FLYDIGI Apex 3 Elite Gaming Controller, Force Feedback Trigger, Full-Color LED Display, Multi-Platform Controller for Windows PC, NS, Android, IOS Native, TV (Standard Edition)

So here is my story:I have been looking for something better then a standard Xbox controller for my PC gaming. I purchased a scuff and decided it just wasn't worth the money and I didn't care for the way the back buttons worked. So I returned that one and bought an elite controller from Microsoft. I loved that control but had to return it within the first month due to stick drift. So I got another elite which I had to return within a week because the X button stuck down. So I decided for almost $200 Microsoft has to many issues. I had been looking at this Airdigi Apex 3 since I began this journey. I had kind of avoided it because it's from China and I couldn't find any information about it yet. At the time of purchase there where only 10 reviews and 1 video online but that was about it.The controller:The controller is 5 star without the force feedback (FF) triggers.The control is well made and has very nice texture. The buttons feel mechanical and tactile, weird at first but are awesome once you get used to them. I was worried I wouldn't like the back buttons because they look similar to the scuff, but their not at all. These buttons are placed right where my fingers naturally set. The outer buttons like the scuff pull outward but the inner buttons (while work in both directions) are designed to also pull outward making it feel more similar to the elite. The thumstuck pull is fully customizable (through the flydigi app) just like the elite controller. This control does offer different height thumbsticks like the scuff or elite, but beware that the additional thumbsticks only come with the aerospace version and so far I can not find them sold separately. Although it has a long way to go for full functionality it is still my favorite control so far. I think they have captured what people like best about all the controls on the market and tried to stuff it all into one.The bad news...The triggers are very cool but very limited at this point. You need to understand that flydigi is trying to make a control to complete with playstation 5 FF controls. Now (from what I understand) playstation uses encryption so third party controls can't use the force feed back (FF) in their games. Flydigi is trying to work around that which is not easy, but for this reason there are only a few game so far that have complete use of the triggers. Now let me try to explain a little better. You can still use the FF on any game, but if their not on the list if games programed they won't be adaptive. Adaptive meaning for example if you shoot a full auto rifle it will feel full auto in the trigger but then if you pull out a sniper rifle it will feel like a single pull of a trigger, then you jump in the car and you feel the tension of the gas peddle. You will only get that on the games that flydigi has ready for adaptive triggers. Like I said though, you can still set the triggers yourself so like for racing games you can set the trigger pull the way you like it. You just won't have the trigger pull change according to what your doing without the adaptive option. Perhaps if your tech savvy you could figure out more then I have.Also I have not confirmed this myself but beware, flidigi claims this control will not work with playstation or Xbox systems. I assume because like I said before they are trying to work around the software encryption but I'm not sure.Don't let me scare you or confuse you, the control will work like a regular control right out of the box. Just be aware going into this purchase that unless you read Chinese or you are very tech savvy, there's some work to due on your part to take full advantage of this control. For example to enjoy the FF triggers, the back buttons and all the customization features of this controller you will have to set it up in an app/program just like an elite controller. However there's not a lot of info out there to help you do this yet.TIP:Took me about an hour to figure this out. To configure the control you will need to download "FLYDIGI GAME SPACE" on your PC. (Don't worry the app is available in English.) I believe there is also an app for Android and switch devices.This is a lot of information and there a lot more little features I didn't go into because this is already the longest review I have ever written, but I hope it helps.

I'm pleased with this controller. I use it wirelessly and have never noticed lag or dropped commands. Buttons are responsive and satisfying, and the hall effect thumbsticks work great and (should) never drift.

