Technologies

PDP’s Victrix Pro BFG Is Hands Down the Best Pro Controller I’ve Used. Here’s Why

PDP’s top Xbox and PS5 controllers are pricey, but the high level of customization and overall design make them worth the money.

I would never claim to be anywhere near the level of a «pro» gamer, and I always thought high-end controllers like Sony’s DualSense Edge and Microsoft’s Xbox Elite were a bit overkill. I considered them great for the pros and streamers, but not worth the money for everyday gamers like me.

Then Turtle Beach, PDP’s parent company, sent me its Victrix Pro BFG controllers, and my eyes were opened. The controllers certainly haven’t turned me into a superstar gamer, but they’ve absolutely convinced me that they offer benefits for nonprofessionals that make the extra cost worthwhile. The granular levels of customization combined with the superb in-hand feel make for a highly compelling pro-level experience, making it one of the best console controllers I’ve tested.

What I like about the Victrix Pro BFG

The design is top-notch

For me, one of the most critical aspects of a controller, if not the most, is how it feels in my hand. I have small hands, so my palms and fingers need to sit comfortably on the controller and easily reach all the buttons. I also prefer solid, tactile feedback that lets me know my input registered. I use a mechanical keyboard during the day, so I’m simply used to reliable, clicky feedback from my devices.

The Victrix Pro BFG controller nails that aspect. When I unboxed it, I was a bit worried at first that it would be too big, but after a few hours with it, that worry vanished. It’s almost exactly the same size as a PlayStation DualSense controller and just slightly longer than an Xbox controller, but its ergonomics feel better in my hand. The added rubber grips on the handles also help. It weighs slightly more than either first-party controller at 298 grams (10.5 ounces), but I hardly noticed.

PDP makes two versions of the Victrix Pro BFG — one for Xbox and one for PlayStation — and both are officially licensed by Microsoft and Sony. The designs are mostly identical, with some minor functional exceptions. The only major difference is the touch panel on the PlayStation controller in place of the Xbox button. Unlike the Xbox controller, the PS version also has a PlayStation logo on the function button.

From a design perspective, I don’t think I’ll ever go back to a DualSense or Xbox controller. The Victrix Pro just feels so great to hold and use for prolonged periods. I gamed for hours with it and my hands never got tired, unlike they would with the DualSense controller.

Another nice bonus is that the Victrix Pro BFG’s battery life is solid as well. It beats the DualSense Edge controller handily (which isn’t hard to do) with a 2,000mAh battery and a stated 20-hour play time. That lines up with my testing. The Elite Series 2 controller gets closer to 30 hours of battery life, so it may not quite get there, but 20 hours is still respectable.

Customization is the name of the game

While I love the design of the Pro BFG controllers, their functionality is what truly sets them apart from almost every other controller out there. It’s not too uncommon now to see controllers that let you replace the sticks and possibly the D-pad, but PDP lets you swap out entire control modules, giving you deep levels of customization across the whole controller.

Two modules can be swapped out: the left module houses the left stick and D-pad, while the right module houses the right stick and X, Y, A, B (or PlayStation) buttons. Using the included screwdriver, you can physically remove the entire module. You can rotate them to change the position or even replace them.

PDP includes a fightpad module with each controller, which swaps the right analog stick and buttons with a six-button layout designed for fighting games. These buttons are flat and slightly larger, and also add RB and LB buttons for quicker reach.

Extra modules are sold separately with Hall Effect triggers and buttons so that you can upgrade your gameplay even more. And they include two additional D-pad layouts, two additional thumb sticks and two different gates for the thumb sticks.

For connectivity, there’s an included USB-C cable and a 2.4 GHz wireless dongle, and the Xbox version also has Bluetooth. Both models will work with PCs, but the Xbox version also works with compatible Bluetooth devices. The Xbox controller supports the Series X and S, Xbox One and Windows 10/11 PCs, while the PlayStation controller supports the PS4, PS5 and Windows 10/11 PCs.

Not only can you customize most of the buttons physically, but you can also remap them via the Victrix Control Hub for Xbox and PC. In the app, you can map nearly every button to a different input and diagnose and calibrate any issues with the buttons, joysticks or triggers. It can also store up to three different profiles on the controller to quickly switch your layout between games. For example, jumping between game modes and maps on a game like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, or even loading up an entirely different game.

The Pro BFG has a five-position trigger stop to set the depth wherever you want. This was huge for me as it drastically reduced my response time and improved my performance in Halo Infinite, Black Ops 6 and other shooters. I instantly noticed a big difference in my gameplay after I adjusted them.

Lastly, both controllers have solid audio enhancements. The Xbox controller supports Dolby Atmos, while the PS version supports Sony 3D audio on PS5. They both have low-latency audio and support for EQ profiles and customization.

