Nacon Revolution Pro controller - user review

[StrickenBiged]

Hey PSNP,

 

First off, Happy New Year.

 

Secondly, I got a Nacon (I think it's pronounced "nay-con" but I've seen Aussies pronounce it "nah-con") Revolution Pro controller for myself over Christmas. Having used it exclusively since then for a good few game sessions over the holidays, I thought I'd give it a review and start a thread in case anyone else was interested in the pad and had some questions. 

 

I've seen a couple of professional reviews online but, in one way or another, I have found them to be a bit lacking. Each one left me with questions that the reviewer had failed to answer. Given that, and my penchant to be hyper-verbose, this might be a bit in-depth but I hope you'll find it a useful resource if you're considering a purchase. Other reviews are available, you know how to Google. These are just the ramblings of some guy on the internet, not an "objective" review, blah blah blah. Get on with it Stricken FFS... Ok ok, here we go. 

 

Review

 

Summary

I really enjoy using the Nacon Revolution. While it isn't a "perfect pad", it does far more right than the very few things it does wrong and it's features have certainly made improved my "game" in the games that I have tried it with so far. I would recommend it to PS4 users who are looking for a premium quality pad with additional features helpful to competitive multiplayer games, and would certainly recommend it to anyone looking to upgrade from the Dualshock 4.

 

Background

The Nacon Revolution Pro controller is an officially licenced third party control pad from French "pro" gaming hardware manufacturer Nacon. It appears to be their first foray into console hardware, their previous 2 pads (and other hardware) apparently being made for the PC crowd. Nacon's products are currently available in Europe, Oceania and South Africa, though their website states that they will soon be available worldwide. It looks like American players will have to import the pad if they are looking to get it ahead of any official launch.

 

Coming in at £89.99, it's priced at almost twice the cost of a standard Dualshock 4, but much less than the second officially licenced "pro" controller from Razer which retails at around £140 as of the time of writing (that's 3x the Dualshock 4's price!). As the "middle option", it is ideally placed to appeal to the gamer that wants something a bit more "premium" than the standard Dualshock 4, but doesn't want to spend as much as 3 times the cost of a standard controller. It comes with a 2-year manufacturer's warranty from Nacon.

 

Unboxing, accessories, feel and finish

The packaging of the Revolution is excellent. Unboxing videos can be found online but I'll say that the box exudes quality and leaves a great first impression. The cardboard sleeve slides off to reveal a stiff, black, cardboard box with a "double door" opening on the front. Behind these doors, you are faced with a single piece of molded black cardboard in the shape of the face of the pad. Remove this and you'll be faced with the pad itself, sitting snugly in a single piece of cardboard molded to fit the back of the pad. Take the pad and back cardboard out and you'll find some stickers, a cloth pouch to keep the pad in when not in use or travelling, a box containing the cable, a little tube of black plastic which sits snugly over the connection and protects the cable, some steel weights and a key to open the contoller's weight compartment, together with an information/warrantee booklet.

 

I've kept hold of the box as it seems to me that it will be the best way to keep the pad safely stored if I ever take it anywhere where it will be packed in with luggage. Like I said, the cardboard is all perfectly molded to hold the pad without allowing the sticks or buttons to move about, so would give it the best chance of surviving any passage through the hands of baggage handlers or rough bellboys. If my pro-gamer career ever gets off the ground - and, please note, I have no ambitions in this regard - then boxed up is how I'll be packing the pad for international tournaments.

 

Now, onto the pad itself...

 

As you can see, the most obvious difference between the Revolution and the standard Dualshock series of pads is the stick layout. Aside from the trackpad - which is nicely engraved with the PlayStation button symbols - in the middle of the pad, it is virtually identical in terms of input placement to the Xbox One controller. 

 

If you are a recent immigrant to the PlayStation Nation - I had an Xbox 360 last gen, and the PS4 was my first PlayStation console - then you might be very happy returning to the offset stick layout. Personally, I have found this stick arrangement to be more comfortable. Even after 3 years with the PS4 my left thumb can still send me off at 1 or 2 o'clock when I want to be moving  straight up/forward. (Muscle memory is a bitch to undo.) For those who have always used the Dualshock series' symmetrical layout, you may find the transition takes some getting used to. For me, it was like returning to a comfortable and favourite pair of old shoes.

 

The surface finish is that magical "soft-touch", sweat-free, sort of smooth matte effect rubber. It's very, very comfortable in the hand and, like I say, soft to the touch. I really, really like it, and I thought I loved the textured Dualshock 4 plastic. This surpasses it. 

 

I haven't weighed it, but the weight of the pad is adjustable. The Revolution comes with two each of 17g, 14g and 10g weights, two (or fewer) of which can be inserted into the arms of the pad in any configuration you like. Personally, I stuck the heavier 17g and 14g weights into the arms and haven't looked back, as I prefer my pads a bit weightier. This also adds a bit of "bottom heft" to the pad to counteract the weight of the cable coming out of the top and balance the pad towards the user. 

