Astro C40 review: For those who think the Xbox Elite Controller just isn’t premium enough - martinezturzartur

At a Glance

Expert's Rating

Pros

• Great build quality
• Swappable D-launch area and parallel sticks
• Partizan software options

Cons

• No Bluetooth support
• Expensive, even for a exchange premiu controller
• Just about strange software Uxor

Our Verdict

Great stamp battery life, certain connectivity, perdurable build quality, trigger stops, grip buttons, and swappable stick layouts—the C40 does it all. It's expensive, but an excellent high-goal controller option.

The Astro C40 gaming contoller comes from a keep company far better known for its headsets. For years, save up for the odd dabble in lifestyle gear, headsets have been Astro's claim to fame.

Peradventur it's time that changes, though. I've worn-out the last month or so playing around with the Astro C40, and while it's not aimmaculate device, it's clear Astro's trademark attention to item could benefit wholly sorts of bounty peripherals.

Happiness, held

Of course, it's leaving to monetary value you. Astro's headsets are generallynot ungenerous. Neither is the C40, retailing for a staggering $200. For context, that's astir three times the monetary value of a normal PlayStation 4 controller, and $50 more than Microsoft's high-end Xbox Same Elite Controller.

That said, the C40 is about happening a par with SCUF's PS4-compatible Vantage line, and isn'tto a fault much to a greater extent expensive than Razer's Wolverine. Premium controllers are pricey.

IDG / Hayden Dingman

The C40 does quite a little to justify its price tag. It's built like a tank, outset of all—merely a tank wrapped in clouds. It's considerable, merely covered in soft-touch plastic that's every bit as gilded here as information technology is on Astro's headsets. When we received the Xbox One Elect Controller a couple of years agone I fell maneuver-over-heels in love with it. The C40 is the first rival I've found that had the synoptical immediate, out-the-boxful impact. It feels similar a $200 controller.

It besides has about tricks I harbor't seen anywhere other. The C40's main gimmick? It's a PlayStation 4 controller that's happy to accommodate Xbox fans. Away default on the C40 ships with the PlayStation 4's standard layout, meaning 2 analog sticks side by English. Dig around in the case and you'll find a small hex driver though, with which you john remove four screws and subsequently a boomerang-formed plastic faceplate.

Once removed, the analogue sticks and D-pad pop right out. In a affair of seconds you can rearrange this PlayStation 4 controller so it has the offset parallel sticks of an Xbox controller.

IDG / Hayden Dingman

The C40 isn't the get-go PlayStation controller with staggered sticks—the SCUF Advantage melodic phras I mentioned earlier features an Xbox-look-alike layout. The ability to go back and off is new though, atomic number 3 you could just as well swap back to a PlayStation layout sure titles.

Will you? Hard to say. I feel like it's probably a alter you make once and then it's done. Istrongly favor the Xbox's beat organisation, and I'm sure Sony's DualShock 4 devotees feel the Lapp in inverse. It's intemperate to imagine anyone going through the cumbersome unscrew-and-barter process day after day, but…well, the selection's there.

Another trick that's unique to the C40: It includes its own wireless transmitter. The PlayStation 4 usually connects through Bluetooth, but Astro's omitted that from the C40 in favou a 2.4GHz wireless vector. That might be annoying for PlayStation owners, and it's definitely a bit odd there'sno Bluetooth put up, simply it comes with benefits connected the PC—namely lower latency and higher reliability.

IDG / Hayden Dingman

As a side note, Bluetooth is usually reserved for high-end desktop motherboards, so it's great to take over a device that works seamlessly with what's in the loge. No additional Bluetooth dongle purchase required—nor do you need to buy atell apartproprietary wireless dongle, arsenic you would for the Xbox One Elite Controller. Factor that in, and you've narrowed the price crack 'tween the C40 and Selected.

It's worth noting that the C40's battery life-time is fantastic. Sony's number 1-party controllers are notorious for bad poor stamp battery life. Even brand new, you're lucky to see six to eight hours per explosive charge. Astro lists the C40 at 12 hoursor more, depending happening rumble intensity and so on.

Anyway, the sleep is pretty standard for high-end controllers, even if it seems like a novelty to those upgrading. The C40 includes three pairs of analog sticks: concave, convex, and a set of taller sticks, one concavo-convex and the strange convex. I've heard scattered reports that depreciation on sticks is happening faster than you'd expect, only I seaport't noticed any problems myself yet.

IDG / Hayden Dingman

On the rear you'll breakthrough trigger Chicago, enabling either filled-linear gun trigger pulls (for racing games, etc.) Oregon shorter on/hit activations (for shooters). In a higher place that are two extra sliders: One swaps between wired and wireless modes, the other between two profile configurations.

The C40 as wel includes two clutch buttons built into the rear of the restrainer, which can duplicate the face buttons or be mapped to clicking in the sticks, the latter of which I appreciate. And spell it's probably easiest to do any remapping within Astro's software program, there's also a push button on the hindquarters that allows for on-the-fly ball changes. That's a neat novelty.

Countenance's spill the beans about Astro's software though, because it's a pretty variable tool for enthusiasts. Remapping is probably the function mass will use most, and it's Charles Frederick Worth mentioning you can remapany button. Want to swap the D-embroider and face buttons for some reason? Or map the bumpers to the D-pad? You tin.

IDG / Hayden Dingman

Astro too includes force graphs for the triggers and sticks, and it's here you can really grok into the C40 and make IT your own. For example, you could make it so billowing the stick even 20 percent of the way is capable a full 100-per centum tilt, or give yourself a larger dead zone for additional finesse. The same goes for the triggers: Those generally need less tweaking, but you rear make sure you have a 100-percent pull at the touch off stops irrespective what brave you're performin.

My ane ailment: You need to connect the C40 to pinch it, simply if you bear the wireless dongle plugged in besides then the software defaults to nerve-wracking to update the dongle's firmware, with no fashio to click past and see to it the controller settings. Youneedto disconnect the dongle. Not a huge deal, simply it's definitely confusing and unintuitive. Initially I thought I'd somehow bricked the C40.

Bottom line

The only thing that holds Maine back from wholeheartedly recommending the Astro C40 is its Leontyne Price. $200 is a lot of money, symmetric for a shrill-destruction controller. To its cite, the C40 does much the Xbox Unity Elite Comptroller and SCUF's various offerings, merely is it enough? Hard to say—especially happening PC, where the Xbox controller is motionless the default for most games.

Still, I have so few problems with the C40 itself. Great battery life, tried and true connectivity, perdurable build quality, trigger stops, grip buttons…the C40 does it all. Plus, IT's a PlayStation comptroller you can assemble with offset sticks. There are cheaper ways to carry through that, but I'm non complaining. If you experience the money to plain, the C40 is probably the incomparable tierce-party controller available now.

Source: https://www.pcworld.com/article/397985/astro-c40-review-for-those-who-think-the-xbox-elite-controller-just-isnt-premium-enough.html

Posted by: martinezturzartur.blogspot.com

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