What I don’t like about the Victrix Pro BFG

For all that I like about these controllers, they aren’t perfect. The first thing I noticed was that the PC app is a bit buggy. It also looks like it was designed for mobile devices, as the UI is big and spread out, and feels a little like an app that’s still in beta.

The only other downside for me was trying to use the Hall Effect module in the right slot of the Xbox controller. Once installed, it bugged out pretty hard and acted like I was constantly pulling the left trigger. This seems to be a known issue, though, going back at least several months, so who knows if or when it will ever get fixed.

Worth every penny

I consider myself somewhere between a casual and hard-core gamer. I’m a bit more advanced than someone who just logs on occasionally to kill a few brain cells, but I’m far from a pro — or even particularly good. And I can say that every aspect of my gaming was improved when using the Pro BFG.

The feel in the hand, the immense customization options and even the simple addition of back buttons have made playing games much more enjoyable. The BFG isn’t cheap, but it is competitively priced — at least the base package is. At $180, it’s more affordable than the DualSense Edge, only about $20 more than the Elite Series 2 and cheaper than many other pro-level gaming controllers. However, most of the latest pro-style controllers, like Razer’s Wolverine V3 Pro, come standard with Hall Effect sticks and triggers, which can increase longevity and keep drift in check. You’ll have to pay an extra $40 for the module to add that feature to the Pro BFG.

You’re paying a little more for the modularity, but if you want to improve your gaming experience, the PDP Victrix Pro BFG is absolutely worth it.

Technologies

Amazon Prime Day Is Coming Back in July, With Tariffs Looming Large

Amazon’s big annual sales event for Prime members could be dampened by price hikes on imported goods. Here’s what to look for.

Amazon Prime Day will return in July. Amazon on Tuesday announced the 2025 edition of the summer shopping event, which typically brings some of its best Amazon deals of the year.

The mega retailer isn’t yet announcing specific dates, according to Amazon spokesperson Alicia Hopkins, who responded via email to questions about the timing. The two-day sales event, which is exclusively for Prime members, took place last year July 16-17.

Looming price hikes due to tariffs could impact how much savings shoppers can expect.

According to some reports, Amazon will start displaying the original prices of products alongside how much the Trump administration’s tariffs add to a product’s price, although the company denied this to Reuters.

The White House immediately denounced any such plan by Amazon.

«This is a hostile and political act by Amazon,» Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said during a White House press briefing on Tuesday. Amazon did not immediately respond to a follow-up request.

So what could tariffs mean for your Prime Day shopping?

How could tariffs affect Prime Day deals?

Prices on everything, including electronics, are expected to rise as a result of Trump’s sweeping tariffs, which he originally announced on April 2. He quickly followed with a 90-day pause for most of the tariffs, but left triple-digit tariffs in place for China and a 10% baseline tariff for goods imported from other countries.

The administration has since said that it’s in the process of making deals with many countries to ease tariffs, but no official announcements have been released yet. Some companies, including Apple, have taken steps to reduce the impact of tariffs on their products, including reportedly moving some manufacturing operations to India.

If the 90-day tariff pause is lifted before agreements can be reached, they would take effect in July — the same month as Amazon’s Prime Day event.

If retailers pass along the full cost of the tariffs, it could mean we’ll be paying double (or more) for products manufactured in other countries. Shoppers on bargain sites Temu and Shein have already seen prices skyrocket as much as 377% ahead of the tariffs.

After launching the original Prime Day in 2015, the retailer has expanded the number of its sales events, including a Big Spring Sale in March and Prime Big Deal Days in October.

Technologies

Sorry Shoppers, Amazon Says Tariff Cost Feature ‘Is Not Going to Happen’

The White House said Amazon would be considered a «hostile and political act» if it listed tariff prices next to products. But the company denies any plans to do so.

The effect of tariffs can be felt on almost everything you’re buying right now, but how much are they actually costing you? It can be hard to keep track. Some companies have been open about price hikes, but Amazon will not be one of them.

A report from Punchbowl News on Tuesday cited a source familiar with the plan as saying that Amazon intends to make it known to shoppers how much of a difference the tariffs are making to the price of items they want to buy. Amazon later shut down the claim.

«The team that runs our ultra low-cost Amazon Haul store considered the idea of listing import charges on certain products,» company spokesperson Tim Doyle said in an emailed statement. «This was never approved and is not going to happen.»

Even before Amazon denied the plan, President Donald Trump made it clear he was unhappy with the idea of the company listing tariff costs. «This is a hostile and political act by Amazon,» White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters during a briefing.

Tariffs have been sending costs soaring across shopping platforms, with reports that products on Chinese sites Temu and Shein have seen price hikes of up to 377%. Even though Amazon is a US company, it’s also feeling the impacts of increased import charges, with many products available across the platform originating in China.

