I'm writing this review for anyone considering getting an Xbox 360 controller for Windows (I have not used it as such, but the info is still relevant), or considering getting a 360 and wants to know about the controller (obviously someone with a 360 would already know how it is for them).
First, the 360 controller is comfortable to hold in your hand if you're just holding it, but this can change quite quickly if you're actually playing with it, and unfortunately a lot of people make a judgement based on how it feels holding it for a couple seconds rather than based on use.
The analog sticks are half good, half bad. The good part is the right analog stick, with its placement I've never had any problems with hand cramps or any sort of pain. The left analog stick is a problem with its placement. On the surface it looks like a good idea to have it higher up based on many games using the left analog stick for movement, but if you're doing anything with sustained use of the stick rather than occasionally flicking it in one direction, it ends up getting painful. The types of games it works well with are racing and flying games, as for the most part you're just flying or moving ahead.
What's good with the analog sticks is they can be pressed down as additional buttons, but they've never activated accidentally even once for me, which is a problem I've had with other controlers when the game gets frantic.
The D-Pad suffers from its placement as a result of the higher left analog stick, it's not at all ideal, and I've found I press down when I want to press right quite often - I need to reach over the whole D-Pad with my thumb, rather than on a higher placement where this wouldn't be necessary. Even if it were placed better, the design is still quite crappy. Play went much better when I used a 3rd party controller with a proper + shaped D-Pad.
There's nothing really wrong with the action buttons, they work as they're supposed to, but they're a bit hard and I find if I'm playing a game that wants sustained A press with occasional X that it gets uncomfortable.
The Start and Back buttons are well placed, and it's handy being able to access them without having to look simply based on tactile differentiation.
The trigger and bumper buttons are mixed. I find the bumpers quite awkward to reach as it's not really comfortable to hold the index finger over them and middle fingers over the triggers, but it's also inconvenient to quickly switch between the bumpers and the triggers, and in action games this is a pretty annoying delay. I've found the bumpers to be largely useless (even though some games do make use of them).
The triggers are quite uncomfortable if they're held down for an extended period of time, such as in a racing game where right trigger is used to accelerate, however for games where they're used to shoot they work quite well.
The battery pack is a bit annoying, while it is in some ways convenient to be able to just use AA batteries, they run out of a charge. Also, the batteries have a snug fit, so high capacity AA batteries that are a bit thicker end up not fitting at all. It's not a huge drawback as it doesn't come up often, but when you have to switch the batteries out or wait for them to recharge it is bothersome.
A nice touch is that if you press the Xbox button in the centre of the controller while the console is off it turns the console on with that controller automatically being set as controller 1.
Overall I have mixed feelings about the controller. Some games, such as Snoopy Flying Ace, the controller works perfectly and none of the drawbacks manifest. Other games, such as Pac-Man or Lumines it's quickly obvious that it's pretty much useless and I always use a different controller for those games. Other games end up mixed - Geometry Wars is fine for shooting, and the trigger works well for the bombs, but the left analog stick for moving is annoying (and if the controls are reversed then shooting becomes annoying). Racing games end up also partially good and partially problematic with sustained holding of the right trigger to keep moving being uncomfortable while the occasional left analog stick movements to steer are perfectly fine.
Especially given the price I wouldn't recommend the 360 Wireless controller for PC use - something like a Logitech that follows the DualShock design would be cheaper and solve a number of the problems the 360 Wireless controller has without introducing too many drawbacks (aside from potentially activating the analog stick buttons if they're not as stable as those on the 360 controller), even the DualShock 3 would be preferable if you're willing to deal with the convoluted driver set up.
If you're considering getting a 360, depending on the games you'll play you may wish to reconsider. Most 3rd party controllers duplicate the design of the 360 controller, so they won't solve many (if any at all) of the problems, and will likely end up just being lower quality overall. Some controllers will offer a fix, but the one I use for games like Pac-Man, Lumines and Bomberman has only a D-Pad and action buttons, with no bumpers, triggers or analog sticks, meaning it only solves certain games. Take a look at the games you'll be playing, and decide if the 360 controller works out well (or adequately) for them, or if there's a 3rd party controller that works better.
