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Product Survey: Gamepads
More compatible than joysticks and much easier to handle, gamepads are the ideal interface for sports simulations, first person shooters and all sorts of other PC games, especially for converts from the world of console gaming.
Pierre-Jean Alzieu
Date: 2008-09-05
Date: 2008-09-05
If the hardcore first person shooter addicts will never abandon the classic combination that is keyboard + mouse, fans of racing games and sports simulations are often keener on gamepads.
Rarely more than 35 euros, they're practical and inexpensive, and as easy to get the hang of as their counterparts on consoles.
Indeed, many PC gamepads are directly inspired by products first available bundled with consoles.
One such model in particular has created something of a revolution in the world of gamepads.
Microsoft's Xbox 360 pad, now available in Wireless, which swapped the left-hand stick and the directional pad from the location we're used to seeing them in on the PS3 certainly made a splash.
Its new design and the quality of its finshing would have warranted a whole new comparison on their own, but its excellent gaming performance encouraged us to produce this new product survey, which we've compiled with more exacting criteria than last time.
Without a doubt, Microsoft's gamepad is a (the?) tough act to follow. Nevertheless, we're glad to report that the competition has reacted: some have copied Microsoft's lead, while others have innovated. Saitek, for instance, offers a modular pad which allows the left stick and the directional pad to be moved.
The choice is yours, then: Xbox layout, or PS3? All of this customizability comes in cheaper than the Microsoft offering and is coupled with individual styling.
Logitech, meanwhile, has more everyday concerns in mind with its new ChillStream pad designed to keep a cool flow of air blowing across your hands to prevent sweaty palms, eliminating 'the anxiety of hand-offs and high-fives;'
One other thing to look out for in the competition is the ability to add different profiles to certain buttons. Automating complicated actions, or programming functions specific to a particular game can certainly have its performance benefits for dedicated gamers.
Rarely more than 35 euros, they're practical and inexpensive, and as easy to get the hang of as their counterparts on consoles.
Indeed, many PC gamepads are directly inspired by products first available bundled with consoles.
One such model in particular has created something of a revolution in the world of gamepads.
Microsoft's Xbox 360 pad, now available in Wireless, which swapped the left-hand stick and the directional pad from the location we're used to seeing them in on the PS3 certainly made a splash.
Its new design and the quality of its finshing would have warranted a whole new comparison on their own, but its excellent gaming performance encouraged us to produce this new product survey, which we've compiled with more exacting criteria than last time.
Without a doubt, Microsoft's gamepad is a (the?) tough act to follow. Nevertheless, we're glad to report that the competition has reacted: some have copied Microsoft's lead, while others have innovated. Saitek, for instance, offers a modular pad which allows the left stick and the directional pad to be moved.
The choice is yours, then: Xbox layout, or PS3? All of this customizability comes in cheaper than the Microsoft offering and is coupled with individual styling.
Logitech, meanwhile, has more everyday concerns in mind with its new ChillStream pad designed to keep a cool flow of air blowing across your hands to prevent sweaty palms, eliminating 'the anxiety of hand-offs and high-fives;'
One other thing to look out for in the competition is the ability to add different profiles to certain buttons. Automating complicated actions, or programming functions specific to a particular game can certainly have its performance benefits for dedicated gamers.
