Performance
When it comes to a console controller, it needs to be (generally) a jack of all trades, suitable for anything from racing games, to fighting games, or what ever takes your fancy. I decided to fire up a few of my favourites on the PlayStation 3 to put it through its paces. Gran Turismo HD (I know there are newer GT games, I just love this one more), Wipeout HD, Soul Calibur IV, Uncharted 3, Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch and finally Little Big Planet.
The ergonomics of the controller proved to be very comfortable even after a few hours gameplay, the extra grip on the side as well as the ridges on the bottom of the controller provide you with plenty of support when things get frantic. The only thing that felt strange was that the controller was about 2mm narrower, hardly a big difference, but you can feel the difference at first.
The tough springs on the Strike FX-6 are easily the best part of this controller, they provide a nice resistance that works incredibly well in driving games for the accelerator and brake, especially the brake as you feel the tension and can judge the force a lot more accurately. This certainly improved gameplay in racing titles such as Wipeout and Gran Turismo, but made little to no difference in other titles. The curve to the trigger is certainly an improvement though, as I can’t say I’m a fan of the original PlayStation 3 design where your fingers tend to slip from the trigger, that simple doesn’t happen on the Strike FX-6.
Soul Calibur and I guess any other fighting game certainly benefits from the enlarged D-pad buttons, I do prefer the official PlayStation 3 D-Pad, but this design is certainly more comfortable as it doesn’t grind the side of your thumb off while making circular moves.
Everything else played as well as I could hope, the analogue sticks are great for anything from racing to exploring the world of Uncharted and Ni No Kuni, the wireless signal never let me down and the Six Axis worked exactly as I would expect in games like Wipeout and Little Big Planet. The controller is every bit as good as the official controller, with just a few aesthetic and ergonomic changes.
