Controller S for Xbox

by Microsoft

Product Features

• Platform: Xbox

Product Details

• ASIN: B00006409Z
• Media: Video Game
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (99 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #17,413 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Introducing Xbox Controller S, a smaller Xbox game controller with a new button layout that allows you greater flexibility for your gaming experience. As with the Xbox Controller, Xbox Controller S is another high-quality accessory that gives you the option of choosing what works for you. Xbox Controller S is built for comfort, pinpoint accuracy, and total control. The choice is yours.

Xbox Controller S Features

• New, smaller controller
• New button layout
• Six analog buttons with 256 point control
• Two analog pressure-point triggers
• Two vibration feedback motors
• One eight-way directional pad
• Two menu navigation buttons
• Two expansion slots for memory cards or other accessories (sold separately)
• 9.8 foot cable with inline release

Product Description

The Controller S is a smaller Xbox game controller with a new button layout that allows you greater flexibility for your gaming experience. As with the Xbox Controller, Controller S is another high-quality accessory that gives you the option of choosing what works for you. The Controller S is built for comfort, pinpoint accuracy and total control.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Better than the 800 Pound Bear!!!, October 14, 2002

By 

Nick (Eagan, MN USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Controller S for Xbox (Video Game)

Okay, I was just joking -- the original Xbox controller didn't weigh as much as an 800 pound bear. But seriously: IT WAS HUGE. Not for me, mind you, but for almost everyone else I knew, the first Xbox controller was at least a few sizes too large. It hindered the way they, amoung thousands of others, played. If someone's playing badly because of the controller then something is wrong.

Thankfully Microsoft noticed this and created a smaller, lighter, more easily handled controller for those of us who needed it. The Controller S, as it is called has a more even button layout and the A, B, X and Y buttons are not slanted, but have the traditional shape of raised domes. The black and white buttons were moved to below the A, B, X and Y buttons so as to be made easier to reach. However, I personally had more problem pressing these buttons on this model than on the other one. Anywho, the Start and Select/Back buttons were relocated to the left side of the left analog stick. These buttons probably should have stayed where they were or moved to a more convenient spot, like above the Xbox logo.

In any case, this is a massive improvement for the Xbox controller. I suggest that you buy at least two of these controllers, (even if you like the other one better), just in case your friends, etc. want to use them [which they will].

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Xbox controller we have been waiting for!, July 4, 2002

By 

Brian Tegtmeier (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Controller S for Xbox (Video Game)

When I got my Xbox a month or so ago, one of the downfalls of the system was the controller. I am sure many of you agree with me, but in many ways it suffered the flaws of being too big, heavy, and cumbersome. Not only was it tiring on the wrists, but the D-Pad was oddly shaped causing awkwardness in games that used it.

Knowing that Microsoft offered another type of controller (Controller S), I immediatly headed down to the store to grab one as a replacement for the pack in. Let me tell you... it was one of the smartest decisions I could have made with my new system.

With the old clunky original controller out of the way, I tested out the Controller S with both NFL 2K2 and Morrowind. Relaxing. Easier to use. Perfect is all I can say in a nutshell. Ideal for handsizes big and small.

Give the Controller S a try. Your hands will love you for it!

28 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Improves upon some areas but fails in others., May 29, 2002

By 

"arxane" (Oklahoma City, OK United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Controller S for Xbox (Video Game)

Some people think the problems with the American Xbox controller have been overly exaggerated. But the truth is, if there weren't major problems with the controller, Microsoft wouldn't have taken the time and resources to bring the Japanese controller to the States. So now, the Xbox Controller S has made it to the States. Does it have what it takes to be a vast improvement over its American counterpart? Sadly, no. While it does improve upon some areas of the original controller, it falls incredibly short in others.

First, the improvements. The size of the controller has been reduced, which is good news for all those people who complained about the American controller's large size. The triggers feel a lot more comfortable and responsive, and the D-pad actually feels better and more usable. But the biggest improvement has to be the face buttons. On the original controller, the colored face buttons were in an awkward, bunched-together set up that made it difficult to find the right button without looking right at the controller. With the Xbox Controller S, the set up is more natural, making it easier to find the right button. The buttons are also more much flatter, which means gamers no longer have to press horrible oval-shaped buttons.

But then there are the flaws. The first is the Xbox logo. Why Microsoft puts that enormous logo there is beyond me. Do they really think we'll forget which gaming system we're playing and need to remind us with a big, round logo that actually makes the Xbox Controller S look even uglier than the first controller? Because of the placement of the logo, the Start and Select buttons were moves to under the first analog stick, which makes it somewhat awkward for most people to press them with their left hand. But the biggest flaw is undoubtedly the black and white buttons. In the American controller, they were placed above the face buttons; they took some getting used to, but were accessible. With the Xbox Controller S, they are placed below the face buttons in a sloppy configuration, and just trying to press these buttons is a pain because they are set deeper in the controller than the face buttons.

With this said, which controller is better? American or Japanese? Truth be told, neither is better than the other. Actually, each controller has its advantages over the other in certain games. For example, the D-pad on the Controller S makes "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3" and "Dead or Alive 3" much easier to play, but the analog sticks on the American controller work a lot better on "Halo" and "Project Gotham Racing". If only Microsoft would take these controllers' strengths and place them in a hybrid controller, then they would have the ultimate controller.

Make no mistake, the Controller S isn't terrible; however, it's also not the saving grace controller that everyone wants it to be. It has its strengths and weaknesses, just like the American controller, and it'll hopefully point Microsoft in the right direction for a third and perfect controller for the Xbox.