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Xbox 360 controller (on a computer) review! by corpse 06/16/2006, 8:11pm PDT
I've been using an Xbox 360 controller on my PC for a few months now. The games I've mostly played with it are Final Fantasy XI (for months) and the Need For Speed: Most Wanted 2 demo (for about 20 minutes).

Drivers installation and configuration were painless. You don't need to buy the controller that's packaged with the drivers disk, since you can download the drivers. Just make sure it's the wired controller, since the wireless version won't work with PCs.

The big round Xbox Live guide button in the center isn't implemented in the official drivers, so it's completely useless. Other buttons-wise, FFXI recognized everything but the analog triggers (collectively known as the Z-axis OR SOMETHING). NFS:MW recoginzed everything. I doubt most games will let you assign the analog triggers as just plain old buttons (in NFS:MW I used them as the accelerator and brake), so you're possibly looking at having two fewer shoulder buttons compared to the standard Logitech PC controller. Vibration feedback didn't work with either game, since the feature is only accessible through a newer API. The vibration feedback and analog trigger issues can probably be solved by using unofficial drivers which come from I don't know where.

I guess the only thing that sets it apart from any other PC controller, aside from it costing twice as much and not looking like it was designed by a MadCatz focus group, is the headset support. If you plug in a headset with a 2.5mm connector (Xbox Live or any old cellphone headset), the controller is recognized as an audio device. You can setup teamspeak or BF2 to send voice chat audio to this device so that it doesn't get mixed with the regular game audio. Not a big deal if you already own a USB headset.

I've spent unhealthy amounts of time playing FFXI (raising my unicorn's cupcake baking skill) with this controller and have found it really comfortable to hold.

I've stepped on it by accident a couple times and it still works.

Pros:
- Looks nice!
- Comfortable.
- Able to withstand being stepped on (by me, so YMMV) twice and maybe even more!
- Unique headset support.

Cons:
- Expensive.
- No vibration feedback with older (and currentish) games.
- No wireless option.

I doubt it blows away Logitech's best offering, but... recommended!
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Review Request: Xbox 360 controller (on a computer) by Mischief Maker 06/16/2006, 9:47am PDT NEW
    Xbox 360 controller (on a computer) review! by corpse 06/16/2006, 8:11pm PDT NEW
    What is it with you and controllers? NT by caltrops 06/16/2006, 8:37pm PDT NEW
        BLOOD! NT by Mischief Horseman 06/17/2006, 9:29pm PDT NEW
 
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