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Step 1
Select a gamepad controller first by the features you are interested in. Today's gamepads come with anywhere from 12 to 20 buttons, as well as triggers and dual analog sticks. Also available is a "rumble" feature, which makes the controller vibrate whenever you fire a weapon or take damage during gameplay.
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Step 2
Select a gamepad based on manufacturer. Logitech, for example, is one of the world's premier peripheral manufacturers, and is well respected in both professional and casual markets. Saitek, too, is known for incredibly precise and dependable peripherals and gamepads. Microsoft, with its XBox 360 design and the Sony's Playstation controller, is also popular.
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Step 3
Pick a wireless gamepad whenever possible. Wireless peripherals limit the number of cords that are draped across your desk. When gaming, nothing is worse than having to move a cord before using the keyboard or mouse, or having your reactions limited by the length of the cords.
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Step 4
Keep your budget in mind when buying a gamepad controller. High-end, rumble enabled wireless controllers are generally more expensive than those that include fewer features.
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Step 5
Choose a gamepad with fully mappable buttons and keys. This allows you to choose which action a specific button will transmit to the game you are playing. For example, you can map jump and fire actions to different buttons or change them around if one way is more comfortable than another.
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Step 6
Read editorial and customer reviews from tech websites like CNet.com (see Resources below). A huge database of product information is available for almost every peripheral currently available on the market.
