Sweet AW11! Before I bought my current car (a 2016 Honda Accord) I was on the hunt for an affordable SW20.

Officially, I lost the bidding on one by only $750, although I know that one bidder would have kept going if I elected to outbid him/her. I wonder where that '91 Crimson Red example is now…

I have 2 that I can recommend. First is the known quantity - the 8bitdo Pro 2. Primarily because of the dpad placement, it’s an excellent controller for older retro games. Well-built, wireless capability, remappable buttons, etc etc. Covers Windows, Mac, Android, and Switch. You know the drill.

But the GameSir T4 Kaleid really surprised me. For a little over $41 you get: hall effect sticks AND triggers, microswitch face buttons, 2 back paddles, remaps, and possibly the cleanest implementation of RGB strips I’ve seen on an electronic device, ever. There are only 2 downsides for me: the GameSir logo (chickens are cool but just not my thing), and it’s wired only. Otherwise it’s a seriously awesome piece of kit.

I’ve never owned an Xbox in my life, only PlayStations, so I thought I wouldn’t like the staggered joystick layout, but it is surprisingly comfortable.