Microsoft surprised the world with the announcement of a refreshed Xbox 360 controller just a few weeks ago. Major Nelson assured us that the brains in Redmond had come up with a patented “revolutionary” d-pad solution, as well as some other updated features. We finally got one of these silver beasts in the mail and took it for a test drive with Super Street Fighter IV, Lumines Live and Blur.
Right off that bat, the most noticeable things about the controller are the changes in visual aesthetics. The new silver and black paint job mixed with the grayscale buttons makes the controller look like something from Limbo. While probably a small number, if anyone has remember their layout via color versus letters, you’re SOL. The new d-pad and the guide button are also a nice, shiny chrome finish.
The analog sticks have also been changed a bit. They no longer feature the 4 bumps and are more concave with a nice raised edge along the circumference. While subtle, it feels nice when trying for a smooth drift in Blur.
The main event on this thing is the d-pad. Since even the days of the original Xbox, gamers everywhere have been harping on Microsoft for its poor choice in d-pad technology. The most accurate way we’ve heard to describe it is like a quarter coin sitting on a pea. This new controller allows users to turn the pad and have it click into place, revealing a raised plus style d-pad. The good news is that the turn-click feels pretty good and like it could hold up to lots of use. The bad news is after trying the d-pad out in both styles, we could only notice a little bit of improvement. Our resident Lumines pro, Joe Juba, took Lumines Live out for a speed run and mentioned how he was still notices slips and directional errors unlike Lumines on PSP.
Andy Mac and I also took Super Street Fighter IV out for a fight or two using d-pads only and swapping between the original controller and the new one to compare. Once again, the changes felt only minor and didn’t make our special moves any easier to execute.
So is the new D-pad worth dropping 65 bucks on? Probably not. While it’s easy to call this the best Xbox 360 controller Microsoft has made, it’s really only their second version. That $65 will also net you a Play-And-Charge kit as it’s the only way to get these controllers.