Cheap but very cheerful! PowerA's wireless remote controllers have Hall effect sensors, and they start at $50.

You may have heard the term "Hall Effect" when referring to the sensors in your gaming controller. Hall effect sensors detect movement by measuring the strength of magnetic fields, unlike regular input sensors which rely on physical contact. They don't wear like traditional units and can avoid stick drift, among other problems. The problem is that controllers that use this sensor method are often expensive.

PowerA's controllers are priced surprisingly well. The OPS v1 is $50 and the OPS Pro is $100. Both input devices have the familiar Xbox-style shape with asymmetrical buttons and a variety of features. Both have Hall Effect sensors under their thumbsticks and triggers. This should prevent them from drifting.

The PowerA OPS V1 is the cheaper of the two and has a lot of features for the price. It's the same as the Xbox Wireless default controller. You get a 3-way trigger lock, four mappable buttons on the rear, a programmable turbo button, and a rechargeable power source, along with those fancy sensors. The rechargeable battery is an excellent value for money. It still annoys that the Xbox controller default wants you to swap out batteries as standard in 2024.

The PowerA OPS v3 Pro has six rear buttons, a larger battery, a charging stand included, and multi-zone RGB lighting. You'll also find tactile mechanical switches beneath the D-pad and face buttons, as well as shoulder buttons. There are also adjustable height thumbsticks.

This is a lot of features for a controller that costs $100. The Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 is our current choice for the best premium gaming controller. It has many of these features, but does not have the Hall effect goodies. It also has an MSRP of $150, although you can find it cheaper if shopping around.

The PowerA models will have to wait and see if they can match the premium feel of the XT.

Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra is the best Hall effect controller that we have tested so far. It costs $200 and has a fancy colour screen built in. Even though the OPS V3 Pro is half the price of the Turtle Beach, it's clear that the Turtle Beach is a serious competitor.

We'll be testing these out, but just looking at the specs sheet suggests you're getting great value for money. PowerA may have cut corners on materials to keep the price so low, but controllers are about the feel of the controller in your hand.

Smooth sensors aren't everything in controller design. It's still a good start, and the fact that you can get a controller with them for so little money is promising. Will this be the beginning of all major controllers having Hall effect sensors, and even those at the budget end of the market, with proper built-in batteries? One can only dream.