Corsair Novablade Pro: One-minute review

I’ve spent the past week testing the Corsair Novablade Pro, and I’ve come away extremely impressed with this leverless fighting game controller. Like the more budget-friendly 8BitDo Arcade Controller and other contenders for the best fight stick, there’s no traditional joystick here; opting instead for a pure button layout that handles everything from movement to motion inputs.

What’s immediately striking about the Novablade Pro is its luxurious build quality. Made from high-quality plastic and metal materials, it also avoids the trap many leverless controllers fall into of being too bulky. In comparison, the Novablade Pro is remarkably thin, making it easy to play at home or out with you at in-person tournaments.

The Novablade Pro is also incredibly easy to customize to your liking. The magnetic aluminum face plate can be easily removed, allowing you to swap out buttons, keyswitches, or the face plate itself should you desire. Remapping buttons and creating your own layout profiles is also simple, with onboard function controls dedicated to such actions.

And that’s something I’d recommend looking into, as the default black face plate is unfortunately effective at picking up prints and smudges from your gaming sessions. And trust me, when you’re deep into a tense Tekken 8 ranked session, that’s going to be unavoidable.

Lastly, I’m personally not the biggest fan of the pressure-sensitive keyswitches Corsair has opted for here. Don’t get me wrong; they work great and let you fully customize button travel time, but I personally prefer the more tactile and immediately clicky switches found on the 8BitDo Arcade Controller and from manufacturers like Sanwa. But I must stress that this is purely a preference thing, and not necessarily a knock on the Novablade Pro itself.

Corsair Novablade Pro: Price and availability

• $249.99 / £229.99 / AU$349
• Compatible with PS5, PS4, and PC only
• Matches the Victrix Pro KO on price

The Corsair Novablade Pro is available to buy for $249.99 / £229.99 / AU$349 (the latter as per a listing at JB Hi-Fi in Australia) and comes in one configuration, compatible with PS5, PS4, and PC. The product is available to buy from Corsair’s own website or participating retailers in your region.

This is a fairly mid-range to premium price tag for a leverless controller, coming in much pricier than the 8BitDo Arcade Controller’s $89.99 / £75.99 (around AU$136), but matches the price of the Victrix Pro KO at $249.99 / £229.99 / AU$399.95. In the latter regard, this positions the Novablade Pro as a competitively priced product, and one you might want to consider if you’ve also been looking at Victrix’s output.

Corsair Novablade Pro: Specs

Corsair Novablade Pro: Design and features

Almost everything about the Corsair Novablade Pro feels carefully considered for customizability and a premium, high-end play experience. You’re looking at a very high-quality build here, with an aluminum finish for the face plate and rock-solid plastic for the unit itself and its buttons. The underside is completely covered in textured, non-slip rubber, providing utmost stability on flat surfaces.

As is pretty standard for leverless controllers, there are 15 buttons and keyswitches on the Novablade Pro. At the top, there are six dedicated function buttons that encompass actions like pausing, profile switching, activating tournament-ready modes (which prevent pausing or resets), and, of course, a power button. Off to the top right, you’ve got L3 and R3 buttons as well as a DualSense-like touchpad.

To the right of said touchpad are five additional function buttons aligned vertically, and these can be used for mapping various button macros, something I found handy in various fighting game training modes for recording inputs, resetting positions, and the like.

The rear of the controller has a really handy USB-C cable lock, along with a slider that can both unlock and lock it in place. This keeps your cable nice and secure with minimal disconnection risk if you opt for a wired connection via USB-C.

I have to mention the Novablade Pro’s excellent RGB lighting, too, which is something I initially thought would be distracting during games. That couldn’t be further from the truth; the lights aren’t overly bright, and customizable color coding helps you to visually identify which buttons are where at a glance. This can all be customized on the controller, of course, on a per-profile basis.

The face plate can be removed by placing a finger underneath the notch at the top and easily pulling it free. Underneath it, you’ll find a 2.4GHz dongle for wireless connectivity, as well as switches for swapping between platforms (PS5, PS4, and PC) and connectivity options (Bluetooth, 2.4GHz, or wired).

