The controller is the physical connection between the player and the game and is arguably the most important piece of hardware in each generation of consoles. Even just the look of the controller defines expectations instantly. Weight, button size and feel, features, size, shape, durability, and influence; there are many factors in determining a great controller but when you know, you know.

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Like picking favorite relatives or bands, deciding the best controllers is not a task for the faint of heart. There are certainly casualties to the controller war not featured on this list, such as the Dance Dance Revolution pads, the NES Zapper, Xbox Elite controllers, and that cool boomerang prototype PlayStation controller we never got. These are the controllers that defined their time, and the future, of the gaming industry and still stand as powerhouses in the minds of players.

10 Xbox Adaptive Controller

Xbox Series X Adaptive controller custom layout accessibility

Playing video games for the first time is an experience many had thanks to this customizable controller from Microsoft. Allowing external device connection is the saving grace for many players, making an accessible entry point for games and allowing players to customize the buttons to their needs. This centralized and unified control system is easy to understand and customize.

Making its introduction in 2018, this system of input has quickly and positively affected many lives. Everyone should be able to play games, and thanks to this fantastic system from Xbox and Microsoft, many more people can. This could easily be at the top of this list and absolutely is for many.

9 Nintendo Entertainment System

Nintendo Entertainment System NES controller D-pad dpad

The grandfather of the modern controller, the Nintendo Entertainment System controller is a purposeful and divine workhorse. The creation, and some argue the perfection, of the Directional D-Pad and the Start and Select buttons standardized the archetype of the many controllers that would follow.

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The NES controller’s simple and perfect design is elegant and revolutionary. Durable, reliable, understandable, and cool, the NES controller covers all the bases. While its limited inputs hold it back on our list, it was defining what inputs even were and should be understood as the respected Godfather of controllers.

8 Wiimote

White Nintendo Wii Wiimote controller wii

A brilliant redux of the NES controller, the Nintendo Wiimote is a smart and capable design that influenced and changed the game industry. For the first time, motion controls felt pretty good, especially when set up properly. The Wiimote’s TV remote style and horizontal NES style option perfectly explained itself instantly.

The addition of the Nunchuck also feels very refined and distilled into the minimum inputs necessary for modern games while still feeling capable. The ability to connect the Wii Classic controller and steering wheels for Mario Kart also gives this controller additional functionality. While its waggle controls and simple button layout are not for the more hardcore, its understandable and refined design is still fantastic.

7 Xbox 360 Wireless

Xbox 360 Wireless controller xbox white controller

Feel really goes a long way and while hard to define or articulate, the feeling of the Xbox 360 controller really is incredible. The weight and layout both stand out as the controller feels very solid and thought-out as the shape helps illustrate the brilliance of the layout. Using the DualShock standard of 4 face buttons, 4 shoulder buttons, two sticks, a D-Pad, and start/select, the 360 doesn’t revolutionize but helps perfect.

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This is the first included wireless controller with a modern console and set the standard for the generation and controllers moving forward. The addition of the Xbox button which takes you to a home menu is also very important and still looks awesome. While this controller didn’t invent much, placing it at 7 on our list, this is still an all-time great that feels good today.

6 PlayStation One Original

Ps1 Playstation controller original no analog first controller

Expanding the SNES and other controllers, Sony’s first-ever controller still defines the modern layout and shape for all major first-party “pro” controllers to this day. The shape of the original PlayStation controller can not be understated or dismissed, this was a proper stepping stone from the arcade to home.

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Its lack of joysticks and rumble hold it back here, but wow was this thing a revelation. Its complex yet simple layout allowed for new mechanics and functionality within game design, both meeting developer needs and expanding their understanding of what was possible. It really is amazing how well Sony did with their first-ever console and controller as its design will seemingly live on forever.

5 Nintendo 64

Nintendo 64 Controller grey gray N64 pad single controller control button

What a feeling it was to use the joystick for the first time, it just felt analog and real. Nintendo’s third try at controller building was an alien and amazing dream. It really felt like a deviation from all other controllers, a new direction into uncharted territory similar to the generation’s jump into 3-D. The z button trigger, the different PAKS, including the introduction of rumble vibration for the first time, and the weird but awesome button layout set this controller apart.

Some feel this controller is totally awful and disgusting, holding it back here, but don't listen to those who speak poorly of the N64, they were not ready for the revolution that was at hand. The Z-trigger might be the best button on any controller ever made.

4 Super Nintendo

SNES Super Nintendo controller SNES

Changing and evolving the Nintendo NES controller just the right amount, the Super Nintendo controller is a reliable iron horse that will always feel explicitly fantastic. The best D-Pad on any controller ever made, with the invention of shoulder buttons and the introduction of the 4 face button layout that appears on almost every other successive controller created, the SNES controller standardized the basics.

The lack of analog control and its 6-button overall layout bar the SNES controller from playing overtly complex or modern 3-D games, the only thing holding it back here, but it is nearly perfect. The button feels and layout, as well as God’s D-Pad, make this the preferred option for playing classic games before the 32 and 64-bit 3-D revolution.

3 GameCube Nintendo

Nintendo Gamecube Silver Controller GCN Game Cube control button

The Nintendo GameCube controller and its disturbingly precise analog stick are still a wonder. With a funny little D-Pad that is still somehow better than any Xbox D-Pad ever crafted and a completely unique face button layout, gamers had to remember not to judge a book by its cover regarding the GameCube’s bizarre and new design.

This controller is, to some, the greatest mechanism to control video games ever crafted. It is often seen as a black sheep, ridiculed and looked down upon. The polarizing nature of the GameCube controller holds it back on our list but if it's for you, it will be your companion for life.

2 PlayStation 5 Dual Sense

DualSense Edge Skewed Diagonally On Right Side On Blue Background

The culmination of everything Sony has learned, the PlayStation 5 Dual Sense controller is the most advanced and feature-rich standard first-party controller ever created. Standard haptic feedback and adjustable triggers, balanced weight, and excellent button feel, the Dual Sense feels like an expensive and rare fully loaded sports car.

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Touch, sound, feel, lighting, the Dual Sense’s moniker wisely explains the controller’s ability to facilitate new levels of interaction not seen or felt in generations prior. While the PlayStation 5 and this controller are still hard to even find for sale at retail holding it back here, the wait to get your hands on the Dual Sense is worth it no matter its length.

1 PlayStation DualShock

Original PS1 Playstation DualShock controller grey gray first ps1 dual shock

The godfather of all modern controllers, when two analog sticks AND rumble were added to the original PS1 controller it was over, this was how games were meant to be controlled. The shape, button feel, and weight are exactly right, and who doesn’t love that odd rubber texture on the dual analog sticks? Clicking in the sticks was another mind-blowing feature that took some players months or years to even discover.

This is the definitive controller for games and the most popular and copied style of all time. The great one, the DualShock controller IS gaming and will go down as the definitive best controller ever created.

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