My favorite controller alternative is getting a sequel, and I couldn’t be more excited

I’m a bit of a weirdo, because while I review controllers for a living and love them dearly, I play most of my games these days on a PC with a funky keypad that looks a bit like a robot claw. The Azeron Cyborg is an ingenious little accessory that combines the best parts of a gaming keyboard with the ergonomics and thumbstick movement of a gamepad.

As someone who’s never felt at home using the WASD keys, I gravitated to the best PC controllers as soon as I began playing games on PC. But the Azeron Cyborg allows me to be far more competitive in online multiplayer games because you can use a mouse alongside it to aim and shoot. I couldn’t be more excited about its latest version, the Azeron Cyborg 2, because it looks like it’ll improve on the small grievances I had with the original.

These days, pro controllers use Hall sensor thumbsticks to protect them from drift, and that’s the first big difference Azeron is making with the Cyborg 2. Similarly, most newer accessories have moved to support USB-C, and the Azeron Cyborg has always used an annoying mini USB port instead. Both of these things aren’t exactly game changers, but they do bring Azeron’s nifty little invention into the modern era.

Perhaps what I’m most excited about when it comes to the Cyborg 2 is its Omron switches and reworked top keys. For those who are still puzzled as to how this device could actually be controlled by a human hand, you slot your hand into it like a cradle, of sorts. With every twitch of your finger joints, you activate its keys which you selectively map to in-game functions, like you would the back buttons on one of the best PS5 controllers . I love the original Cyborg’s keys for how they satisfyingly click with every press, but they don’t take much pressure to actuate, and you can very easily knock one by accident.

Omron switches have a bit more heft to them, and the 30 keys on the Cyborg 2 seem like they’ll provide even more tactility - something I’m a big fan of when it comes to the best gaming keyboards . From the images and reveal video, those new top keys on the Cyborg 2 look much more substantial, which excites me. The original’s build quality does leave me feeling a bit anxious at times. Every single one is 3D printed to the customer’s exact specifications, but that doesn’t always mean the most robust materials are used.

For more quality-of-life updates, Azeron has made this new model capable of storing up to six different profiles directly on it, up from two on the original Cyborg. That’ll no doubt make swapping from one PC to the other a much easier affair, especially since sitting down to make a profile for a new game can be a bit of a faff you don’t want to have to do again. New architecture in the Cyborg 2 also means that future firmware updates will be easier for the manufacturer to implement.

I’m so eager to get my hand on the latest model of what I deem one of the best gaming accessories around. Inventions like the Cyborg could honestly be the future of how we play games, and they point to intuitive and truly original design philosophies for controllers.

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