First, the 360 controller is comfortable to hold in your hand if you're just holding it, but this can change quite quickly if you're actually playing with it, and unfortunately a lot of people make a judgement based on how it feels holding it for a couple seconds rather than based on use.
The analog sticks are half good, half bad. The good part is the right analog stick, with its placement I've never had any problems with hand cramps or any sort of pain. The left analog stick is a problem with its placement. On the surface it looks like a good idea to have it higher up based on many games using the left analog stick for movement, but if you're doing anything with sustained use of the stick rather than occasionally flicking it in one direction, it ends up getting painful. The types of games it works well with are racing and flying games, as for the most part you're just flying or moving ahead.
What's good with the analog sticks is they can be pressed down as additional buttons, but they've never activated accidentally even once for me, which is a problem I've had with other controlers when the game gets frantic.
The D-Pad suffers from its placement as a result of the higher left analog stick, it's not at all ideal, and I've found I press down when I want to press right quite often - I need to reach over the whole D-Pad with my thumb, rather than on a higher placement where this wouldn't be necessary. Even if it were placed better, the design is still quite crappy. Play went much better when I used a 3rd party controller with a proper + shaped D-Pad.
There's nothing really wrong with the action buttons, they work as they're supposed to, but they're a bit hard and I find if I'm playing a game that wants sustained A press with occasional X that it gets uncomfortable.
The Start and Back buttons are well placed, and it's handy being able to access them without having to look simply based on tactile differentiation.
The trigger and bumper buttons are mixed. I find the bumpers quite awkward to reach as it's not really comfortable to hold the index finger over them and middle fingers over the triggers, but it's also inconvenient to quickly switch between the bumpers and the triggers, and in action games this is a pretty annoying delay. I've found the bumpers to be largely useless (even though some games do make use of them).
The triggers are quite uncomfortable if they're held down for an extended period of time, such as in a racing game where right trigger is used to accelerate, however for games where they're used to shoot they work quite well.
The battery pack is a bit annoying, while it is in some ways convenient to be able to just use AA batteries, they run out of a charge. Also, the batteries have a snug fit, so high capacity AA batteries that are a bit thicker end up not fitting at all. It's not a huge drawback as it doesn't come up often, but when you have to switch the batteries out or wait for them to recharge it is bothersome.
A nice touch is that if you press the Xbox button in the centre of the controller while the console is off it turns the console on with that controller automatically being set as controller 1.
Overall I have mixed feelings about the controller. Some games, such as Snoopy Flying Ace, the controller works perfectly and none of the drawbacks manifest. Other games, such as Pac-Man or Lumines it's quickly obvious that it's pretty much useless and I always use a different controller for those games. Other games end up mixed - Geometry Wars is fine for shooting, and the trigger works well for the bombs, but the left analog stick for moving is annoying (and if the controls are reversed then shooting becomes annoying). Racing games end up also partially good and partially problematic with sustained holding of the right trigger to keep moving being uncomfortable while the occasional left analog stick movements to steer are perfectly fine.
Especially given the price I wouldn't recommend the 360 Wireless controller for PC use - something like a Logitech that follows the DualShock design would be cheaper and solve a number of the problems the 360 Wireless controller has without introducing too many drawbacks (aside from potentially activating the analog stick buttons if they're not as stable as those on the 360 controller), even the DualShock 3 would be preferable if you're willing to deal with the convoluted driver set up.
If you're considering getting a 360, depending on the games you'll play you may wish to reconsider. Most 3rd party controllers duplicate the design of the 360 controller, so they won't solve many (if any at all) of the problems, and will likely end up just being lower quality overall. Some controllers will offer a fix, but the one I use for games like Pac-Man, Lumines and Bomberman has only a D-Pad and action buttons, with no bumpers, triggers or analog sticks, meaning it only solves certain games. Take a look at the games you'll be playing, and decide if the 360 controller works out well (or adequately) for them, or if there's a 3rd party controller that works better.
