Xbox One Review

The Xbox One’s controller is just short of a masterpiece. The Xbox 360’s controller was easily my favorite since the Super Nintendo’s, but Microsoft did a magnificent job of refining things here. There are a few tweaks that I haven’t quite gotten accustomed to yet, but this is a fantastic piece of hardware overall.

The new triggers both feature upturned ends and a “U” shape, allowing you to rest your fingers on them a bit easier, as well as featuring haptic feedback. Playing through Need for Speed, feeling my finger vibrate as I pushed my engine to the max was a brilliant little touch that added a great deal of immersion.

The new D-pad may not be the finest I’ve ever played, but is so far ahead of the 360’s subpar offering that it’s hard not to gush over it. It’s extremely responsive and offers a fulfilling click sound as you use it.

The new shoulder buttons also feature a satisfying click, however, they seem a bit harder to push when compared to the 360’s controller. They appear to be more trigger based as opposed to strictly being an analog button, so it’s a bit harder to push them in from certain angles. This is by no means a massive issue, but it did pop up while playing Dead Rising 3 just enough for me to notice it. I imagine this is something I’d adapt to fairly quickly, however.

One detriment to everything having that great click sound is that it can be a bit loud at times. Playing Killer Instinct with a friend, we found that the combined sound of two controllers being slapped around ended up being louder than the system itself. With the TV on, this was essentially negligible, but those of you who like late night sessions with headphones on may find the click to be just a bit too loud to anyone else in the room.

The sticks themselves have been altered to be slightly concave, allowing the tips of your thumbs to rest near the middle without slipping out. This is aided by a textured edge that really offers a fantastic grip. The dead zones are diminished too as they seem to move much smoother and have the perfect amount of resistance.

Overall, the controller feels just a bit smaller in my hands, and perhaps just a bit lighter, but that may very well be the placebo effect in place. The grips have been redesigned too and the new removable battery compartment allows the back of the controller to fit perfectly in my hands.