Assume greater, although. The modular strategy means you’ll be able to go far past structure tweaks, with extra parts that mean you can utterly retool the controller. If you need Corridor impact sticks with the shorter throw of Xbox commonplace controllers, have at it. Fancy turning your pad right into a mini steering wheel for racing video games? Vroom vroom! Wish to dominate on the combating recreation scene with a traditional six-button structure? Ditch that right-hand thumbstick and get these valuable further two face buttons instead. Need that LED glow again? Effectively, for those who should (however you may lose Corridor impact on these). The pliability right here to reinvent the controller as you want it’s nothing wanting incredible.
The caveat is, after all, that every one of those modules are bought individually. Given the X2 H.E. already retails at a not-inconsiderable $180 at time of writing, tailoring the pad to precisely the way you need it might find yourself being extraordinarily dear. If you need two of these Xbox Corridor impact sticks at $30 every, you are as much as $240, which must be acknowledged as a staggering quantity to spend on a controller.
The toughest tablet to swallow is that, regardless of its excessive value, it would not even include a case to soundly home your dear pad, solely a small drawstring material bag that almost holds the X2 H.E. It’s going to forestall minor scuffs, however provides no actual safety. In fact, you should purchase an official exhausting case for one other $30, however given the likes of Sony’s DualSense Edge controller packs in a tough case for a value corresponding to the bottom X2 H.E., it is exhausting to not really feel Thrustmaster has cheaped out right here.
There are a couple of bodily tweaks you can also make with out spending a penny extra although. The controller comes with a pair of alternate thumbstick caps, providing a rounded dome nearer in model to early PlayStation controllers, reasonably than the indented tops of the default sticks. These could be screwed on or off the prevailing thumbstick modules, however observe there’s an extraordinarily tiny rubber washer that sits contained in the stick shaft, which is extremely straightforward to overlook or, worse, lose if it pops off when you’re swapping them over.
Powered Up Efficiency
In use, the X2 H.E. delights, although. Regardless of the modular design, it appears like a sturdy, dependable entire in any configuration. Whereas Thrustmaster remains to be attempting to make “fetch” occur with that pressured H.E.A.R.T. acronym—Corridor Impact Accu-Fee Expertise—the tech leads to phenomenally exact motion and aiming in video games.
In the meantime, the mechanical ABXY and LB/RB shoulder buttons have a far shorter journey distance than these on membrane-based pads, for a satisfyingly snappy, responsive really feel. The efficiency of the shoulder triggers can be tweaked with lock switches, on the rear, that restrict their bodily pull distance.