Final Thoughts
Price
The TT eSports Contour controller is currently available from Scan in the UK for £49.99 with free shipping. Stock in the USA seems fairly low and an Amazon listing suggests a wait time between 3-5 weeks. Also, the price for USA customers is $79.99 which equates to £52.07. The Contour is a decent value proposition considering a traditional console controller can cost upwards of £55. Of course, if you hunt around, this can be dramatically reduced to £20-30. Despite this, the Contour’s flexibility, and integrated stand makes it a well-rounded and good product for the money.
Overview
Thermaltake has employed a great deal of meticulous planning to create a well-rounded controller for Apple devices. However, its plastic construction and lack of rubber grips makes it feel cheap compared to traditional console controllers. These concessions might have been a cost-saving exercise, but the simple build and lack of premium touches leaves a lot to be desired. While this is certainly true, it’s important to reiterate the product’s target market. Thermaltake isn’t competing with the Dual Shock 4 or Xbox One pad, and neither of these contain a beautifully designed adjustable stand. Clearly, the Contour aims to be an affordable and flexible device which opts for good, if not spectacular build quality.
Additionally, the button layout is superb and very natural to use for long periods of play. This level of expertise is emphasized by the stunning, soft thumbsticks which are some of the best I’ve used. After using the Contour for a week, it’s quite difficult to go back to the rougher feel on my Thrustmaster GPX Lightback. So what makes the thumbsticks so appealing? The rubber cover is finished in a perfect manner and it’s easy to glide your fingers around the axis without glancing every few seconds.
On another note, the device’s battery life is impeccable and lasted an average of 10.3 hours during testing. This figure was recorded during three playthroughs and trying my best to drain the battery. In real world scenarios, I wouldn’t be surprised if the controller could reach approximately 12 hours on a single charge. This is more than enough to entertain you during longer journeys without worrying about the battery suddenly depleting.
The integrated stand is remarkably solid and doesn’t wobble even if you adopt an aggressive play-style with the controller. Connecting any iPhone takes a matter of seconds and creates the impression that your phone has transformed into a dedicated handheld. Obviously, if you want to use the controller with an iPad, the stand isn’t required, but I was very impressed. Thermaltake covered the stand’s internals with a soft, rubber grip to resist any movement and keep the phone perfectly still.
It’s not all perfect though as the L1 and R1 buttons could have a little bit more progressive travel. Also, the D-pad is virtually unusable due to rough edges and a stiff mechanism. My other only complaint is purely subjective, as I’m not too keen on the plain black colour scheme. For a gaming-grade product, I would have expected a more flamboyant design with vivid colours.
Overall, the TT eSports Contour works beautifully with supported games and it’s surprising how many titles on iOS support an external control scheme. Most of the major games will work without any issues, and hopefully the library is expanded further as mobile controllers become more widely accepted.
Pros
- Brilliant battery life lasting over 10 hours
- Extremely strong and adjustable stand
- Red indicator LEDs
- Seamless pairing via Bluetooth
- Soft, and luxurious thumbsticks
- Solid button layout
- Works with a wide array of major games including GTA: San Andreas
Cons
- Bland colour scheme
- D-Pad is overly stiff and requires too much actuation force
- Plastic construction without any textured rubber grips to cushion your palms
- Rear triggers could benefit from an extra centimeter of travel
“The TT eSports Contour controller is relatively affordable, quite comfortable and features impressive battery life, lasting over 10 hours of playtime!“
TT eSports Contour iPad/iPhone Mobile Gaming Controller Review
Thank you Thermaltake for providing us with this sample.
