PDP Afterglow Wave review
A lot of third-party game controllers are missing some of the key features that make the Xbox Series X controller work so well, and this can make it hard to justify losing them for a small price decrease. It is, after all, the best PC controller and has become a bit of a gold standard for all others. When so many companies attempt to mimic that formula, they need to get lots of things right to not seem like a pale imitation
The PDP Afterglow Wave feels like your second peripheral. You’ve seen what first-party products have to offer and they’re worth the money but now, you don’t necessarily need that extra controller. You just want one spare for a buddy. That buddy’s fingers will light up with the glorious glow of RGB lighting when they pick it up but they might just bring their own controller next time.
That RGB lighting is incredibly noticeable the first time you plug it in. With my model coming in purple, it doesn't quite look right when the lights are off. There's so much room around the controller for all that RGB that it looks a little hollow when it's not on. Luckily, when plugged in, the PDP Afterglow Wave looks pretty great. Lighting wraps around the front of each of the two grips and highlights the thumbsticks, which actually makes it a surprisingly viable option in the dark.
That lighting can be customized easily with a button in the middle of the controller. It can be double-tapped to mute and unmute or held down while pressing the right bumper to cycle through lighting modes. It's all intuitive and quite responsive.
Compatibility: Windows 11, Xbox
Connectivity: Wired
Ports: USB-C, 3.5mm stereo headset jack
Thumbstick layout: Asymmetric
Weight: 299g
Price: $45/£40
Windows and Xbox devices have the downloadable PDP Control Hub, which allows you to customize lighting, test sticks, and calibrate the controller without having to use shortcuts. It's a barebones yet handy app that works particularly well on Xbox, thanks to the Quick Resume function. Once in
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