It’s tough being an adult gamer, what with annoying things like girlfriends, feeding the dog, and your career constantly getting in the way of your playing time. Combining your favorite pastime with average, everyday tasks just might help. We took a look at 15 wireless controllers on the market, testing each on the standard criteria (range, battery life, etc.) and how they performed in our unique time-efficiency challenges. When the dust settled, two Logitech pads and a Nintendo-made shoo-in walked away with top honors.

The Playstation 2 Challenge: Gaming While Sitting on the Throne

The Winner: Cordless Action • Logitech • $35 www.logitech.com Challenge Score: PPPPP

Logitech has been making controllers for computers for years, and, thankfully, the same impeccable quality transfers over to its wireless gaming pads for today’s consoles. The Cordless Action’s battery life was above par, and the signal never faltered as we sat 15 feet from our gaming rig. Then nature called. So we hightailed it to the dumpitorium some 35 feet from the television (which we could still see thanks to a couple of strategically placed mirrors and magnifying lenses) and kept chugging along with a near-perfect signal while losing a couple of necessary pounds.

The Gamecube Challenge: Freaking Out Your Neighbors

The Winner: WaveBird • Nintendo • $35 www.nintendo.com Challenge Score: PPPPP

No need to hunt for a wireless pad for GameCube—Nintendo makes the best of the bunch. The WaveBird is flawlessly designed and will let you game for hours on two batteries, even through solid walls. Which gives you an idea. You know those upstairs neighbors who crank Def Leppard to 11? Tired of telling them to turn it down? Next time they rock out, offer them your WaveBird receiver, convincing them it’s a “game enhancer.” Now go back downstairs and start fiddling with your pad. Rest easy knowing they’ll be gone by morning, thinking their GameCube is possessed by Beelzebub himself.

The Xbox Challenge: Getting to Work on Time

The Winner: Cordless Precision • Logitech • $45 www.logitech.com Challenge Score: PPPPP

That alarm clock knocking you out of bed at 6 in the morning is getting old fast. So after a quick shower and a pot of coffee, it’s time to play through another mission of Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow to pick up your spirits. Too bad work starts in another hour. Solution? The Precision works as well from the couch as it does on the go as you rush around your pad, putting important memos and a flask full of scotch into your junior executive satchel. Now tackle the morning commute with thoughts of snapping necks dancing through your head and pull into work with time to spare.

Copyright © 2004 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Originally appearing in Electronic Gaming Monthly.