Items tagged with controllers
Microsoft is testing firmware updates for a few of its Xbox controllers, to facilitate better cross-device connectivity and reduce latency. If you are a member of the Xbox Insider program, you can access the firmware right now. Otherwise, it probably will not be all that long before Microsoft makes the new firmware available on a larger scale. The firmware updates apply to all Xbox One controllers with Bluetooth support, the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2, and Xbox Adaptive controllers. For those of you who own the latest generation Xbox controller for the Xbox Series X/S, you already have the upgraded features that are enabled by the new firmware releases. Microsoft's updated firmware...
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Controller drift can be highly frustrating, and according to an amended class-action lawsuit filed against Microsoft, the unwelcome issue affects both the company's first generation and second generation Xbox Elite Series luxury controllers. The amendment also outlines what the plaintiffs believe to be the cause of the alleged defect. The original suit was filed in April of this year, in the US District Court for the Western District of Washington. Originally it listed Xbox One owner Donald McFadden as the plaintiff, but the lawsuit now includes seven other individuals. On the surface, the suit seeks a jury trial (though as these things tend to do, the end goal is probably a settlement of some...
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Fancy new features could be headed to next-generation game controllers. As it pertains to the DualShock 5 for the Sony's upcoming PlayStation 5 console, biofeedback could be part of the package, allowing the controller to detect the player's heartbeat and even if their level of sweat. For what purpose? Increased immersion, of course. A supposed patent viewed by Respawn First outlines the biofeedback mechanisms. Assuming it's real, Sony describes having sensors on one or both grips of a controller (potentially the DualShock 5) to track electrodermal activity, or sweat secretion, and a user's heart rate. That information could then be relayed to the PS5 so that changes in gameplay could be made...
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Would you like to hear something controversial? Here goes—Microsoft's Elite Series 2 is the greatest game controller ever made! Not everyone feels that way, of course, particularly fans of Sony's DualShock design. Some may even consider the Dreamcast controller from yesteryear to be the greatest. Debate away if you must, but here's something less controversial—you can save $20 on the Elite Series 2 right now. While normally priced at $179.99, you can snag the Elite Series 2 for $159.99 on Amazon, if you are a Prime member. I know, I know, the discount does not make it a cheap controller by any means. But so it goes with luxury items, of which this qualifies. It's also only been on...
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Google's ambitious cloud gaming platform called Stadia is only a few days away from launching to the public, and there are still many questions that have yet to be answered. That said, Google did answer some of them during an Ask Me Anything (AMA) session on Reddit yesterday. One of them was in regards to which controllers will work with Stadia. Following the AMA session, Google updated its support pages to list exactly which controllers will (and will not) work with Stadia. Sony's DualShock 4 is one of them, as is Microsoft's Xbox One controller, both of which support USB and Bluetooth connectivity with Stadia on the desktop and through Pixel devices. Here's a look at the official list... Source:...
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Are you ready to take a short trip down memory lane? Microsoft has just released a video with stories about every Xbox One controller ever made. The video showcases popular designs, specialty controllers, and controllers that never reached the market. Xbox Industrial Designers Monique Chatterjee and Carl Ledbetter provided details about every very edition of the Xbox One controller. Microsoft has produced nearly 60 variations and a dozen “series” of the Xbox One controller since the console’s release in 2013. Chatterjee and Ledbetter noted that the original controller was a bit unrefined. The first controller featured a detail on the front referred to as the “v-neck”....
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It's been a minute or two since the last time Microsoft overhauled its game controller for its Xbox consoles, or otherwise made any significant changes. Is a redesign coming? Perhaps so, according to new patents the company filed, which detail some alternations to the trigger design and other parts of the controller mechanics. To be clear, Microsoft has not yet announced a new controller. There has been chatter of a second generation Xbox Elite Wireless Controller, and there have even been some leaked images, but nothing official. The Elite is sort of a different beast anyway—it's billed as "the world's most advanced controller" and carries a premium price tag, at $149.99 MSRP. Image Source:...