 

Ah, yes, the cable. The Revolution can only be used wired - it has no Bluetooth functionality to link to the PS4 wirelessly. The cable is 3m long, can be detached from the top of the controller for storage or transportation, to prevent it being snapped off the controller. The connection screws into place, ensuring a secure connection every time. An optional protective sheathe (not shown in the image), which sits over the connection between cable and pad, is also included for those users who are going to leave their pad wired up the majority of the time. It basically makes sure that if the cable is going to bend severely, it does so a few centimetres above the connection port between pad and cable, protecting the connection. Finally, the cable is of a very high quality with a woven fabric outer layer which is fairly stiff at first. After 3 weeks of use, the cable isn't quite as loose and flexible as a plastic charging cable yet - it still makes quite large loops when puddled on the floor under my TV cabinet. But it definitely feels durable and like it will last a long time.

 

Whether or not you can tolerate a cabled connection will be a matter of personal taste. Nacon's explanation is that by avoiding Bluetooth input latency is reduced. A cynic might say that Nacon wanted to avoid using Bluetooth to reduce costs - allowing them to release the pad at a reduced price point. While it would have been nice to have the option to use the Revolution wirelessly I find that, in practice, 3m is long enough that I can use it comfortably wherever I sit in my living room. Those with larger spaces might want to get the measuring tape out if they are concerned that 3m will not provide enough reach for their home set-up. 

 

The Revolution does have rumble, the intensity of which can be customised (more on customisation options later). The rumble is a little too loud (in terms of audible volume) at higher settings, which can be very intense indeed (seriously, the thing feels like it wants to jump out of your hand and run away at the higher settings). I've personally turned it down to about mid-intensity, which is still plenty strong and not as loud. The rumble can also be disabled completely, so if you're the kind of person that turns it off in every game you play you can save yourself some time hunting through settings menus in every game you play for this option. 

 

There is no light-bar on the back of the pad, so I assume the Revolution will be completely unusable with the PlayStation Camera apps or Playstation VR games (although please note I don't have either of these bits of kit so I haven't been able to test this). Instead, the small, flat LED in the centre of the pad will tell you whether the pad is connected as Player 1, 2, 3 or 4 depending on its colour. (It can also display the full range of colours normally available during gameplay, if the game in question supports this feature.)

 

There is also a light ring around the right stick, which will be blue or red (or can be turned off entirely) and 4 LEDs arranged in pairs underneath the Share and Options buttons. More on these later when I talk about customising the pad but, for now, I'll say that I think the light ring is a cool aesthetic touch that gives the pad a sci-fi sort of look when blue and an angry, amped-up look when red. The light will be on whenever there is power being supplied to the pad - even if the PS4 is in rest mode. I can see some people getting annoyed by this, for example if they're watching TV with the lights off the glow might be distracting. Personally, I like it and I leave it turned on. 

 

It has a standard 3.5mm audio jack in the base of the pad which operates just like the one on the Dualshock 4. Plug a mic-enabled pair of headphones in and you're good to go. If anything, it is more reliable than the standard Dualshock 4's audio jack. Of my three Dualshock 4's, one pad never works with the microphone regardless of what pair of headphones I use, one is tempermental but just about works more often than not, and the last one needs a little wiggling before both the mic and the audio make a connection and will work. I don't know how widespread this issue is with Dualshock 4's, but my Revolution hasn't let me down yet in this regard.

 

Finally on the "feel" of the Revolution, it feels undeniably chunkier than the Dualshock 4. While this too will be a matter of some personal taste, I don't mind it. I don't have the largest hands in the world for a guy (I'm no Donald Trump though, promise!) but my fingers and thumbs can comfortably reach all the inputs on the pad after a short period of mental readjustment from the Dualshock 4, without having to stretch. Some moves are harder to pull off though; for example I would sometimes use my right index finger to press a face button on the Dualshock 4 while keeping my thumb on the right stick. This is harder to do on the Revolution given it's size but, as you will see below, is negated by having buttons on the back of the pad which can be reprogrammed to replace the face buttons.

 

Inputs

First off, you will note that the face buttons are grouped more closely together on the Revolution than on a standard Dualshock 4. They are also about 30% larger, I measured the Dualshock 4's face buttons to be 1cm across, and the Revolution's face buttons to be 1.3cm in diameter. They also sit higher out of the front of the pad, and pressing them is a little more tactile - a very slight bit of resistance then a definite "click" sensation as the button gives way and is pressed. Not squishy buttons at all. I like them. 

 

The triggers and shoulder buttons take a little getting used to on the Revolution. At first, I found I was hitting the / buttons when I meant to go for the triggers but, after a bit of mental readjustment, I soon got over it. One slight downside is that it's not as comfortable to hold with both your index and middle fingers "over the top", as some people are known to hold their Dualshocks so that they can hit all these inputs easily. Again, this is something that can be bypassed by reprogramming the shoulder buttons to the back of the pad (see customisation below).

