Contrary to what your folks told you, looks do matter, especially in the competitive space of video game controllers. Ahead of Amazon Prime Day 2024, the very good-looking Asus ROG Raikiri wireless controller has gotten a nice discount, as the price of this officially licensed Xbox peripheral has dropped from $100 to $60 at Walmart. This puts it around the same price point as a standard Xbox controller–which is also on sale at Walmart–although it does have a few neat tricks up its proverbial sleeve, including remappable back buttons, adjustable stick sensitivity, trigger locks, and a built-in audio DAC.
Asus ROG Raikiri Controller — $60 (was $100)
Like other third-party devices, there’s a focus on customization with two programmable back buttons. You can also toggle the triggers to have less push and quicker actuation, while the Asus Armory Crate app allows for more fine-tuning. Otherwise, you’re getting everything else you’d expect on a PC and Xbox controller: Solid face buttons, a dedicated capture button for grabbing snapshots and videos, a 3.5mm jack, and a USB-C connection for when you want to play in a wired mode. If Walmart sells out, Amazon is selling the controller for $75.
Asus ROG Raikiri Pro Controller — $130 (was $150)
If you feel like moving a step up, the Asus Raikiri Pro adds two more back buttons and an OLED display. This is more of a cosmetic extra, but a fun one as you can create custom animations, see which custom gaming profile you have selected, and monitor your controller power status.
There are a few other great controllers on sale right now as well. Nacon’s new Revolution 5 Pro controller, which is compatible with PS5 and PC, offers some interesting hardware and a possible edge in fighting games with its unique swap-out D-Pad. It also has remappable microswitch back paddles, interchangeable weights, trigger locks, and Hall Effect (anti-drift) sticks.
Nacon Revolution 5 Pro Deal (PS5/PC)
Back on the Xbox and PC side of things, you can’t go wrong with Microsoft’s excellent Elite Series 2 controllers. The Core model got a big discount at Target–$96 instead of $140–and is a good option if you don’t mind not having a collection of extra parts for more in-depth customization.
Otherwise, you can pick up the regular Elite Series 2 controller with all of the additional accessories for $151 at Amazon, down from its usual $200 price. A handful of different models of the standard Xbox Wireless Controller is also on sale at Walmart
Xbox Elite Series 2 Deal (Xbox/PC)
Xbox Wireless Controller Deals (Xbox/PC)
