EasySMX D05 (PC Controller) Review

I love a good value. And I love a nice controller. When I saw the EasySMX D05 going for $35 I was instantly tempted to make this review. It usually retails for $45, where it’s a good value but not spectacular. But at anything under $40, this is a great purchase.

In this review, we’ll see what makes it a really good controller, and also what its shortcomings are.

Packaging & Box Contents

The D05 comes in a pretty standard box. In the box, you get :

1. The controller
2. A charging dock
3. A USB-A to USB-C cable
4. 2.4ghz receiver
5. User manual and other paperwork

• Layout: Xbox style
• Connectivity: Wired USB-C, 2.4 GHz wireless, Bluetooth
• Compatibility: PC, Switch, Android
• Analog joysticks: Hall Effect
• Triggers: Hall Effect, no trigger stops
• Main switches: Membrane
• Additional switches: 2 programmable back buttons
• Vibration: Asymmetrical 2 motor system
• Battery: 1000mah
• Weight: ~220 g
• Extras: Charging Dock
• Colors: Black, White
• Price: $45 (can be found as low as $35 on Aliexpress and Amazon during sales)

EasySMX D05 feels quite good in the hand. At a weight of about 220g, it’s fairly lightweight and easy to use for long stretches of gaming sessions. The flared xbox-esque handles are also very comfortable.

The handles have a stippled texture on the back half for better grip, and it works well. Overall, the ergonomics are great.

The back of the D05 is translucent, and the front has this gradient of opaque at the bottom to transparent at the top that I really like.

The gold accents are gorgeous. So tastefully done. Do note that it’s still plastic, even though the finish is metallic.

The RGB rings are nice too. The light leaks through the sides a bit which is an L, but it still looks great from the front.

The hall effect sticks in the EasySMX D05 are very pleasant to use. It’s very smooth, and the glide and linearity is great. It’s very easy to control, and reliable in performance. There’s no scratchiness and no snap-back, which are the two usual issues with controllers.

The face buttons are membrane buttons, but they’re quite tactile and responsive. The actuation force is comfortable too. Neither too heavy, nor too light. The font that EasySMX has used for the ABXY letter is also quite cool in my opinion.

The D-pad here is great. It’s a well implemented cross style d-pad with a nice central pivot. It offers excellent control and all 8 directions are easy to hit. I played platformers (celeste, silksong) and fighting games (mortal kombat, blazblue, guilty gear) with this d-pad, and it has been a joy.

The shoulder bumpers are tactile and clicky, with a little bit of pretravel and a little bit of post travel. Feels quite good all things considered.

The triggers are good too. After an initial calibration, there wasn’t any unwanted pre or post travel on my unit. The trigger travel feels soft and smooth. Very comfortable.

But the end of the trigger is kinda pointy, which isn’t very pleasant to the touch when I accidentally graze it. It’s not sharp or anything, but the curve should have been more gradual. You can see what I mean in the image posted above.

The stippled plastic texture on both the bumpers and triggers is a good addition, and adds to the comfort of this controller.

There are no trigger vibrations. Still I enjoyed the experience I had here.

There are 2 back buttons. They’re placed in a comfortable spot and I don’t accidentally press them when playing. They’re pretty tactile, and both the buttons are programmable, and I’ve set them to L3 and R3. 

You can set them to be macros of all kinds with the on-board button shortcut listed in the manual.

Haptics

The D05 has a dual asymmetric motor system. It reaches up to standard, and provides an immersive experience. All in all, it’s not anything special, but it doesn’t leave much to be desired either. There’s 5 levels of adjustment (including off), and I’ve been using it at the 4th highest level.

There are no trigger vibrations.

Software… or lack thereof

The EasySMX D05 doesn’t have a companion app. You can use the firmware/driver upgrade utility from the EasySMX website to upgrade the firmware, but all customisation is limited to on-board shortcuts.

Connection & Latency

EasySMX D05 supports wired, Bluetooth, and 2.4 GHz dongle modes.

Latency feels nice and low. I haven’t noticed any input latency or jitter when using the controller.

Battery Life

The 1000 mAh battery gave me around 20 hours with rumble on max. Lower vibration levels or Bluetooth mode stretched this closer to 25 hours. It charges via USB-C, and the included charging dock.

Charging Dock

It’s okay. Super basic. It’s built with very cheap plastic and doesn’t feel heavy or hefty at all. You can move it by blowing on it XD. It charges the controller but it’s nothing special. The USB port on the back for the 2.4ghz adapter frees up a slot on your pc at least.

At the price it comes in at, the D05 is a solid all round package. It may not be “the best” in its category, but it’s a very comfortable and familiar feeling controller that does all the basics well, and then some more. It’s also really easy on the eyes, which is always a nice bonus.

And during sales and discounts, it’s a good value too!

I believe the D05 by EasySMX to be at least worth considering when choosing which controller to buy in that sub $40 controller category.