One of the best things about PC gaming is the abundance of choice for peripherals. For games that demand absolute accuracy, we've got a plethora of mice and keyboards, with different sensors and switches and price points and features, to choose from. For platformers or adventure games that just feel better with a controller, we PC users can literally use anything we goddamned want - Dualshocks, Xbox Ones, Nintendo Pros, and every generic controller on god's green earth. I generally use a Dualshock 4, even though it doesn't work flawlessly for some games, especially the older ones. For those legacy games, I pull out the Xbox One controller. But those are the mid-tier options. What about some budget-friendly controllers?

I plan to test a bunch of them, but for today, let's take a look at the Fantech GP11 Shooter.

What is it?

Fantech is a company that produces gaming accessories and peripherals for the Asian market, as far as my limited research can tell. The Fantech GP11 Shooter is a wired controller that can be used on the PC and PS3, and it seems to be the only controller in their portfolio. It follows the Xbox configuration in terms of analog stick and d-pad placement, which is something I appreciate. The buttons are laid out like the standard Xbox layout, which is something I still struggle with coming from gaming on a PlayStation for years. There's a d-pad, a back and start button, which acts as the menu and options buttons for some games respectively, and a mode button. I've played around with this thing for weeks and I still can't figure what it does. It probably acts as the home button on the PS3.

You can get yours for around Php 500 to 600 on Lazada.

The Pros

Overall feel

I love how the controller feels, it's very ergonomic. It seems to be based off the shape of the Xbox controllers, which really do feel amazing in your hands. The sticks feel slick - it glies around very smoothly.

The rubber

The rubber nubs of the sticks feel nice. This is something even more expensive controllers don't have, with hard plastic heads instead of something nice and textured. The part where your plams meet the controller are also rubberized. I've had it for weeks and they haven't fallen apart, so I guess it'd last you a while before that rubber starts getting sticky.

It just works straight outta the box

As soon as you plug it in, Windows recognizes it as an Xbox 360 controller. Steam does, too. It's just plug and play, especially for games that don't support any alien controllers, like the Dualshock 4. Games that only really support legacy controllers won't have any trouble working with the GP11. A fine example is Marvel Ultimate Alliance 1 and 2 - the biggest complaint most people have with that game is its inconsistency with controllers. The GP11 is detected and it works fine right off the bat.

Shoulder buttons

While not as good as the bumpers on the Xbox One controllers, the Fantech GP11 has surprisingly good shoulder buttons, especially when you consider the price. They're clickier and crispier than the Dualshock 4. The triggers also feel quite good, with the appropriate shape and travel distance, even though they do feel a bit wobbly.

The value

It goes for $10. How can you beat that? On Lazada, I was able to score one for Php 511 during a sale.

Neither Here nor There

Here are some things that can either be good or bad depending on one's preferences. I don't particularly care for these things but they could be totally fine for someone like you.

Cable length

Because it was designed to work on the PS3 wired, the length of the cable is quite significant. It's about 5 feet long. That makes it perfect for couch gaming but for my use case, since I use it on a PC, I'm never more than 2 feet away from the nearest USB port and that's being generous. Because of that, I find that I'm left with a lot of excess cable that catches and snags on everything. Might not be a big deal to others but it irks me. If you plan to play super far from your console/laptop/PC, you'd be better served by a wireless controller.

Button travel distance

While some people might love pressing down a button for thirty feet, I don't. I find the travel distance of the face buttons to be a little too long.

The Cons

If you play with it long enough, you'll realize why it costs what it costs.

Right stick accuracy

For some reason, no matter how careful you are with the stick, it seems impossible to move the right stick laterally without whipping it across the screen much too far. That makes taking sniper shots incredibly difficult. At one point while playing Just Cause 4, I got pissed off and switched to a Dualshock 4 and I could immediately tell the difference in accuracy. The GP11 is no good for third person shooters that require the least bit of accuracy, which is weird because it's literally called the "Shooter."

Terrible d-pad

Never ever ever play a fighting game with the GP11 if you plan on using the d-pad, which is what you should be using when playing a fighting game on a pad. The left analog stick just isn't precise enough for that kinda game. Pressing left or right on the d-pad very often registers either an up or a down press, as well. What that means is that your characters is going to be making jumps you don't want him to do. I mean you can play fighting games with it, it just won't be the most viable option.

What games are best suited for the GP11?

You can get a very good experience on the GP11 with any game that doesn't require too much accuracy or the dpad, essentially. So run and gun games like Megaman or any adventure game would be good on it. Driving also seems to work well with it because the triggers are so good.

Who is the GP11 for?

As far as budget options go, you can't beat the value on a $10 pad that works well enough. It isn't perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but if you're looking for a budget gamepad for casual gaming, this is perfect for you.

6.3Overall6Design5Function8Value