Combine that with the overall travel speed of the game's camera on the X and Y axes, and it might be moving too fast for even the most experienced players.įor Forza 6, button mapping was used to make the two lowest paddles act as paddle-shift gear changes during the races. The distance to activate movement between the two choices is very slim. On the other hand, the thumbstick sensitivity took some time getting used to, especially between the short and instant settings. For shooters, the switch to a hair-trigger setting made firing each shot slightly faster because the trigger buttons don't move down as much. Halo and Gears of War seemed like the best way to test the hair-trigger switches with weapons, as well as the thumbstick sensitivity. I used the controller in three games: Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Forza Motorsport 6, and Gears of War Ultimate Edition. It's a safe bet that the button brightness, the use of the paddles, and the vibration settings all play a factor in overall battery life, as it still uses two AA batteries, so you might want to keep all or some of those settings off or as low as possible. However, in games like Forza, where the loss of traction or the engine revving vibrates on the triggers, some might turn it down because the feedback is too strong.įinally, there's an option to switch the left and right thumbstick assignments, and even a setting for the overall brightness on the Xbox button. By default, the left and right triggers, as well as the vibration mechanisms on the left and right handle, are set to 100 percent. It somewhat defeats the purpose of the hair-trigger switches, but it's there for those who want to use it.Ī surprising part of the app was the fact that you could change the intensity of the vibrations. There's also an instant setting that requires very little movement on the stick for any action, making it a preferred choice for those playing competitive shooters.Įven with the green trigger switches on the back of the controller, you can still set the trigger sensitivity in the app so you can dictate the exact moment when the trigger is activated and deactivated when pressed.
A slow start setting means you will need to push the stick further to the edge for more movement in-game, while a fast start setting needs a small push on the stick to move. You can also change the sensitivity for the left and right joysticks to one of three settings other than default. Advanced mapping means that you must select the original and its new assignment from a long list. Quick mapping instructs the player to press the button they would like to edit and then press the button they would like to be assigned. There are two ways to assign buttons: quick or advanced button mapping.
However, you don't really see the full changes for each one until you inspect it in further detail in the app, where you have full access to button customization. Aside from creating your own custom button assignments, there are already a few presets available for console-exclusive games, namely Halo 5: Guardians, Forza Motorsport 6, Gears of War: Ultimate Edition, and Sunset Overdrive. On the back sits the four new paddles, and above those are the two green toggles for the left and right triggers to switch between full-motion or hair triggers, which have shorter travel.Īfter installing the Xbox Accessories app, I was finally able to spend some time with custom configurations. The grips were also changed from the consistent black plastic to a lighter, textured gray material. The new grip comes in handy during long use when your hands get sweaty. The black surface has more of a rubber matte finish compared to the original plastic gloss.
There's a notable difference in weight - the new controller is slightly heavier. The area surrounding the Xbox button, the base of the joysticks, and the left and right bumper and trigger buttons have a metallic finish, and that's before you even hold the controller. A small switch in the middle of the controller toggles between your two configurations. A new concave directional pad is in place, with nine distinct sections etched onto the pad. The face buttons (Y, A, X, and B buttons) are now all in black instead of different colors for each letter. Inside the box is a small bag for the controller and its various components, and after you open it, you can immediately see the big changes from the original controller.