 

The / buttons are nice and tactile. They have a nice "click" feeling to them, and are a nice shape once you get used to them. 

 

The triggers are also very nice to use. There's a nice smoothness to pulling them down. The resistance feels nice throughout the motion, slightly building as you pull to give you a bit of feedback as to how hard you are pulling the trigger. Again, very nice and well thought out. I'd have thought racing fans will like them especially. 

 

The trackpad, options and share buttons all work as expected. They're a little harder to get to with your thumbs given the size of the pad but, honestly, they don't feel any more inconvenient to use than they did on the Dualshock 4. Another thing that you get used to before you've really gotten upset about it. 

 

The D-pad is a bit of a mixed bag. It is a 8-way disk design, similar to the Xbox 360 D-pad design rather than the Dualshock 4's split key design or even the XBox One's 4-way cross design. It feels a little squishy to use under pressure in a match of Overwatch but, so far, hasn't been inaccurate in the slightest. Having said that, I've thus far only tried it on games where the usual 4-way D-pad controller inputs are used. 

 

Nacon's explanation is that the 8-way D-pad disk is better for fighting games (such as Street Fighter 5, which uses 8 degrees of directional input). I don't play fighting games very often at all, so fans of that genre should find a second opinion on the Revolution's D-pad before making a purchase. Anything I say on the topic would be speculation, though Nacon's explanation seems to make sense given the requirements of a modern fighting game. 

 

The sticks are quite excellent and somewhat unique compared to anything I've used before. Most notably, they are not identical. The left stick is slightly shorter and smaller, and has a concave grip. The right stick is larger, taller, and has a convex grip featuring Nacon's cobra logo. Both sticks have a metal shaft which slides smoothly around the aperture and should prolong the life of the pad compared to rubbing two bits of plastic together over a period of years.

 

The differences between the sticks works well in practice. 

 

There's not much else to say about the left stick, other than to repeat the fact that it is in the offset position again. Other than the upgrades in materials, it feels almost identical to the Dualshock 4 left stick when in use. The rubber grip is a bit firmer and feels like it will outlast the Dualshock 4's rubber sticks. The concave dip is quite deep, and you can really wedge your thumb tip in there.

 

The right stick, however, is where some of the magic happens. It's taller shaft and larger, convex, grip has a ridged edge (sort of like some freshly minted coins) and, in use, it really feels like I am better able to control my aim. The domed, textured top gives you a lot of control with even a light touch, which assists with finer, aiming movements.

 

It's not really scientific but my Overwatch statistics seem to report improved accuracy since I started using the controller, although it's impossible really to say whether that is as a result of the controller, practice, or the fact that I have started "maining" heroes who don't need to aim all that much. Subjectively though, the feeling that you're more in control of your aim is definitely there. (More on the right stick later when we discuss customisation options, below.)

 

One downside about the Revolution is that the  button cannot be used to turn on the PS4, even from rest mode with power being supplied to the pad. You'll have to get your lazy ass up off the sofa and actually turn on the console from the console, then press the  once the PS4 home screen has loaded up in order to use it. It's a minor quibble but that's that. 

 

As for the extra inputs not available on a standard Dualshock 4, these are found on the back of the pad:

 

As you can see, the pad has 5 buttons and a switch on the back. Of these, the four buttons M1-M4 are available as alternative inputs for gameplay, so I will focus on those for now and talk about the others later when we get on to customisation. 

 

The M buttons are positioned so that the tips of your middle fingers will land in the groove between M1 and M3 (right hand) and M2 and M4 (left hand) respectively when you're holding the controller normally. They are very well placed and ergonomically designed. M3 and M4 are pressed with a gentle squeeze of the respective middle finger into each arm of the pad, and M1 and M2 by pushing the tip of your middle finger towards the other hand. Just like the face buttons, there is a tactile "click" when using these. 

 

The M buttons are not enabled by default. To get into how to use them, we'll move now to customisation options. 

 

Customisation

First off, we need to talk about how to enable any custom modes on the pad. Remember that Mode switch we just looked at? Well, the Mode switch changes the controller between modes 1 and 2. Mode 1 is the "standard" mode, where the Revolution will behave exactly like a Dualshock 4. 

 

Mode 2 enables the use of "profiles". When Mode 2 is selected pressing the Profile button will then cycle between the 4 programmable profiles currently loaded into the Revolution pad. The smaller LEDs underneath the Share and Options buttons will tell you which Profile is currently selected, according to which LED is lit up. 

 

When the Mode switch is in "Dualshock 4" mode, (mode 1), the ring around the right stick is blue. When it is in "custom mode", (mode 2), it is red. The LEDs which indicate which profile is selected are also red. 

 

To customise the various profiles on your Revolution controller you will need access to a Windows PC. Plug the pad into the PC, download the software from Nacon's website, and you're good to go. (The Nacon software is also used to update the pad's firmware.)

