Wireless controllers vs wireless usb hub

Question

For my htpc i currently only have a steerin wheel as a controller. This is wired and it looks really bad having extended usb wires from the tv to the table.

However im thinking of bying some new Gamepads and now comes the question. Should i buy wireless ones or wired and connect them to a wireless usb hub?

Having a wireless hub would let me manage my gamepads easily from the couch. A wireless hub also allows me to connect other things that are not input devices from the couch. The best part : No batteries required! Most wireless usb hubs uses external power from outlets. Since i also want some retro gaming, im deffinitly going to purchase one or several retro gaming controllers. I have found none of these wich are wireless.

However im wondering if wireless usb hubs may not be made for input devices in the way that they may not have 100% uptime and probably some delay. Am i right about this?

Answer 1

From the research I've done (read: Google) it seems there are two classes of wireless USB hubs.

1. A VERY EXPENSIVE, but low latency wireless transceiver from places like Gefen. these are upwards of $400 but offer 20-40ms response times (about the same as a wireless controller). These would work beautifully if you want it in your budget.
2. Cheaper USB sharing hubs. these allow USB devices to be shared out over the network via WiFi. Pretty much a storage share and print server all rolled into one. This is NOT a solution as your HTPC will have no way of finding that controller, and even if it could, your latency would be horrendous.