How is the Apex 6 for Steam Input?

I found that the Vader 5 Pro was a downgrade from the Vader 4 Pro due to things like duplicate controllers in steam, 'allow third party mapping' sporadically disabling itself requiring my to unplug and re-plug the controller, and other issues.

Is the Apex 6 better with Steam Input?

I finally got this working, so I'm sharing the fix in case someone else runs into the same issue.

The problem

I have a Flydigi Vader 4 Pro connected to a Windows 11 laptop using the 2.4 GHz USB dongle. I use Flydigi Space Station 3.4.9.5 to map the extra buttons (C, Z, M1–M4) to keyboard keys, including NumPad keys.

The controller itself worked normally, and the button mappings were configured in Space Station, but pressing those buttons produced absolutely no keyboard input. I tested them in Notepad. The same controller and mappings worked on my desktop PC, so the problem appeared to be specific to the laptop.

I also tried Bluetooth, but the keyboard mappings still didn't work.

What fixed it

The Flydigi virtual keyboard and mouse drivers were not installed in Windows, even though their files were present in the Space Station installation folder.

I opened PowerShell as Administrator and ran these commands.

1. Install the virtual keyboard driver

pnputil.exe /add-driver "C:\Program Files\FlydigiSpaceStation\Service\keyfdo.inf" /install

Windows confirmed:

Driver package added successfully.
Driver package installed on device: ROOT\FEIZHI_VIRTUAL_KEYBOARD\0000

2. Install the virtual mouse driver

pnputil.exe /add-driver "C:\Program Files\FlydigiSpaceStation\Service\mousefdo.inf" /install

Windows confirmed:

Driver package added successfully.
Driver package installed on device: ROOT\FEIZHI_VIRTUAL_MOUSE\0000

Both drivers were installed successfully.

Before this, checking Windows system drivers showed that the FeizVKB and FeizVMO driver services did not exist.

The final step: restart Windows

After installing both drivers, I restarted Flydigi Space Station and tested the buttons again, but they still didn't work.

I then restarted the laptop. After the reboot, the extra buttons finally started working and correctly generated keyboard inputs.

I can now use the C, Z and M1–M4 buttons with my assigned keyboard mappings.

If your Vader 4 Pro's extra buttons don't generate keyboard inputs in Windows, even though the mappings are configured correctly:

1. Open PowerShell as Administrator.
2. Install the virtual keyboard driver using keyfdo.inf.
3. Install the virtual mouse driver using mousefdo.inf.
4. Restart Windows. Restarting only Flydigi Space Station wasn't enough in my case.
5. Test the mapped buttons in Notepad.

Use the INF files included with your existing Flydigi Space Station installation. Don't disable Windows driver-signature enforcement or download random driver files.

Hopefully this saves someone else a few hours or days of troubleshooting!

It's cause I heard some people remap button to paddles in the back for a racing game. :D

Keep in mind, this is for PC.

I recently purchased the 8BitDo Ultimate 2 Wireless. Using the 8BitDo software, I’ve configured the two extra buttons on the underside PR and PL to act as clicks for the right and left thumbsticks, respectively. I’ve always found clicking the thumbsticks down a bit awkward, especially when trying to provide directional input at the same time.

Beyond those, the controller also features additional buttons: R4 and L4. I’m currently a bit stuck on what to use these for, or rather, how I should map them. I was also a bit surprised to find that the software seemingly only allows you to map existing controller buttons, rather than keyboard keys.

Aside from macros, have you found any useful ways to map these two buttons?

Playing on Windows (mostly Steam)

1. Budget: Preferably under €50; maximum €65 including delivery.

2. Country and retailers: Netherlands. I can order from Dutch retailers or EU stores that ship here, including bol, Amazon.nl and MaxGaming.

3. Platform: Windows PC. I play without Steam, so keyboard mapping must work without Steam Input.

4. Desired features: Every rear button and extra shoulder button must be independently assignable to a keyboard key, while keeping the standard controller buttons available for separate bindings. Simply duplicating A/B/X/Y isn’t sufficient. Wireless is preferred.

5. Games: Mainly MapleStory Classic, with occasional FPS games.

6. Controllers considered: I bought an 8BitDo Ultimate 2 Bluetooth but couldn’t get its extra buttons recognised independently in my setup. I’ve compared the GameSir Super Nova, Flydigi Direwolf 4 and BIGBIG WON Rainbow 2 SE. I’ve now ordered the Rainbow 2 SE because it advertises keyboard mapping and has two rear buttons plus two extra shoulder buttons.

