The best third-party video game controller is about to get even better

The Victrix Pro BFG is getting an upgrade in the form of new modules that feature Hall Effect joysticks. Those who own the modular controller will be able to purchase the new pieces in early 2024 either as a a two-pack or individually. Released last year, the Pro BFG is a unique third-party controller that allows players to swap out several components on the fly. That includes taking out its joystick modules and slotting in a fight pad, or switching the orientation of the sticks to match PlayStation and Xbox layouts. Victrix will not double down on that design by releasing a standalone module that replaces its joysticks with those using Hall Effect technology. If you’re not familiar with the concept, Hall Effect joysticks have become a popular alternative to analog in recent years. The technology uses magnets to detect stick movement, which means that components inside a controller don’t actually touch. As a result, Hall Effect joysticks tend to be more resistant to general wear and tear, avoiding dreaded drift issues. The Pro BFG will offer those sticks in new modules that can be slotted into the current model, no upgrade needed. Victrix plans to launch the modules in 2024. Pro BFG owners will be able to buy a set of two for $40. Individual left and right joystick modules will be available as well, with pricing yet to be determined. They’re scheduled to launch in early 2024. It’s a small upgrade that shows the potential power of modular gaming tech (something we saw this week in Sony’s new PS5 models). Rather than replacing a full controller when a joystick drifts, Pro BFG owners will be able to fix theirs up and upgrade for much cheaper. It’s a strong selling point for the controller, which Digital Trends called “the best PS5 controller you can buy right now” in a 2022 review. As long as there have been video games, there have been secrets hidden within them. There are some things like secret endings to find, but Easter Eggs are more about the fun of finding them than actually adding something to the game. It is a tradition that began at the beginning of the video game console generation timeline and persists to this day. Fans love scouring the biggest open-world games and looking into the code of the best indies to see if there’s some secret waiting to be found and shared. We can’t wait to see what Easter Eggs are found in all the upcoming video games, but for now, we wanted to look back and round up all the best ones from gaming history.
Adventure – Secret credits We couldn’t start with any other Easter Egg than the one widely considered to be the first one in gaming history. Adventure is a very basic Atari game where you guide a block of pixels around a sprawling map trying to reach a chalace. This was in a period when games didn’t have credits, so no one knew who was making them besides the publisher. The solo developer of Adventure wanted to tell the world he made the game, but had to do it in a secret way that Atari wouldn’t see and remove. So, Warren Robinett made a secret room in the game that requires players to carry an invisible pixel to a specific place to access where he wrote out “Created by Warren Robinett.” He wasn’t sure anyone would be able to discover it, but a boy named Adam Clayton managed to somehow figure it out and even wrote to Atari to share his discovery. Thankfully, Robinett had already left the company at that time.
Diablo 2 – The cow level The best video game controllers are the ones you don’t even think about. They let you fully immerse yourself in the game and let you forget you’re even holding them. The best controllers today all follow a mostly standard design, but in the early console generations, each system took a completely unique approach. In fact, many consoles would experiment with multiple types of controllers of various shapes, sizes, and input methods. Most of them were bad, and there were a few that were even painful. No matter how amazing the game was to play or how great the graphics were, a bad controller would completely tank the experience. Looking back from the days of the NES up to the PS5, we’ve recalled the very worst video game controllers of all time.
Dreamcast controller We’re starting off with a tame one here before working our way up. The Dreamcast controller looks fairly standard for the time — it has an analog stick, D-pad, triggers, and four face buttons. The problem with it is everything else. This thing is somehow bulkier and less comfortable to hold than the original Xbox’s Duke controller but made worse because the cable comes out of the bottom rather than the back or top. This made it awkward to handle for any length of time, and even the D-pad and buttons were hard on the thumbs. It wasn’t bad enough to cause the console to die the early death it did, but it by no means helped.
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