Xbox 360 Pad EX 2 with Turbo - Black

by Hori

Product Features

• Officially licensed by Microsoft
• 6 button layout & cross shaped directional pad
• Turbo function for all buttons and directional pad (including left and right triggers)
• 3 analog sensitivity level settings available (normal, narrow and wide mode)
• Vibration function and expansion port included

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B002LT9PXQ
• Item Weight: 1 pounds
• Media: Accessory
• Release Date: November 23, 2009
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (87 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,444 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
  • #27 in Video Games > Xbox 360 > Hardware > Controllers > Gamepads
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Xbox 360 Black Hori Pad EX 2 with turbo

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

51 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally, a worthy replacement for the stock Xbox 360 gamepad., January 12, 2010

By 

Leah (Chicago IL) - See all my reviews

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Xbox 360 Pad EX 2 with Turbo - Black (Accessory)

The original Microsoft Xbox 360 gamepad is a solid piece of gaming equipment with one vital flaw: a terrible D-pad. This flaw is well-known and well-documented on the web. As a gamer who loves 2D fighters, puzzle games, and various Xbox Live Arcade titles, I rely on the D-pad a lot, and the stock controller's D-pad is simply too finicky and unpredictable.

In my search for a better gamepad, I've been using a Mad Catz Xbox 360 gamepad for games where a more precise and reliable D-pad is required. Unfortunately, the Mad Catz gamepad's engineering is nowhere near the quality of the original Microsoft hardware, leaving me to wonder if there would ever be a third-party gamepad that matched the build quality of the stock hardware, but with a responsive D-pad.

I'm happy to say that the answer is yes: the Hori Pad EX2 Turbo is a worthy replacement for the stock Microsoft Xbox 360 gamepad, with a crisp, responsive D-pad that will remind you of classic console controllers.


STANDARD FEATURES

The first thing I noticed when unboxing the Hori pad is that it is solidly built, and the plastic is finely machined, much like the stock Microsoft hardware (and very unlike the roughly-machined, ill-fitting parts of the Mad Catz gamepad). The analog sticks on the Hori pad have the same rubberized coating and raised flanges to facilitate grip as the stock controller. All buttons and sticks respond smoothly and precisely. I'll go into more detail on the D-pad below, as it deserves its own section.

My one complaint in button responsiveness and quality is with the shoulder bumpers: the sensors feel like they don't run the entire length of the shoulder bumpers, and pressing on the outer edge of the bumper sometimes doesn't register as a button press. This requires you to use additional force to register a button press. I should note that this seems to mainly occur with my LB shoulder button, indicating that it may either be a flaw with my particular pad, or a limitation of my grip style, as I have small hands and the left portion of the controller requires a large handspan in order to reach both the D-pad and shoulder buttons at the same time.

The Hori pad actually has two sets of bumper buttons (LB and RB): the original two in their normal shoulder positions, above the left and right triggers, plus an extra set on the face of the controller, in a 6-button layout familiar to fighting game fans. Both the face and shoulder bumpers function identically, so they can be used interchangeably. The convenience of having all six buttons lying side-by-side is invaluable in fighting games, where these buttons are typically mapped to weak, medium, and strong punches and kicks.


SPECIAL FEATURES

The Hori pad also offers two extra features beyond the stock gamepad: analog stick sensitivity adjustment, and turbo fire. The stick sensitivity adjustment is a nice bonus, though most games that would benefit from this provide their own in-game sensitivity adjustment. Turbo fire mode is what has caused controversy regarding this gamepad. At present, it works in online games like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, allowing players to unload clips faster than humanly possible. This gamepad is officially licensed by Microsoft, so we're left to assume that it's okay to use the turbo mode on Xbox Live. Whether it's ethical is another question.

Note that turbo fire does work for all buttons, including shoulder buttons, unlike the original Hori EX Pad. Turbo fire mode has three different speed settings, accessible from the front face of the pad, like the sensitivity adjuster.