 

The software is, unfortunately, not completely intuitive or very easy to use. It has lots of pretty graphics and sliders which give you some idea of what you're messing with but handy pop-ups like "Changing this setting affects [X]. 100% is [effect Y] and 0% is [effect Z]." would have been very helpful. As it stands, I expect a forum post to crop up somewhere explaining all the options and what they do to show up in due time. (Maybe I'll be the one to write it. Who knows.)

 

What I have been able to figure out though is already excellent and offers deep customisation. 

 

Firstly, you can adjust the rumble coming from the pad. You can do this on each side (left or right) individually, or disable it completely. So if you find that intense rumble sets your aiming thumb all a wobbly, just reduce or eliminate the intensity on the right hand side of the pad. Sorted. 

 

Or, if you wanted to turn the rumble waaaaay waaaay up and let your girlfriend/wife/mum/sister/uncle-bob (who am I to judge you) have a go with it, then... go nuts I guess. 

 

So, in terms of button layout, you can customise just about everything apart from the , Options and Share buttons. Everything else is fair game. Don't like how "jump" is mapped to  in The Last Guardian? Create a bespoke profile for that game, load it into the Revolution and swap it back to . Want to open the in-game map without having to reach for the touchpad button? Map it to a face button instead. 

 

You can also disable buttons (say, if you have fat fingers and sometime stab two face buttons at once) and remap them to the M buttons on the back.

 

For example, I have moved , , , &  to the M buttons on the back of the pad on my Overwatch profile. This means that I never have to take my thumb off of the right stick while playing (except for the rare occasions where I need to press  to duck). I can hop around constantly while still aiming, unleash an Ultimate ability more accurately, reload and melee attack all while allowing my aiming thumb to do it's job. Brilliant. 

 

For fans of fighting games, you can also program the M buttons with Macros. I haven't experimented with this as I don't play those games very often but, from what I understand, this means that you would be able to program in common button combos and assign them to the back buttons. Want to throw "hadoken" balls or "sonic booms" with a single button press? I gather that this functionality will allow you to do that sort of thing. 

 

The triggers are also customisable. You can change where the trigger starts to count as "pressed" and whether you want it to reach 100% depression at, say, a 50% physical depression in the trigger. So for a racing game you might want to stretch the 0-100% input range across the whole range of motion for the trigger, to give you maximum control over your braking and acceleration. Or, for an FPS, you might want a "hair trigger", unleashing say 100% of the "input" once you've barely moved the trigger through 50% of the range of motion (ROM). It's entirely up to you. 

 

There are limits on where you can set the trigger stops though. You cannot mess with the triggers in the 33%-50% ROM for some unclear reason. So the maximum pull you can set before the controller sends a signal to the console is 33%, and the minimum pull you can set for when the controller is sending a "100% pulled" signal to the console is 50%. 

 

Basically, set it to 0% - 50% for a "hair trigger". 

 

For the left stick has a completely customisable dead-zone in the middle. Want your character to only be "at rest" when it's perfectly centred, then set this to 0. Have a wobbly thumb and only want it to react once you make a deliberate motion, then turn it up a bit. A nice graphic in the software shown you how big you're making the dead-zone which helps you visualise your changes. Personally, I find that the stick is very good at snapping back to neutral, so I have set this quite low at a dead-zone of just "2" degrees.

 

The right stick is probably the most customisable thing I've ever seen on a pad. 

 

The right stick has (according to Nacon) 46 degrees of amplitude. Basically, this means that as you move from the centre of the range of motion towards the edge the pad will pick up 46 degrees of intensity of motion. 

 

Now, what you can do with this is up to you. You could, for example, tell the stick that you want movement across all parts of the ROM to count equally, in which case you will have a nice smooth acceleration of your reticule as you move from the centre of the ROM to the edge. This is what a Dualshock 4 does naturally. 

 

Alternatively, the Revolution allows the stick to be broken up into 3 zones, of small, medium and large motions, depending on the distance you have moved the stick from the centre. So, what you could do on any given profile is, say, set small motions within the first third of the ROM to have less of an impact on the controller's output. This means that smaller, precise movements will not move the aiming reticule wildly across the screen, perfect if you want some precise control when sniping or shooting a moving target.

 

You could also tell the pad that you want the last part of the range of motion to count for more, so, for example, you are suddenly being shot from behind in your game, you could slam the stick to one side and do a very fast 180 turn. Then make smaller motions to land that perfect headshot. 

 

Quote

 

This is the settings screen for the right analogue stick. As you can see from the graph, increasing the number increases the amount the stick has to travel (X axis) vrs the response (Y axis). So with these settings, movements in the first 56% of the joystick radius (from the centre towards the edge) will account for 33% of the game response, movement in the next 30% of the radius will account for the next 33% of the response, and the last 14% of the radius will deliver the last 34% of the response. 