«This is another reason why Americans should buy American,» Leavitt said Tuesday. Separately on Tuesday, Amazon announced its plans for the upcoming Prime Day sale. The shopping event will once again take place in July and offer savings across all categories of products, though it’s hard to say whether the savings this time will be as significant as on previous Prime Day sales.

Technologies

Here Are the Best Steam Wargames Fest and Star Wars May the 4th Be With You Deals

Save money and grow your gaming backlog with these Star Wars deals and Steam Wargame Fest discounts.

Steam is one of the most popular PC gaming platforms, selling more than 400 million total games in 2023, according to Statista. The digital PC gaming service boasts a massive catalog of over 76,000 titles. I first discovered Steam in university — until then, I’d never had my own computer, so the allure of PC gaming proved irresistible. What started as a humble dozen games (like Team Fortress 2 and Half-Life) blossomed into a collection of over 220 titles, thanks mainly to Steam sales. (Please don’t ask me how many items from my library I’ve actually played.)

Currently, you can snag some discounted war games at the Steam Wargames Fest, or load up on Star Wars titles for a May the 4th sale. Whether you’re trying to save a few bucks on one of the latest big-name AAA games, want to add more indie games to your digital shelf or need to fill up your Steam Deck hard drive, here’s everything you need to know about Steam sales and how to save money.

Best Steam May the 4th Star Wars game deals

Steam’s May the 4th Be With You sale slashes prices on a slew of Star Wars games. Here are some of the best deals we saw:

Best Steam Wargames Fest deals

You won’t have to resist reaching for your wallet with these deep discounts.

When are the next Steam sales?

There are four main Steam seasonal sales. The next major Steam Sale — the Steam Summer Sale — runs June 26 to July 10, 2025. There are also smaller sales, called Fests. Typically, the Steam Winter and Summer Sales last about two weeks, whereas the Spring and Autumn Sales last for one week, give or take.

Steam Summer Sale (June 26 to July 10, 2025)
Steam Autumn Sale (was Nov. 27 to Dec. 4, 2024)
Steam Winter Sale (was Dec. 19, 2024, to Jan. 2, 2025)
Steam Spring Sale (was March 13-20, 2025)

How often are Steam sales?

Steam Sales are pretty frequent, with at least one per month. While the big seasonal sales are quarterly — winter, fall, spring and summer — there are dozens of smaller sales or fests. Typically, these Steam discount days revolve around a particular theme, with lowered prices on titles within a certain genre, like fighting games or role-playing games.

Here’s how I save money with Steam sales (and you can too)

Take advantage of your wish list

Adding games to your Steam wish list simplifies figuring out what to snag — or skip — during a sale. You can sort your wish list by discount, so finding the biggest savings is a breeze.

Add a game to your wish list whenever you see one you like the look of but don’t immediately want to play. Then, during a Steam sale, pop in, sort by discount and see which prices have plummeted the most. Or, you can arrange your wish list in order of your most wanted titles, then choose what to buy that way during one of the upcoming Steam sales.

Use SteamDB to find the largest discounts

SteamDB is an excellent source for uncovering deals. Its many filters let you sort attributes, including discount percentage, rating, price or reviews, making it a helpful Steam sales tracker. You can even narrow down a list based on platform — Windows, Linux or MacOS — and features like controller support. I’ve even used SteamDB to nab free games, like a no-cost copy of Tell Me Why.

I typically hop into SteamDB during a Steam sale to look for hefty discounts on highly rated games. It’s worth checking SteamDB even outside of seasonal sales and fests if you want to expand your Steam collection.

Shop for older titles, indie games, DLC and complete catalogs

Often, newer AAA games get heavy markdowns — but because of their usually high price tags, even the discounted cost isn’t cheap. However, you can find wallet-friendly older games, indies or downloadable content. For instance, I picked up a copy of The Sum of All Fears for just $2, which wasn’t even during a Steam sale.

Complete publisher catalogs or franchise bundles save you a ton of money. I’ve seen the Activision Collection bundle — typically $900 — for as low as $355. While over $350 might not be pocket change, the per-title breakdown is pretty cost-effective when you’re getting 53 games. Similarly, I’ve seen the Call of Duty Franchise bundle for $443, a steep drop from its usual $1,010.

You can often get DLC packs pretty cheap during Steam sales, which provide more in-game content to enjoy. On the other hand, these comprehensive bundles might lead you to overspend if you’re not actually planning on playing, say, every single Call of Duty game under the sun.

Check your other game libraries to make sure you’re not double-dipping

Although Steam is incredibly popular, it’s not the only source for digital game purchases. Check your other libraries on GOG, Epic, EA Origin and Xbox Game Pass, for instance, to ensure you’re not double-dipping. While you could buy Cyberpunk 2077 on Steam and GOG, you probably don’t need two copies.

