Both the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 come with really great stock controllers, but even these have their limitations. That is where the so called “Pro” controllers come into play. And man oh man is there a big difference when it comes to the two leading controllers for each console.
In the blue corner, weighing in at 274g, we have PlayStation’s contender, the Nacon Revolution Pro. And in the green corner, weighing in at 348g, we have Microsoft’s contender, the Xbox Elite controller. So who will win the battle of the Pro controllers?
The Look and Feel
The first thing that you will notice about the Revolution Pro is that it has stolen some design pointers from the Xbox controller. Instead of the standard side-by-side analogue stick configuration that we’re used to on the DualShock 4 controller, it has a similar layout to the Xbox controller with the left analogue stick being placed above the multi-directional pad. This makes for a much more comfortable gaming experience and actually helps counteract the thumb cramps that the side-by-side setup is known to cause while gaming for long sessions. The only notable features that Nacon have kept are the large touch-pad and the famous PlayStation buttons. As a nice little design element Nacon have printed the famous PlayStation buttons to the touch-pad. It also features two different analogue sticks, the left analogue stick is concave shaped with plenty of grip for more control when playing competitively. The right analogue stick is substantially larger and features a convex shape, which is meant to aid in highly accurate movements in-game. The whole controller feels sturdy and is covered in a smooth rubber-like coating, designed for better grip. The last thing that you want is to drop your controller while you are in a high-stakes game. The weight is a bit disappointing and the entire controller feels a bit light, and by light, I mean it feels a bit cheap. Much like a good gaming mouse, a good controller needs a bit of weight to it to add to that premium feel. Nacon have added the ability to add weights to the controller, though they are so light that it makes next to no difference. You get a set of 10g, 14g and 17g weights, though as mentioned even with the heaviest weight combination in the controller, it still feels too light.
The Xbox Elite on the other hand doesn’t look that much different from the stock controller, it pretty much looks like a sleeker and more premium version of the standard Xbox controller. The controller’s silver accents give that added premium look and you could easily mistake the high-quality plastic for aluminum parts. The feel of the Elite far surpasses the original controller. Not only is it covered in a rubbery coating like the Revolution Pro, but it also features rubberized diamond grips on the bottom of the controller. This aids in getting a firm grip on the controller while playing. Microsoft have pretty much hit the nail on the head with the weight of the Elite controller. It weighs noticeably more than the Revolution Pro, which adds hugely to the whole premium experience of this controller. There are no adjustable weights when it comes to the Elite, however, to be honest you don’t need it at all with this controller. One thing that is a bit annoying is the fact that the A, B, X and Y buttons no longer have the colors that we are used to on the standard Xbox One controller. Instead you get black buttons with grey letters, this makes it harder for newer users to identify the right buttons. Though, this isn’t really a controller for noobs, but it would have been nice if they would have added backlighting to these buttons.
Triggers
This is where the Revolution Pro is a bit of flop, the triggers are completely different to that of the PlayStation DualShock 4. Nacon pretty much took the rule book and decided, “Hell, we don’t need this”, and as a result you get triggers that feel stiff and awkward at all times. Even the standard controller triggers are more springy and feel more natural to use than the Nacon’s ones. Nacon have also not added any sort of mechanical customization to the triggers, meaning, you will be stuck with the awkward triggers until you get used to them. The L1 and R1 buttons are surprisingly great, their larger size make them easier to hit while gaming and you can easily reach them with almost any part of your index fingers. This is in stark contrast to the triggers (L2 and R2).
The Elite on the other hand has kept the winning formula from the original Xbox One controller and a result you get a far more natural feeling trigger pull. It actual feels like a trigger pull, versus the one on the Revolution Pro. Not only does the pull feel great, but it snaps back beautifully when you let go of the trigger. Microsoft knew that not all gamers are the same and they added a mechanical trigger stop to both triggers, which allows you to set the trigger pull to either a full trigger pull or you can set it to a shorter half trigger pull. Sure, there will always be those who would love to have the ability to fine tune the triggers with a set-screw, but this would have overcomplicated the controller and would only appeal to a smaller group of gamers. There is nothing much to say about the bumpers on the Elite controller, they feel great and snap back much as you would expect on this pro controller.
Shortcuts and Paddles
The Revolution Pro uses two directional pads on the underside of the controller to add four additional buttons for users to program. These add an almost unfair advantage while gaming and are most effective when playing first person shooters due to the fact that you won’t have to take your your thumbs off of the analogue sticks to reload or swap weapons. These shortcut keys can easily be reached with your middle fingers, though users with smaller hands will struggle with the placement of the buttons which can’t be moved or adjusted.
The Elite controller also offers four additional buttons on the bottom of the controller, however they are in the form of paddles, instead of directional pads. The controller comes with two short and two long paddles which can be easily clipped into the controller and are held in place by magnets. The two different paddle designs allow you to customize the controller, however, the longer paddles make it a lot harder to get a firm grip if you use them in the bottom two positions.