Does the Rainbow 2 SE meet these requirements through its PC software, including over the 2.4 GHz receiver? Is there a better option within my budget?

Budget is up to $250 USD.

I am in the United States. I can buy from major US retailers such as Amazon, Best Buy, Target, or directly from the manufacturer or another reputable US seller.

My main platform is PC, but I also regularly play on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Nintendo Switch. I already have a Retro Fighters controller that I like for Switch, so I do not necessarily need one controller to replace everything. I am also willing to use Brook or another good adapter if that is the best way to use one controller across older consoles.

The features I care about most are very accurate analog sticks, the smallest practical true center deadzone, consistent centering, high useful stick resolution, good linearity, low real stick latency, good circularity without aggressive firmware smoothing or fake correction, and long term resistance to stick drift. I would strongly prefer TMR or another contactless stick technology over traditional potentiometers.

I also care a lot about quality control. I do not want to spend $150 to $250 on something that develops bumper problems, trigger problems, centering issues, wireless disconnects, firmware problems, or inconsistent stick tension a few months later.

Replaceability is also a big plus. That is one reason the DualSense Edge interests me, because the complete stick cartridges can be removed and replaced. I could potentially use prebuilt calibrated TMR Edge modules and still keep the original Sony modules as backups.

The main games I play include Destiny 2, GTA V, Call of Duty, and other shooters and action games. So stick behavior around the center, precise aiming, latency, and consistency matter more to me than having a perfectly round Gamepad Tester screenshot.

VCuda also just uploaded this comparison, which made the decision harder:

https://youtu.be/Td3UQusS48o

The controllers I am currently comparing are the 8BitDo Ultimate 3E, GameSir G7 Pro 8K Aimlabs and other G7 Pro variants, DualSense Edge with aftermarket TMR modules, a custom DualSense with TMR sticks already installed, Razer Wolverine V3 Pro or newer Wolverine models, Razer Raiju V3 Pro, and possibly SCUF Omega.

The 8BitDo Ultimate 3E especially caught my attention after VCuda's video. It has TMR sticks, a 12 bit ADC, Xbox wireless support, interchangeable stick caps, D pads and ABXY mechanisms, trigger stops, a charging dock, 2.4 GHz wireless, and a lot of customization. My concern is the QC reports I have seen involving bumpers, triggers, stick resistance, Tournament Mode, and firmware.

The GameSir G7 Pro 8K looks extremely good from the GamepadLA measurements, especially its very low latency and high TMR stick resolution. My concerns are centering consistency, firmware behavior, QC, and whether Raw Mode, Circular Mode, jitter filtering, or other processing changes the actual analog output.

The DualSense Edge plus TMR modules is probably the most interesting long term option to me because I can replace the entire stick module without soldering. I have seen K Silver JS13 Pro Plus, AKNES or HallPi V6, Battle Beaver Magneto, GuliKit, Favor Union, and Ginfull discussed for TMR conversions. If I go this route, I would prefer complete calibrated plug and play modules instead of soldering sensors myself.

For people who have actually owned these, what would you choose under $250?

I am especially interested in firsthand experience with long term centering, tiny deadzones, stick resolution, linearity, latency, stick tension consistency, firmware problems, button and bumper durability, trigger durability, wireless reliability, and anything that only became obvious after weeks or months of use.

For DualSense Edge owners using TMR, which actual TMR module would you recommend today?

For Ultimate 3E owners, have the bumpers, triggers, sticks, firmware, Tournament Mode, or wireless connection given you any problems?

For G7 Pro 8K owners, have you had centering drift, paddle failures, trigger problems, firmware issues, or strange Raw Mode behavior?

I am also considering Brook Wingman XE2 for PS3 and Switch and Wingman XB2 for Xbox 360. If anyone has actually used the DualSense Edge, Ultimate 3E, GameSir G7 Pro, or newer Razer controllers through these adapters, I would really like to know how well the sticks, analog triggers, rumble, motion controls, and latency work.

I am completely fine with buying two controllers if that gives me a better setup than trying to make one controller do everything. For example, Ultimate 3E or G7 Pro 8K as my main PC controller and DualSense Edge for PS3, Xbox 360, and possibly Switch through Brook adapters.

If you were spending your own money today and cared more about measured stick performance, low deadzones, latency, and long term reliability than marketing specs, which route would you take?

So first of all, I'm using batocera v42 and I've got 8 controllers recently, but i'm having some issues. The only game I could play without any problems using 8 controllers at the same time was Mr. Boom. Here are some questions of mine:

* Why does mega saturn's bomberman allows 2 players in my batocera? Thera are 10 slots but 3 to 10 only allows me to put CPU or Off.

