The next generation consoles for Xbox and PlayStation have been out since November, but while many people have either one of the two consoles, it’s still a distant dream. Like me, some of my readers might still be using one of the last generation Xbox Ones, so in this blog, we’re going to be looking at how accessible the next generation controllers are, and how they stand up for people who are waiting a wee bit longer before upgrading to the current generation.
So starting with the box, you see the Xbox logo on the front, above a picture of the controller itself, which stands beside the words Pulse Red.
As you start looking at the sides, you’ll see some information telling you what you get inside, and at the back, some more about what you get with this controller.
Most of the features this controller gives you have been around for a couple of generations now, such as the textured grip and the hybrid D-pad, which was included with the Xbox Elite Controllers – although you do have a choice not to use it on that controller. But the one new thing that you do get on this controller is the new share button, so if you want to share a moment of your gameplay with your friends, you can.
The box is easy to open – much easier than the keyboard case I looked at last week – and you’ll see the controller as soon as you open it. But the only other thing you get in the package is two batteries, which now seem a bit pointless because you should instead get some rechargeable batteries.
Once I got using the controller, I found the buttons much easier to use than the buttons on my Elite Series 2 controller, but it might just be with it being a newer controller that I haven’t been using for the last year.
Some other information about this controller is – depending on what controller you’ve had before – it may be smaller, but for me, as someone who has been playing on the Xbox Elite Series 2 controller in Co-Pilot with the Xbox Adaptive Controller, I think the Series X/S controller is actually bigger. As the controller is built with Backwards Compatibility, you can use it on the Xbox Series X and S, as well as the One X and S, Windows 10 and on Android, with iOS support coming in the future once XCloud gets run out to the web extension for Apple fans who want to use XCloud.
But how accessible is the controller overall? Well, starting from the what I like about it side, I think the buttons are easier to press than on the Elite Controller, I love how I can now share clips of my gameplay – which is something I’ll start using more as I bring out more gaming videos, and if you prefer using your controller with the Swap Sticks option on, your settings will automatically be saved from what you had it set to on your last controller, plus it still works very well in Co-Pilot. I also like how you can still plug it in and play, if you have rechargeable batteries.
But even then, there are some things I don’t like about it. One of these things is that it doesn’t let me use the right stick for navigation until I’m signed in to my account, which makes it difficult for me to sign in because I’m right-mouthed instead of right handed, and sometimes when I’m trying to hold down the home button and trying to turn it off, it takes a long time. I’m not sure if this is something that only occurs when you use it on the Xbox One, but could someone please tell me if it is? Other than that, I don’t have any complaints about it, and even the white back doesn’t annoy me as much as I know it has some other people, because I use mine on a clamp and I play with my mouth.
So overall, I would say this controller is accessible, but some small features still need to be sorted.
Phoebelyle.com 