HLPLANET Confirms 2025 Recipients for the Annual Controller Awards Program

HLPLANET’s 2025 Controller Awards highlight the Flydigi Vader 5 Pro as the top performer, featuring technical benchmarks for over 25 elite, high-precision gamepads.

2025 Gaming Controller Awards

Manchester, United Kingdom, 28th Jan 2026 – HLPLANET, a leading authority on gaming hardware and engineering-focused tech reviews, announced the winners of its inaugural 2025 Controller of the Year Awards. Over the past year, the HLPlanet editorial team tested 25 gaming controllers to identify the devices that stood out in performance, innovation, and design.

The awards highlight the shift toward high-performance third-party hardware. They focus on brands that push the boundaries of low latency, Hall Effect sensors, and TMR (Tunneling Magnetoresistance) technology.

“Our goal this year was to cut through the marketing hype and focus on the technical specs that matter most to gamers,” said Marcus Richardson, Editor-in-Chief of HLPlanet. “We considered polling rates, build quality, and precision. With so much innovation in the third-party space, 2025 was our most competitive year for gamepads.”

The 2025 Controller of the Year Winners

• HLPLANET Controller of the Year: Flydigi Vader 5 Pro: The Vader 5 Pro took the top spot for its well-rounded performance. It offers an excellent balance of speed, features, and comfort, all for under $100.
• Premium Controller of the Year: Flydigi Apex 5: The Apex 5 was recognized for its adaptive triggers, customizable screen, and elite build quality. HLPlanet crowned it the “Apex of controllers.”
• Budget Controller of the Year: GameSir Nova 2 Lite: At just $30, the Nova 2 Lite delivers high-end features. Its mechanical D-pad and back buttons rival controllers five times its price.

Specialist Excellence Controller Awards

HLPlanet also recognized several controllers that mastered specific engineering niches:

• Fastest Controller of the Year: GuliKit ES Pro
• Most Versatile Controller of the Year: 8BitDo Ultimate 2 Wireless
• Symmetrical Controller of the Year: 8BitDo Pro 3
• Xbox Controller of the Year: GameSir G7 Pro Wuchang
• Switch 2 Controller of the Year: EasySMX S10
• Innovative Controller of the Year: Mobapad Huben 2

Expert Picks and Reviews

The awards also included “Fang’s Choice,” a personal selection from HLPlanet Editor and hardware YouTuber Fang Reviews Tech, who highlighted the Flydigi Apex 5 as his personal gold standard for 2025.

For a full breakdown of the winners, runner-ups, and detailed technical reviews, visit the official awards page at HLPlanet’s Controller of the Year 2025 Awards page.

About HLPlanet: HLPlanet is a specialized tech hub dedicated to deep-dive reviews and guides for gaming peripherals. Focusing on keyboards, controllers, and hardware engineering, HLPlanet provides gamers with data-driven insights to help them find the perfect tools for their setup.

Company Details

Organization: HLPLANET

Contact Person: Marcus Richardson

Website: https://www.hlplanet.com

Email: Send Email

City: Manchester

Country: United Kingdom

Release Id: 28012640640