Valve just announced the Steam Controller 2 will be available to purchase from May 4th, and after watching and reading initial reviews, I don't think I've ever wanted a gaming controller so much in my life.
That said, I spent a long time watching content about the new Steam Controller, and while it has amazing ergonomics and trackpads that transform the PC controller experience, it falls short in one area compared to my Scuf Valor Pro.
What's that, you ask? Well, it might be nitpicking, but I care a lot about polling rate, and the Steam Controller's 250Hz pales in comparison to the other controllers on this list, which can reach up to 8,000Hz. Yes, some of these controllers require a wired connection to reach those high polling rates, but if you care that much, you're probably playing wired anyway.
A high polling rate isn't key to input lag and responsiveness, but it does play a small part when making sure your controller responds as accurately as possible to the action on your screen. Polling rate essentially checks in with your computer on a regular basis to tell it what action you're taking with your controls.
A 250Hz controller does that 250 times a second, while a 1000Hz controller does it a thousand times a second, and so on. Whether you can actually feel the difference depends on the game, your monitor, and frankly, how seriously you take yourself when you play.
I own a 244Hz gaming monitor and an NVIDIA 5090, and I care about the resolution of the bushes in the background of my games. If that sounds like overkill, then polling rate might not matter to you. Either way, the controllers listed below are fantastic and should be considered compared to the Steam Controller.
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