 

Essentially, this will make stick response feel slower in the middle of the stick, and really fast at the edges. Combine this with sensitive camera controls in the game that you're playing and you'll be able to aim very accurately with small movements, while still being able to turn really quickly if you are flanked. 

 

Now, getting all this to work for you will require some trial and error, and fiddling settings between the pad, the game software (if it lets you play with sensitivity) and your experience and preferences. I've given the Nacon "FPS" preset a go and found it worked as described in the examples above. Personally, I found this a bit too much of a departure from what I'm used to initially but with practice am sure I could get better with it. For now, I play with the standard Dualshock 4, smooth acceleration across the ROM of the right stick, but I'm keen to try a few different settings out to see if I can't get more accuracy out of the pad. 

 

Once you're done fiddling with settings, you can save your profiles on your PC for future use. So if you wanted to have a separate profile with different settings per Overwatch hero or per game, you could keep them all available on PC without having to fiddle with settings again, all nicely labelled with whatever you want. The software also has a function for loading saved profiles, which could allow users to share their recommended settings for individual games or characters, etc. Nacon also has a few preset profiles to get you started. 

 

Again, up to 4 different profiles can be saved into the pad at any one time. So if you wanted more than 4 profiles to be regularly available you'll need to keep your PC close at hand and be prepared to plug the pad in regularly. 

 

My experience and conclusions

At first, there was a bit of a learning curve to the new sticks, old (for me) stick layout, and new shapes to the triggers. My first 2 hours with the pad, in any mode, were not good. However, once I got used to the new shape, it quickly began to feel familiar and intuitive until the fact that I wasn't using a DS4 simply melted away.

 

I have mainly used this pad's distinct (vrs the Dualshock 4, that is) features in Overwatch. Like I mentioned above, being able to hop around like crazy while maintaining control over my aim has changed the game for me. I die a lot less as it's harder to land headshots on me, while I can react much better to what my enemies are up to. You should see me wall ride as Lucio now! Being able to hop around the levels, aim and have access to my character's abilities without having to move a single digit is awesome!

 

I've also used some of the features when playing games like Rise of the Tomb Raider and even Batman: The Telltale Series. Mostly, it's all just being able to keep your thumb on the stick when you need to press a face button which just speeds up your button inputs and makes play feel that little bit more immediate and immersive. 

 

As for the pad itself, the only thing I can find fault with is the slightly disappointing D-pad. But, then again, I gather that fighting game fans might think that's a great addition. I don't know, you'd have to ask one of them. 

 

Other than that, the finish is excellent and it's a joy to hold and use in any mode. It looks cool all lit up, has my preferred stick layout and is comfortable for me to use across extended play sessions. 

 

The pad is a little pricey at £89.99 but, when you consider that the pad is probably the thing you get the most use out of when interacting with your PS4, you might consider it a worthy investment. Having had it for a few weeks, I certainly do and I'm very happy with my purchase. Only time will tell if it will outlast a standard DS4 but all indications as to the build quality so far is that it will. 

 

If you're looking for a "pro" controller for your PS4, I'd highly recommend this pad. I haven't tried the Razer Raiju pad, (that's the one that costs as much as 3 DS4s...) so you might want to look up that pad if you're interested and can't stand offset sticks. 

 

Oh, and I gather that the Nacon Revolution cannot be used with a PC at present (which is bizarre, because the DS4 recently received PC support, but there it is). So if you've been using your DS4 to play games on Steam or via PC Remote play and that's important to you, you might want to look elsewhere. 

 

So, in conclusion:

 

Positives:

• Feels f*cking great in the hands;
• Offset sticks;
• Extra buttons;
• Customisation options out the wazoo;
• Great build quality (based on 3 weeks or so of use so far).

 

Negatives:

• Wired only;
• Can't turn the PS4 on;
• Slightly disappointing D-pad*.
• Currently not compatible with PC for Steam or Remote Play.

 

___

 

I think that's about all I can think of to say at this point. No doubt I'll edit this post soon once I re-re-re-read it and spot some typo's or unfinished thoughts. But any questions please ask away and I'll get to you ASAP. Just @StrickenBiged me into the post to summon me. 

 

All the best!

 

Edit: *though this may actually be a positive in fighting games - seek a second opinion if you are a fan of that genre, and see my comments above and in posts below this one. 

Edited January 6, 2017 by StrickenBiged
Clarification and corrections re customisation options, added image to explain right stick customisation. (6/1/2017) Some typos and a few further thoughts/clarifications.

[TheYuriG]

That was a very detailed review. Do you play fighting games and if you do, did you check if the Dpad gets in the way of the quick inputs?

[StrickenBiged]

12 minutes ago, TheYuriG said:

That was a very detailed review. Do you play fighting games and if you do, did you check if the Dpad gets in the way of the quick inputs?

 

Hey man. 