* Why does Windows games like Fling to the finish (8 players) and Alpaca ball (8 players) recoginizes only 4 controllers at the same time? What am I missing here?

* Is there any tricks or settings I should know about? I thought it was just plug and play for any game like these.

* Any tips?

DISCLAIMER: This controller was sent to me by Gamesir for free for review. All the thoughts and opinions are mine only. No scripts were provided by Gamesir. No one watched this review before its release.

TLDR; G7Pro 8K is one of the best controllers for FPS games IMO (and my personal favorite). It's also good for all other genres. D-Pad was changed and improved once more on Phantom Blade 0 Edition even compared to AIMLABS Edition.

Personally, I find this design fine, but it might have been better.

I'm looking for a PC controller that resembles a PS4 or PS5 contoller for my wife. I plan on getting the 8bitdo ultimate, but the resemblance to a playstation controller is her main criteria for her controller. we want to be able to play PC games together with our controllers, but every controller that I see online either doesn't match the description (primarily needing symmetrical joystick layout in the center of the controller) or only costs $25 which scares me when it comes to quality and longevity. I don't want to use bluetooth for the connection because when I bluetoothed my PS5 controllers to my PC the input lag was dreadful, so I would like the controllers to be dongled to the PC. any suggestions for my wife? thanks so much.

To suit information requirements:

- No more than $200 CAD

- Canada

- PC is the platform

- Centered symmetrical joystick layout, and 2.4G dongle, hall effect joysticks would be a bonus but not needed.

- don't know the games yet, we use steam though

- playstation controllers for comparison

Srry for bad english and all but idk what's happening

The issue is in the video but steam also detects buttons I never pressed and when I lightly press a, steam holds it for a while

Again maybe it's because the controller is too old and stuff but it started glitching while in game and I used it for like 1-2 years now and never had anything like this before

If you need further info, I'll try to help you, i'm really bad with computer stuff

My dualshock 4 controller phantom presses the PS button without pressing (the ps button is sometimes stuck, I have to use my finger nails to get it unstuck). I've tried the small hole on the back, doesn't work. It gets to the point where it doesn't connect to my PS4 or it connects to the PS4 by itself. Need to be able to fix this somehow because its my only working controller.

For context, I'm coming from an 8BitDo Ultimate (the first version). That controller still works fine, but I was starting to find it a bit mushy and felt like I needed more fine control for Crimson Desert. I'm in Canada and bought the controller with my own money from the GadgetHyper website, shipping took around 2 weeks.

Three things stand out to me after a couple of hours with the Apex 6 Pro.

First, the controller feels fantastic overall. The ergonomics are great for my average-sized hands. All the buttons are very crisp and much more defined than those on the 8BitDo. The triggers, in particular, are fantastic in comparison.

Second, the haptics are PHENOMENAL. I tried them with ApexSenseBridge in Crimson Desert, and they were very nice, but the mode that really stood out to me was setting XHaptics to Full in the Flydigi app. This mode combines native rumble with their audio-rumble algorithm. It took the experience to a whole other level. I don't know what Flydigi is doing, but it's miles ahead of the game's native adaptive rumble through Apex Bridge.

Third, the software is really good. The web app is responsive, the UI is clear, and it offers a ton of settings. I just need to figure out how to switch it to English so I can dive deeper into some of the functions.

Overall, my first impressions are great. If you have any specific questions, let me know.

My BRAND NEW Marvo GT90 controller started vibrating when i connected it to my pc via bluetooth so i connected it to my phone via bluetooth, no vibration, wired to my pc, no vibration again bluetooth to my pc, vibrating again.I tried everything i possibly found on the internet and in the controller manual but nothing worked. I know its a windows issue. Does anyone know how to solve this problem?

I’m looking for a premium PC controller with hard-plastic handles. My main requirement is no rubberized grips, rubber panels, or soft-touch rubber coatings on the handles. Textured plastic and rubber thumbstick caps are fine.

Budget
Ideally around US$100, but I can stretch to US$150 for a worthwhile upgrade.

Location and buying options
I’m based in Taiwan and can buy from Taiwanese retailers, Taobao, or international stores that ship to Taiwan. Chinese brands are welcome.

Platform
PC only. I don’t need console compatibility.

What I’m looking for
Good build quality and a premium feel
Precise sticks and satisfying buttons
Comfortable, well-designed rear buttons or paddles
Comfortable ergonomics for longer gaming sessions

Games I play
Mostly AAA games, with occasional casual FPS games.

