Overall my favourite controller ever used, but it still could be better.
Even disregarding the stick longevity (which I haven't been able to test earnestly) they're the best feeling ones I've used -- the ring it rides on is extremely smooth as is the tilt of the sticks themselves. Even the clicks are well-damped.
The D-pad could be more tactile for precise, complex inputs but it's more than adequate performance for navigating menus.
The placement of the - and + buttons are a bit odd -- I'd prefer them a few mm lower myself, as they're far more common buttons to press than the ones directly below them. They're also a bit weak feeling to press, but not bad.
The triggers are probably the worst aspect. They only travel 5mm and have entirely linear spring force, so not only do you not get much physical room to modulate analog inputs (like for racing games) but you can't go off of feel either. For reference, the DS4 has about 6mm and the XBOS controller a whopping 9mm or so, making precise adjustments a breeze.
The shoulder buttons are rather weak feeling with a moderate tactile switch, but it's precise and not grating to hear so I give them a pass.
The face buttons have been funny with me -- they feel alright and aren't loud like Xbox controller ABXY buttons are, but my A button has developed a squeak within two days. I dismantled the controller to spray the mechanism with a dry PTFE lubricant but that didn't help for more than 12 hours, so I ended up taking the mechanism apart completely and adding some grease. This has not only taken good care of the squeak but also dampened the movement enough that it made the already quiet button presses even more silent.
It sounds like a lot of work (and, well, it sort of is for some controller buttons) but the fact that it's 1. even possible to service to this degree, unlike many other controllers with just a membrane or tactile microswitch, and 2. now by far the best face buttons I've used since the PS2 (although those are much louder) means I'm very happy with them. I just wish they had some grease lightly applied from the factory.
The joysticks and bumpers/triggers aren't the solid metal that they appear to be, and even the painted plastic that they actually are is quite lightweight. However the matte, almost rubberised finish is wonderful to hold, but time will tell if it holds up more than a few years. The weight is nice (on the hefty side, which I like), but the haptic motors that contribute to this seem sub-par. When they spin up there's signs that the motors are of lower quality, perhaps with coils not wound as well as they could be or something, as there's a mild ring to them. This is extremely nitpicky, however, and not noticeable during gameplay for me.
As for the controller's special features -- the sensitivity, macro, and turbo functionality etc. -- I don't personally see much use for them. The gyro aim is probably the most useful one for me but I still leave it off. The trigger "sensitivity" effectively turns the triggers into digital buttons, only without a click feedback, and the stick sensitivity (50%, 100%, and 150% saturation) adjustment is fairly useless I think. I was hoping that the last two features would allow you to change the analog curve rather than what they instead give. Do make sure to remove the stick deadzone, however (press setting+capture), as by default mine shipped without the inner 20% or so of the stick's usable area, well, usable. Personal preference, though, I expect.
And lastly, I quite enjoy how quick it is to turn the controller off -- just a double tap of the Mode button and it immediately powers down. No holding the guide button for 10 seconds, just two clicks and it's done.
Perhaps I wouldn't buy the Pro version if I were to do it over, but it was worth it to find out how the firmware features functioned. Now if only the triggers traveled further, and perhaps if there were paddle buttons on the back... would be the easiest 5/5 score then.
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