 

No, I don't play them. I mentioned that in the review and recommended that any fighter fans seek out a second opinion on the D-pad. 

 

It's not a big issue for me, but I'd guess that someone into their fighters would want to check out how the D-pad handles for those games specifically before buying anyway.

 

Edit: But as I also said in the review, while it feels a bit squishy to use on, say, and FPS, it hasn't been imprecise yet. I've always hit the direction I wanted, I've never accidentally got a / when I wanted just  or anything like that.

Edited January 3, 2017 by StrickenBiged

[TheYuriG]

1 minute ago, StrickenBiged said:

No, I don't play them. I mentioned that in the review and recommended that any fighter fans seek out a second opinion on the D-pad. 

Yeah, that was actually my doubt because you mentioned SF V and I was wondering if your point was a supposition or you played the game yourself and noticed it sucks, 8 directions seems to be helpful and I would be surprised to see a professional controller not being optimal for fighters.

[StrickenBiged]

Just now, TheYuriG said:

Yeah, that was actually my doubt because you mentioned SF V and I was wondering if your point was a supposition or you played the game yourself and noticed it sucks, 8 directions seems to be helpful and I would be surprised to see a professional controller not being optimal for fighters.

 

I see what you mean now. I'll clarify that that's speculation. Thanks. 

[Happy]

21 minutes ago, TheYuriG said:

Yeah, that was actually my doubt because you mentioned SF V and I was wondering if your point was a supposition or you played the game yourself and noticed it sucks, 8 directions seems to be helpful and I would be surprised to see a professional controller not being optimal for fighters.

 

8-way D-pads are usually a horrible choice for fighting games. The controller's pretty obviously based on the Xbox 360 controller which was itself infamous among the FGC for how unpractical the D-pad was back in the day.

[damon8r351]

Stick arrangement is a dealbreaker.

[Valkyriala]

 @StrickenBiged

Heya, I just got mine and been fiddling with the settings a bit but can't seem to change Profiles 2-4. Only the first one. How do you change the other ones to your own custom profiles? It doesn't let me select 2-4 in any way.

Thanks.

[StrickenBiged]

3 hours ago, Valkyriala said:

 @StrickenBiged

Heya, I just got mine and been fiddling with the settings a bit but can't seem to change Profiles 2-4. Only the first one. How do you change the other ones to your own custom profiles? It doesn't let me select 2-4 in any way.

Thanks.

 

They're somewhat hard to see because they've used white letters on a pale grey background but on the far left of the Nacon app window, there are 5 tabs going from top to bottom which read "Profile 1-4" and "General Settings".

 

What I find you need to do is select the profile you want to change from these tabs, create a new profile (at the top, click "CREATE YOUR PROFILE [NEW]"), then name the new profile. Make whatever changes and create however many profiles you want by going down Profiles 1-4, clicking Save after each change. 

 

All this saves the data to the PC. 

 

Then, to check, go through your profiles 1-4 using the tabs again, making sure that the named profile in the top-right of the screen is the one you want in that slot. 

 

When you're all done creating profiles, click "[ACTIVATE PROFILES]". This loads them all into the pad. 

 

I think where you might be getting confused - and it is confusing, I've been working it out with trial and error - is that you're clicking "CONTROLLER PROFILES". This just shows you what profiles are currently loaded onto the pad, not which ones are available or saved on the PC. 

 

Like I said, the UI design of the software could be better... can't have everything I suppose. 

 

6 hours ago, damon8r351 said:

Stick arrangement is a dealbreaker.

 

Each to their own, I suppose. Personally, I prefer the offset layout. It makes more sense to my brain (thanks to almost a decade of training from the Xbox 360 pad) that "up" would by done by pushing my thumb in a straight line from the base of the thumb towards the tip and away from my hand. "Up" being accompanied by a movement from 12 to 11 o'clock has never really fit with me. 

 

I've seen people make the same point on other reviews. Usually it comes with something like "I don't have asymmetrical hands, so why would I want asymmetrical sticks".

 

 

6 hours ago, Happy said:

 

8-way D-pads are usually a horrible choice for fighting games. The controller's pretty obviously based on the Xbox 360 controller which was itself infamous among the FGC for how unpractical the D-pad was back in the day.

 

I've had a quick go just mashing the D-pad around while unplugged and you're probably right. It feels awkward to use. Sort of clicky and squishy at the same time. Obviously you'd have to try it out on a FG to get the truth of it. Like I said, Nacon say they designed it with FGC in mind, so they might know something we don't about designing D-pads... 

 

Hopefully someone will come along who has tested it on a fighter and can speak with authority on it. 

Edited January 4, 2017 by StrickenBiged
Clarification re Nacon software

[Valkyriala]

@StrickenBiged I've fiddled around with the settings enough to know how to see the ones I'm editing and the ones that are already in, so I'm not confused about anything. The only thing I couldn't find was the option to insert my custom profiles to slots 2-4. So thanks, I'll see if I can find the options when I hop back onto my Windows partition since there's no Mac app. 

