis the market sustainable?

“Demand is definitely still there,” Mr Homayounfar said.

“People are still excited about the game and are still willing to pay for it.

“It’s an interesting investment and it’s a passion for a lot of people.”

Whether they make a big difference to your Warzone or Fortnite score may depend on your skill level, but they do improve the default gamepad and can mean the difference between life and death.