Xbox Nerds ArchiveWe recently had a chance to go hands-on with the controller of the Xbox 360. Borrowing aesthetically from the highly acclaimed current Xbox controller the S-pad, the silky white 360 controller features physical updates and various changes that separate it from its original counterpart. To say that the 360 controller is better than my original favorite, the Dual Shock 2, would be an understatement. I never thought I’d see the day when I wanted to just hold a controller for 10 minutes and just gawk at it. And that’s exactly what I did; I was in awe. There’s just such an overwhelming contrast as to how far Microsoft has come when looking at the original Xbox pad the “Duke”, to the S-pad and now to this current design.
First off, not only are the handle bars incredibly smooth, perfectly shaped and designed for grip, but removal of the Black and White buttons for two additional shoulder buttons was a brilliant move. The analog sticks, while they may look like the same sticks found on the current controller, they’re actually softer around the edges and more comfortable to use; where as the previous analog sticks were a little sharp around the edges, making racing games not very enjoyable when trying to use the analog stick, as opposed to triggers. Button placement remains practically identical, and the digital pad is pretty darn nice, as well. Though, perhaps the most kick ass feature of the new pad isn’t the wireless…it’s the slightly altered, anti-finger-cramping triggers. Those triggers are half the reason why this new redesign is so darn incredible. I’m not a fan of the triggers found on the current S-pad, which is why I continued to prefer the Dual Shock 2. But this…this has made me a believer. The triggers do not depress to the point where it makes your fingers cramp. In addition to that, the triggers are softer, so you have to apply less pressure; further reducing finger cramping.
All in all, after witnessing Sony’s questionable design of the next-generation Dual Shock, I can, with ease, say that between MS and Sony, the 360 pad is leagues ahead of PS3’s. And despite Sony’s claim that the controller design is not final, even if it looks remotely like it does right now, it just won’t do. It remains to be seen now what Nintendo can do.
Author: Arnold Katayev