 

And I've used the controller for a while now for Soul Calibur 5, and the 8-way D-pad isn't all that bad for it. Can't say for sure about 2D fighters, but does a good job in 3D (8-way-run) system. Took some time to get used to rotating the D-pad though, and it does still feel a bit "mushy" like you said. If the pad was a bit stiffer, it'd work a lot better and feel more responsive to what you'd want in a fighting game. I'm no expert though by any means, just my two cents.

Edited January 4, 2017 by Valkyriala
Added the fighting game comment since people were wondering.

[StrickenBiged]

7 hours ago, Valkyriala said:

@StrickenBiged I've fiddled around with the settings enough to know how to see the ones I'm editing and the ones that are already in, so I'm not confused about anything. The only thing I couldn't find was the option to insert my custom profiles to slots 2-4. So thanks, I'll see if I can find the options when I hop back onto my Windows partition since there's no Mac app. 

 

If you're still having difficulty next time you boot in Windows I'll try and get some screen shots later and post them. 

 

Edit: I've had a quick google and there are some good guides for the software online now. Including some decent looking YT videos. I haven't had time to watch them all and choose the best one for embedding here just yet though. 

 

7 hours ago, Valkyriala said:

And I've used the controller for a while now for Soul Calibur 5, and the 8-way D-pad isn't all that bad for it. Can't say for sure about 2D fighters, but does a good job in 3D (8-way-run) system. Took some time to get used to rotating the D-pad though, and it does still feel a bit "mushy" like you said. If the pad was a bit stiffer, it'd work a lot better and feel more responsive to what you'd want in a fighting game. I'm no expert though by any means, just my two cents.

 

Thanks! More opinions the better. 

Edited January 4, 2017 by StrickenBiged

[Robinworldwide]

Very nice and detailed read. I've been interested in this for a while, but was still on the fence. You helped me decide to go for it now though and I will pick it up this afternoon. I will try it in  FPS games (Battlefront/Destiny), fighters (DOA5/Injustice) and racers (F1/Sebastien Loeb) and report back.

[StrickenBiged]

@Robinworldwide No problem, I'm glad you found it helpful. Hopefully you won't be back here telling me I sold you a damp squib!  Seriously though, I'm confident you'll like the pad. 

 

Please do give us feedback on your experiences with those games. Other than Injustice, which I got through PS+, I don't have any of those games.

[Robinworldwide]

 

1 minute ago, StrickenBiged said:

@Robinworldwide No problem, I'm glad you found it helpful. Hopefully you won't be back here telling me I sold you a damp squib!  Seriously though, I'm confident you'll like the pad. 

 

Please do give us feedback on your experiences with those games. Other than Injustice, which I got through PS+, I don't have any of those games.

 

Well if I turn out to hate it at least I can blame someone right.   It's going to be interesting to see how fast I can adapt to the left analogue stick placement as I've only ever played on PS...might need a while to get used to it. I'm particularly interested in the trigger settings (hair trigger for shooters and normal for racers) and the remapping of buttons to the back. The macro's could be interesting for fighters, although I guess that would be cheating a bit lol. 

[StrickenBiged]

31 minutes ago, Robinworldwide said:

 The macro's could be interesting for fighters, although I guess that would be cheating a bit lol. 

 

I've only had a quick play around with the macro settings to see what could be done. From initial appearances, it looks like you can make quite complicated macros. I might boot up Injustice and see if I can program a character's hardest combos into a single button press. 

 

If I do, I'll add more on macros to my review too. And hey, it might even get me to go back to Injustice.

[AlphaExGAT]

Nice review, im probably going to get this controller real soon. Ive worn out my DS4 lol. Its barely hanging on. I got another controller but im basically down to 1 controller and a half. This Nacon controller seems logical for me to at least try out.

Edited January 6, 2017 by The-Sigma-Alpha

[StrickenBiged]

@The-Sigma-Alpha Like I say, I am confident you'll enjoy it. Please let me know how you get on with SFV and the D-pad and using Macros - it'd be interesting for other fans of fighters and, judging from your trophies in that game you seem like a player competent enough in the genre to be able to give a good opinion.

[lewiscater25]

@StrickenBiged hi there first of I like to say excellent review but I just wanted to know if the back buttons (m1234) have factory presets when you select mode 2. As I'm thinking of buying but don't have no way to use the software. But don't mind if they come presets to face buttons.  Thanks 

[Mr-EvilBlackMan]

Hey @StrickenBiged, you've given us a very well written and informative review, thank you.

I also enjoy using this controller. Although I'm struggling to find a sweet spot with the right stick, I unfortunately deleted my presets that came with it and cannot recover them.

I can never access the server to download any user uploads and resetting the device doesn't bring back the pre-loaded profiles.

To me, I found the "Nacon FPS Pro" preset quite comfortable, so if anyone can tell me the details containing the numbers for small, medium and large movements, I would appreciate it.

