I just tried the perfect pro controller for PC gamers on a budget — and it has all the features you’d expect

The PowerA OPS v3 Pro is a wireless controller for PC, mobile and cloud gaming that packs in a ton of pro-level features at a much more affordable price. It has all the hallmarks of a pro controller including extra customizable buttons, textured rubber grips, trigger stops, height-adjustable thumbsticks and Hall Effect sensors. However, you also get built-in RGB lighting, tactile mechanical face buttons and a magnetic charging stand.

PowerA did have to make some compromises to price the OPS v3 Pro at $100 though. The controller doesn't come with a carrying case and you can’t use it with your Xbox console unless you’re playing over the cloud. Likewise, while it has the features you’d expect from a pro controller, it doesn’t have the same level of build quality found in more premium controllers.

Our PowerA OPS v3 Pro review will help you decide if this is the best PC game controller for you or whether or not it’s worth spending a bit more for the full pro controller experience.

PowerA OPS v3 Pro: Cheat Sheet

• What is it? A wireless, pro-style controller for PC with built-in RGB lighting effects.
• Who is it for? PC and mobile gamers that want a wireless pro controller with extra programmable buttons at a more affordable price.
• What does it cost? The PowerA OPS v3 Pro costs $99 but if you want a wireless controller without all of its pro features and RGB lighting, the PowerA OPS v1 is only $49.
• What do we like? The controller’s rubber grips and textured bumpers/triggers, its tactile mechanical face buttons, the inclusion of Hall Effect thumbsticks and triggers, the six remappable buttons and that it comes with a magnetic charging stand with a USB port for its 2.4 GHz adapter.
• What don’t we like? The anti-friction rings around the thumbsticks feel a bit rough, issues with the trigger stops at their lowest setting and I worry about the longevity of the quick-twist adjustable thumbsticks.

PowerA OPS v3 Pro: Specs

PowerA OPS v3 Pro: The ups

The PowerA OPS v3 Pro has a lot going for it in terms of features and functionality, from its extra programmable buttons, built-in RGB lighting and the included magnetic charging stand, especially when you consider its $100 price. 

Buttons galore

Just like the new Razer Wolverine V3 Pro or the older Razer Wolverine V2 Pro, the PowerA OPS v3 Pro packs in six customizable buttons. There are four on the back of the controller along with two up top between its bumpers and triggers. While you can use PowerA’s Gamer HQ software to remap these extra buttons, you don’t have to. Instead, you can use the program button on the back of the controller — which also lets you adjust its built-in, Lumectra RGB lighting — to do so. In my testing, I found this to be quite fast and easy to do. 

Along with these extra buttons, the PowerA OPS v3 Pro features several mechanical buttons. The ABXY buttons on the front of the controller have a nice click and tactile feedback to them, as do the bumpers on the top and even the D-pad. Meanwhile, both the thumbsticks and the triggers feature Hall Effect sensors to prevent stick drift and to improve their longevity. There are also anti-friction rings around both thumbsticks but I found them to be a bit less smooth than I would have liked.

No longer tethered

The PowerA OPS v3 Pro is the flagship controller in the company’s new line of wireless PC controllers. While this may seem like a small thing, it’s actually a big deal as previous pro-style controllers from PowerA weren’t wireless due to the fact that they worked on both Xbox and PC. Microsoft uses its own proprietary Xbox Wireless standard for the Series X and Series S instead of Bluetooth, so it’s rare to find third-party wireless controllers for its consoles. PowerA likely couldn’t have included wireless Bluetooth functionality on its previous controllers due to its licensing agreement with Microsoft.

Now though, with the OPS v3 Pro and the cheaper OPS v1, PowerA supports both Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz wireless connectivity. You can also use them wired over USB-C, but with a 30-hour battery life and a magnetic charging stand in the box, you likely won’t need to.

Always ready to play

The magnetic charging stand that comes with the PowerA OPS v3 Pro is compact and features a rubber base to prevent it from sliding around on your desk or entertainment center. It also has a USB port on one side to house the controller’s 2.4 GHz dongle.

Like the controller itself, the magnetic charging stand has a USB-C port on the back. Unlike with the charging stand that comes with the 8BitDo Ultimate Controller though, your controller lays flat instead of standing upright when connected to it. There are pogo pins on the back of the PowerA OPS v3 Pro that line up with the ones on the charging stand, and when close, they magnetically attach. An LED indicator on the front of the charging stand glows orange while charging and switches to green when your controller is fully charged. 

PowerA OPS v3 Pro: The downs

The PowerA OPS v3 Pro is significantly cheaper than the Xbox Elite Series 2 (as well as the slightly less expensive Core version) and due to that, some cuts had to be made to keep its cost down. Namely, you don’t get any extra accessories and its build quality leaves a bit to be desired, especially if you’re coming from a more expensive pro controller.

No extra accessories

In addition to the extra features and functionality, one thing that I always associate with pro controllers is that they come with a carrying case. For instance, the PDP Victrix Pro, the Turtle Beach Steal Ultra, Sony’s DualSense Edge and other pro controllers come with a hard case to protect them while in transit or when stored. Some of these controllers do cost double what the PowerA OPS v3 Pro does though.

With its wired Fusion Pro controllers for Xbox and its wireless Fusion Pro controllers for the Nintendo Switch and the PS4 (Europe only), PowerA used to include a carrying case. The company stopped doing so with its cheaper Fusion Pro 4 controller. 

When you’re paying more for a pro controller and have tried several, it’s something you come to expect. Besides cost cutting though, PowerA may have decided to forego a case for the OPS v3 Pro as there aren’t any extra pieces to store. This is because the height of its thumbsticks is changed by twisting them instead of taking the controller’s face plate off and manually swapping them.

Stopped triggers

Overall, I would say that the build quality of the PowerA OPS v3 Pro is great but not excellent. Keep in mind though, this is a $100 wireless pro controller after all. Its mechanical buttons don’t feel as nice as those on Razer’s more expensive controllers or even the ones on the much cheaper GameSir T4 Kaleid. However, this will still be a big upgrade if you’re coming from a standard controller.

The one major issue I came across while testing  the PowerA OPS v3 Pro was with its trigger stops. The controller has 3-way trigger stops that let you fully actuate its triggers without pressing them down all the way. The middle setting worked fine but when I turned them to the highest setting or the one with the shortest press, I noticed that the triggers didn’t actuate at all in several games I tested. Trigger stops are generally used for competitive shooters, so if you play casually or mainly play games from other genres, this won’t be a problem.

PowerA OPS v3 Pro: Verdict

If you told me that one day I’d be able to buy a wireless pro controller for my PC with built-in RGB lighting and a charging stand for $100, I wouldn’t have believed you. Pro controllers typically cost twice as much as the PowerA OPS v3 Pro and many lack features like Hall Effect sensors while only a few have mechanical buttons.

The PowerA OPS v3 Pro does feel like a budget pro controller though, but that’s exactly what it is. However, for the price, you’re getting a very capable controller with almost everything you’d expect from a much more expensive pro controller.