Games
Microsoft’s $100 million next-gen gamepad could still use a few fixes.
The Xbox One controller is what’s going to be in your hands for what could be the next decade if you’ve picked Microsoft’s side in this next-gen war. And for that reason, the Redmond giant spent a few truck loads of money into retooling the Xbox 360 pad for next-gen, even going as far as attempting to include screens, speakers, touchpads, cameras and even a smell-emitting functionality. Yep, that happened. The final version that’s bundled in with your Xbox One didn’t ship with any of those bonkers features (we’re thankful for the lack of smell-o-vision), but it does pack in some nifty tech like rumble in the triggers and a much improved d-pad.
It’s good, and much better than its predecessor, but it could be even better. Now that we’ve spent over a year with the Xbox One pad, we’ve got a few fixes in mind – here’s what we want to see Microsoft update its pad with to really become best in class. It’s going to need more than just a quick software update!
Add a 3.5mm headphone jack
When it comes to hooking up headsets and headphones, Sony nailed this part with the PlayStation 4. While the DualShock 4 includes a 3.5mm jack for you to plug in your favourite pair of cans, Microsoft’s Xbox One controller instead relies on additional adapters that plug in to a proprietary socket on the bottom of the pad. Yep, that means you have to shell out extra just to plug in your headphones, and the Xbox One Stereo Headset Adapter has been iffy since it launched, with many gamers complaining about microphone quality and having to update the controller to even support it – yep, it doesn’t work right away out of the box. It’s an unnecessary addition that could have been avoided if Microsoft included a jack in the controller – and we’ve not seen anything else plug into that port apart from the included chat headset that comes with your console. C’mon Microsoft, sort it out.
Introduce a 360-style chatpad
You know what could plug into that bottom port of the controller? A brand new version of the Xbox 360 Chatpad. The QWERTY keyboard addition gave you a quick a speedy way to bat over messages back on the Xbox 360, but there’s been nothing for the Xbox One that works in much the same way. Sure, you can hook up a USB keyboard, but that’d just take up a bit more room, and it’d be handy for Kinect-less gamers to get around the UI. We’ve seen some third party versions try and solve that gap, but Microsoft’s version would surely be better – we’d love to see it include a headphone jack too. Microsoft’s no stranger to making brilliant keyboards, and we’re sure an Xbox One chatpad would go down a treat.
Let us use it on our PCs wirelessly
The Xbox One controller works with your PC – but you have to bring a USB cable to the party. Microsoft originally launched a wireless dongle for the 360 pad, which let you hook up several controllers to your gaming rig, but there’s been nothing for the Xbox One yet – until now. Microsoft has just announced this week its wireless adapter for the Xbox One pad at the 2015 Game Developers Conference, but there's no firm release date in sight at the moment, meaning you'll have to keep on waiting to get some wireless freedom when you're PC gaming. Sony's DualShock 4, on the other hand, packs in Bluetooth as standard, and hooks up to tablets, phones and computers easily, but Microsoft’s controller doesn’t quite have the same functionality. Why can’t it sync up to the Surface wirelessly out of the box? And what about when Windows 10 game streaming kicks in when Microsoft’s new OS launches? The clock's ticking, Microsoft.
The mushy triggers need tightening
Microsoft improved on every aspect of the Xbox 360 controller, especially with the horrible, mushy d-pad that plagued every 360 gamer until the company released a special transforming version for beat ’em ups in 2010. Still, that mushiness hasn’t been completely eliminated, as the main triggers leave a little bit to be desired. Activating them doesn’t feel as quick as they could be, while they feel soft and not as swift as the DualShock 4’s triggers. For what are some of the most used parts of the pad, we just wish Microsoft could have made them feel tighter.
50 shades of play
Microsoft’s launched various different designs for the Xbox One controller, but what we really want to see is just more colours. While the camo designs and Titanfall edition controllers are cool, we wouldn’t mind being able to actually buy the white controller that came bundled in the Sunset Overdrive console pack by itself, or see the return of some of the brighter editions the 360 pad arrived in, like the awesome chrome gold version. More choice keeps everyone happy.
Bring down the price
Next-gen gamepads sure are expensive, and while the DualShock 4 and Xbox One pad both cost the same, £44.99 for a controller is still a hefty amount to fork out. That’s practically the same cost as another game. Online multiplayer has practically caused split-screen gaming to go extinct, which means you might not even need to pick up a second gamepad, but the price alone is sure to put you off investing in another controller. A cheaper pad, anyone?
What would you change about Microsoft’s next-gen controller? Tell us in the comments below.
Get the best gaming stories delivered straight to your inbox with the Red Bull Games newsletter.