The plate itself is quite a fingerprint magnet, though, so I’d recommend routinely wiping it down after play sessions, or swapping it out for other compatible face plates - especially if you like to alter your controller’s looks (and support commissioning artists while you’re at it!).

Corsair Novablade Pro: Performance

As mentioned, Corsair definitely has intermediate to professional-level fighting game players in mind with the Novablade Pro. This is apparent with its choice of pressure-sensitive keyswitches. This is a standout feature of the controller, and you can fully alter the travel time of your buttons from 0.1mm all the way up to 4mm. So, you have the choice of sharply immediate presses or longer ones, depending on the situation. I found that this could also prevent mispresses with certain buttons by not pushing them in all the way.

Personally, I do prefer the clicky, more tactile results of microswitches. I find them to be more satisfying to press, as was the case on the 8BitDo Arcade Controller, which I reviewed previously. By no means does this make the Novablade Pro deliver an unsatisfying or inaccurate play experience. The buttons here still feel great, bouncy, and responsive. That’s just a matter of personal preference on my end, but something you may want to consider based on your own experience with leverless controllers.

Otherwise, the Novablade Pro is exceptionally responsive, no matter what type of connection you go with, though I would suggest avoiding Bluetooth connectivity altogether. It’s not bad here, but in general, it offers a slightly higher degree of input latency compared to 2.4GHz and especially wired. On PC, both wired and 2.4GHz connections offer a 1,000Hz polling rate, level with some of the best PS5 controllers and best PC controllers. Though due to the PS5 and PS4’s design, you’ll only get that 1,000Hz polling rate with a strictly wired USB-C connection. Again, something to keep in mind if you’re playing on console.

Should I buy the Corsair Novablade Pro?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Also consider...

If the Corsair Novablade Pro isn’t quite what you’re looking for, consider the following two alternatives.

How I tested the Corsair Novablade Pro

• Tested for one week
• Played a variety of fighting games on PS5 and PC
• Compared to the 8BitDo Arcade Controller and Victrix Pro KO

I tested the Corsair Novablade Pro over the course of one week, and having now got a proper feel for leverless controllers after the 8BitDo Arcade Controller, I felt incredibly comfortable with the Novablade Pro’s layout and high build quality.

I played a variety of the best fighting games with it across PS5 and PC, including Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising, and Guilty Gear Strive.

In my time with the Novablade Pro, I was able to compare it directly to a cheaper model I also have in for testing - the 8BitDo Arcade Controller - and one of comparable price and features in the Victrix Pro KO. Both being some of the best fight sticks around. If you’re after a premium leverless controller, you likely won’t be disappointed here. Especially given its superb build quality and high level of customization.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed October 2025

Turtle Beach Velocityone Race KD3: One-minute review

Previously a headset specialist, Turtle Beach has expanded into the more distant shores of sim peripherals lately and has had some especially impressive first forays into flight sim gear. The original VelocityOne direct drive bundle didn’t stick the landing quite as well over in the sim racing space, but this revised KD3 version addresses a lot of user feedback, and the result is simply our favourite budget-end direct drive bundle.

Both the wheelbase and pedals are equally at home on a desktop setup or installed on a racing seat, which is a smart move at this price point since the split of users who race one way or the other is far more even than at a higher price. Although there’s some plastic present on both the base of the pedals and the framework of the wheel, this doesn’t detract from what’s a solid and detailed driving sensation.

Torque weenies will be quick to point out the low 3.2Nm output from Turtle Beach’s direct drive motor, but in reality, it doesn’t feel weak to drive. There’s enough muscle here to make a car feel weighty, and to articulate a rear-end slip well enough for you to react to it.

Conversely, the wheel is the weak point of the whole bundle. The buttons are uninspiring and feel cheap to press, and while the magnetic shifters feel great, the visual design isn’t going to turn many heads.

