PowerA OPS V1 Wireless Controller Review

PowerA OPS V1 Key Art showing a controller in front of a futuristic-looking background

When it comes down to video games, there’s almost nothing more important than the controller that you’re using to do it. If it’s a bad controller, you’ll have an awful time, even if the game you’re playing is pure gold. On the other hand, using a good controller can make or break mid-tier gaming experiences. Enter, stage left, the PowerA OPS V1, a high-end gaming controller that bears more than a little resemblance to an Xbox pad but that works across 3 different connection methods and has a built-in battery. So, is this controller worth your time and money? Let’s take a look.

What Is the PowerA OPS V1 Wireless Controller?

PowerA OPS V1 photo showing a front-on shot of a black controller
A good-looking controller, though it’s not exactly an unfamiliar form factor.

The PowerA OPS V1 Wireless Controller is a PC gaming pad that is designed with a focus on both PC and cloud gaming, with the controller compatible with various services, from Antstream to Luna. It also features a rechargeable 1200mAh battery, a USB-C port for charging or wired connections, as well as both Bluetooth and 2.5GHz connection options thanks to the included dongle. All that and you also get a premium finish, hall-effect thumbsticks and triggers, and a whole bunch of programmable buttons and trigger adjustments.

In terms of grip feel, it’s pretty stellar, but in fairness, it’s also a pretty familiar form factor at this stage. If you’ve held an Xbox Series X|S controller, then it’s basically like that with a few extra bells and whistles. The only minor complaint about the design is that the placement of the extra programmable buttons on the back makes it pretty easy to accidentally press them during a heated moment, but that’s been an issue with every controller that has extra buttons, to be honest, even full console grips like the NitroDeck+. On the plus side, the OPS V1 makes it easy to completely clear the programming, so you can pretty easily swap between having extra buttons and not.

Run the Program

PowerA OPS V1 photo showing the back of a controller with various extra buttons and switches to adjust options.
The switches and buttons on the back of the controller are easy to use, and having a physical switch for the various connection methods is a nice touch.

Speaking of programming, you can probably tell that the options are pretty decent. It’s easy to set the controller into programming mode just by holding down the ‘prog’ button on the back for a few seconds. Then, you press the button on the front that you want to copy, then the back button you want to copy it to. To clear it all, you go back into program mode and then hold ‘prog’ for 5 seconds to completely clear the buttons back to no input.

The ease of use also extends to the variable triggers. Near the program button, you can find two clicky switches that set the triggers into 3 different levels of actuation. So, you can have it set to press the button quickly or to give yourself more travel before anything actually registers. It’s a nice option to have, though I found that I mostly kept it set to medium, which strikes a good balance between being quick and also allowing for pressure-sensitive control schemes.

Making a Connection

POwerA OPS V1 photo showing the controller with a wireless dongle sitting nearby on a wooden table.
The dongle does have the PowerA logo on it, so you can at least be pretty sure what controller it’s for, unless you have more than one.

So, another useful feature of the PowerA OPS v1 is the triple connection methods. If you want, you can use it plugged in, which is honestly an option I mostly kept for when the thing needed charging. The best options by far are the Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz wireless connection methods. They’re both pretty low latency, and they both seemed to work with a variety of different devices and a bunch of different platforms.

The USB dongle for the 2.4 GHz seemed to work with nearly anything with a USB port, even various phones with appropriate adapters applied. Hell, I even got it to work on my PS3, which was pretty useful in many ways, even if the feeling in my hand combined with the wrong button prompts on the screen made my head hurt. In some ways, it would have been nice if there was a way of storing the USB dongle in the controller itself, though it probably would have ruined the premium finish and feel.

The Power(A) in Your Hands

POwerA OPS V1 photo showing a close up of the hand grips on the controller with a special texture to increase grip.
The handgrip texture is solid feeling, while not being particularly uncomfortable.

When it comes down to examining the use of a controller, it all comes down to how it feels, and honestly, it’s one of the hardest things to put into words. Obviously, the controller feels fantastic in your hand, but the reason it is hard to talk about is because, like any good controller, it almost feels like it’s disappearing when you start playing a game. It’s comfortable and intuitive enough that it allows you to fully focus on the game you’re playing to the point that I’ve honestly not used another controller since I got it, except for in cases where I had to, and when I can figure out how to get it to work on my PS2, I will.

The Verdict

PowerA OPS V1 photo showing the controller from a three quarters angle.
A top-tier controller for top-tier gaming.

The PowerA OPS V1 Wireless Controller is a great device for anyone who wants a premium gaming feeling without having to shell out ridiculous prices for it. The programmable buttons work and are easy to program and de-program, and the triple controller connections make it one of the most convenient controller experiences I’ve ever had. Whether you want it for gaming on cloud services, your home PC, or pretty much anything else, for that matter, it’s a perfect choice.

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