The controller market is packed with gamepads, each striving to outshine the competition with cutting-edge technology and designs aimed at enhancing gaming performance. This battle for dominance has driven prices up, making top-tier controllers a luxury that not everyone can afford.
Thankfully, PXN has stepped into the ring with its budget-friendly P5 Wireless Controller for PC, mobile, and the Nintendo Switch, which offers key gameplay-enhancing features without the premium price tag.
At just $29.99 (£29.99), it undercuts even the PowerA Advantage Controller I previously reviewed, making it one of the most affordable options in its class. But does a lower price mean sacrificing quality? After putting it through its paces, I can confidently say—spoiler alert—it’s probably worth every penny.
Unboxing and Design
At first glance, the PXN P5 looks like a fairly straightforward controller, and my initial impression upon unboxing it was how much it reminded me of Xbox 360 and Xbox One-era gamepads.
Inside the box, you’ll find just the essentials: the controller, a set of instructions, a USB cable, and a wireless dongle that enables 2.4G connectivity for PC. While that may seem like a barebones package, a closer look reveals that the P5 packs a surprising amount of advanced features in for its price.
Feature Breakdown
Firstly, the PXN P5 comes with four macro buttons on the back, designed to be assigned to commonly used commands for quick and easy access. M1 and M2 are particularly well-positioned, naturally falling under my fingers when gripping the controller. M3 and M4, however, are a bit trickier to reach, so I didn’t find myself using them as frequently. That said, I appreciate how pronounced they are—unlike other controllers, where back buttons blend too seamlessly into the handles, these stand out just enough to ensure a satisfying and deliberate press every time.
Beyond that, the PXN P5 boasts two-step adjustable triggers, 1,000 Hz Hall Effect joysticks, and 256-level Hall Effect back bumpers—an impressive spec sheet for a controller at this price point. I’ll dive deeper into how these features perform later, but honestly, PXN could justify charging more for the P5 given what it offers.
Customization is another major highlight. You can tweak nearly everything, from vibration intensity to enabling a turbo function, even using the controller as a mouse. Most of these settings can be activated/altered by clicking various button combinations, but I found these tricky to memorize and use off the top of my head. Thankfully, almost everything is also adjustable through the companion app (more on that later).
Comfort and Build Quality
One thing that immediately stood out when holding the controller was how light it was. My usual go-to PC controller is the PowerA OPS v3 Pro, which is noticeably heavier. Initially, the P5’s lighter build made it feel somewhat cheap, but after extended use, I realized it was actually a bit of a bonus—it made longer gaming sessions far more comfortable, which is a definite win in my book.
Of course, with a lower price comes some trade-offs. Certain elements don’t feel quite as premium as, for example, the PS5 DualSense. For instance, the D-pad slightly lacks a tactile feel, and the handles could benefit from more grip. But given its budget-friendly nature, these minor drawbacks are easy to overlook, especially considering everything else the P5 brings to the table.
Features and Performance
When it comes to performance, the PXN P5 is tough to fault. Every feature and piece of technology functioned as expected, and I genuinely felt it enhanced my gameplay across XDefiant, FC 25, and Forza Horizon 5 (the games I played while testing).
Joysticks and Responsiveness
The sticks were particularly impressive thanks to that 1,000 Hz Hall Effect technology, delivering sharp, smooth, and highly responsive movement. I experienced zero stick drift in-game (see image below), or when put under closer inspection in Gamepad Tester. Given one of the benefits of Hall Effect technology is that it's designed to prevent stick drift over time, this wasn’t a huge surprise, but it’s worth noting that some Hall Effect controllers still suffer from drift, so it was great to see PXN get it right here.
Further testing showed no errors in circulatory movement either, reinforcing the jitter-free, smooth experience I had while playing.
In terms of design, both sticks feature a concave top, which I found helped maintain grip. Some controllers offer interchangeable concave or convex caps, so if you prefer convex, you might not love this choice. Personally, I found them pretty comfortable and great to use. The only potential drawback is that adjustable stick heights aren’t an option here, but at this price point, that’s not something I’d expect anyway.
Hair Triggers
The hair triggers also performed well and were easy to adjust on the fly. When set to full range, the 256-level activation allowed precise throttle and braking control in racing games like Forza—a great touch for those who prefer gradual input over binary on/off triggers.
However, switching the triggers to their shortest distance removes these step adjustments entirely, meaning pressing the trigger instantly activates it at full force. I found this perfect for FPS, where quick reactions are key, but less useful for genres that require analog control. But that's the great thing, you get both options at the flick of a switch, so you can chop and change depending on the game. Plus, both the left and right triggers can be set independently from each other, allowing for a more unique gamepad setup.
Connectivity
Setting up the PXN P5 wasn’t completely seamless—even when using the USB cable, my PC didn’t immediately recognize it. That said, this issue was short-lived and once connected, pairing was effortless across devices, including PC, iPhone, and Nintendo Switch.
One feature I particularly liked was the device selection switch on the back. Instead of guessing which mode you’re in, small logos (battery, phone, and Switch) clearly indicate the connection type. It's a small but thoughtful design choice that makes switching between devices hassle-free.
Turbo Mode and Mouse Mode
As touched on earlier, the PXN P5 also comes with a Turbo function and Mouse Mode, which are both nice extras, though I didn’t use them extensively.
I can see the appeal of Turbo Mode (which enables buttons to be pressed automatically at a rapid rate) for FPS, platformers, and fighting games even though I didn't put it to the test too much, but Mouse Mode (allowing the controller to function like a mouse using its buttons and joysticks) felt more like a novelty—perhaps handy for navigating game menus, but not something I see myself using regularly.
Motion Controls
Another interesting feature of the PXN P5 is its six-axis gyroscope, which definitely has its value.
The gyro unlocks the use of motion controls which worked seamlessly with my Nintendo Switch during brief testing, making it a great alternative to Joy-Cons for games that support gyro aiming.
While certain Switch titles may still feel better with Joy-Cons, having this feature in a traditional gamepad-style controller is a huge plus for Switch players interested in buying this device.
Software
As mentioned earlier, the PXN P5 is fully compatible with the NEXUS app, available on both Android and iOS.
The app itself is a great addition, offering battery monitoring, firmware updates, and—most importantly—a wide range of customization options.
Not only can you change how long the P5 waits until it puts itself to sleep, but you can also alter the button and macro settings, joystick settings (including the dead zones), vibration strength, and trigger settings. You can also test each button via the app, which is useful if something goes wrong, especially with calibration instructions in the top corner.
I did encounter one small issue, though. The "Product Tutorial" button led to a black screen instead of a guide or video. This suggests that PXN may not have uploaded a tutorial yet, which is understandable, but it was frustrating that there was no way to exit this other than closing the app and reconnecting the controller.
Despite that minor hiccup, the NEXUS app is a fantastic tool that unlocks a level of customization rarely seen in budget controllers.
Verdict
Overall, I'd say the PXN P5 punches well above its weight, delivering an impressive set of features at an almost unbeatable price.
From Hall Effect joysticks and adjustable hair triggers to macro buttons and gyro support, it offers a level of customization and performance rarely seen in budget controllers. While minor drawbacks like a slightly tactile-less D-pad and an occasionally finicky setup process exist, they’re easy to overlook given everything else the P5 does right.
To put it matter-of-factly—I own several other more expensive controllers; however, the PXN P5 gives them all a run for their money and yet costs half, if not more than half, the price of all of them.
