Priced below the $80 mark, Nacon’s Revolution X pro controller is targeting the serious Xbox player, attempting to steal some of that Microsoft Elite 2.0 business with a more appealing price point. While not as premium as Microsoft’s professional hardware, Nacon’s unit is priced well for the quality it offers.

The standout feature with the Revo controller stems from the super intuitive companion app, available on both the Xbox marketplace and for PC. In short, just about everything you would want to customize you can, and them some! In fact, this controller easily has some of the most customizable options I’ve never seen. Want to adjust the sensitivity of the triggers to make them better suited to a FPS instead of a racing game? No problem. Want to swap analog sticks and tweak vibration levels? Easily done. Is the color of the LED light ring around the right analog stick bothering you? Then either turn it off or adjust any of the four quadrants to your liking.

The customization doesn’t stop with the included software either. Included inside the nicely designed storage case is a container full of weights that can be added to the grips of the controllers. Different analog nubs and necks are also swappable. Granted, there are no instructions on how to swap the physical pieces, so you’ll need to use some trial and error to figure it out. The same goes for the adding the weights to the controller. Sure, you just pull down on the tabs to insert the weights but would have been nice to reference a cheat sheet in case there is fear of ruining the nice new controller your just purchased.

One important detail to note is that this is a wired controller; there is no wireless option here. This was probably due to reduce costs, eliminate latency, and make the connection with the app more stable.  The good news is, it includes a detachable braided USB cable that is nearly 10 feet long. This cable also has a Velcro strap installed to make it easy to wrap and store. As a personal nitpicky issue, my TV and Xbox sit at the 10-foot mark from my recliner. I can use this controller but only if my arms are extended to an awkward length. So I personally wish the cable was a 12 footer but the 10 foot length is probably good enough for most players. The braided design is also quality and won’t be breaking any time soon. This USB cable is also detachable, making it a little easier to store and transport.

Marketed as a pro controller, I was expecting more a premium feel. The lightweight design might be more favorable with longer play sessions but definitely feels more lower end. Since the plastic shell doesn’t have much weight to it, and the slightly textured grips on the edges barely offer any tactile feel, it doesn’t have the same quality as the base Microsoft design. The face buttons are also positioned closer together, which isn’t bad, but doesn’t have the same response I am used to with the standard XSX controller. To be perfectly fair, it still works just fine but will easily knock down expectations considering this is supposed to be more of an elite design. However, the overall shape of the controller feels good and similar to the Microsoft controller. The camo pattern is also great if you wanted to take it elk hunting.  

Besides being customizable, this controller’s other gimmick comes from the four buttons positioned on the back of the controller. Unlike the Elite’s tabs/paddles, the Revo controller has buttons built directly into the handles of the controller, tappable by using the pinkies and ring fingers. These extra pressure points, which again can be assigned to any button using the app, are great for more serious first-person shooter players because now you can move, aim, shoot, and reload/melee without taking your thumb off the analog stick. The downside, unfortunately, is they are very easy to press which means they can yield unwanted results.  In fact, I actually would mistakenly press buttons just picking up this controller from my coffee table. As a way around this, you can set these extra buttons to be deactivated within Profile setting 1, for example, but can toggle it to the settings you want by flicking the switch on the back of the controller to Profile 2 when playing. But the accidental presses of these extra buttons is real and actually wound up turning them off as a personal preference.

Negatively, I found the vibration works fine but doesn’t seem as detailed or as pleasant as the default Microsoft controller. In fact, I found the vibration to be louder than anything. Thankfully, rumble options can be easily adjusted in the app. The auxiliary buttons, which I still refer to them as the Start and Select buttons, are also in a different position in comparison to the Microsoft design. They are closer to the face buttons and left analog stick, reducing travel distance. Personally, I don’t think this is a pro or a con either way, but rather, just different. However, the indented Share button is a change that I am not sure that is for the better. It can be difficult to tap, especially when playing in the dark. While not terrible and still definitely usable, it will take some time to adjust if used to the Microsoft controller. It is also worth mentioning that this controller is obviously not going to be compatible with optional accessories, like the excellent ChatPad, but the included headphone jack works well and even includes built-in Dolby Atmos… but not many game natively support this.

So the million dollar question – is this Nacon controller better than Microsoft’s design? Personally, I still prefer the standard Microsoft controller and will continue to use that as my main.  There is a lot to like here but the few short comings, like the overall fit and finish, stands out when compared to the Microsoft unit that has been on the market forever.

However, as a lower-cost alternative to the Elite design, the Revolution X puts up a decent fight and is one of the better 3^rd party controllers I’ve used. Although it has an impressive number of customizable options to adjust, I find the Microsoft design just feels better. Just remember, the Revo X is a wired-only controller and I feel like this will be the make or break selling point for many.

Pros:

-a stupid amount of customizable options, all easily adjustable from the intuitive companion app

-the included case is thoughtfully designed, sturdy, and fits everything nicely

-adding weights to handles is a creative option

-4 profile options and many ways to adjust trigger responses and analog offsets

-braided USB cable is very strong and durable

-built-in headphone jack makes stereo headphones sound great

-you can even adjust the colors that are displayed around the right analog stick, divided into 4 quadrants

-also compatible with PC

Cons:

-lighter, plastic feel doesn’t command a premium tone

-wired with no wireless option

-indented Share button can be difficult to access

-vibration motor is louder than it should be

-no included instructions to explain how to swap physical pieces

-the (approx.) 10 foot included USB cable is probably long enough for most but I personally need a 12-footer to reach my set up

-not compatible with certain accessories the Xbox ChatPad

SCORE: 7/10

By: Zachary Gasiorowski, Editor in Chief myGamer.com

Twitter: @ZackGaz

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