Customer Reviews

Xbox Controller

5 star:		(146)
4 star:		(57)
3 star:		(20)
2 star:		(18)
1 star:		(42)

 

 

For all of those people complaining out there that the conroller for the Xbox is too big, or the buttons are out of place. Give it some more time, it will grow on you. I just finished playing Halo straight through, I say straight through for the the second time. That's about twelve hours straight for one time through. My hands are not tired, not in pain, and not cramped. The controller is large, it is the largest controller of any console in recent history; the controller still maintans ergonomics. It is comfy, especially when played with the dual analog controllers. In all honesty, the one complaint that I can honestly forsee would be playing any game that makes use of the d-pad. That would be slightly uncomfortable. Any other game that uses the analog or both analogs is very ergonomic. The left and right triggers are the best in the business. The six buttons that appear to be in a "clump" are actually nicely placed. The white and black buttons are conveniently placed out of the way for a reason. They take on the roll of secondary functions such as activating a flashlight (as in Halo) etc. Other features worth mentioning. The cord is 9 1/2 feet long! Compare that to anything else out there. Plus, the cord has a special breakaway portion close the the console itself. So that if someone trips over the cord itself, it will not whip the console around or send it crashing to the floor. Ingenious? I think so. I would actually give this controller 4 1/2 stars due to the d-pad being a little low. Otherwise, it is definitely worthy of the highest rating available.

When I beheld my Xbox controller for the first time, I thought with a sinking feeling, "The naysayers were right... the only thing larger is the Xbox itself." Excited as I was to play Halo, I winced, anticipating a profoundly painful gameplay experience.

*buzz*

Wrong.

There's one thing that all of the well-be negative reviewers out there don't tell you- probably none of them has played with this controller for more than an hour. True, upon first examination, it looks like it was designed to be a boulder simulator of some sort. However, extended play reveals that it is surprisingly comfortable, and laid out quite well.

First of all, the size issue. I have notoriously small hands, and it is true that the first time I picked up the Xbox controller, I felt dwarfed. However, I had no trouble reaching the primary controls, and the ones that I did have to strain to reach (specifically, the Start, Back, White, and Black buttons) are used rarely enough so that it's more of a help than a hindrance- I don't find myself accidentally hitting the wrong button very often. The size also gives the controller a very tough feel. It's very sturdy, and you don't get the "I'm afraid this thing will break apart in my fingers" feeling that you get with the other next-gen console controllers, especially that of the Gamecube.

The two analog sticks are the best you can find in a video game controller- rubberized for grip and highly sensitive. The same goes for the shoulder triggers, which have far more action than their Gamecube or PS2 counterparts. Their analog design makes them perfect for driving games, when feathering that throttle just right can make all the different.

The primary buttons (identified both by the traditional letters as well as by color) are a bit small for my taste, and require more force than you'd expect to depress, but do their job more than adequately. While their layout is rather counter-intuitive, you pick up on it after a while and it becomes no more confusing than the Playstation's shape-based button configuration.

The D-pad is my major complaint with the controller. Microsoft claims that it is ergonomically designed, but I have a feeling they just wanted it to look "cool," as in "different," as in "away from the perfectly good established standards set by Nintendo." Not a good idea. The pad has a strong tendency to move diagonally rather than up/down or left/right, and this can lead to some mild frustration while trying to navigate a menu or control a fighting character.

On the other hand, the vibration function works very well, with multiple degrees of power that are used to great effect in games such as Rallisport Challenge and Halo, and the dual memory pack ports are a nice touch. Probably the most interesting (and best-implemented) innovation in this controller is the breakaway safety plug, which allows your controller cable to pull itself apart if jerked too hard, preventing you from damaging your Xbox (or worse, having your Xbox fall from its perch onto an innocent child's head). This, in conjuction with the extremely long cable, makes worrying about excitable hands a thing of the past.

Overall, the Xbox controller introduces some very good innovations. It's not perfect- it does take some getting used to, and some of the parts could be better. But for its sturdy durability, high-quality control sticks and triggers, creative button placement, and loads of features, I would say that this controller is the best buy for your money... especially compared to the 3rd-party Xbox controllers on the market.

Before I got my Xbox I was a little worried about how the controller would feel, after reading a lot of bad reviews about it. Once I played with it though, I've decided that everyone who gave it a bad review is just biased(notice how everyone who bashes it follows it up with "buy a gamecube instead"). Yes, it is big. But it is the most comfortable controller I've ever used. PS used to be my favorite style (N64 is ok, but strange), but it is too small and makes your hands cramp after a while. The white and black buttons aren't hard to reach, and I don't think the x/y/a/b buttons are too close together. All it takes is a half hour of getting used to. The d-pad is good, not my style, but better than the sidewinder one. I would've liked a more nintendo or ps style one. That said, however, I haven't played a game that requires it yet, so who knows.

