Always on the look out for new hardware that's good and cheap, I recently came across the Gioteck WX-4 Wireless gamepad.
Messing around with wires with the Logitech F310 was becoming a bit of a hassle, so I was looking around for something new to replace it. The Logitech F310 is a great wired pad, although I personally find the triggers far too stiff so I've wanted a different secondary pad for some time.
I will admit being extremely sceptical on this one. Gioteck is a brand I had neither tested nor heard of before but the WX-4 Wireless supports Bluetooth and USB, with a built-in rechargeable battery (10-12 hours approx play time) and it's incredibly light when compared with the Steam Controller.
The most important thing though? It works almost perfectly on Linux.
When paired up with the Plugable USB-BT4LE Bluetooth adapter (not included), it was stupidly easy to pair with KDE. Plug in the adapter, hold down Y + Home to turn on the Gioteck WX-4 Wireless and get it to be findable. Open up the Bluetooth Device Wizard and there it is:
Since the Gioteck WX-4 Wireless can also acts as a Nintendo Switch gamepad, in Steam if you turn on configuration for Switch Pro you then get all the handy configuration options from Steam Input.
Tested across Rocket League, Blaze Rush, Baba Is You, Eagle Island, Hell is Other Demons and plenty more it seems to work great in Steam games. It's quite weird having the ABXY buttons switched around though, that alone will take quite some time getting used to.
So why did I say it works "almost" perfectly earlier? Well, Steam has Steam Input and that works directly with gamepads, Valve constantly add new supported hardware to it too and there's not a lot of messing around there.
However, outside of Steam is a different story as there's no driver for such a pad yet I am aware of, this little guide might help so keep that in mind. As of yet, I've not been able to get it working with GOG games. That will likely change in later Linux Kernel versions, since if you remember the Steam Controller wasn't directly supported with a driver until around three years after it released.
Apart from that the other most important thing is the price, it was £20 which I honestly find pretty ridiculous for such a good gamepad that's so far been beautiful to use. If you're in need of one for some Linux gaming fun, perhaps this may be it. With the caveats of using it outside of Steam.
See more about it on the official site. You can find it on GAME, shop4world and likely many other stores.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Also keep in mind that both Xbone and DS4 are not as compatible with games as the Xb360 and the Logitech joypads. Here and there you might have to use the Steam Input to make some games recognize them.
This is true for the DS4, but not for the XB1, it actually gets recognized as a XB360 controller in older games. I have yet to come across a game that works with other controllers but doensn't with a XB1.
Unless this is something that changed in recent months, I stand by my remark. Of the hundreds of games I have, about 3 or 4 did not recognize it. Those are mostly indie games where the developer didn't bother with a SDL2 implementation, and choose to do a white list of supported controllers.
Off the top of my head, I remember La Mulana (I believe it doesn't even on Windows!) and the worst offender, Grow Home, that not even recognizes the XB360 controller...
Last edited by M@GOid on 28 September 2019 at 9:05 pm UTC
As of the F710, it was given to me by a friend, who bought it when it was advertised on the Big Picture launch. He hated it. All our friends who tested it also disliked it, being costumed to the PS and XB controllers. I have put less than 50 hours on it, and the black rubber paint of the bottom started to came out. The Dpad is loose, so are the analog sticks. The triggers are much harder and 10mm (.39in) further from the analogs compared to the others. The shape is very uncomfortable compared to others. It is the noisiest of the 5 controllers I have (One, 360, DS4, Steam Controller). The only plus side of it, for me at last, is that the 4 face buttons have a sharp, positive action. In the end I cannot recommend it with so many better alternatives out there.All of these properties, except for the rubber paint, the F710 shares with the F310. I wouldn't have said I liked the ergonomics if I found the shape uncomfortable, or the triggers too stiff, or the thumbsticks too loose.
I know the F710 is not likely to be the objectively best controller out there, and I acknowledge your warning about the noise (which is likely to be very similar to the F310), but things like trigger and stick stiffness as well as size are surely a matter of preference. Also, I wouldn't even consider something that requires Steam to function properly, so that's narrows the field a bit.
Since you prefer the symmetrical analog stick layout, give the DS4 a shot if you can. The number of games that didn't work with it is very small and can even not be in your collection. Also, that program that allows the Steam Controller to work outside Steam also support it, so you have a alternative if you didn't want to depend on Steam.
It is a great controller, and it can make you see that there are better alternatives to the Logitech ones.
