I can't say I've ever really liked a controller, so I never experimented with fancy ones. The one that was the most fine was the ps controller. the joycon was ok until drift kicked in. The xbox controller made my hands hurt after too long. I think if I'd had more xbox games back then I would have gotten more into controllers to find one for my tiny hands. I mostly prefer a keyboard.

I picked up a Gamesir x2 recently and it really ticks all but one of the boxes for me. It's a liiiiittle too big to carry around in a pocket, and a liiiittle too small if you've got bigger hands, but its still great at what it does.

Xbox series X Elite controllers. I'll never go back. They have a good weight and feel.

Sorta on topic, what do people use for N64 emulation? I can't find a 6 button controller that I like.

Nvidia Shield controller, 2015 version.

Index controllers for VR.

Playstation DS4 for flatscreen desktop.

Right now, a kind of weird one: the Bridget MX, from SGF Devices. It's a 3D printed, all-button controller for fighting games. They don't make that specific model now (it was a very early one), but this is the closest to it: https://sgfdevices.com/products/bridget-pe

At first I thought that not having a joystick would make games kind of boring. Like, too practical, not enjoyable. But no, it's actually fun. Kind of like tapping out notes on a piano. It uses low-profile mechanical keyboard switches, and I have some stiffer, clickier switches on the way right now.

It's meant for fighting games (Street Fighter, etc.), but I've used it for some 2D platformers and it worked great for those, too.

A non-3D-printed, less cheapo one would probably be even more fun to use, but I think I'll stick with this one for now.

Mouse and keyboard, optionally a Xbox Controller or similar.

But my least liked one? Probably any PlayStation one, I hate them all.

The chameleon wireless PS2 pelican controller. Fits hands perfectly, light weight, just feel perfect, I'd pay so much to be able to use it on modern systems.

Eswap pro by thrustmaster

I love the XBOX Lunar Shift controller, it seems like they added a nice rubber coat around the - what do you call these - wings? so it has a very nice feel to it. Sadly, of course, still no hall sticks.

But I also haven‘t really tried a dozen different controllers so I‘m not sure how helpful my opinion is.

The PS5 controller is pretty sweet.

But the PS1 Dualshock is the original version of that, and has influenced basically everything since. It's the Ocarina of Time of controllers.

That second analogue stick fixed everything to do with cameras in early 3D games.

For VR it's the Oculus Touch. Takes everything about the classic Dualshock design and adds hand tracking.