Comparison point
My reference point is the Flydigi Vader 5 Pro. I’d appreciate comparisons with other options, particularly regarding build quality, button feel, rear controls, and handle materials.

Which controllers would you recommend? I’m interested in both currently available models and officially announced upcoming releases.
If you own a controller you recommend, please mention whether its handles are entirely hard plastic—this detail isn’t always clear from product listings.
Thanks for your help!

(bought from gadget hyper with my own money, no affiliation with them or flydigi)

Have only had about an hour to play with it so far (some dark souls 2) but I see this being my main controller now.

This is my first flydigi controller, so unfortunately can't compare to their others. But I have the elite 2, gamesir g7 pro. The layout and size fit my hands perfectly. I like that it has the heft that the elite 2 has.

I think overall the buttons and dpad are a step up from the gamesir.

I've only tested the haptics in the app but they seem pretty good, the vibration intensity can go quite high. I'm not sure if the triggers are capable of what the ps5 controller can do?

One thing I'm not a huge fan of is the amount of pressure needed to click the analog sticks, though I'm sure I'll get used to it.

Anyways this is really just a first impressions, just wanted to share. I was gonna get the apex 5 but held off when I saw the 6 was only a few weeks away. Was actually surprised seeing it on my doorstep today lol thought I'd be waiting longer

1.under $100 2.USA 3.bluetooth wireless(pc) 4.1:1 5.platform so dpad gotta be responsive and not miss input 6.wii classic controller

I liked the feel of the wii classic controller from back in the day and i want to buy the exact clone but that i can use on my pc or other handhelds via bluetooth.

i currently own a 3bitdo sn30 pro but i kinda want a new controller and i used to love the feel of the buttons and dpad of the wii classic controller

i also thought about buying that 3bitdo adapter for the original wii classic controller but i would still have to go through the hassle of finding a good condition used controller but if theres no replica or clone im guessing thats the route ill be taking

Thanks in advance

I purchased this product from amazon. I was not sponsored in any way.

Games I play, old pc games emulators and decomp/ recomp ports.

I need gyro and a great dpad ( for action platformers like silksong, Celeste, dustforce)

My favourite dpad is m30

The best sticks I’ve used is tegenaria lite. I love the tegenaria but the triggers are horrible, very uncomfortable.

Games I play that need precise sticks and good triggers are racing games, skate 3, and jet set radio

All the analysis I see on sticks is for aiming but I use gyro to aim, I need precise control for movement

8bitdo pro is on sale for 60 cad, and I can get the TT max for 80 cad

I’m indifferent to back paddles but the ability to add them as needed on tt max looks cool

Does anyone know how dpad is on 8bitdo pro 3?

I’ve only tried mechanical buttons on easy smx x10 and they were terrible, so heavy and slow. I heard gulikit is better though.

Hey guys, I need some help with my PowerA Xbox controller (Model: 1508492-02).

Both triggers (LT and RT) seem to be registering as pressed automatically, even when I am not touching them.

Here's what's happening:

• LT (Left Trigger): It's registering as pressed automatically, but it also works normally when I physically press it.
• RT (Right Trigger): It's also registering as pressed automatically, but pressing it physically doesn't seem to work properly.

I am trying to play GOW III Remastered on PC using the native PC port, but because RT is constantly registering as pressed, Kratos keeps performing power attacks, which makes the game difficult to play.

I have two questions:

1. Is there a way to fix the trigger issue?
Can I increase the LT dead zone so that it stops registering as pressed when idle and only activates when I physically pull the trigger? Is there a way to do this through software, or is it likely a hardware issue?

2. Can I remap the controls as a workaround?
I'd like to assign RT's power attack action to another button, such as X. Currently, pressing X opens the Xbox menu, so I'd like to disable that behavior and use X for power attacks instead, if possible.

I've tried troubleshooting the controller, but I haven't found a proper solution yet.

Any suggestions would be really appreciated. Thanks!

Hey guys! Im looking forward to buying my first controller. Got my first laptop in September. Im from Bangladesh. From where I live, the biggest tech mall in Bangladesh is not so far away & i can mostly get anything. My budget is around 4000 bdt (±40$). I'll most likely play story games. Since I'm still learning online pc games like valorant & apex legends. Recently I'm playing games like batman Arkham city & Lego marvel superheroes. I'm looking forward to play games like far cry & spec ops. Since i live in a dorm after classes & everything im too tired to seat on the table & play that's y i need a controller. Idk much about features I'd like to get suggestions. After watching few reviews. I have 2 controllers in my watchlist. Easysmx x10 & flydigi direwolf 4. Like to get some suggestions on which one to buy in this price range.

