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It isn’t often the case that a third-party Xbox controller supports wireless connectivity. For what I can only presume is due to a hefty licensing fee to support the console’s connection protocol, many accessory makers opt to make their controllers wired-only, which is disappointing seeing as they’re the only ones creating controller units with Hall Effect and TMR-based joysticks. Now because of this, what caught my eye to this controller here, the QRD FERROX M5, isn’t just the rather large number of features available to it for the low price of 60 American dollary-doos—no, no, it’s the fact that it’s got all that and the controller supports wireless connectivity not just for Xbox and Windows-based PCs but the Nintendo Switch as well!
Amazon.com Link | QRD Website Link
Could it really be too good to be true? Quite the opposite: sans a few caveats to build quality and software, this is a great controller considering how closely it mimics the Xbox Elite units.
The QRD FERROX M5 comes in a simple box with the bare necessities:
- The controller itself along with a USB receiver
- A USB-A to USB-C cable
- A manual
Now the M5 actually supports Android devices as well, over both wired and the 2.4GHz receiver, but I couldn’t get it to work on my tablet over the same adapter that I used to connect the QRD via wire. And because the unit has no Bluetooth support on-board and purely relies on the receiver for a connection, that means there’s no alternative way to wirelessly connect to your devices. This also applies to the Xbox and Nintendo Switch consoles, where the USB receiver is required. PCs can work both ways and I even got the M5 to work on my Bazzite-based ROG Ally when docked.
The unit itself is well-made and feels good to hold, having a decent amount of heft to it without feeling like a tank of sorts, much like the Elite. The downside to the build quality is the reflective front cover, which creaks quite a bit if you put a modicum of pressure on the unit. I think going for a matte finish likely would have been the better choice here, but how else are you going to see the flashing RGB lights?
The FERROX M5 is easy to set up for use with your consoles. Simply plug in the USB receiver, pair the controller to it, and voila: it just works. When the M5 came in, QRD released a new update that improves the battery display levels which I got to experience when the controller depleted after, I want to say, eight hours of use after a full charge. Not bad for a wireless third-party unit. Of course, it pales in comparison to the standard Xbox controllers, but those things will inevitably suffer stick drift and I’m getting quite tired of trying to fix those. Hence, my preference and consistent third-party controller recommendations.
The M5 has a good out-of-box experience, but I did run into two snags during my time with the controller—one I was able to fix and the other, not so much. See, over on my Xbox, pressing the Nexus (the button that pulls up the Guide AKA the big floating menu) would instead cause the power options menu to appear. As if I were holding down the button instead. To pull up the Guide, I would have to double tap or keep tapping the Nexus, which got annoying at times. I’m not entirely sure what the problem was as neither my other controllers exhibited this issue nor did the problem crop up when I plugged in the M5 into my PC or my Galaxy Tab S9. The company did try to help me figure this out, but ultimately I decided it wasn’t worth getting resolved. On the bright side, their support is excellent and responded quickly to my concerns, so that’s worth something
The other issue I had with the M5 was that, out-of-box, the sensitivity was way too… Sensitive. In games like ‘Genshin Impact’ where the map already feels like you’re skating on ice, it was really annoying trying to select points of interest at times. Thankfully, you can fix this, but not through a graphical user interface. Rather, there’s a combination of buttons you’ll need to push in order to put the controller in a particular mode to adjust that sensitivity. After a bit of calibration, the M5 was as perfect as can be.
Speaking of button combinations, the FERROX M5 comes with a lot of features off the bat. The back paddles are made specifically for macros which you can set at any time through the controller itself. The triggers have stop levels, which really surprised me considering the price point of the unit and the fact that the triggers, too, are Hall Effect-based. Not only that, there’s a Turbo button, which came in super handy during some obnoxiously long cutscenes in that aforementioned Genshin Impact game. When I inevitably trudge through Fontaine, I’m going to do it using this controller.
Now compared to other controllers on the market, the lack of a user friendly software is a bit disappointing. Most controller makers offer an app for users to adjust deadzones and macros without having to push button combinations. And while it’s not the end of the world, I hope to see QRD develop a more universal customisation and update software for the M5.
While I primarily used the FERROX on my Xbox and PC, I did use it a few times with my Android tablet to get through my dailies in ‘Zenless Zone Zero’, ‘Wuthering Waves’, and the like. There were absolutely no issues with controller detection and the unit worked just as well wired to my tablet as it did over a wireless connection on my consoles and PC. Would I use this controller as my go-to Android choice? It would really depend as even though the M5 does support wireless connectivity on paper, I couldn’t get it to work with the only adapter I had on hand. I think this would work great for any Android TV kits, but it might be a bulky purchase for on-the-go gaming compared to other controllers on the market. I think this is a better PC, Xbox, and Switch consoles, but I appreciate the Android support nonetheless.
Other than that, I am wholly impressed by what the FERROX M5 is capable of. It has the features that rivals Xbox’s own offerings while being significantly cheaper and supports a wide range of devices. The build quality is solid as well. And while the eight-hour long battery life didn’t bother me, you should know that, since this controller only connects wirelessly to the Xbox and Switch, the option to tether up during a tense gaming moment isn’t an option. Besides that, and a lack of an easy-to-use customisation app, I think that the M5 is one of the best wireless controllers on the market, especially at its price point. ∎
QRD FERROX M5 Wireless Controller for Xbox, Switch, & Windows PC
PROS
- Wide variety of devices supported.
- Lots of features for the price point.
- Generally solid build quality and feels good to hold.
CONS
- Lack of user friendly application for setting macros and sensitivity.
- A lack of Bluetooth support is unusual for wireless controllers.
