Best Budget Controllers Under $40 (2026)
You do not need to spend much for contactless sticks. Every pad here costs $40 or less in our data and uses Hall-effect or TMR sticks.
Quick answer
How we picked
- Price is $40 or less.
- Every pick has Hall-effect or TMR sticks.
- Battery life, extra buttons and platform support decide the order.
We rank from the specs we track and the manufacturers' own pages. We have not tested these controllers hands-on.
Our picks
- Best overall budget$29.99
GuliKit ES Pro
Photo: HLPlanet TMR sticks, Hall-effect triggers and a very long battery for a budget price.
- Price
- $29.99
- Connection
- Bluetooth, Wired
- Sticks
- TMR
- Triggers
- Hall effect
- Extra buttons
- None
- Battery
- 30 h
- Weight
- 220 g
- Platforms
- PC, Android, iOS, Switch, Steam Deck
Watch out: No back buttons.
Head to head: GuliKit ES Pro vs GameSir Cyclone 2 vs GameSir Nova Lite
- Best for back buttons$34.99
PXN P5
Hall-effect sticks and triggers, four rear buttons and a long battery at a low price.
- Price
- $34.99
- Connection
- 2.4 GHz, Bluetooth, Wired
- Sticks
- Hall effect
- Triggers
- Hall effect
- Extra buttons
- 4 rear buttons (M1-M4, remappable in PXN Nexus app)
- Battery
- 24 h
- Weight
- 221 g
- Platforms
- PC, iOS, Android, Switch
Head to head: GameSir Cyclone 2 vs PXN P5 vs Fantech EOS Pro WGP15
- Most programmable buttons$37.00
Fantech EOS Pro WGP15
Photo: Fantech Hall-effect sticks and triggers with 12 programmable buttons and mappable rear paddles.
- Price
- $37.00
- Connection
- Wireless dongle, Bluetooth, Wired
- Sticks
- Hall effect
- Triggers
- Hall effect
- Extra buttons
- 12 programmable buttons, 22 total keys, mappable rear paddles
- Battery
- 18 h
- Weight
- 272 g
- Platforms
- PC, Switch, iOS, Android
Head to head: EasySMX X15 vs EasySMX X05 vs Fantech EOS Pro WGP15
- Best mid-priced pick$39.99
EasySMX X15
Photo: EasySMX Hall-effect sticks and triggers, two back buttons, 2.4 GHz and Bluetooth, right at the top of the budget range.
- Price
- $39.99
- Connection
- 2.4 GHz, Bluetooth, Wired
- Sticks
- Hall effect
- Triggers
- Hall effect
- Extra buttons
- 2 programmable back buttons
- Battery
- 12 h
- Weight
- 228 g
- Platforms
- Switch, PC, Android, iOS, Steam Deck
Head to head: EasySMX X15 vs EasySMX X05 vs Fantech EOS Pro WGP15
- Hall triggers for less$29.99
EasySMX X05
Photo: EasySMX Hall-effect sticks and triggers with 2.4 GHz and Bluetooth at a very low price. No back buttons are listed.
- Price
- $29.99
- Connection
- 2.4 GHz, Bluetooth, Wired
- Sticks
- Hall effect
- Triggers
- Hall effect
- Extra buttons
- None
- Battery
- Not listed
- Weight
- 218 g
- Platforms
- PC, Steam Deck, Switch, Android, iOS
Watch out: No back buttons.
Head to head: EasySMX X15 vs EasySMX X05 vs Fantech EOS Pro WGP15
- Cheapest$24.99
GameSir Nova Lite
Photo: GameSir The lowest price on this list, with Hall-effect sticks and analog triggers. The battery is short and there are no back buttons.
- Price
- $24.99
- Connection
- 2.4 GHz, Bluetooth, Wired
- Sticks
- Hall effect
- Triggers
- Analog
- Extra buttons
- None
- Battery
- 7 h
- Weight
- 205 g
- Platforms
- PC, Android, iOS, Switch
Watch out: No back buttons. Short battery life (7 h).
Head to head: EasySMX X15 vs GameSir Nova Lite vs QRD Spark N5
All picks compared
| Controller | Price | Connection | Sticks | Triggers | Battery | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GuliKit ES Pro | $29.99 | Bluetooth, Wired | TMR | Hall effect | 30 h | 220 g |
| PXN P5 | $34.99 | 2.4 GHz, Bluetooth, Wired | Hall effect | Hall effect | 24 h | 221 g |
| Fantech EOS Pro WGP15 | $37.00 | Wireless dongle, Bluetooth, Wired | Hall effect | Hall effect | 18 h | 272 g |
| EasySMX X15 | $39.99 | 2.4 GHz, Bluetooth, Wired | Hall effect | Hall effect | 12 h | 228 g |
| EasySMX X05 | $29.99 | 2.4 GHz, Bluetooth, Wired | Hall effect | Hall effect | – | 218 g |
| GameSir Nova Lite | $24.99 | 2.4 GHz, Bluetooth, Wired | Hall effect | Analog | 7 h | 205 g |
Prices are US prices in USD from manufacturer stores, checked 2026-10-10. Retail prices change often.
Compare these picks head to head
- Top three side by side
- EasySMX X15 vs EasySMX X05 vs Fantech EOS Pro WGP15
- EasySMX X15 vs GameSir Nova Lite vs QRD Spark N5
- GameSir Cyclone 2 vs PXN P5 vs Fantech EOS Pro WGP15
- EasySMX X15 vs Flydigi Direwolf 2 vs PXN P5
- Flydigi Vader 3 Pro vs EasySMX X05 vs PXN P5
- EasySMX X05 vs GameSir Nova Lite vs GuliKit KK3 MAX
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