Customization
Apart from the adjustable weights, the Revolution Pro cannot be customized. This deals a massive blow to the controller as this would have been one of the easiest features that Nacon could have implemented to give the Revolution Pro that extra premium feeling.
The Elite controller on the other hand pulls miles ahead of the competition in this department. I already covered that the triggers can be adjusted via mechanical trigger stops and that the paddles can easily be swapped around, however, these features are just the tip of the iceberg. The Elite comes with three different types of analogue sticks, two standard, two domed and two tall ones that can quickly and easily be swapped out on the fly. They are held in place by magnets, which means no screwing or twisting to fit them in place, however, they can come loose if the controller encounters enough force. The multi-directional pad can also be swapped out and you get two pads, one simple plus shape and one concave one that is more suited for fighting games.
Profiles
The Revolution Pro allows for four different profiles to be set at any given time and if you count the standard mode it technically allows you to switch between five profiles. However, there is a bit of a downside here, the profiles can only be set via Nacon’s dedicated PC app (Windows and MacOS). Nacon have placed the profile selection button on the bottom of the controller, though you will first have to set the controller into “advanced mode” (Mode 2) to use any of the four profiles that you have set in the PC app. Once you set the controller into “advanced mode”, the LEDs will change from blue to red and two red LEDs on the left and two red LEDs on the right will indicate which profile that you are currently using. This is actually a great feature and allows you to quickly and easily identify which profile you are currently using.
The Elite controller only allows you to set two profiles at any given time. While this isn’t ideal, it’s not a train smash as you can quickly change them on the Xbox console. Switching profiles is fairly simple on the Elite controller, there is a switch on the front of the controller that allows you to select one of the two profiles, though, you don’t get any fancy LEDs to indicate your profile on the Elite controller.
Connectivity
Both consoles come with wireless controllers, however the Revolution Pro is not a wireless controller whatsoever. What you get is a 3m braided cable that you can plug into any of the USB ports on your PlayStation. This will reduce latency from trigger pull or button press to in game affect, giving serious gamers the competitive edge over the competition. The connector on the Revolution Pro itself is a five-pin connector that uses a screw lock to secure it in place and to make sure that the cable doesn’t come loose while you are playing.
The Elite on the other hand can be connected via wireless and via any microUSB cable. This means that you can play competitively with the controller connected via microUSB, or you can play completely wirelessly from the comfort of your sofa. Unlike the Revolution Pro, the Elite doesn’t have a screw lock to secure the cable in place. Which means that you run the risk of losing connection if you tug too hard and your cable comes loose. The good news is that the controller will kick into wireless mode and will reconnect, however this is still not ideal while playing competitively and you don’t want it happening at a crucial point in your game. The Elite comes with a high-quality 3m braided microUSB cable which will take a beating while you game, it’s no Apple-like cable that will break six months in. If you don’t mind running wirelessly, then you can quickly and easily connect the Elite to your Xbox at the touch of a button.
Apps
The Revolution Pro has the disadvantage here due to the fact that you can only configure the controller via Nacon’s Windows or MacOS based software. Which means that if you are not happy with your profiles, you will have to disconnect the controller, connect it to a PC and run the Nacon software again. While it is annoying, it is not a deal breaker as the controller allows you to save four profiles and you should set them long before you undertake any competitive play. Not only does the software allow you to create custom profiles, it also allows you to remap all of the buttons on the Revolution Pro, this includes setting macros for the four additional shortcut buttons on the bottom of the controller.
The Elite on the other hand can easily and quickly be configured on the Xbox itself. The Accessories application allows you to set up your profiles just the way that you want them. These different profiles can then be set to either one of the two selectable profiles that you can select on the controller. The app even lets you dim down the Xbox button if the white LED annoys you. You can set the analogue sticks’ responsiveness, the trigger activation points and you can remap all of the buttons.
Warning: this Video is very dry!
Price
Both controllers will cost you a bit more than the standard Xbox or PlayStation controllers. However the Revolution Pro is the cheaper option of the two here. It can generally be found for between $99 to $120 on Amazon or at your local games store. This makes it slightly more affordable than the Elite, however, you can see why it’s so much cheaper when you have it in your hands.
The Elite on the other hand costs almost three times more than the standard Xbox controller and its price has pretty much never changed since it was released. Expect to fork out around $150 for the Elite at places such as Walmart, Target and at the Microsoft store. If you’re lucky you might be able to score a deal, but these generally only see about $20 knocked off the price.
The Final Verdict
So after seven rounds in the ring, the Elite has come out as the winner of the best Pro controller. The premium feel, customizable features and the ability to connect wirelessly gives the controller the edge over the competition. However, both controllers offer an advantage over their respective standard controllers and are well worth looking at if you want to take your game to the next level.