As of the F710, it was given to me by a friend, who bought it when it was advertised on the Big Picture launch. He hated it. All our friends who tested it also disliked it, being costumed to the PS and XB controllers. I have put less than 50 hours on it, and the black rubber paint of the bottom started to came out. The Dpad is loose, so are the analog sticks. The triggers are much harder and 10mm (.39in) further from the analogs compared to the others. The shape is very uncomfortable compared to others. It is the noisiest of the 5 controllers I have (One, 360, DS4, Steam Controller). The only plus side of it, for me at last, is that the 4 face buttons have a sharp, positive action. In the end I cannot recommend it with so many better alternatives out there.All of these properties, except for the rubber paint, the F710 shares with the F310. I wouldn't have said I liked the ergonomics if I found the shape uncomfortable, or the triggers too stiff, or the thumbsticks too loose.
I know the F710 is not likely to be the objectively best controller out there, and I acknowledge your warning about the noise (which is likely to be very similar to the F310), but things like trigger and stick stiffness as well as size are surely a matter of preference. Also, I wouldn't even consider something that requires Steam to function properly, so that's narrows the field a bit.
Very much a personal preference thing. I've no trouble with the F710, and actually have two of them. Just need to keep the dongles apart or there's some near-field trouble.
For me, I always preferred the layout style of F310/F710, and I've had no quality troubles. I'm also not a heavy gamer, so they might not suffer the same wear & tear from me.
I keep a rotating stock of rechargeable batteries, and they last quite well. Not much warning when they're about to run out, that's true enough, but then a good battery only changes voltage properties very close to that point anyway, and I don't like built-in batteries personally (not for things like a mouse, keyboard, gamepad).
Mostly though I'm just happy that there's choice: there's no one controller to rule them all, so a range for different preferences is good. So I can't say the F710 is amazing, and can't say it's bad. It fits for me, and....that's about it.
Its compatibility with games is very good, the only one on par with the XB360 Controller. What I really miss on it is a micro-USB connector, for when the batteries run out and you are in a hurry.
Also agree that there is not a controller to rule them all. In the PC platform we have the blessing of choosing whatever we want. I personally keep the Steam Controller for games where precise camera control is important, like FPS and 3rd PS, and a DS4 for twin stick shooters and the ones where a right analog fits better than a mouse emulator.
Since you prefer the symmetrical analog stick layout, give the DS4 a shot if you can.I have played some games on a PS4, and I must have used a DS4 to do so. I've only owned Logitechs myself, but that doesn't mean I've never touched a different brand. :)
Also keep in mind that both Xbone and DS4 are not as compatible with games as the Xb360 and the Logitech joypads. Here and there you might have to use the Steam Input to make some games recognize them.
This is true for the DS4, but not for the XB1, it actually gets recognized as a XB360 controller in older games. I have yet to come across a game that works with other controllers but doensn't with a XB1.
Unless this is something that changed in recent months, I stand by my remark. Of the hundreds of games I have, about 3 or 4 did not recognize it. Those are mostly indie games where the developer didn't bother with a SDL2 implementation, and choose to do a white list of supported controllers.
Off the top of my head, I remember La Mulana (I believe it doesn't even on Windows!) and the worst offender, Grow Home, that not even recognizes the XB360 controller...
I don't own La Mulana, But I have just tested it with Grow Home, It just works with my XB1 controller, no tweaking or anything needed.
https://imgur.com/a/Jp1fIA2
You'd think any controller that supports standard D-Input or X-Input would 'just werk'. Is there even a place that lists gamepad compatibility? I've been eyeing some more Retro-bit controllers after being happy with the official Genesis pad they did.
The problems is not the controllers per se, but the way games implement gamepad support. Most do it the right way, using SDL2. But some developers are stubborn and try to do it themselves, which generally didn't end well, with white-lists that narrow things down to what the developer have at hand. That's when you have a problem.
So far, if you really cannot be bothered with teaks, the XB360 Controller is the champion, with the Logitech ones just a nose behind. But since the former is not produced anymore and the latter is not something I can recommend with a strait face, grab a Xbone S controller or a DS4. Both have excellent ergonomics and proven reliability. The small list of games that wont work with them always can be made to work one way or another.
I consider them to have good build quality as I have yet to see a single one of them break or wear out. Perhaps I just haven't gamed enough hours on one so far. Personally I prefer the D-pad to be placed above the left thumbstick, so with native support in Steam and great battery life, I say it's a perfectly capable gamepad.
I got most of mine on sales so the full price might be a bit salty.
No reason to get one though if you already have a good controller from a console.
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