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[dead souls]

I've been gaming since the NES and I've never had a single controller go bad on me for the dozens of consoles I own.

 

[The Argus]

My 3 DS4s lasted about a year of light gaming and some drunken multiplayer before they started to deteriorate. All but one have chipping on the rubber sticks and all have really sticky R1/L1 buttons even after frequent cleanings. Never had a controller go like this besides the sticks on the N64 grinding away. It's honestly scared me from using my Wii U gamepad because I'd hate to have that break.

My Xbox Duke controller fell about two stories onto pavement and only had to be snapped back together.

 

[infinit777]

Never had a controller die... Like Ever...

 

[Bio]

The only time I've had a controller break was back in the PS1 days when my sister threw one of them against the wall

Coincidentally that was the last time my sister was allowed to play on one of my gaming devices, to this day.

 

[eMpTy23]

I have never broken a controller nor had one break on me. I still have multiple Super Nintendo controllers in perfect condition.

Same for me. Both my SNES controllers work perfectly to this day.

 

[Voyevoda]

I have never ever had a damaged or dead controller.

 

[Qblivion]

Had a wired 360 controller die after about 6 years. A PS2 controller had a button short out. Dunno how old it was.

 

[Vormund]

Never had to replace one.

That said I've taken a few apart for cleaning.

 

[kittens]

Depends on the controller, how often I'm playing, what I'm playing, and how important precise controls are in the games I'm playing. At the height of my Halo playing I'd use a 360 controller for six months or so before the sticks would lose accuracy.

 

[rezn0r]

Most systems I've never had a problem in almost 30 years, I still have Master System controllers that work fine.

I went through 3 360 controllers over the years, and I've already gone through 3 (yes 3) for PS4. I started fixing my own R2 buttons but I hope they've improved. I blame Destiny's hand cannons & scout rifles.

 

[Lastgengamer]

Almost always the entire generation, unless you count early gen DS3 controllers, as the sticks would loosen on many that I bought.

 

[mrklaw]

Generally forever. Although I'm refreshing my Dualshock 4s every 11 months thanks to sony's patented degradable thumb sticks (although I thought my white one had better material on the stick, that is failing now too so will be replaced under warranty. That will make three since launch)

 

[rezuth]

Forever
Or until battery dies

This but I guess that might change with the Dualshock 4

 

[Huge Succeeded]

the only controllers i've ever had fail on me were old madcatz

 

[jobrro]

Every 3rd party controller I have bought has broken within a year - some Mega Drive one, a Mad Catz Dreamcast one and a Logitech OG Xbox one.

On the other hand not one official controller has ever died on me. Swore off unofficial controllers after the Xbox.

 

[Nyx]

My Gamecube, 360 en PS3 controllers all work fine still.

3 of my PS4 controllers got busted within a year.

 

[Nosgoroth]

Forever.

My hands are clean, figuratively and literally.

 

[Santar]

It depends on the system, my very first sixaxis PS3 controller from 2008 still works like a charm but my 360 controllers both have problems with the analogue sticks.
Why Sony didn't continue with the material from the Sixaxis on the Dualshock 4 is beyond me.

 

[ConceptX]

The life of the console.

Never had a controller break on any system.

I've had cheap (very cheap, £5) 3rd party PC controllers break though, which was expected.

 

[Moskitokrebs]

I never bought a new controller. Always have luck with my first party controllers.

 

[Stilton Disco]

I still have every controller I've owned/kept, never once bought a dud or broken one.

 

[Chastten]

Me? Pretty much forever. The controllers I'm using don't die because I handle it with care. The only exception was the N64 controller where I replaced the control stick after around 4 years.

The controllers my cousins used however needed to be replaced every year or so Cost me quite a bit of money back in the day.

 

[Bedameister]

I have 3 Xbox 360 controllers. None of them is really broke but you know the analog sticks are pretty much beat-out. I have my Xbox since 2007.

 

[Langdon Alger]

I've never had a controller break, or become unusable. But I always sell my consoles a couple of years after the new consoles come out.

 

[Ashler]

I've honestly never broken a controller I own, and I still have all my consoles from NES era onwards.

 

[Pila]

My Nintendo/Sony/Microsoft controllers never failed. I still play my SNES, PSX... they work.

Cheap stuff failed after a while, I don't buy that shit anymore.

 

[Squozen]

Never lost one. They get sold with the console.

 

[Gattuso]

I'd say at least 2 gens for me before something goes wrong with them.

 

[Baleoce]

I've never broken or had any issues with a controller in my 25 years of gaming. Not sure if I'm just fortunate, or careful. I guess my hands are always clean before I play, and I always make the nephews wash their hands first before using the controllers these days. I've never rage thrown a controller either. I did try to mod an ipega the other month with better sticks / dpad. That didn't go so well. Don't ever open that thing up, it's a shambles on the inside.

 

[Makoto-Yuki]

I've only ever once bought a new controller because the one I had was broken. The reason it broke was because I opened it up (love taking things apart to see how it works) and just couldn't get it back together again. This is my original launch PS3 controller I'm talking about. It lasted me 6 years.

 

[SliceSabre]

My controllers have usually lasted the life of the console I was playing. There only be a couple times where I had to outright throw one away.

 

[Peltz]

I had to replace my original pack-in GCN controller due to hundreds of hours of Melee. Also, I've retired a few N64 controllers due to loosening analogue sticks over the years -- those aren't built to last.

I've also had one dead button on a Genesis controller. Otherwise, everything has lasted me. This includes controllers from eras spanning NES to PS4.

