There was a time when I never would have suggested that I'd enjoy using a PlayStation controller on Xbox. It was all about the analog stick placement — as soon as those sticks started to overtake d-pads as the main control method in the PS2/PS3 generations, Xbox's layout just made more sense and felt more comfortable to me.
I'm not really sure what happened, but I quite enjoy using PlayStation controllers these days, and the same can be said for Hyperkin's "The Competitor" on my Xbox Series X — a controller that's designed to give you a PlayStation-style experience at a budget price point. It's not big and flashy, but it gets the job done without breaking the bank.
First thing's first — this is a wired controller, but I absolutely love the USB-C cable they've shipped it with. It feels good quality, and at 10 feet long, I can stretch it all over my living room without any issues. I've been surprised by how much I've wanted to use The Competitor purely because of the cable length alone!
In the hand, The Competitor feels really nice, with textured grips behind each palm and premium-feeling Hall Effect sticks that also contain textured ridges. The split d-pad is perhaps a little spongy for my liking, but it gets the job done and I still prefer it to the standard d-pad on Xbox controllers, while the buttons feel very reminiscent of what we're used to on Xbox already, albeit with not quite as much of a clicky sound.
The triggers are pretty nice, but they're only very lightly textured and don't protrude as much as on the official Xbox controller, while the LB and RB buttons are very familiar but not as wide as the standard Xbox controller design.
So, I've been using The Competitor for about a week now in games like Fable and High on Life 2, and I'm pleased to say I don't feel a desire to go back to my usual Xbox controllers yet. As someone who doesn't own a PlayStation 5, there's a real novelty in playing these games with a slightly different controller layout, and the solid build and pleasant feel of The Competitor is enticing me to stick around and make it part of my regular rotation.
I only have two grumbles — the first is that the central Xbox guide button feels a little mushy, and the second is that I keep accidentally pressing the two back buttons near the grips, but that can be easily rectified with the little lock switch on either side if you want to stop them from functioning altogether.
Looking online, The Competitor is going for £39.99 / $49.99 at various outlets right now, and I think that's a good price for a comfortable PS5-style controller with seemingly great build quality. I say "seemingly" because I haven't been using mine for long, but the reviews are 4.5/5 on Amazon in both the UK and US, so it appears to be going down well with the majority of buyers to date.
I'll leave you with some links below (there are more colours too), and do let us know if you've bought one already!
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