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Gaming is where the money is at, and so it's no surprise that Microsoft is looking to make a gigantic play in the gaming sector with Project xCloud, an upcoming streaming service that allows people to play games anywhere on any device. The challenge for mobile, of course, is the control scheme. Apparently Microsoft is working to resolve that aspect as well. Papers penned by Microsoft Research have surfaced and they outline some prototype controllers for touchscreen devices, both tablets and smartphones. Virtual controls on touchscreens are poor substitutes for physical controllers, and so that is what Microsoft is hoping to address. "As smartphones and tablets have become pervasive, so has mobile...
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Nintendo's software engineers brought their collective A-game when developing the 4.0 firmware upgrade for the company's Switch console, which introduced video capture support and the ability to transfer saved games and profiles from one Switch to another. In addition, it appears the latest update also brought support for GameCube controllers, though it does not appear anywhere in the release notes. Though we would prefer that Nintendo clearly list all of the features that each firmware update brings to the table, being able to now use GameCube controllers with the Switch is a pleasant surprise. To take advantage of the feature, you will need the GameCube controller USB adapter that Nintendo...
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Razer just lit up the gaming controller scene, and we mean that literally. The company's new Wolverine Ultimate is a "professional-grade" controller built for the Xbox One and PC in the style of an Xbox One controller, with an RGB lighting strip built in and support for Razer's Chroma illumination effects. Users can customize the lighting effects through Razer's Synapse software. With an RGB light strip inside, users have 16.8 million color options to choose from. They can also play around with various effects that include static, spectrum cycling, breathing, wave, and more. In addition, the Wolverine Ultimate is the first console product to support the Razer Chroma SDK, allowing developers to...
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Once a relatively niche market, the gaming peripheral sector is now a big business that has attracted a bevy of hardware makers looking to cash in on the craze. It is not just third-party hardware partners that recognize the opportunity, either. Microsoft offers its own accessories, including customized controllers. It is perhaps best known for its Xbox Elite controller, a premium $150 game pad with interchangeable parts. Now the company is introducing a more affordable wireless controller, the Recon Tech Special Edition. The Recon Tech Special Edition is the first product in Microsoft's new Tech Series of wireless controllers. It doesn't feature interchangeable paddles and buttons like the high-dollar...
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It still remains to be seen if virtual reality experiences are here to stay of if they're a passing fad, but in favor of the former, developers are stepping up and taking advantage of current hardware solutions. That includes the Oculus Rift and its upcoming Touch motion controllers, which are slated to release next week. Accompanying them will be over 50 made-for-VR titles that leverage the Touch controllers. To be exact, there will be 53 VR titles optimized for Touch input on day one. Some will be better than others, obviously, but Rift owners who pre-ordered the Touch will find a large and varied catalog of titles to choose from, everything from basketball (NBA 2KVR Experience) and fishing...
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PlayStation 4 players wishing for a controller that is shaped and design more like an Xbox One Elite gamepad are in luck. Sony announced two officially licensed pro controllers coming to the SIEE region for the PS4 this year, the Razer Raiju and Nacon Revolution, both of which sport a similar overall shape to an Xbox One controller but with familiar PS4 buttons. "To give our competitive and pro players more choice, we invited Razer and Nacon to use their knowledge and expertise in developing eSports peripherals to design two unique pro controllers for PS4," Sony stated in a blog post. "Through close collaboration we’ve been able to help optimize each controller for PS4 – incorporating innovative...
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Wading through the Internet is a little similar to the movie Inception, in that you never truly know what's real. In case anyone needed reminding of that, what were purported to be leaked photos of an oval shaped controller for Nintendo's forthcoming NX console turned out to be fake. That's probably a good thing because the reaction to the controller design wasn't all that positive. So what happened? Well, there were actually two instances of the fancy pants controller showing up online, both modeled after Nintendo's patent filing, which itself is real. But the photos of the supposed prototypes were not. The first of those appeared on reddit by "Idriss2Dev," a new member to the site who drew...
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