Why are controller so incredibly expensive

[tlink]

i thought oh i can ask a controller for some steam games with secret santa, but those fuckers are expensive as hell holy balls. and from what i read the third party ones are cheap pieces of shit. is there some licensing fee for creating third party controllers so the console manufacturers have some kind of monopoly and can just mandate whatever they want? i mean what is so expensive in a controller that justifies 50 euros. not to even mention the fucking xbox one elite for fucking 130 euros.

[The_Denks]

If you are talking about console controllers, then they are a bargain.

Think about it compared to a gaming keyboard and mouse. The high quality ones run for like $250 for mouse and keyboard.

While at the same time, a console controller are what, $40.

 

1st party console controllers are a bargain compared to a high quality mouse and keyboard

[NTDaws]

3 minutes ago, tlink said:

i thought oh i can ask a controller for some steam games with secret santa, but those fuckers are expensive as hell holy balls. and from what i read the third party ones are cheap pieces of shit. is there some licensing fee for creating third party controllers so the console manufacturers have some kind of monopoly and can just mandate whatever they want? i mean what is so expensive in a controller that justifies 50 euros. not to even mention the fucking xbox one elite for fucking 130 euros.

buy yourself a ps4 or xbox controller lad.

[corrado33]

A: Calm down.

B: Stop swearing, it makes you sound stupid.

C: Controllers are expensive because the companies that make them want them to be expensive.

 

Also, building something that withstands many hundreds of thousands of hard button presses is no small feat. 

[The_Denks]

2 minutes ago, corrado33 said:

A: Calm down.

B: Stop swearing, it makes you sound stupid.

C: Controllers are expensive because the companies that make them want them to be expensive.

 

Also, building something that withstands many hundreds of thousands of hard button presses is no small feat. 

Not to mentions a decent keyboard and mouse is like 3x as much as a controller

 

 

Also, to add onto point B, his profile pic is a TMNT taking a hit from a bong for christs sake

[minibois]

It's just that console makers don't make much off their consoles, so they have to make their money off the games and Accessories (which includes controllers). 

It's like a technology store which has competitive prices on all their electronics, but expensive cables. They know you need cables with your DVD players and if you are at the store you are more willing to buy the cables then and there.

 

Anyways, yea, most 3rd party controllers are very meh. Using cheaper plastics, analog sticks with (big) dead zones, squeeky bumper and generally less build quality are a couple of the common complaints with 3rd party controllers.

The Xbox One Elite controller is a controller that is extra expensive because it targets a niche market and has features not many others controllers have (it's biggest competitor is SCUF controllers, which has even more expensive controllers).

[tlink]

2 minutes ago, UberGamerKing said:

If you are talking about console controllers, then they are a bargain.

Think about it compared to a gaming keyboard and mouse. The high quality ones run for like $250 for mouse and keyboard.

While at the same time, a console controller are what, $40.

 

1st party console controllers are a bargain compared to a high quality mouse and keyboard

but incredibly bad third party controllers are not any cheaper. maybe 10% at most. while a cheap keyboard and mouse combo barely costs 20 bucks. something is driving up the price because a keyboard and mouse are just way more material costs than one controller is, as well as way more buttons and pcb than any controller is.

[The_Denks]

Just now, tlink said:

but incredibly bad third party controllers are not any cheaper. maybe 10% at most. while a cheap keyboard and mouse combo barely costs 20 bucks. something is driving up the price because a keyboard and mouse are just way more material costs than one controller is, as well as way more buttons and pcb than any controller is.

Well cheap keyboard mouse combo's dont last as long.

 

You cant have it both ways dude

[Trav_X]

You don't need an elite controller. Just get a regular one, and if you really want the paddles, then get a custom SCUF controller cause the paddles are a lot better than the elite.

[tlink]

3 minutes ago, corrado33 said:

A: Calm down.

B: Stop swearing, it makes you sound stupid.

C: Controllers are expensive because the companies that make them want them to be expensive.

 

Also, building something that withstands many hundreds of thousands of hard button presses is no small feat. 

cheap keyboards can do that easily, while having to use more materials and more mechanical components, your argument doesn't make any sense. and if you don't like my way of talking you can walk away, or report it bc im not going to change it.