[Parker]

It'll be interesting to see how well this controller holds up. I've used a variety of third party controllers (one was a Razer for my 360) and they've all had terrible build quality and broken within months of using them. I am interested in this controller but I'm not paying what they're asking without knowing if it is a well built piece of kit. 

 

 

Parker

[StrickenBiged]

On 07/01/2017 at 5:18 PM, lewiscater25 said:

@StrickenBiged hi there first of I like to say excellent review but I just wanted to know if the back buttons (m1234) have factory presets when you select mode 2. As I'm thinking of buying but don't have no way to use the software. But don't mind if they come presets to face buttons.  Thanks 

 

UPDATE:

 

No, I don't think the presets have any M button mappings. So if you don't connect to a PC to set up your own profiles, at best you're only going to have a profile or two that has a customised right stick. 

 

I highly recommend you find someone with a PC who can let you use it if you want to get the most out of the controller. Without the customisation, you'd be missing out on a big part of this controller's appeal. 

 

________________

 

I'm not sure...

 

The presets to the face buttons are, obviously, what they say they are -  is , and so on. 

 

Whether there are any factory presets for the M buttons is a little difficult. For one thing, I'm not 100% on whether there are any factory presets for the 4 profiles as I synced with my PC and created a custom profile before I ever plugged it into my PS4. It is therefore possible that there are no factory presets until and unless you sync with PC. 

 

I'll investigate once I get home after work today and see what's up. 

 

P.S. I just found this reddit review where the OP says:

 

Quote

You will need a PC or Laptop to gain access to button mapping and basically everything you need to customise this controller.

 

(My emphasis.)

 

On 07/01/2017 at 8:30 PM, Mr-EvilBlackMan said:

Hey @StrickenBiged, you've given us a very well written and informative review, thank you.

I also enjoy using this controller. Although I'm struggling to find a sweet spot with the right stick, I unfortunately deleted my presets that came with it and cannot recover them.

I can never access the server to download any user uploads and resetting the device doesn't bring back the pre-loaded profiles.

To me, I found the "Nacon FPS Pro" preset quite comfortable, so if anyone can tell me the details containing the numbers for small, medium and large movements, I would appreciate it.

 

UPDATE:

 

Hey @Mr-EvilBlackMan the presets for the NaconFPS-Pro profile are 60/30/10. The stick dead zone is set to 2. I hope that helps!

_____________________

 

I've had a quick Google and cant find anything. I'll check later today and get back to you unless someone beats me to it. 

 

In the meantime, you can always experiment. I've been using the right stick settings shown in the quote box in my review (only used on Rise of the Tomb Raider so far) and they feel quite nice - slow and precise in the middle, fast at the edges. 

 

On 08/01/2017 at 5:21 AM, Parker said:

It'll be interesting to see how well this controller holds up. I've used a variety of third party controllers (one was a Razer for my 360) and they've all had terrible build quality and broken within months of using them. I am interested in this controller but I'm not paying what they're asking without knowing if it is a well built piece of kit. 

 

Remember to come back and post in however many months you feel is fair and I'll tell you how I'm getting on!

 

Like I say, initial impressions are that it's built to last but, as is always the case, only time will tell. 

Edited January 9, 2017 by StrickenBiged
Answering the questions with updates.

[StrickenBiged]

Bump for @lewiscater25 and @Mr-EvilBlackMan - I've answered your questions in the post above now.

 

[Z1MZUM]

Cheaper than my Xb1 Elite / cronus combo, If only it was here sooner, thanks for the review.

[Robinworldwide]

So I've played with the Nacon for a little bit over the last weekend, however I've only played Battlefront. I like how the controller fits in your hands, although imo the sticks should have been a little further apart even though I don't have big hands at all. I used the FPS Pro factory settings and was very impressed by how quickly I was adapted to using the buttons on the back for L3 and R3, felt very comfortable and natural. Like one of the users above I'm having difficulty adapting to the rights sticks' movement which gets amplified by the fact I'm not used to the 'Xbox' stick layout. The triggers feel nice for shooters but I think will be a bit lacking for racers cause they seem to have less "travel distance"  (by lack of a better term). Haven't tried that out yet so just going on a hunch there. Overall in Battlefront my K/D plummeted but I do feel like this is a really good controller once you get the hang of it so I just will keep practising. 

[StrickenBiged]

Thanks for your thoughts @Robinworldwide. 

 

My abilities plummeted at first too. I went back to 33/33/34 (i.e. normal DS4 right-stick) after a while, but have been practicing with the right stick at 55/30/15 in RotTR, where it feels quite comfortable. I've yet to try an FPS with these settings - my guess is that you need to get used to where one zone ends on the stick and the next begins. If you're someone who's stick movements are a series of jagged motions in one direction or another, you'll do better on 33/33/34, where the response is more consistent across the whole area of stick travel.