Microsoft just updated their Xbox 360 controller – with focus on the D-Pad and a new colour variant. Looks like they took all the hue away 😂 non the less, the new turnable d-pad has good sides.
The new controller aren’t that different from the controllers we already have in our sweaty hands. Basically, what you’ve seen on videos, like the one Major Nelson released months ago (shown below), is what you get when buying the new controller.
I like the colouring. It beats my pink controller by miles, and my black controller I got with my Elite seems dull compared to this beautiful match of silver and high gloss black. The text on the front of the controller has changed from Microsoft to Xbox 360 though.
Since the launch of the Xbox 360, gamers around the world has been complaining about the unresponsive and inaccurate steering with the directional buttons. Some did even mod their controllers to fill their needs. A few of the reviews and other coverages that I’ve been skimming even somewhat accuses Microsoft of using the homebrew stuff. These articles might be right, perhaps Microsoft was inspired by some of the ideas people were publishing online without earning any money, and so what? The best people to make gear for gaming is passionate gamers!
The changes
The thumbsticks has been changed a bit. From the two, easy worn down nubs to a stick that suits the tip of your thumb even better. It’s kinda hollow with an edge that keeps the stick from slipping your sweaty fingers in the heat of the battle.
Now to the really good stuff – the thing that this new controller is all about. The changeable directional pad. Gamers have been complaining about the inaccurate and flat pad controls, and with this new, official controller from Microsoft, you can change it from the 8-way direction pad to 4 just by turning the button, and the fill around the cross is lowered, making the cross stand out. This is great for remakes of old arcade games, such as Pacman, Street Fighter and platformers in general – games that all ask for an accurate 4-way steering.
The elevated cross enhances the 4-way steering rather than dictate or controls it. The button is actually still 8-way steering, but it’s easier to hit the up-, down-, left- and right direction on the pad, the core directions.
What I am most concerned about regarding this new button-turning is how well it stands to fiddling, impacts and in general daily use. How easy is this mechanic destroyed? To me, it feels a bit fragile.
Where did the hue go?
Microsoft did also remove the colours on the buttons. Something I am not too fond of I must admit. I like the thought behind it – making the controller more adult looking. But as several other gamers and reviewers has been saying, and I think I quote many of them when saying “but there’s a number of games out there who make use of the colouring on the buttons! They’ll need the colours.” They are right. And the darkest button, the X, if I didn’t know there’s an X somewhere on that button, I would not be able to see it.
Should you buy it? If you feel the need for a new controller, yes. If you think this new controller is solving all the small quirks and problems of the steering ingame and that the controller is highly inventive, no. The controller is helping you along in games such as Pacman, but it’s not making you master the game. Also, this controller is only packaged with a play and charge kit, so I think this is a huge plus in the selling points, as the package might be more expensive than one just with the controller, but after your purchase of the new controller, you don’t have to go and look for a play and charge kit.
