STACK #138 Apr 2016

GAMES FEATURE

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Elite by name, elite by nature

L ast year at E3, a thronging crowd

massed around the Xbox Elite stand – a controller announced during the

Microsoft press conference the day prior – in wonderment, awaiting the opportunity to pick it up and hold it for 20 seconds before being jostled out of the way by the next gamer anxious to take a look. A burly and eagle-eyed security guard watched the crowd, poised to strike should anyone even think about making a dash for the exit with it in hand. Many initially baulked at the price, claiming it would never sell – but they were wrong. So, what do you get for the investment and is it worth your hard-earned coin? If you spend a serious amount of time playing on your Xbox One, are a professional gamer or just want a competitive edge, then the answer is a resounding yes. The first thing you notice is the increase in weight. Sporting the same overall design as the standard Xbox One controller, it does feel significantly heavier, but this becomes unnoticeable after an hour in hand. The controller is contained within a shell case for easy transportation, where you’ll find

GAMES

storage for the three different variants of the thumbstick for your own personal preference, and a place for one of two interchangeable metal D-Pads. Aesthetically, the monochrome finish adds the panache you’d expect from a top end accessory – with the palm grips and metallic trigger and bumper buttons, it just feels superior. But it’s so much more than just appearance at play (pardon the pun) here. The implementation of the paddles fitted under the grips feels uncomfortable initially, but again, with a few hours in hand you barely notice they are there. However, these detach, so if you don’t like them, you can take them off. On the reverse of the controller are two green hair- trigger lock switches above the

assigned to different actions depending on the game you are playing. Over 250 configurations can be saved, but only two at a time – activated by a switch below the Xbox button – can be selected from the controller. In summary, the build quality, appearance and feature set on the Xbox Elite is incomparable; the customisable options mean that you really can configure a controller that best suits your playing needs. Competitive gamers will certainly recognise the advantage it provides, where a split-second can mean the difference between winning and losing. A word of warning though – once you start using the Elite, there really is no going back; the controller really is in a class of its own.

paddles. Clicking these shortens or lengthens the pressure on the trigger. Shortening the trigger will give you the jump on the opposition in shooters with less pressure required to aim and shoot, while lengthening the trigger pressure is ideal for driving games. But that’s just where the customisation options begin. By downloading the Microsoft Xbox Accessories app, users have the option to customise just about everything, from thumbstick sensitivity to vibration intensity. And the buttons and paddles can all be

APRIL 2016

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