 

[JoJo UK]

I'll replace a controller if it starts to feel 'wonky', for example rubber grips loosing their... grip, I couldn't give a time figure as I usually have 2 - 3 controllers on the go at once so the wear is spread out. Rechargeable battery packs on the X360 controller seemed to need replacing constantly though, so far XB1 looks to be better.

 

[zogged]

I have never had to replace any of my controllers. Hell, apart from having a slightly loose stick my N64 pads are all still in perfect working condition.

 

[hobblygobbly]

Only had an XB360 shoulder button become stuck/weird.

Never had a controller break for properly for me other than the rubber on the sticks or symbols on the buttons rub off. All my PS controllers since PS1 have had this issue, rubber on the analogs become weird + the symbols come off and I have soft hands so I don't even know why, doesn't happen to my keyboards.

Otherwise no controller has actually become broken. The rubber from the analog sticks becoming weird doesn't really bother me that much so I don't replace a controller for it.

 

[Rurunaki]

Mario Party on N64 pretty much was the only time I broke a controller.

 

[motorised mallard]

NES: Both still functional, one has a bit of problem with A or B button, can't remember which. (2 total)

SNES: One works great, other one same problems as NES one with facebuttons. Unofficial controller works fine despite the cracked outer shell. (3 total)

PS1: Both work still. (2 total)

N64: Still works fine even though the analog is starting to give up after all these years. (1 total)

PS2: Both are getting connection problems, getting disconnected while playing if rumble is used from time to time, Valkyrie Profile 2 escpecially . (2 total)

PS3: My sixaxis is still kicking strong. (1 total)

PC/other: 360 pad is working fine, it's not even a year old though. Start button seems to get stuck when unused, pressing few times seems to fix it. Also, **** that "Genuine MS product stamp, my middle finger rested right on it, it came off after some time and I taped over it. Otherwise no problems yet.

TLR

Haven't really broken any but my NES/SNES ones are showing their age.

PS2 ones might be suffering from not being stored properly, connection problems either on the controller side or at the other end of the cable.

 

[Laieon]

I don't think I've ever had a controller break on me, and that 3rd party controllers. Maybe I'm just lucky.

 

[Bjoern the Smexy]

I still have all my controllers I got with their respective consoles and they still work, except for the 360 controller which broke down only 6 months after I bought the console. I since replaced it with the silver LE controller, with the turnable D-pad.

Every other controller though: Lasts for life.

That said I only buy 1st party controllers, though. They tend to work flawlessly and the longest.

 

[Cheeseman Battitude]

dpad on my PS2 controller seems to have stopped working. That's the only one in 24 years of gaming.

 

[whatevermort]

I trade mine in about every year, picking up a shiny new one when I do so. Nothing every really wrong with them (slightly loose sticks etc) because I take good care of my things, but I really like the newness of a new pad.

 

[Sir_Crocodile]

So far, mostly forever. The ps2 ones were a bit flakey though. All nintendo generations, mega drive through to dreamcast, 360, psx & ps3 have been fine so far.

 

[Fallout-NL]

Only controllers I ever wore out were the ones that came with my SNES. But my and brother and I did play that thing for an ungodly amount of hours, so I guess it's to be expected.

Other than that though, all good.

 

[Caronte]

Several years. Except the shitty Dualshock 3. It broke within a year or so.

 

[Waaghals]

Essentially forever, apart from the DS4 which is a piece of shit.

 

[Koren]

Forever
Or until battery dies

This. I've yet to see a complete failure for a controller.

My N64 pads have sticks which are quite worn out, though.

 

[DontBeThatGuy]

i have terrible luck with analog sticks.

 

[Fonds]

Only controllers I ever wore out were the ones that came with my SNES. But my and brother and I did play that thing for an ungodly amount of hours, so I guess it's to be expected.

Other than that though, all good.

I guess button smashing was also a big thing for us back then.

As far as post 16 bit era controllers go, I've never needed to replace a single one.

 

[DidntKnowJack]

That's almost always been the case, even my launch PS4 controller is still going strong. There are exceptions, I've had Atari 5200 controllers wear out, but that was the norm for that system.

 

[Arm73]

They usually last me forever, with a couple of exceptions.
I still regularly use the GC controller that came with my NGC in 2001 ( with my Wii ), and if you look at it, it might as well be brand new.
I have a Saturn controller in a drawer, but to be fair I barely touch it.
Then the PS2 controller ( that I got in 2003 with a PS2/Gran tutismo 3 boundle, sold the PS2 a year later, kept the controller ) gets some use now and then on my PC for old direct input games.
Of course I regularly use Wii remotes, and the xbox360 controller ( silver one, with slightly improved d-pad ) is my weapon of choice for PC gaming and emulators, and a black, wired 360 controller is for backup.
Also I have an x-arcade dual stick ( built like a frigging tank ) which I don't see braking on me for the next 30 years at least.

Now for the exceptions:

- I had to replace twice the Dreamcast controller because during those days of heavy duty, the analog would become loose, and I believe the trigger also got broken once ( but that might have been on a third party madcatz controller ). These days I keep one just in case, but most DC games I play with the x-arcade or on nullDC with the xbox360 controller ( it's so much better ).

-Sadly a Nintendo controller had to be replaced once, namely the N64.
Like many others, after some heavy duty, the analog stick would become loose and started to form some powder around the stick.
I had to replace it once, and now when I occasionally play with one, I'm extra careful.
I didn't know at the time ( and probably wasn't as widespread ), that is possible to mod a N64 controller with a GC like analog stick. I might buy such replacement not too log from now just in case to be future proof.

So yeah, the xbox360 is what I use most, and with plain AA batteries, I don't see how could I ever get a problem with it, even though the xboxone becomes more and more tempting.