I want the Steam Controller — but these 12 PC gamepads beat it in 1 key way (and it's not price)

Gaming PC Gaming I want the Steam Controller — but these 12 PC gamepads beat it in 1 key way (and it's not price) Deals By John-Anthony Disotto published 28 April 2026 Does polling rate matter? It does to me When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Steam / Xbox / Scuf / Razer / GameSir / 8BitDo / Edited by Gemini) Copy link Facebook X Reddit Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter 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.RazerRazer Wolverine V3 Pro 8K (8000Hz)$199.99shop now5% OFFGameSirGameSir Cyclone 2 (1000Hz)$47.33$49.83shop now8Bitdo8BitDo Ultimate 2 Wireless (1000Hz)$59.99shop now30% OFFXboxXbox Elite Series 2 (1000Hz)$139$199.99shop now18% OFFSCUFSCUF Valor Pro (1000Hz)$89.99$109.99shop now20% OFFFLYDIGIFlydigi Vader 5 Pro (1000Hz)$63.99$79.99shop now20% OFFPDPPDP Victrix Pro BFG (1000Hz)$159.99$199.99shop now7% OFFNACONNACON Revolution X Unlimited (1000Hz)$185.99$199.99shop now13% OFFPowerAPowerA Fusion Pro 4 Wired (1000Hz)$69.88$79.99shop nowHORIHORI HORIPAD for Steam (1000Hz)$59.99shop nowGuliKitGuliKit KK3 Max (1000Hz)$79.99shop nowMachenikeMachenike G5Pro (1000Hz)$49.99shop nowFollow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. window.sliceComponents = window.sliceComponents || {}; externalsScriptLoaded.then(() => { window.reliablePageLoad.then(() => { var componentContainer = document.querySelector("#slice-container-newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-2KjDtGWX4V77PsCcbaBFMe"); if (componentContainer) { var data = {"layout":"inbodyContent","header":"Sign up to get the BEST of Tom's Guide direct to your inbox.","tagline":"Get instant access to…

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