FLYDIGI APEX 4 Wireless PC Controller

I have a lot of controllers... and I'm on a mission of reviewing every controller I own.I've been gaming since a child and remember the days when you'd hand your friend the third party controller because it was inferior and gave you an advantage... boy have times flipped now.I have a LOT of controllers. I've been searching for something "perfect" for a while after having issues with certain aspects of other controllers. The discomfort of Joycons led me to the Switch Pro controller... but the horrible overly sensitive dpad on that controller eventually led me to discovering 8BitDo. I was hesitant to try a third party option at that time, but I rolled the dice and have been pleasantly surprised with their offerings over the years.For a time, the closest thing to a "perfect" controller for me ended up being the Xbox Elite Series 2. The major downfalls of that controller though were needing to buy a third party program (ReWASD) just to add extended functionality to the back paddles, and the general durability of the controller as eventually my right shoulder button gave out. It also lacks modern features such as hall effect sticks. In the interim I went back to 8BitDo and the Ultimate controller, but it's rear buttons were fairly limited in what you could remap them to do as well.I ended up jumping into the rabbit hole of controllers when I was looking for better joycon options and heard about this Flydigi Apex 4 as being one of the best PC controllers. I was impressed with what I saw and thought the adaptive triggers were a cool feature, so I decided to try it out. Overall, I'm very glad I did.Features:Microswitch ABXY Face ButtonsMicroswitch dpad with a Dish shaped dpad (raised cardinal directions)Tactile shoulder buttons, but not microswitchFlydigi special design Hall effect sticksThe controller is weighty... honestly feels a lot more substantial than anything I've used for a while.Special Features:The standout features that attracted me to this controller were....- Adjustable tension hall effect sticks- Adaptive triggers- Customizable Back Buttons- A built in LCD- Microswitch face buttons and dpadAhh, it's nice to be able to have different levels of tension for the left and right stick again! This is something I really missed from the Elite 2 and I'm happy to have that feature again in a main controller.The adaptive triggers are extremely cool! The motorized stops take a little getting used to, but they definitely work, and I enjoy the sniper mode a lot... it gives a little more immersion into games where you're shooting with the right trigger. It's also great to have a controller where macros can be recorded exactly to the rear buttons with no need to pay for third party software, and no need to build the macro from selections! The built in LCD is great as it allows you to change some settings without using the app, and having an animated GIF also gives a personal touch, something I always like to have. I'll get to the microswitch buttons in another section, but I'm happy to have a suite of extra features that do not disappoint me!QC / Durability Concerns:One thing to note... there is an acknowledged issue from Flydigi that there was a manufacturing defect that may have affected some controllers manufactured in April/May that would cause the joysticks to break. If you have a joystick issue and your controller is outside of the return window, make sure to contact them.Unfortunately, my copy does have a date range that falls within the possible defect. I have been using it just about every day since getting it though and so far I have had zero issues.Functionality:This is my first controller with microswitch buttons and I'm already a convert. While I can understand the sound of them getting annoying, the responsiveness and the confidence they bring is a game changer for me. The sticks feel very smooth and the tension adjustment lets you get the feeling perfect for your individual preference. The resolution of the joystick is great, allowing an exact time selection in Genshin Impact down to the minute.The dpad is also my first microswitch one. Though it's similar to the Xbox Elite dpad which is very tactile, it's a bit lighter to the touch and will take some getting used to for me. That being said....A staple of my controller reviews... the Tetris dpad test. I play games on Tetris at as fast of a pace as I can (I'm roughly a 1 minute sprinter in modern Tetris games) and see how many false hard drops I get. Zero. Zero is the number of unintended hard drops I got. A perfect score, with the only problem being I prefer the PlayStation style layout when playing dpad heavy games... but I might have to cheat on my 8BitDo Pro 2 with this controller because this level of confidence playing Tetris may take my sprint times down.In Conclusion:Overall, I'm extremely pleased with this controller. It's amazing to see how third party makers are now offering things that blow away first party options. You can even get a good chunk of what this controller offers in the Vader 4 Pro ,also made by Flydigi, with a lower price tag... it's pretty amazing!I hope this controller will last for many years for me, much like the Elite 2 did.Edit 9/17/2024 - Made format more like my other controller reviews.

