Tech Olive

While we don’t focus on consoles here at the Olive, there are many PC games that we still use a controller for, and the Xbox 360 controller is always our weapon of choice. As any gamer that’s laid hands on it will know, the Xbox 360 controller is a true piece of art when it comes to comfort. So, when Mad Catz announced their plans for an upgraded version of the controller that would be themed towards Modern Warfare 2, we honestly couldn’t wait. We finally managed to get our hands on a review sample from Mad Catz and here’s what we think…

Mad Catz stayed close to the controller’s original design with the main changes being lit-up thumbsticks, rubber grips and redesigned trigger/bumper buttons. The bumper buttons are larger, making it easier to hit them in the heat of battle when needed. The triggers have a much more aggressive angle to them allowing better control without your fingers sliding off and the rubber palm grips make the controller not only feel great, but also stay firmly planted in your hand no matter how much perspiration might ensue. Mad Catz also promised an improvement on the original Xbox 360 controller’s clumsy D-pad, but there is only a slight improvement, nothing significant.

One of the most-hyped add-ons to the controller’s design was the addition of two buttons with switches on the backside of the controller. The switches allow you to choose a button to emulate, effectively making a second button for one that’s already located atop the controller. While this might be handy for some gamers, it seems almost completely needless for most. It also doesn’t help that awkward movement of your fingers to reach the buttons is required.

The biggest downfall of this controller are the new thumbsticks. They opted for a smooth concave top, but without the little nubs for maximum grip. It doesn’t take much sweat to build up before your fingers start sliding around. This results in accidentally pressing the thumbstick buttons down because you’re applying that extra pressure to keep control of the sticks. Mad Catz should have opted for a convex style, close to that of the PlayStation controller thumbsticks.

Another exciting addition to the controller’s design is LED lighting behind the thumbsticks. Yes, nearly useless, but a cool addition nonetheless. Unfortunately, this is a case of a great idea brought down by disappointing execution. At a glance, it seems like a nice touch, but you’ll quickly notice that the lighting is a little sloppy. Lighting that was better diffused and more evenly distributed would have gone a long way to improving the aesthetic quality. And I wouldn’t mind the addition of an on/off switch for the LEDs as well. I also noticed that the shade of green of the X button was a slightly different shade than the rest of the controller’s LEDs, which was very distracting.

As far as weight and size, the controller is nearly identical to the standard, wired Xbox 360 controller. However, it is slightly larger, so that does make it a better choice for large-handed gamers.

Scores

Price: 9
Priced around $40, it fits right between Microsoft’s wireless and wired offerings. Considering the features it offers, it’s actually priced very reasonably.

Setup/Install: N/A
With Windows’ effortless plug ‘n’ play, you won’t waste much time here.

Ease of Use: N/A
Assuming you still have at least one of your hands, you’re probably not too worried about this aspect.

Performance: 9
Mad Catz’s controller performs as impressively, if not better than Microsoft’s offering. If not for a few design issues, it would be undeniably superior to Microsoft’s controller but, as it stands, they remain very closely matched with Microsoft’s wireless functionality giving them the edge.

Features: 8
With a long braided cable, tasteful lighting, rubber grips, an improved D-pad and a “Combat Case” for portability, the controller comes packed with features. However, the controller also has its fair share of little annoyances.

Overall: 9 Olives