I have had the controller for over 6 months and this is the first time it's started behaving like this. Like the title says, my 8bitdo ultimate 2c wired controller (wukong edition) keeps disconneting, vibrating, freezing and then connecting again. This happens periodically. Someone please help!!!

Controller is acting weird. When I hold the power button (which doesn't always work, I would assume because of grime maybe) the controller will flash as if it is about to connect as usual, and then turn off. Not an instant cutoff as if you ripped the battery out, but as if it *actually powers itself off*. Once it is on, it works just fine without anything weird.

When I saw Ikea selling these display cases I was considering collecting controllers. But I didn't want to get a large collection, I wanted to go for something small so I saw the x25 controller back in September and remembered the ps5 had their own anniversary controller. The only challenge I had was the switch controllers so I asked on here and someone recommend extremerate and it all works out perfectly. I just need to mount these 3 on the wall now but I'll have to figure out how I'm going to do this. Who should go where. Should I include the steam controller as a "pc" controller.

Controllers included:

Nintendo switch 2 pro (eXtremeRate custom shell)

PS5 30th anniversary controller

Xbox series X25 controller

I was digging some features of the GameSir Pro7, but it's missing elements I need.

1) wireless for console, since I have a busy living room; kids and animals and other family. I don't want to spend an extra $50 USD for a special edition for a game I'll never play (only two wireless options from GameSir).

2) I need a big one, comparable to Elite. I've had both series 1 & 2 fall apart (peeling grips, sticking bumpers, other issues), and I'm done spending on those. Don't want one of the popular smaller makes/models.

3)comparable features to Pro7; microswitch and Hall effect options, etc.

Any suggestions? Trying to spend <$150 US.

US, mainly play 3rd person shooters and metroidvanias.

Please don't flash your controller just because you saw this post. This is experimental firmware research. A bad flash can leave a device unusable, and although stock restore files are preserved, flashing back to stock after these changes hasn't been tested.

Hey everyone,

I don't usually post here, but I've been messing around with the GameSir G7 Pro 8K Aimlabs Edition. When I bought it I was planning on using in steam with paddles and extra shoulder buttons. But I found that you cannot use them independently in steam. It's wrapped up with xinput.

Normal XInput doesn't expose those four buttons as separate controls. Switching to native HID makes them available, but on stock firmware, wireless stick positions were only updating about 100 times a second. Trash numbers.

It was sending roughly 1,000 reports/sec, but most were repeating the same stick position. Which is insane, we want 1,000 fresh updates.

I initially made a bridge that combined XInput with the extra-button data and emulated another controller for Steam. It worked, but it was a lot to deal with just to use the buttons I paid for.

The bridge is here.

I later picked up an 8BitDo Ultimate 2 Wireless. Nice controller, but its native mode had a different compromise: roughly 1,000 reports/sec, with only 8-bit stick axes. That's 256 possible values per axis, compared with the thousands of distinct values I captured in XInput. This input method needs to die.

These native modes are trash. The hardware clearly has capabilities that aren't exposed equally across modes.

So I started looking into the GameSir firmware after discovering that it seemingly isn't a limitation of HID mode.

Its native report already had 16-bit axis fields. The problem was that it read a slower state snapshot, while XInput had a separate fast stick buffer available. There were also timing restrictions in the native paths.

After changes to the controller and receiver firmware, I measured:

- About 4,000 fresh stick updates/sec, wired and wireless.

- The existing high-resolution axis output preserved.

- All four extra buttons still available independently.

- Normal XInput still working in the checks I ran.

The final controller and receiver packages differ from stock by 98 bytes total, including checksum changes and duplicated firmware payloads.

The patches, recordings and findings are here.

I suspect inherited compatibility code plays a part, but I haven't established why either company made these choices. On this GameSir, the hardware was already capable of delivering the faster input alongside the independent buttons. I'd like to see that available officially.

For now, I'm keeping my modified GameSir firmware, and not updating since I can't imagine they would fix this. I'll be looking into the 8BitDo next.

But it makes me wonder why controllers are like this. I can understand to a degree why it is for console controllers. But for a controller that is marketed toward PC gamers? It seems, I don't want to say lazy, but it is something.

Please don't flash your controller just because you saw this post. This is experimental research. A bad flash can leave a device unusable, and although stock restore files are preserved, flashing back to stock after these changes hasn't been tested.