But Turtle Beach has a plan: a rather excellent FR-X formula-style wheel unit, sold separately for $225 / £189. If you buy that wheel plus the base bundle, you’re still in competitive pricing territory with the Thrustmaster T598, Moza R3, and Nacon Revosim, and you’ll have arguably the best wheel out of the lot.

One question mark to consider before purchasing is that, since Turtle Beach is just getting started in the sim racing space, the product ecosystem is limited at present. There’s nothing to upgrade to higher up the pricing ladder, so if you wanted to swap in a better set of pedals one day, or affix that FR-X wheel to a motor with a higher torque output, you’re banking on Turtle Beach continuing to expand its range of gear. With that said, at this price, it’s well worth the gamble.

Turtle Beach Velocityone Race KD3: Price and availability

• List price: $449.99 / £329.99 (around AU$690)
• Cheaper than both the Nacon Revosim and Thrustmaster T598
• Worth factoring in the $225 / £189 FR-X wheel upgrade

Truthfully, the price is what makes this bundle as exciting as it is. There’s been a lot of activity in and around the $500 / £500 direct drive bundle mark in 2025, but the build quality, sensation, and design of this one make it the best value of all. Turtle Beach has undercut Nacon’s Revosim, and the Thrustmaster T598 - two bundles that offer extraordinary value in their own right.

The tradeoffs to hit this pricing aren’t obvious or troublesome, either - a basic wheel with a mostly plastic construction, and a plastic pedal base. Most value-conscious sim racers can live with that in order to enjoy the considerable benefits.

The FR-X wheel is the jewel in Turtle Beach’s nascent ecosystem, and it’s a borderline-mandatory upgrade to this bundle, which unlocks mechanical switches, a great input layout, and a much more premium look and feel. It’s priced at $224.99 / £189.99, and you should add that amount to the price of this bundle unless $399.99 / £329.99 is the hard limit of your budget.

Turtle Beach Velocityone Race KD3: Specs

Turtle Beach Velocityone Race KD3: Design and features

• Solid, adjustable pedals
• A lot of detail from just 3.2Nm
• Well-designed for desktop use, suitable for sim rigs too

Turtle Beach has clearly been paying attention to the feedback it garnered when it brought the first VelocityOne bundle to the sim racing market. This newest iteration looks more sophisticated and takes more of its design cues from the world of motorsport than gaming, allowing it to sit flush against the likes of Fanatec and Moza’s grown-up, serious-looking wheel bundles.

I’m a particular fan of the compact, no-nonsense motor design. It’s surprisingly small and neat, with a killswitch at the top and some additional buttons on the right-hand side, which add inputs for the three central buttons on an Xbox Wireless Controller.

The wheel mounts to the motor via a sturdy quick-release design, which doesn’t require any screwdrivers. Just pull the quick-release mechanism back towards you, then pull the wheel off. It feels secure and tight when the wheel’s affixed, and allows you to swap between two different wheel models easily – more on that below.

The supplied wheel is the weakest element of the bundle, but by no means is it unfit for purpose. It’s simply that there’s a plasticky feel to the upper and lower portions of the wheel, north and south of the texturized grips, and a rather basic finish quality. There are 20 total inputs to assign, the majority being simple face buttons, but there are two scroll wheels, reachable with the thumb while driving, for mapping to functions like traction control or engine mappings.

Is it a thing of beauty? Not particularly. But it deserves credit for a sensible ergonomic button layout, and for its size. Not many wheels at this end of the price bracket are full-size, and when you’re driving in titles that really benefit from a round wheel like EA Sports WRC, it’s a real benefit to have that full-size maneuverability.

There’s a two-pedal base supplied with this bundle, and although the brake doesn’t feature a load cell design with different elastomers that can be swapped in and out manually, you can still adjust the tension by twisting the spring housing.