Cross-shop deals on other platforms

With many Steam alternatives, including GOG, Epic, Origin and Fanatical, you can find sweet discounts from several outlets. While you can — and should — check those individual storefronts, IsThereAnyDeal is a comprehensive source for savings. So you might notice a great deal on Skyrim from Steam, but it might be available at an even lower price at Epic at the same time.

Set a budget

Adding a bunch of games to your cart can be tempting, especially with prices slashed by 75% or more. However, lots of cheap games can still add up. I typically set a budget — whether it’s monetary or a limit on the number of games — and stick to that.

Don’t feel compelled to buy anything

The best way to save money is by not spending it in the first place. I know, it’s tempting to load up your cart with $5 or $10 games, which is nearly as gratifying as an in-game loot grab. But only buy what you’ll play now or soon after purchasing. While there are rare instances where games get delisted on Steam, chances are if you pass up on a sweet deal, it’ll still be available during the next Steam sale.

A complete list of Steam sale dates

Outside of Steam’s seasonal sales, there are different genre-themed sales or fests. Steam fests revolve around a genre or game theme. Here are the upcoming Steam fests for the remainder of 2024 and the first half of 2025 as announced by Steam, along with examples of Steam games on sale you might find:

Wargames Fest (April 28-May 5, 2025): Get your fight on with slashed prices on titles that may include Six Days in Fallujah, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 and Europa Universalis IV.
Creature Collector Fest (May 12-19, 2025): If you like Pokémon, you’ll love these discounts on games like Palworld, Digimon World: Next Order and Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin.
Zombies vs. Vampires Fest (May 26-June 2, 2025): Unreal deals on the undead and living dead — titles you may see on sale include Resident Evil 4, The House of the Dead Remake and Vampire the Masquerade Bloodlines.
Steam Next Fest June Edition (June 9-16, 2025): Demos, livestreams and developer chats showcasing upcoming games.
Fishing Fest (June 16-23, 2025): No fishing license required for these great games. You could see prices sink for games like Bassmaster Fishing, Fishing Planet, Bass Pro Shops Fishing Sim World or Harvest Moon: The Winds of Anthos.
Real-Time Strategy Fest ( was Jan. 20-27, 2025): Reap the rewards of discounted RTS strategy games — you might find Hearts of Iron IV, Manor Lords or DOTA 2 on sale.
Idler Fest (was Feb. 3-10, 2025): If you want to play a video game that lets you progress without too much demanding effort, an idler is a great choice. Examples of what you could find on the cheap include Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realm, Firestone and Rusty’s Retirement.
Couch Co-Op Fest (was Feb. 10-17, 2025): Couch co-op games let you play with friends in the same room. You may see games like It Takes Two, Lego Harry Potter Years 1-4 or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection for wallet-friendly prices.
Steam Next Fest February Edition (was Feb. 24-March 10, 2025): Demos, developer chats and livestreams featuring up-and-coming games.
Visual Novel Fest (was March 3-10, 2025): Stock up your Steam library on graphic novel and anime-adjacent games without breaking the bank. You might see Persona 3 Reload, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy or Vampire Therapist at attractively low costs.
City Builder & Colony Sim Fest (was March 24-31, 2025): Build your own virtual worlds, and cop titles like Anno 1800, Ages of Empires IV or RimWorld on sale.
Sokoban Fest (was April 21-28, 2025): Pick up some puzzle games like Isles of Sea and Sky or Schein.

When is the next Steam Next Fest?

There’s an upcoming Steam Next Fest running February 24 to March 3, 2025. The Steam Next Fest highlights upcoming game releases, featuring developer chats, free playable game demos and livestreams. Some of the most played demos from the June 2024 Steam Next Fest included Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown, Once Human and Level Zero: Extraction.

Here’s what I bought on Steam recently

So what did I stock up on at a recent Steam Sale? Mass Effect Legendary Edition — three games for $2 apiece was too good a deal to skip. I also snagged Middle-earth: Shadow of War. While I picked up Shadow of Mordor at a previous Steam Sale, I’ve not yet added its sequel to my metaphorical shelf. As a big cinephile and fan of movie tie-in games (like Peter Jackson’s King Kong), I was excited to get Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine alongside Indiana Jones and the Emperor’s Tomb for $4 total. Although I own it in EA Origin, I snagged a $1 copy of Alice: Madness Returns, because at that price, it was too juicy a discount to pass up.

How to get the most out of Steam once you’ve ravaged your wallet during a Steam sale

Once you’ve drained your bank account dry on games you’ll likely never play, there’s a lot more you can do with Steam, like sharing your library with friends or family, using Remote Play Together and adding non-Steam games. I suggest installing the Steam Link app on your phone, tablet or streaming device for playing your games away from your PC. You can also game on the go with the Steam Deck or another handheld gaming console like the Asus ROG Ally. Or, you can share your Steam library with up to five family members using Steam Families.