I've read other reviews that claim the Hori's analog sticks are inferior to the stock controller's sticks, criticizing the Hori as being oversensitive, but I think this may partially be due to not adjusting the analog sensitivity on the Hori pad. However, I don't play FPS games on console, just PC, so I can't give the final word on how the Hori pad's analog sticks compare to stock where it matters most: in shooters. For action games, and in casual shooters like Resident Evil 5, I find the Hori's sticks to be completely comfortable, offering a satisfying amount of resistance and sensitivity.


D-PAD

Finally, for many of us, the crucial criterion in judging this controller: how good is the D-pad? I'm thrilled (and relieved) to report that the Hori Pad EX2 Turbo's D-pad is incredibly crisp and responsive. The D-pad's face button is a classic cross shape which is concave, leaving the center scooped in while the edges rise slightly above it. When pressed, the D-pad offers a satisfying rubbery click. While holding the D-pad down, you can roll your thumb in different directions and the pad will rock smoothly, offering subtle tactile feedback when you "notch" into a new position. In short, it feels nothing like the modern, mushy, flimsy D-pad of the Xbox 360 Microsoft controller, and everything like the classic, crisp, chunky D-pads of Sega and Nintendo consoles. (I can't compare to the beloved Sega Saturn D-pad, but it easily exceeds the SNES D-pad, putting it miles ahead of the stock 360 D-pad.)

The proof is in the pudding, of course, so I test drove it on Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix as soon as I plugged it in...and I was amazed that I was able to consistently pull off every single move I made. No more misfires or presses that fail to register. No more blaming the D-pad for sucking. This feels about as close to precision as you can get on the 360, short of a joystick.

It's kind of sad, actually, when you think about it: just being happy that something works the way it should...


CONCLUSION

The Hori Pad EX2 Turbo for Xbox 360 is, finally, a gamepad that can replace the stock Microsoft Xbox 360 gamepad. The Hori gamepad not only vastly improves on the stock D-pad, but it offers 6 face buttons for convenience in fighting games, built-in analog sensitivity adjustment, and a controversial turbo fire mode for all buttons. Also note that the controller is wired and does not come in a wireless version as of this writing. This gamepad's build quality is easily on par with that of Microsoft's stock hardware, while offering several design and feature improvements that make it a worthy successor to the stock gamepad.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best D-pad of any controller on the market, January 21, 2010

By 

Lawrence Du - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Xbox 360 Pad EX 2 with Turbo - Black (Accessory)

I have owned the MadCatz Street Fighter 4 Fightpad, the Logitech Dual Action, and a Sega Saturn USB (Chinese clone) and I have to say that none of these pads have a D-Pad that can compare to the Hori Ex2 turbo for playing Street Fighter. I waited 5 months for this pad to come in through the mail and when I got it I was astonished at the accuracy of of its D-pad. Diagonals register well, and spinning pile drivers are surprisingly easy to pull off.

The fact that this gamepad comes with analog sticks, turbo, and a rumble feature are practically added bonuses. I only use this on my PC, but I have tried playing LEFT 4 DEAD, and the pad works exquisitely for first person shooting. The analog stick is superior to the one on logitech offerings, but may feel a bit looser than the stock XBOX 360 stick (in my opinion this is a good thing). Luckily there are sensitivity settings built into the pad.

This is literally the perfect gamepad. I have so far found no flaws with it.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great for a week or two..., August 31, 2010

By 

Kiergan - See all my reviews

= Fun:3.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Xbox 360 Pad EX 2 with Turbo - Black (Accessory)

When I first received this controller I was extremely happy. It worked like a charm! After about 2 weeks of controller bliss however, things started to go down hill. The right and left analog thumbsticks started to work on their own. I tried unplugging and resetting, but nothing. I've tried to mess with the sensitivity switch... nothing. After trying everything I could think of, I decided to shelve it. So far I haven't found anything that will work.

It's a shame this has ghosting issues. This would've been THE #1 controller to purchase for the 360.