This PS5 controller made me better at FPS games, and you don’t have long to make the most of its Prime Day price

I know very few gamers who play online FPS games and aren’t at least a little protective of their K/D ratio. I’ll admit it, I’ve played loads of them over the years and although I’ve gotten very good at paying more attention to objective play than pure statistics, there’s still a part of my brain that tempts me to look for it. 

I’m not going to claim that simply owning a pro controller will make your K/D better, but what I can tell you is that my first-person shooter abilities went up significantly when I started using one. With the hours of Prime Day slipping through the cracks, I wouldn’t be doing my job if I failed to tell you that maybe the best pro controller ever made is currently discounted down from $179.99 to $158.99 at Amazon. 

The Victrix Pro BFG’s discount has got to be on the radar of anyone shopping for Prime Day PS5 deals because it’s easily the best PS5 controller on the shelves at the moment. It’s already more affordable than its rivals like the DualSense Edge, so seeing it come down in price means I’d feel antsy not to recommend it.

So why does this gamepad help in FPS games specifically, I hear you ask? Because it has four excellent back buttons that mean you don’t need to take your thumbs off the sticks, meaning slicker aiming and more fluid movement. 

This deal is for the PS5/PC version of the controller, but Xbox players will be glad to know that there is another version that’s available for a discounted price too. This pre-owned black model of the Xbox BFG is down to $153.24 at Amazon right now, which is arguably an even better deal than the Sony one. If you’re a PC player, I’d actually recommend that version over the original PS5 one, because it has rumble motors to give it a better all-round feel.

Regardless of your platform, I wouldn’t wait around if you’re interested. I’ve spotted loads of Prime Day deals that have disappeared out of thin air today, and the event isn’t supposed to end until midnight tonight.

Should you buy the Victrix Pro BFG?

(Image credit: Future / Duncan Robertson)

Beyond the basics, the Victrix Pro BFG also sports a modular design, which means its facial panels (the buttons, the thumbsticks, the D-Pad), can be lifted out, turned around, or swapped out. If you’re a fan of a symmetrical layout because you’ve always used PlayStation controllers, this will work for you. If you’ve converted from Xbox and can’t play without offset sticks, you can bend this to your will. 

The true value of this gamepad might actually be in its attachments and assortments you get with it. I review gaming controllers for all platforms, and I’ve never seen one come with so many freebies, as when I first unboxed the Victrix Pro BFG. You get different thumbstick tops (including a taller one which works great for precise aiming in FPS games), varying stick gates that limit or extend your thumbstick movement, and even a fightstick module that turns your controller into a tiny arcade fightstick. All of that comes free with your purchase, and all rest within a neat little carry case.

But what about longevity? If you’ve played a lot of FPS games with a controller, chances are you’ve encountered at least one instance of stick drift in your time. The BFG doesn’t come with drift-immune Hall Sensors out of the box, but thanks to its new Xbox version, you can buy Hall modules for them separately. That said, in over a year of testing the BFG, I’ve only ever encountered small instances of drift, and they never intrude on my experience. I’ve been pretty hard on my sticks in that time, so that’s a testament to their durability. 

Make the most of these summer deals while they’re here. Prime Day PC deals, Prime Day Kindle deals, and Prime Day Meta Quest deals are all still ongoing.