It’s not usually an incidental hit and I don’t know, but that’s what happened when we listened to The Controller People. A group that has been around since 2016, they have been making custom controllers for years and are always looking to innovate. We recently picked up one of his custom creations, and The Controller People might be a name to have on your radar.
As you can tell by the name, it’s not necessarily a completely new driver. It also doesn’t mean you get a Frankenstein coin monster. Like Hex Controller (which we reviewed earlier this year), The Controller People make a better controller based on the excellent PS5 controller. This means you don’t sacrifice as much familiarity, as the handling is pretty much the same.
The Controller People attack its design on several fronts: quick triggers, interchangeable joysticks, back buttons, etc. Where they manage to be quite unique is with a very detailed build-your-own-controller portal. It’s not just about decking out your controller with color; almost every controller can be modified in one way or another. Customizing images is a key part of the experience (and there are plenty of options), but the additional tweaks that lead to a more competitive layout are the most important. I like what they’ve done, mainly because it allows the customer to have a budget in mind and choose based on that. Each customization clearly displays the cost, along with a total at the bottom that updates as you add new stuff. There are also pre-built drivers,
Now this review is not about a website, it is about a driver. The controller I picked up is a nice minimalist red with black and white accents throughout. That’s the level of detail you can achieve, and it’s the perfect controller for me. The grip under each handle is also fantastic, with a paint-splattered visual aesthetic doing double duty. The rubber is very comfortable to wear and feels soft, so it hits the mark on both counts.
One thing is unique about The Controller People’s controller: its return buttons. These are not paddles or buttons, but bolts (nicknamed “ClickSticks”) that can be pulled like a trigger. The choice of layout works phenomenally; They’re grippy and hard to miss, all while out of the way. If you’re having trouble accidentally hitting a paddle or the back button in an intense moment like my dad did, this is the perfect alternative. They are also accessible but sequestered in your region. The performance is even better. They have a good click and are responsive. Remapping is simple, too: just hold down the stud and button you want to map for 15-20 seconds, and you’re done.
Everything else about the controller is very basic, but the little extras are what make this custom PS5 controller great. The rumbling/haptic engines are gone on my build, which would add weight and distraction to something built for competitive play, but it still feels balanced enough to notice that they don’t just accomplish good things either way. The joysticks (called IAS, or Interchangeable Analog System) seemed to be similar to the Hex in that they would be big enough to throw me off balance. However, the multiple height options that come with this build (three different heights) allowed me to move up the chain. The shorter ones are still taller than the standard PS5 controllers, but not enough to interfere with my current feel for a new driver. They are also easy to change by removing the top piece and placing a new one at the base of the stick. Although not as common to some, the D-pad also has raised buttons and I like how they feel.
The triggers are an interesting piece to this one. On the various controllers I’ve used, he usually changes them to quick release ones or a lockout mechanism that controls the length of your pull. This one follows the old approach, with digital triggers instead. I love quick shooters so much that playing a random story game with one of my standard PS5 controllers makes me a little confused, and these have a nice clicky feel to them that reminds me of a mouse button. Quick response from triggers is necessary in the FPS genre, and these deliver it excellently.
I had a bit of a problem with the right trigger when we started the review process. This was a bit of an anomalous issue (my R2 button stopped recognizing pressure during sustained fire in-game), not an issue my rep hasn’t even heard of with previous ones. While this issue was there, I have to fall back on the amazing customer service I received from The Controller People. They were friendly, did their best to fix the problem, and quickly replaced me once we realized there was nothing we could do on my end (and the replacement works perfectly). It is the brand of a company with which you want to do business. Sometimes things don’t work as they should, but bad customer service can’t be fixed.
With that being said, I hope The Controller People works on their presentation. When I received my controller, it came in a standard PS5 box, with just a custom TCP tag holding the box closed to let me know it was a custom version. There were no notes or guides inside the box to guide me through my build, just the controller and additional joysticks. Being subtle is one thing, but presenting yourself as a premium product requires a bit more.
The controller persons are aptly named. They go to great lengths to make quality products, and you can really customize every aspect of your build. While there are a lot of standard parts and practices in play, the ClickStick Back Studs are great, they give a different feel to back sticks that are arguably better than what you’ve used before. All of this, along with exceptional customer service, makes The Controller People Custom PS5 Controller a great choice for anyone looking for a controller with extra personality at a fair price.
—David Burette
ADVANTAGE
- Portal to create your own controller
- Economic
- click sticks
- Little extras (handles, quick triggers)
THE DRAWBACKS
- The presentation of the shipment is missing.