I switch controllers constantly playing modern and emulated games on every platform. Always looking for the perfect tool for the job, depending on the game. With that in mind this controller has just about every feature or thing Ive liked on any controller Ive used (including the scuf's and high priced controllers). Usually these luxury controllers have one thing or the other but not everything in a single controller. Thats what really impressed me. 9 months into the controller with well over 500 hours and its still holding up. The Dpad is a little looser than it was 9 months ago, but I think I may have caused that by taking the dpad off and snapping it back in, though it may just be wear and tear. Most players wont be using the dpad as much as I do, since I play EVERY type of game.To summarise : With this controller you get rubber grips (a little stickier and grippier then the harder rubber on the Elite), mechanical d pad and buttons (super precise micro switch clicks, with super low tension to actuate the dpad and the buttons), turbo and macro functionality (this is not on most controllers and is extremely useful if you play everything), hall sticks (very accurate, less drift prone, almost NO deadzone).Only read downsides for me is that you cant map turbo or macros on the fly like the King Kong controllers, you need to go into an app. You can make 4 profiles though and switch between them on the fly, with the onscreen LCD. You have to go into the APP to make any changes to configurations within the profiles however. Not a huge deal, but not as quick to switch between different set ups on the fly. The dpad is also SLIGHTLY wider then Id like. I would prefer a sega genesis width Dpad, or something similiar, but with those super precise clicks the dpad has. Still one of the best dpads Ive used but sometimes I move a little wide in certain games, having to press the outer edges which are farther out. Lastly, no trigger stops. This was a big one for me but you can set the sensitivity so that they fire at the slightest movement. I like hitting those trigger stops, the feedback works better for me, as I still tend to pull the trigger to full, by habit. There is motor pushback on the triggers but its way too weak to stop me from pushing all the way through, so I dont use that feature.One of the biggest benefits of this controller : With this controller I can actually map any keyboard commands to any button on the controller. I no longer need to use Xpadder or an app to map keyboards to game pads. I can make a profile with the settings I want, name it after the game Im playing and switch to it any time for that game. This really opens up all older PC games and Flash games that dont have controller support. Only downside is no turbo functionality when mapping keyboard keys to gamepad.The controller also has gyro support, rumble and other features I dont use like being able to adjust the stick tension with a tool. Tons of adjustability to the slightest amount it seems. Just never tried it. The stick tension already feels great to me. The button presses are so effortless with almost no tension required. I wouldve also had the top part of the controller with that silky rubber feel like alot of controllers do, but these are minor nit picks. Its still way beyond any modern controllers Ive used, to the point that I use it over my 8bitdo M30 for some 2D games too. Though I still give the M30 the edge for most 2D games, its crazy how versatile this controller is. My Elite controllers usually broke within 6-12 months, sometimes 3.

Honest review here: The controller feels great in my hands, and I appreciate the adjustable joystick tensions. However, I dislike the four small square paddles on the back because they’re spaced too far apart. The buttons are incredibly satisfying, especially the mouse click buttons. Setting up and pairing the controller is straightforward and easy. The trigger do have trigger stop adjustments that can be customized within the controller settings, but they don’t seem to be very effective. I’ve set them to a sensitive level, but the trigger still allows me to press it all the way down into the controller. I understand that some controllers have trigger stop limits, but this one doesn’t. The controller’s connection ability is amazing; I haven’t encountered any issues when pairing via Bluetooth or the USB dongle. The connection is super fast, and I haven’t had a single disconnection issue. Unfortunately, the right joystick broke down just a week after I bought it for $150. Considering the price, I expected a flawless product. Regrettably, the joysticks are held by a plastic clip with a small spring, a recurring issue mentioned in reviews and still present as of March 15, 2025. Despite this, Flydigi hasn’t made any improvements to the joystick quality. If the spring snaps, the joystick will remain stuck in the direction it broke off, causing significant stick drift. I strongly advise against purchasing Flydigi products. They’re cheap, but they’re overpriced. Save your money and buy another controller.