It’s been over nine months since Hyperkin showed off the Competitor controller at CES. This symmetrical Xbox controller made a name for itself at the start of the year thanks to its DualSense-like appearance, but it’s taken until now for Hyperkin to finally make the thing available to buy.
But buy it, you can, and it’s available at Amazon for just $50, which isn’t bad for an officially licensed Xbox controller. It’s also pretty great when you consider that the DualSense pad on PS5 that it’s imitating costs $74, and actually gives you less functionality than what Hyperkin is offering here.
Behind the noise of its DualSense lookalike contest, the Hyperkin Competitor has a pretty large gap to fill in the market. There aren’t many symmetrical thumbstick controllers on Xbox, and if you’re that way inclined, it can be hard to find a gamepad that’s comfortable for you.
For anyone shopping for a new PC controller, the Competitor might also be an appealing concept. While the DualSense has a lot of innovative features, a lot of gamers have been burned by its drift-prone thumbsticks, and since Hyperkin’s pad utilizes Hall Effect ones, they’re not going to run into that problem.
Thankfully, Hyperkin does offer a few goodies with this pad that make up for its lack of wireless support. Not all PC pro controllers do this, but there are swappable thumbstick tops included with the Competitor, which means you can choose between a concave and domed shape to suit you.
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Not to mention, it seems like there’s a lot of value for money to be had here. It may look like a DualSense, but the Competitor is cheaper, with a price tag of $49 in the US and £39 in the UK. I’m yet to go hands-on with this controller, but I’m really hoping that price doesn’t reflect its build quality. Compared to the DualSense, it has more tricks up its sleeve too.
The Competitor has two back buttons, which is the same level of functionality that the $200 DualSense Edge gives you. Granted, The Competitor won’t have the adaptive trigger resistance, the haptic feedback, or even the Wireless support of the DualSense, but it isn’t half bad value for money.
The only problem? If its symmetrical thumbsticks aren’t an immediate draw for you, the Competitor is about to dive head-first into an ironically hotly contested market. There are so many Xbox and PC controllers out there with Hall Effect thumbsticks, or even more advanced TMR thumbsticks now. And the wireless choices under $100 have been increasing this year, which could halt the Competitor’s success.
Either way, I’m happy to see another symmetrical controller hit the shelves, since the GameSir Tarantula Pro needs some new competition. The Competitor will officially launch on October 29, and will be available for pre-order until then, or until stock runs dry.
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