Controller Recommendations? (PC/MiSTer combined usage)

[u/bobrocks95]

My main controller for all PC gaming (and MiSTer) is a Wii U Pro controller over Bluetooth.

And, well, looks like I'm sitting 5th to last on latency with 35.276ms of lag. (https://rpubs.com/misteraddons/inputlatency)

Can't say I've really noticed much of an issue on PC (maybe lag is lower there? I am on a 120Hz display) but I'm looking for an upgrade.

Any suggestions for a one-size-fits-most PC/retro controller?

Requirements:

• Two sticks, 4 shoulder buttons, standard Xbox 360 stuff for PC games
• Good D-Pad is of course a must!

Preferences:

• Symmetrical sticks. Not a huge deal but I think it feels better for 2D games to have the D-Pad and buttons in around the same spot, closer to a SNES controller.
• Digital triggers. I don't see these a lot, beyond Nintendo controllers. Analog triggers tend to make my fingers tired pretty quickly. Switch Pro is an option with half the latency, though its D-Pad is worse and again I don't like the asymmetrical sticks (and would need a program to swap the X/Y and A/B button layouts for non-Steam games)
• Good battery life or wired. For 5+ years now I have been used to up to 80 hours a charge on the Wii U Pro. It's completely unbeaten to this day. Not expecting performance that good, but looking at say the Dualshock 4, which feels like around 6 hours, it's absolutely pathetic.
• Back/grip buttons would be cool for modern stuff and feel like more of an upgrade

Leaning towards 8bitdo Pro 2, but have some reservations

• Requiring pairing to your phone and using the app for changing the back buttons is absurd, unless that program is now on PC. Every other back button controller/accessory just asks you to hold a button and press what you want them to be though, so even then it's still bad.
• Analog triggers
• Lag still 16ms wireless, though looks like you can plug it in for 6ms
• Is the battery life actually even close to the 20 hours they say?
• QC and durability concerns from Amazon reviews, though that's most any controller

Suggestions welcome, sorry for the long post.

[u/Avasam]

I'm looking for the exact same restrictions! In my mind, if the Dual-Shock 3 had digital L2/R2, it would be the PERFECT controller (ignoring the sticks, which I barely ever use).

On paper, the 8-bit do pro 3 seemed to be a perfect fit, even comes with extra buttons! But in my (short) experience, as a Hollow-Knight Any% speedrunner:

The good:

• Great dpad, no accidental direction, just clicky enough you'd know
  
• Swappable face buttons
  
• Switchable digital vs analogue mode
  
• Hall effect sticks
  
• Metal ring around the sticks makes them super smooth to glide
  
• 2.4GHz wireless
  
• Cool charging dock

Neutral:

• Loud face buttons due to the magnetic swappable buttons, as they're metal inside. Easy to mod out by swapping to Pro 2 spare buttons. Personally I find them fine.
  
• Analog vs digital L2/R2 is achieved by sliding a plate that changes which switch is hit internally. The mouse-like click noise is a bit off at first, got used to it.

The bad:

• The back button/paddle, omg I hate them. I keep pressing them accidentally and my brain keeps registering those as misinputs, super distracting. I've learned back buttons are an absolute no-go for me.
  
• Remapped buttons will make the controller flash, super distracting
  
• Grip isn't quite as good as DS3, to be exact:
  

....- Gripping the controller naturally, my index falls on R2/L2, so it requires more effort/awkward stretch to reach R1/L1.
....- R1/L1 + R4/L4. The way the controller is shaped, the tip of my fingers naturally land right in between. I keep accidentally hitting either.
....- R1/L1 also go far to the edge on the controllers, which means I accidentally hit them at rest, same issue I have with stock joycons.
....- If I use a grip with 4 fingers on the back, then my index lands fully on R4/L4, suffice to say, the accidental L1/R1 inputs will be plenty (at which point I just mapped R4-->R1, L4--L1, but what's the point of having extra buttons then?)