First off, yes, the Xbox's controller is big. After all, the most poweful game console on Earth was designed for adult gamers, not kids. (There are smaller third-party controllers available for $25-$40.) I have average-sized hands and I find holding the controller comfortable, even though it did get a bit getting used to. The buttons are responsive and well-positioned and beat the feel on both the Playstation 2 and GameCube.

The controller's features are what makes a gamer drool. Every button you need to play any kind of game (ok, except those better played with a keyboard) is here. It's also cool that the memory card slots are on the controller, not the console itself, which makes it easy to swap memory cards as well as carry the card with your controller to your friend's house without fearing losing the memory. The controller cable also easily snaps off from the console, making it unlikely for an unaware spouse to trip on the cable (as it happened with my PS2).

If you have an Xbox, be sure to get an extra controller. If you have small hands or are a teenager, check out third-party offerings first.

Hundred percent truth... I have no idea what all the negative talk was regarding the Xbox controller.

Plain and simple...I love this controller. Everything is in its proper place. It makes u feel like you are playing a game, not crunching your hands together to move to grab various parts of a tiny controller. Instead, its made so that everything is at your finger tips (literally!) once you hold the controller.

And then, the ingenuity of the placement of the 2 joysticks. Simply perfect! You will know what I mean when you hold the controller.

The buttons, pads and joysticks are not just symmetrically placed like the playstation controllers. Things are set so that u dont have to really wiggle and jiggle your fingers trying to hit a button or move the joystick.

I read a lot of negative comments about the controllers before purchasing the Xbox and I was scared (to the point that I wasnt sure if i would purchase the Xbox). I tried it in Circuit City and it turned out to be a nice controller when I used it. Then when I brought it home and used it some more, I fell in love with the controller and everything made sense as to the placement and size of the controller.

People even said "make sure to buy Controller S!!!" I bought it too (out of fear) and it is nice too, but both of them rock. Basically Controller S is slightly smaller and spreads the buttons a bit. but it has the same style of the regular controller. When u use both you will feel no major difference (and that's a good thing) To me they are both simply great controllers.

Lastly, everyone is talking about this big hands issue, my skinny baby brother (7 years old) simply loves the handle and uses it all the time with no complaints! As a matter of fact he actually prefers the bigger controller and I use controller S :))) no joke.

Personally I like the XBox controller quite a bit. Prior to getting an XBox I read the concerns regarding the size of the controller and found them to not be true, in my case. When I first held the controller it did seem large, but fit my hands nicely.

Both of the analog sticks are nicely positioned and have a good feel to them. The left and right analog triggers are great. They have a long range of motion, enabling you to precisely control input. With these, the gas pedal of a driving game no longer needs to function like an on/off switch.

On the downside, well, is the size. I can't imagine this controller fitting the hands of a child or even a young adult. Hopefully aftermarket controllers will be made for those markets. Also, the black and white buttons on the upper right of the controller are a bit difficult to reach. Fortunately the games I've come across don't rely on them for critical gameplay.

The overall control is nice. I went to a local electronics botique ... I used the controller at both places. The trigger buttons are the best trigger buttons I have ever used. The joysticks and other buttons are placed in good areas. The worst problem I had with the contoller was that the X box symbol takes up a lot of room and makes the controller larger than it should be. I am well over six feet tall and still think that this controller is to big. Good idea though. I am sure that if Microsoft makes another they will fix the problem.

I first held it at a video game store on demo before the launch of the X. I immediately loved how it fit my hands. Then I began to see all the negative feedback ppl were saying about it and didn't understand why...The cord length is close to 10 feet long! A very welcome bonus. It allows you to sit back on the couch and relax as you play. The vibrate feature is cool too. I also thought the jewel colored buttons were pretty cool too. The overall appearance is very attractive. It also has 2 openings on the top for memory cards, should you want to transport saved games to a friends house or something.
Anyways, overall I love this controller, it's very comfortable to play and the layout of the buttons/joysticks/D-pad is user friendly. You also get Microsoft quality here, so no worries. I only wish they were available in translucent colors and a little more affordable wouldn't hurt either. Rock on Microsoft! 5 Stars from me :)

The first impression of the Xbox controller is "Whoa! This is one whopper of a controller!" However, in use, it is actually very effective, and for some reason, you can endure many hours of gameplay before fatigue sets in. All of the sticks, triggers, pad and buttons come easily to hand, with the exception of the start and back buttons. If you want uncomfortably big, try the InterAct PowerPad. Now that one is hard to use!

I used to think that they didnt sell these kind of Xbox controllers anymore.I hate using those small controllers.These big ones actually are more comfortable and my hands are puny.