[minibois]

3 minutes ago, tlink said:

but incredibly bad third party controllers are not any cheaper. maybe 10% at most. while a cheap keyboard and mouse combo barely costs 20 bucks. something is driving up the price because a keyboard and mouse are just way more material costs than one controller is, as well as way more buttons and pcb than any controller is.

The Logitech F310 is pretty decent and is not as expensive. It's only wired though

[The_Denks]

Just now, Minibois said:

The Logitech F310 is pretty decent and is not as expensive. It's only wired though

True, thats another thing, low latency wireless, thats not cheap at all

[corrado33]

2 minutes ago, tlink said:

cheap keyboards can do that easily, while having to use more materials and more mechanical components, your argument doesn't make any sense. and if you don't like my way of talking you can walk away, or report it bc im not going to change it.

That's wrong.

 

Gaming keyboards use mass produced switches that essentially just plug into a frame.

 

Controllers use custom designed PCBs with special (generally analog now-a-day) switches that are much more expensive and require a heck of a lot more development to make work. 

 

A keyboard is building legos.

 

A controller is molding something out of melted plastic.

 

One is much harder to make than the other.

[tlink]

1 minute ago, UberGamerKing said:

Well cheap keyboard mouse combo's dont last as long.

 

You cant have it both ways dude

mandatory 2 years by warranty under eu law, and we don't have the actual numbers so i dunno how fast they break. i hear a lot of people complain about them breaking/degrading quickly though. 

[The_Denks]

Just now, tlink said:

mandatory 2 years by warranty under eu law, and we don't have the actual numbers so i dunno how fast they break. i hear a lot of people complain about them breaking/degrading quickly though. 

But the cheap ones are imported from China/Asia, and dont require those warranties.

[minibois]

8 minutes ago, UberGamerKing said:

But the cheap ones are imported from China/Asia, and dont require those warranties.

You can get a K120 or keyboard from Cherry (the same company that makes the mechanical switches, but of course I'm talking a membrane keyboard here) for under 20 euros and those will sure last you for years (if you don't throw it on the ground on the daily though), so there are cheap keyboards from reputable sellers too.

[tlink]

9 minutes ago, UberGamerKing said:

But the cheap ones are imported from China/Asia, and dont require those warranties.

no they're not. i can literally buy them in a store nearby or online for even cheaper.

[Brennan Price]

18 minutes ago, UberGamerKing said:

Not to mentions a decent keyboard and mouse is like 3x as much as a controller

 

 

Also, to add onto point B, his profile pic is a TMNT taking a hit from a bong for christs sake

I think it is just a beer bottle mate... I ain't see no bong...

[tlink]

12 minutes ago, corrado33 said:

That's wrong.

 

Gaming keyboards use mass produced switches that essentially just plug into a frame.

 

Controllers use custom designed PCBs with special (generally analog now-a-day) switches that are much more expensive and require a heck of a lot more development to make work. 

 

A keyboard is building legos.

 

A controller is molding something out of melted plastic.

 

One is much harder to make than the other.

im not talking gaming keyboard, im just talking membrane keyboards and simple mouse, you can perfectly game on that just like you can game on a cheap xbox controller. and do you really think the switches used in controllers are purely designed for a controller? maybe the joysticks but thats it. most of the controller switches is just plastic on a pcb switch, thats even cheaper to produce than mechanical switches.

[tlink]

17 minutes ago, corrado33 said:

That's wrong.

 

Gaming keyboards use mass produced switches that essentially just plug into a frame.

 

Controllers use custom designed PCBs with special (generally analog now-a-day) switches that are much more expensive and require a heck of a lot more development to make work. 

 

A keyboard is building legos.

 

A controller is molding something out of melted plastic.

 

One is much harder to make than the other.

mate what are you on about? do you think a keyboard is just some switches on a pcb? a controller is way less parts to assemble than a keyboard. lots of keyboards have custom designed pcbs, thats why theres such a variety in them.

[TheBestUserName]

19 minutes ago, tlink said:

 your argument doesn't make any sense. 

