PowerA Advantage wired controller with Lumectra review

The PowerA Benefit wired controller with Lumectra is a stark reminder of how far we’ve come for the reason that days of cheap-feeling, third-party licensed recreation controllers. Whereas the flimsy items of plastic, riddled with extra turbo controls than you possibly can shake a stick at have been an ideal finances various to the official controllers of consoles and PCs of the previous, the PowerA Benefit wired controller takes issues up a notch. It’s a flashy various for these wanting so as to add a bit extra illumination to their PC gaming setup.

You’ll at all times be on the mercy of a wire, because the PowerA Benefit isn’t accessible in a wi-fi mannequin. Nevertheless, in case you’re okay with a 10ft type-C cable slithering round your desk, and may see previous the initially confusing-to-customize RGBs, you’re unlikely to discover a comparable high quality controller to the PowerA Benefit in its value vary. That’s sufficient to make this no less than a contender for our best PC controller information.

Execs:

Cons:

• RGB troublesome to customise
• Wired solely
• Heavy
• Restricted colorways

PowerA Benefit wired controller with Lumectra Design

The PowerA Benefit wired controller with Lumectra makes use of that now iconic Xbox design and format. With its snug and ergonomic form, there’s no marvel why, after a number of generations of Microsoft {hardware} have handed, the design of the Xbox controller hasn’t modified a lot in any respect. It’s additionally why licensed controllers just like the PowerA Benefit don’t trouble to veer too far off the crushed path on the subject of their designs.

Like its Xbox X/S controller brethren, the standard suspects discovered on a typical fashionable Xbox controller are all current – the D-pad, motion buttons, joysticks, and triggers are all accounted for, together with the clickable Xbox brand, and three social Xbox buttons that encompass it. The place the PowerA Benefit differs is thru its further three-way set off buttons, two mappable again buttons, and its vivid RGB lighting zones.

The sting of the entrance of the controller and across the motion buttons, two joysticks, and the d-pad, are all illuminated by RGB lighting. This lighting is separated into zones, all of which might be custom-made by way of the usage of accompanying software program or by way of the three buttons on the again of the controller.

This controller makes use of a USB Kind-C port on its high edge that ought to assist you to use most various USB-C cables, though the socket is sort of deep (to guard the tip of the cable itself) so some cables with thicker plugs may not match. Regardless, it ships with a cable that must be lengthy sufficient for many customers. There’s additionally a 3.5mm jack output on the underside edge for plugging in your wired headset.

Sometimes, PowerA reserves the again of its licensed controllers for programmable buttons, and whereas there are two mappable again buttons, three buttons marked with ‘MAP AGB’, ‘INT LED’, and ‘EXT LED’ take heart stage on the rear. These three buttons permit customization of the RGB lighting throughout the varied lighting zones detailed earlier.

By default, the RGB lighting glows inexperienced, matching the enduring branding of the Xbox line of consoles, and its vivid and vibrant aura is sufficient to gentle up even the dimmest of PC gaming setups. Holding the middle button, and the ‘RB’ set off, will assist you to cycle by way of static colors, however extra impressively, this lighting is damaged up into zones, which let you extra intently customise the impact of those intense RGBs.

This controller might be purchased with a PowerA branded RGB LED strip. This RGB strip, which may also be purchased individually, might be custom-made with the controller’s built-in IR transmitter to match the chosen lighting of your controller and create a extra immersive expertise. Or match the aesthetics of your PC gaming setup (the place mine is worried, the extra pink and comfortable the aesthetic, the higher).

Discovered on the again are additionally the 3-way set off locks, that are little sliders on both aspect of the RGB buttons. These permit the set off buttons to take a seat in three various positions for a shorter or longer set off pull. The shorter choices are helpful for first-person shooters like Counter-Strike 2 or as additional buttons for preventing video games, for example. In case you want much more immersion in your gameplay experiences, the PowerA Benefit additionally makes use of a twin rumble motor. Whether or not you’re blasting by way of zombies in a nostalgic Left 4 Lifeless session on Steam, or crawling up the CS2 leaderboard, the rumble churns out tactical suggestions to make each motion really feel simply as important because it appears to be like and sounds.

The PowerA Benefit wired controller must be a simple PC controller to like, because it sticks to that typical Xbox X/S Sequence controller design. It’s snug to carry, particularly resulting from its textured grip discovered everywhere in the all-black design, and each button is well accessible, from the left joystick to the motion buttons.

I’ve pretty lengthy fingers, which got here in helpful for years of taking part in the violin however can typically really feel awkward when getting used to completely different recreation controllers. Nevertheless, utilizing the PowerA Benefit felt immediately acquainted. My go-to PC controller earlier than making an attempt out this one to overview was the PowerA – Star Wars: The Drive Awakens X-Wing wired controller. With that in thoughts, I already assumed that my fingers wouldn’t really feel stiffened by the form or format of the Benefit, however the place I used to be proper about how snug it was to carry, I used to be stunned at how awkward and irritating customizing the principle gimmick of the Benefit controller was: the lighting.

Whenever you’re utilizing the controller in precise video games – and never simply to make your gaming area appear to be a 90s college disco – it’s advantageous. However, utilizing the controller to customise its personal RGB lighting, is so irritating that it overshadows loads of the commonly nice options in regards to the controller.

The lighting is spectacular with its vividity and altering the static coloration of the controller is pretty easy, however past that it’s a battle. For the previous, you maintain the center RGB button on the again, and press the RG proper set off, with every press altering the colour at a time. For altering the zones, although, it’s way more difficult. It’s a must to maintain down the identical button, choose every zone with the d-pad, after which use the motion buttons to choose a coloration. Usually, I discovered myself at odds with the controller, feeling like I needed to re-read the handbook extensively to determine how one can get probably the most out of the RGB zone characteristic.

Fortunately, the buttons really feel satisfying to click on, simply as on any Xbox Sequence S/X controller, and the three-way set off locks have been a pleasant contact too. Though as of late I really feel spoiled with the haptic suggestions and adaptive triggers of the PlayStation 5 DualSense, the locks, and the dual-motor rumble, give the controller sufficient selection to set it above cheaper, finances controllers.

What’s extra, the accompanying software program, ‘PowerA Gamer HQ’, acquired an replace all through the method of scripting this overview, which rectified the initially irritating customizing expertise. Earlier than the replace, all of the software program would let me do was check out the rumble, and audio by way of the headphone port, and calibrate the buttons. Now I’ve entry to customise the RGB zones by way of Gamer HQ. It’s only a disgrace the software program can be moderately gradual to load.

Whereas PowerA did rectify the principle problem of this controller, having one of many primary options be such a middling expertise was a disgrace. I’ve such a surplus of PowerA controllers, that I even have a few of their licenced ones on show, offered alongside merch from the media the IP design is from. The PowerA Benefit wired controller with Lumectra received’t be becoming a member of them any time quickly except I’m ever within the mindset to create a shrine devoted to a few of the most irritating peripheral experiences I’ve needed to date.

In case you aren’t bothered by the shortage of a wi-fi mannequin, the PowerA Benefit wired controller with Lumectra is a strong finances method to introduce much more RGB into your gaming setup. But, whereas the Benefit controller has all the standard you’ll be able to depend on on the subject of Xbox controllers, its extremely irritating and awkward methodology of customization, means you’ll must depend on the accompanying software program to totally get pleasure from its illuminating endeavors.