I use a PS5 controller connected through an 8bitdo USB adapter 2. It works great and has a much more stable connection compared to the bluetooth adapter I used to use. I’ve had no issues using it in xinput mode on Linux; games pick it up as a normal xbox controller and just work. The adapter also works great for bringing your own contoller to friends’ houses for any console party games without having to do the bluetooth pairing roundup minigame. The only real issues I have with it is that there’s no auto disconnect when it’s idle, and as you mentioned the firmware flashing tools are all Windows only.
His actual computer related stuff has good advice in it but a lot surrounding that advice is indeed pretty sus or extrapolates to clownish end analysis. Like Ford patenting a speeding snitcher to put in their cars that reports other nearby speeding vehicles to the police is going to lead to the end of non-autonomous driving. I wonder if “car dependency” means anything to him. Just engage with it critically.