PowerA has unveiled a new series of customizable PC controllers. The OPS V1 is a $50 wireless controller with a few bells and whistles, while the high-end OPS V3 Pro is loaded with customization features and significantly undercuts many competitors with its $100 price. Both controllers release next month and are available to preorder now at Amazon.
PowerA’s reveal of the OPS series comes on the heels of announcing a Fortnite-themed Xbox Series X|S, Xbox, and PC controller. Releasing October 1 and available to preorder now for $100, the Fortnite special-edition controller has numerous similarities to the OPS V3 Pro.
PowerA OPS V3 Pro
PowerA’s OPS V3 Pro sports features found in other pro-style controllers for PC gamers, but its $100 price is markedly less than some notable competitors, including the Xbox Elite Series 2, Razer Wolverine V2 Pro, Victrix Pro BFG, Asus Raikiri Pro, and Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra. The caveat here is that all of those controllers also offer console support. The V3 Pro is a somewhat uncommon in this regard, but it’s conceivable that not partnering with a console manufacturer contributed to keeping the price lower than we typically see.
Here’s a quick rundown of the OPS V3 Pro’s features:
- Six remappable buttons (four on back, two on top)
- Hall Effect analog sticks and triggers
- PowerA’s Quick-Twist analog sticks with three different heights
- Tactile mechanical switches for face buttons, D-pad, and shoulder buttons
- Trigger locks with three stop points
- Textured grip
- Custom profiles
- Multi-zone RGB lighting
- Bluetooth, 2.4GHz wireless with USB-A dongle, and USB-C wired connections
- Program, LED, and Profile buttons to cycle through settings on the fly
- Magnetic charging stand with slot for USB dongle
- Dual rumble motors
- Turbo button
- Up to 30-hour battery life
- Magnetic charging stand with slot for USB dongle
- PowerA HQ Windows app for further customization
The OPS V3 Pro doesn’t have any swappable parts, but it does have a rather unique feature with its Quick-Twist sticks. Just like it sounds, you can twist the analog sticks up or down and lock them in three different positions. Some players swap sticks specifically to put them at different levels–this is common in FPS games–so it’s cool to see that implemented without the need to keep track of small components. That said, another reason to swap sticks is to use a different style cap (concave, convex, etc.). While that’s missing here, you could add a pair of removable thumbstick caps to fit your preference–there are tons of third-party options that would fit these sticks.
PowerA used Hall Effect sensor technology to combat stick drift as well as to increase the durability of the triggers. Next to the triggers, you’ll find two extra programmable buttons, which are joined by four programmable back buttons. Most pro-style controllers have four, and sometimes only two, extra inputs. The back buttons retain PowerA’s usual boxy form factor, which could take some getting used to if you’re experience is with the elongated paddle shape found on other controllers. It’s a matter of preference, but paddles in general feel more intuitive and faster. Still, the four back buttons are placed in the best possible locations, as shown below.
Another notable feature of the OPS V3 Pro is its use of microswitches. Similar to Razer’s Wolverine controllers, the face buttons, D-pad, and shoulder buttons actuate with microswitches instead of conventional membrane switches. This produces a clicky, mouse-like feel and promotes faster speeds. You won’t find microswitches on the aforementioned Fortnite-themed controller.
You can remap inputs, cycle through profiles, and adjust the RGB lighting effects directly on the controller. PowerA also has a Windows app where you can tinker with input settings and layouts.
Trigger locks can be set at three different stopping points to increase or decrease pull distance. The V3 Pro also has rubberized, textured grips, a turbo button, and a rumble motor in each handle.
You’ll get up to 30 hours of playtime on a single charge, and there’s also an included magnetic charging stand (3-4 hours to fully charge). It connects to your PC via Bluetooth, 2.4GHz wireless, or wired via a braided USB-C cable. Though designed with PC in mind, you can also use the OPS V3 Pro for mobile gaming.
PowerA sent us the OPS V3 Pro for testing, and we’ve been impressed by its feature set and performance so far. It’s easily the most advanced controller in PowerA’s crowded catalog. One thing that’s immediately noticeable when holding the controller is that it gets weight and weight distribution right. One of the key reasons why the Elite Series 2 feels so great to use is because of how it distributes its relatively hefty weight. It simply adds to the premium feel. At 366g, the OPS V3 Pro is actually heavier than the Elite Series 2 (345g), but the weight is similarly well-distributed. Like with the Elite Series 2, this design helps give the OPS V3 Pro a high-end feel that matches its wealth of customization features. And that’s quite impressive when you consider the price.
PowerA’s OPS V3 Pro releases September 16. If primarily game on PC and aren’t a huge Fortnite fan, the OPS V3 Pro seems like the better option versus PowerA’s new Xbox/PC controller.
PowerA OPS V1
At half the price of the OPS V3 Pro, it’s not surprising that the OPS V1 isn’t loaded with as many customization features or premium parts. But even though it’s billed as an entry-level PC controller, it does have several welcome features you don’t always see on $50 controllers.
- Four remappable back buttons
- Program button to map inputs
- Trigger locks with three stop points
- Hall Effect analog sticks and triggers
- Dual rumble motors
- Turbo button
- Up to 20-hour battery life
- Bluetooth, 2.4GHz wireless, and USB-C wired connections
If you’ve used one of PowerA’s Enhanced controllers for Switch, the OPS V1 has a similar feel. It’s much lighter than the V3 Pro at 269g and excludes the rubberized grips, so you can certainly notice the difference in quality.
A $50 controller with Hall Effect analog sticks and triggers, four remappable back buttons, and three-way trigger locks isn’t all that common from a major brand.
In terms of competition, it makes sense to compare the OPS V1 to the 8BitDo Ultimate, which is available in multiple different models, all of which work on PC and can be found for around $50 (sometimes less). The OPS V1 has the Ultimate beat in quantity of remappable inputs (four versus two), but the Ultimate’s back buttons have a better feel to them. The Ultimate also lacks trigger locks, if this feature is important to you. 8BitDo’s customization software has the OPS beat with its customization app, which also works on mobile devices. Depending on which model you pick, the Ultimate can also offer Switch or Xbox compatibility. The OPS V1, unlike the V3 Pro, doesn’t come with a charging dock–and 8BitDo’s charging stand is better than the OPS V3 Pro’s dock if you want to display your controller.
Based on our testing, the OPS V1 doesn’t hit the sweet spot of pro-style features and feel for a budget price as well as the 8BitDo Ultimate. But it must be said that the 8BitDo Ultimate is currently our pick for the best PC controller in 2024 because of its premium feel and well-integrated feature set.
The OPS V1 launching alongside the OPS V3 Pro, a controller that truly punches above its price, makes the impactful differences between them more noticeable. But if you want four remappable buttons and trigger stops in a $50 controller, the OPS V1 is a solid choice. Just know that the OPS V3 Pro is a big step up.
PowerA’s OPS V1 releases on September 9. Along with the standard black model for $50, Amazon is taking preorders for a Fortnite-themed variant for $55.
Disclosure: GameSpot received product samples from the manufacturer to test for review.