Typically, you find that budget-end direct drive bundles offer less stamping resistance, since it’s the more experienced and serious sim racers who want the all-out leg workout of a GT car’s brake pedal resistance, and so it proves here. For my personal driving style, I found I was able to dial in enough tension in order to apply plenty of braking and find the sweet spot just before locking up. That’s the most important aspect. If you want your sim racing setup to feel exactly like a GT car, you’ll need a stiffer brake. If you just care about lapping quickly and consistently, Turtle Beach’s design works very well.

The plastic base that houses the pedals is another concession to this bundle hitting an affordable price point, and when compared to Thrustmaster’s very sturdy, all-metal pedal base construction for the T598, it does look and feel cheaper and offers less customization. However, it stays put admirably well on a variety of floor surfaces, making it pretty ideal if you prefer to race at your desktop rather than in a sim rig.

In fact, while both the pedals and wheelbase can be easily mounted to a racing seat, it’s during desktop use where their practical and sensible design really shines through. Take the desktop mounting clamp, for example: this is often an aspect of affordable direct drive bundles that feels like an afterthought, but here, one simple but sturdy part slots into the underside of the motor and lets you screw it into place, with minimal chances of your legs knocking into it. Simple as that.

It’s definitely worth noting here that while the supplied wheel feels quite basic, for $224.99 / £189.99, the FR-X wheel is an absurdly well-put-together formula-style wheel with loads of luxurious touches, and it really elevates the whole experience. See our boxout for more details on it.

Turtle Beach Velocityone Race KD3: Performance

• More torque than you’d expect
• A sturdy and detailed driving experience
• Comfortable layout

Sim racers love to talk… well, torque. The Nm output of a direct drive wheelbase is often cited as a crucial spec when someone’s weighing up their options, and on those terms, the 3.2Nm on offer from this model seems meager.

However, using torque output as a measure of how detailed or immersive a wheelbase can be is simply too reductive. The Thrustmaster T598, for example, has 5Nm on paper, but it’s capable of 100% torque overshoot and, in real terms, feels as powerful and resistant as any wheel I’ve tested.

It’s a similar story with this wheelbase. While it isn’t so powerful that I feared for my thumbs when I crashed, it’s got more than enough torque to articulate subtle weight transfer, traction loss, road rumble, and brake lockups. And yes, when you crash, it feels like you’re crashing.

If it lacks anywhere, it’s in how quickly it delivers those sensations. At times, particularly when racing lightweight vehicles like F1 25’s F1 cars or open wheelers in Automobilista 2, the front end feeling is slightly dull and imprecise. However, in road cars and GT vehicles that you’d find in Assetto Corsa Competizione or Assetto Corsa Evo, I noticed this far less.

In the end, that slightly dull delivery is another concession to price. Just like the stamping force on the brake, it takes you marginally out of the immersion of controlling a real vehicle, but has little to no impact on your lap times.

Elsewhere in performance terms, I love the spacing of the pedals, the size of the round wheel, and the articulation of the large aluminum magnetic shifters. That lets me compete in longer races without feeling fatigued, and having all the face buttons arranged within easy reach of my thumbs helps a lot, too.

Should I buy the Turtle Beach Velocityone Race KD3?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Turtle Beach Velocityone Race KD3: Also consider

If the Turtle Beach Velocityone Race KD3 doesn’t bring you out of your shell, try these similar alternatives.

How I tested the Turtle Beach Velocityone Race KD3

• Tested in F1 24, F1 25, Rennsport, ACC, and AC Evo
• One week of testing on a desktop
• Both the bundled KD3 wheel and FR-X wheel tested

Force feedback implementation and input schemes can vary from one title to another, so my testing process when a new bundle shows up at the door always involves a variety of games. And, indeed, a variety of vehicle types within them.

For the past week, I’ve been hotlapping in F1 24 and F1 25, obsessing over tire temps in Rennsport, whittling down the odd hundredth from my PBs in Assetto Corsa Competizione, and trying to ignore the low frame rates in Assetto Corsa Evo. In all titles, the KD3 feels powerful and just agile enough to convey the key info about the platform. Button mappings and default axis values all feel sensible, too.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed October 2025