Despite being a PC gamer for more than a decade, I have to confess that I prefer controllers to keyboard and mouse for pretty much every non-FPS and non-MMORPG title. With third-party manufacturers releasing their own varied spins on the classic Xbox gamepad formula, there are a ton of options to choose from if you’re a controller-lover like me.

Manba is one such firm, and while it’s not as prominent as its rivals, the company’s One controller is an affordable gamepad with some neat additions. The 2-inch LED display is obviously its standout feature, though the slick design and hall-effect triggers and sticks are just as impressive. While I have some minor gripes with the Manba One, it’s a fantastic product and gets my seal of approval.

About this review: Manba sent me the One controller, but the company had zero input into this article.

Pricing, availability, and specs

Released earlier this year, the Manba One is available for $70 on Amazon and Manba’s own platform. You get to choose between white and black color schemes, though only the former provides a transparent body.

What I like about the Manba One

A gorgeous design, with some extra mappable buttons

Right-off the bat, the Manba One is a beautiful controller. Despite the plastic body, the transparent plate, partially exposed motors, and silver-colored bumpers and triggers give the Manba One a premium look. Apart from that, it bears the same asymmetrical layout and BAYX button orientation as your average Xbox controller.

The transparent plate, partially exposed motors, and silver-colored bumpers and triggers give the Manba One a premium look.

Removing the front plate lets you access the internals of the Manba One, though the analog sticks are the only thing you can replace. Located below the analog sticks are four buttons, two of which are your conventional Start and Select buttons, while the other two are used to configure the controller (and I’ll get to them in a bit).

Flipping the controller on its back will reveal two latches that let you modify the actuation distance of the hall-effect triggers. You also have two sets of back bumpers labeled M1 to M4, and you can freely map them to any button (or even a sequence of buttons) using the LED display.

The LED display removes the need for companion apps

Third-party companion applications are often frowned upon – and for good reason. Installing extra apps for each peripheral makes it difficult to keep track of everything, especially if you’ve armed your computing setup with multiple devices. Plus, most of these customization tools are riddled with advertisements, making them akin to glorified bloatware.

Thankfully, the Manba One avoids this pitfall with its 2-inch LED display. While it may seem like another marketing gimmick, the tiny display lets you customize every aspect of the controller. After powering on the Manba One, you can press and hold the Home button to open the configuration menu. Tapping the Mode button lets you connect the gamepad wirelessly to your preferred device, though you’re free to use it on your PC over a wired connection.

The tiny display lets you customize every aspect of the controller.

Meanwhile, the Settings tab provides the crux of the customizability options, ranging from custom mappings for all the buttons to dead zone and stroke/curve meters for the triggers and analog sticks. Apart from that, you can also tweak the vibration and RGB settings, and even calibrate the analog sticks and triggers directly from the display.

Solid connectivity options and decent polling rate

The Manba One supports both wired and wireless options, though I prefer using good ol’ Type-C cables to achieve the 800Hz polling rate. Having reviewed this gamepad while testing the GameSir Tarantula Pro, I must admit that the latter feels a little more responsive. That said, the Manba One is pretty satisfying to use, and latency wasn't a major issue even when I played fast-paced hack-and-slash titles using the USB dongle. The Bluetooth connection works just as well, and having used it to clear some Dead Cells runs on my phone, I can confirm that it’s a decent option if you want a device that works well with different systems.

The Manba One is pretty satisfying to use, and latency wasn't a major issue even when I played fast-paced hack-and-slash titles using the USB dongle.

What I don’t like about the Manba One

There’s no way to turn off the LED screen

As someone who absolutely hated the lack of a proper customization tool in my GameSir Tarantula Pro review, I have to preface this section by adding that the LED display is a great addition to the controller. That said, I’m a bit disappointed that there's no way to turn off the screen. Sure, the battery life on the gamepad isn’t bad by any means, and you do get the option to dial the brightness of the display down a notch. But the screen can get somewhat distracting when you’re in the middle of a gaming session.

Should you buy the Manba One?

The Manba One is worth every penny if:

• You want a customizable controller that doesn’t force you to download extra companion apps.
• You’re in the market for a responsive and stylish gamepad.
• You need a budget-friendly controller that can work with multiple devices.

You should steer clear of the Manba One if:

• You find LED displays distracting.
• You don’t see the point in fine-tuning your controller.

All-in-all, the LED screen is both the killer feature and the biggest drawback of the Manba One. The tiny display is perfect if you’re a big fan of tweaking every aspect of your gamepad, and while I initially thought of it as a gimmick, I’ve grown to love it after spending a few weeks with the gamepad. But for the average Joe who just wants a simple plug-and-play experience, the LED screen can be a bit of an annoyance. This may seem a bit biased on my part, but after having a blast with the HD rumble motors on the GameSir Tarantula Pro, I can’t help but feel a little disappointed by the lackluster vibration feedback on the Manba One.

Nevertheless, the Manba One’s pros easily outweigh its cons, and for a $70 price tag, it makes for an amazing companion to your gaming setup.