It's not even an argument. There's a simple fact that game controllers are the price that they are.  Debating it won't change it, and explaining it to you won't make a difference either.  

 

So you have really only two choices -- buy one and be happy with it, or don't buy one and continue to bitch like a child.  

 

Get a grip on reality, dude. 

[tlink]

Just now, TheBestUserName said:

It's not even an argument. There's a simple fact that game controllers are the price that they are.  Debating it won't change it, and explaining it to you won't make a difference either.  

 

So you have really only two choices -- buy one and be happy with it, or don't buy one and continue to bitch like a child.  

 

Get a grip on reality, dude. 

but thats not why i made this threat, i was literally wondering why they are so expensive. i know it won't change anything but im in all sincerity wondering about what makes the price so high, it was in no way hostile towards anyone. i literally asked to get educated about it. thats what it will change, i have a little bit more knowledge about the world. 

[Monkey Dust]

7 minutes ago, UberGamerKing said:

Well cheap keyboard mouse combo's dont last as long.

 

You cant have it both ways dude

Most people who work in an office use a cheap keyboard and mouse combo day in, day out, for years without them breaking. They are very durable, just not great to use, cheap mice being particularly horrid.

 

Back to controllers, they cost that much because people are willing to pay that much is the classic economist answer. But you also have to consider R&D costs, which is less for many 3rd party controllers as they copy large parts of the original, in addition to them almost always being better built.

 

Also console manufacturers don't make much of a profit on the consoles themselves (they used to sell them at a loss years ago), where they make their money is games and peripherals which are sold at a much higher mark-up than the console.

[tlink]

8 minutes ago, Monkey Dust said:

Most people who work in an office use a cheap keyboard and mouse combo day in, day out, for years without them breaking. They are very durable, just not great to use, cheap mice being particularly horrid.

 

Back to controllers, they cost that much because people are willing to pay that much is the classic economist answer. But you also have to consider R&D costs, which is less for many 3rd party controllers as they copy large parts of the original, in addition to them almost always being better built.

 

Also console manufacturers don't make much of a profit on the consoles themselves (they used to sell them at a loss years ago), where they make their money is games and peripherals which are sold at a much higher mark-up than the console.

yea i get the aditional costs for R&D and whatnot, but its not a niche market anymore so i would've expected it to be lower. i wonder if there are any licensing fees for third party designers though, or maybe the wireless chip is expensive like someone said here. i tried looking up some PCB's for the controller and it seems like it has an XBOX branded package on it which looks pretty interesting as it is a pcb soldered on a pcb with the package on that. i wonder if they sell these wireless modules to the third party designers and that that holds most of the cost. but then agian here i can buy an original pcb with switches and joysticks and everything for 20 bucks so thats pretty much ruled out too. (or does that make sense? i mean molding the plastic etc and the battery can't cost that much can they?)

https://www.focusattack.com/xbox-one-bare-gamepad-pcb/

 

edit: oh wait this is some stripped version or something without wireless shit? i dunno couldn't really understand

 

AH WAIT I THINK I FOUND THE REASON

Quote

Characteristic of the Xbox series of controllers, a special secutiry chip is used to prevent non-licensed controllers from accessing the console.

 

[Monkey Dust]

1 minute ago, tlink said:

yea i get the aditional costs for R&D and whatnot, but its not a niche market anymore so i would've expected it to be lower. i wonder if there are any licensing fees for third party designers though, or maybe the wireless chip is expensive like someone said here. i tried looking up some PCB's for the controller and it seems like it has an XBOX branded package on it which looks pretty interesting as it is a pcb soldered on a pcb with the package on that. i wonder if they sell these wireless modules to the third party designers and that that holds most of the cost. but then agian here i can buy an original pcb with switches and joysticks and everything for 20 bucks so thats pretty much ruled out too. (or does that make sense? i mean molding the plastic etc and the battery can't cost that much can they?)

https://www.focusattack.com/xbox-one-bare-gamepad-pcb/

Wireless gaming mice are expensive too, I'd imagine they use a similar wireless solution. Then I bought my 360 controller there was quite a big price gap between the wired (£40-ish) and the wireless versions (£60-ish).