Pro Controller Weekly Roundup Vol. 11: Apex 6's Audio-Driven Haptics, a $260 SteelSeries Pad & Two "Dark Horse" Reveals
Hey everyone — welcome back to Pro Controller Weekly Roundup Vol. 11!
Every week, we collect the latest updates from the gaming controller industry: new hardware announcements, upcoming releases, collaborations, and interesting trends worth watching.
This week's roundup covers:
Source credit: This weekly roundup is based on information shared by Bilibili creator "椒盐橘子桔子". GadgetHyper has received permission to summarize and share these updates with our community.
Let's get into this week's news!
Flydigi Apex 6 Teasers Point to Audio-Driven Quad Haptics
Flydigi has been dripping out teasers for the Apex 6, and the headline feature is coming into focus: quad haptic motors driven by game audio. One motor in each grip, with the other two widely believed to live in the triggers — and instead of needing per-game tuning, the system appears to generate vibration from the game's sound itself, similar in spirit to Razer's audio-haptics approach.
The upside is obvious: haptics that work with literally every game, no adaptation required. The catch is just as real: everything rides on how well Flydigi's software translates sound into sensation. If they nail the tuning, this could be the most interesting haptics experiment of the year.
Audio-driven haptics are the dream answer to the adaptation problem we wrote about in our trigger-types guide — but "every game supported" and "every game feels good" are different claims. Watching this one closely.
SteelSeries' New Xbox-Licensed Pad Swaps Batteries Like a Magazine
SteelSeries has a new officially licensed Xbox controller with a quality-of-life trick: swappable battery packs plus a charging dock with a separate bay for the spare. Two batteries rotating in and out means the controller is, in theory, never out of juice — charge one while you play on the other.
The raised eyebrows come from the price — $259.99 — and a back-button design that's already dividing opinions in the community. At that price, the battery system isn't a nice bonus; it has to be the whole argument.
Always-charged is a genuinely great idea executed by the wrong price tag. $260 buys a lot of rechargeable batteries.
EasySMX's "Dark Horse": A New X20 Series Takes Shape
EasySMX is teasing what looks like a completely new X20 series:
The most interesting detail might be the dock — the charging contacts AND the wireless dongle are built into it, with a detachable stand underneath. We've genuinely never seen that arrangement before, and it strongly suggests the dock comes standard in the box.
Unknown for now: whether it gets full software support this time, and the price. The word on the street is it's positioned as an all-rounder — and if it lands under $69, it'll be very hard to ignore.
Adjustable tension + 4 back buttons + screen + a standard dock under $69 would be a brutal value proposition. EasySMX has been on a heater lately — watch this space (and yes, we'll be stocking it when the time comes).
Beitong KP20 Elite Goes All-Black With a New Mold
Beitong's own dark horse of the week: the KP20 Elite ditches the series' usual white for a full black body on a brand-new mold, with the extra buttons reworked into two micro-switch mini shoulders plus two lockable back buttons (a lock means no accidental presses when you don't want them). Launch price in China: ¥199 ≈ $28 — a pretty aggressive number for a reworked design.
Lockable back buttons are the kind of small, thoughtful feature that tells you the designers actually use their own product. Solid-looking refresh at a friendly price.
GameSir Shows Its Phantom Blade Zero Collab Controller
GameSir has revealed its Phantom Blade Zero collaboration controller in the flesh. Based on the carrying case, it belongs to the G7 Pro family — and since Phantom Blade Zero is a PlayStation-console exclusive, this won't be an Xbox-licensed variant. Smart money says it's the G7 Pro 8K, though an unannounced model isn't off the table. That makes two PBZ controllers in as many months — Flydigi showed theirs in Vol. 9.
Two major brands fighting for the same game tells you the PBZ hype is real. The G7 Pro 8K is a proven base for a collab — now we just need photos without the case.
HeliumStrike 2 Opens Public Beta: Half the Latency, Plus Gyro, Touchpad & Rumble
LEADJOY's HeliumStrike team has opened public beta recruitment for HeliumStrike 2, the next generation of their controller mod boards. The claimed upgrades: latency cut in half versus the first HeliumStrike, plus newly added gyroscope, touchpad, and rumble motor support. The boards ship first, with LEADJOY's future controllers getting the tech built in afterward — competitive players and modders should both have this on their radar.
Latency halved is a bold claim we'll want tested, but adding gyro + touchpad + rumble turns these boards from "mod" into "platform."
The Rest of the Week in Four Lines
- Mojhon teased a new controller silhouette: asymmetric layout, mini shoulders, and what looks like more than two back buttons — possibly a pair of half-moon paddles in the middle. Could be the next Blitz, could be something new.
- HKC — yes, the monitor company — launched a controller: adjustable tension and four back buttons, in a shell that looks suspiciously familiar to anyone who's seen the EasySMX D10. Make of that what you will.
- Razer announced a folding mobile controller: recessed sticks so it packs flat, no side grips — clearly built for the commute, not the couch marathon.
- JSAUX spun up a new controller brand called "Void Joy": we checked — it reads as odd in English as it sounds. Headlined by a detachable chin on the controller. Whether that's a feature or a solution in search of a problem remains to be seen.
That's It for This Week!
The themes we're taking away:
- Haptics are the new battlefield — audio-driven (Apex 6) vs batteries-and-ecosystem (SteelSeries)
- The "dark horse" segment is heating up: X20 series and KP20 Elite both look like value plays
- Collab season continues (GameSir × PBZ)
- Everyone wants a piece of the controller market — monitor brands and accessory brands included
As always, specs are only part of the story. The real question is how these controllers perform in everyday gaming.
What controller news caught your attention this week? Drop your thoughts below!
See you next week for another Pro Controller Weekly Roundup.
Missed last week? Catch up on Pro Controller Weekly Roundup Vol. 10.
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