TL;DR These are overpriced. I'd never use them for competitive gameplay, more likely just for my Nintendo Switch, but at the price, there are better controllers for less, and can be used competitively.What I like:1. The weight. This is definitely a weightier controller compared to some others I've tried, but personally I love that.2. The feel. It feels good to hold, fits my hand size well. It's shaped like an Xbox controller so if you like the feel of those, this won't be too different. The buttons also feel really good to press, the back buttons especially. A lot of the buttons are mouse-click, so they are satisfying and instant.3. Features. It has a PC app you can download that gives tons of customization options. For example, they can be customized to feel like a PS5's haptic feedback on the triggers. For racing, it will give resistance like pushing a gas pedal. For shooting, it gives the triggers a vibration like a gun's trigger. etc., all with tons of customization options to really optimize how you want it to feel.3.a The Firmware. The controller has lots of options when customizing, and a lot of it is in the controller itself. You can make 4 different profiles from the PC app, then set them to the controller and switch between them straight from the controller. You can also change what kind of connection you are using straight from the controller as well, like cable-connected, or bluetooth, or ios, or even Nintendo Switch.4. Screen. It has a little 160x80 pixel screen that you can customize to have whatever you want. Cool if you care about making you're controller really yours.What I don't like:1. The sticks are bad. The sticks are very inaccurate straight out of the box. Testing the sticks on something like Gamepad Tester shows that the sticks have a 7-10% avg error when measuring circularity. I tested a few other controllers just to be sure, an Xbox One controller and multiple MOBAPAD Elite controllers.The Xbox controller had a 13% avg error on the left stick and 12.7% on the right. This controller is 6 years old, so I expected it to be this bad. It has drift in both sticks, more severe in the left stick than the right. It also uses older joysticks, so they are not Hall Effect, they are ALPS.The MOBAPAD Elite controllers also use ALPS sticks. I purchased multiple in April of this year, so they are pretty new. Gamepad Tester shows that all 3 of these controllers, are within 0.1% and 1% error rate.2. The sticks (Customization). There are no replacement sticks that come with the controller. You can take them off like you would any other controller with replaceable sticks, but there are none that come with the controller. I've tried fitting the MOBAPAD sticks on because they have the same general design, but they are different enough that they don't fit, and the company doesn't not sell any other sticks to use, like if you wanted a convex vs concave stick orientation, or if you wanted a longer right stick vs the left.3. The App. The PC app you use with it is mandatory. While it's actually pretty good when it comes to customizing the controller, to update the firmware for your controller, you have to use the phone app to do so, as the PC app does not work for that. It will always tell you that your firmware is the latest even if it's not, forcing you to use the phone instead, which is a big time waster and just annoying.4. All directions and instructions are in Chinese. I had to look on youtube to find out how to setup the controller and customize because everything is in Chinese.Honestly, even though there's more to like about the controller than dislike, the things I dislike severely outweigh what I do like about it. I'm probably going to use this controller more for my Switch than the PC, as I wouldn't count on this controller to be worthwhile in serious competitive gameplay.EDIT 2/23/24 : It's grown on me a bit. I still give it a 3.5 stars, but it definitely better than I give it credit for. The main issues I have still stand but I've come around to it and I think this is a really decent "pro" controller.The back paddles do tend to get mushy after a while of use, but my main issue with them is that the placement of the left 2 are not ergonomic in conjunction with the placement of the left stick.What I mean is that they are too low in comparison with the stick's placement on the controller, giving me really bad hand cramps on my left hand, while this doesn't happen in my right. I have to reach farther down on the back of the controller to use the back left 2 buttons compared to my right, and because I'm using my middle finger to pres them, it eventually hurts to use those buttons as a pain start to gown through my middle finger. If the buttons has been placed higher on the left but in the same position on the right, I think that would solve the issue. Or make it so both sticks are on the same level, like a PS controller.

This controller has almost all my favorite features. I really like the slightly modified Xbox d-pad and mechanical face buttons. The on-controller menu being mostly Chinese language can be tough, and the online resources are spotty. The customer service has been mostly helpful, but they won’t hold up for warranty repair. I contacted Amazon customer support and there were able to give me a refund on my spare defective unit. One face button broke in a month.For Switch and PC, its a great controller if you can deal with the caveats.

Love this controller. It has worked great for everyday use. I’m getting the new apex 4 black myth and it’s nice to know I have this one for a second controller or back up.

This controller is amazing. By far the best controller ever used. It's very durable for starters. You may think because its Chinese its trash but this is not the case.The software is easy to use, also. You can adjust the triggers in so many ways. What is really cool is you can set the trigger stop to practically anywhere you want without a physical stop switch.I do not think I could go back to controllers without adaptive triggers now. The list of games that has built in, programmed adaptive triggers isn't very large, but again you can customize so many things on your own.