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If you like the Xbox One controller’s size and shape but don’t care for the Xbox-style staggered analog stick layout, buy this now. Don’t get me wrong: it’s very comfortable, it’s just not very interesting. The shape of the Xbox One controller has been fine-tuned over three console generations and nearly two decades of optimization, and the Stratus XL mimics it almost exactly. This is sort of ironic, but I actually find it slightly disappointing how generic the Stratus XL’s shape is. Still, some games use it effectively-like the original Silent Hill-and if you play those titles with the Stratus XL, you’ll miss out on the effect. I’ve rarely felt that the crude haptic feedback technology used in almost all modern gamepads adds much to the experience, so I’m not too bent up about its absence here. That’s not bad, but it’s likely due in large part to the fact that this controller entirely lacks any sort of vibration or “rumble” feature. Yet, after all this use, the controller still reports that its battery life is at three dots of four. They’re not real fancy-just a couple of standard no-name alkaline cells. After over a month of using the Stratus XL as my primary gamepad, I’m still using those same two batteries. The Stratus XL takes two AA batteries for power, and SteelSeries helpfully includes a pair in the box. Even if they did, the Stratus XL would be extremely awkward to use with the battery cover removed and a cable sticking out of the bottom.
Steelseries controller setup windows 10 Pc#
You can hook it up to your PC via USB, and the PC will see it as a gamepad, but games will not recognize any of its inputs. Indeed, this is a PC gamepad with absolutely no capacity for plugged-in gameplay. Why is it hidden there? Because you can only use it for firmware updates. To find such a port, you’ll have to look under the battery cover.
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What you won’t find on the exterior of the pad is any sort of port where you might hook up a wire. On the underside there’s a physical switch to turn the controller on and off.
Steelseries controller setup windows 10 Bluetooth#
Up top you’ll find a Bluetooth pairing button, as well as a clicker that lets you use the four tiny lights on the front of the pad to briefly display the current battery capacity of the controller. The sticks are in the center, PlayStation-style, while the face buttons are more Xbox-ian in their arrangement.īesides the usual buttons and sticks, there are a few extra fiddly bits on the Stratus XL. In fact, the layout of the controller takes cues from both the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 controllers. Savvy readers will note that this is the exact same configuration as a standard Xbox or PlayStation controller from the last few generations of consoles. The Stratus XL is a Bluetooth gamepad with 11 buttons, two triggers, a directional pad, and two analog sticks. Today, the test subject under the lights is SteelSeries’ Stratus XL wireless controller. It’s not just mice and keyboards that I’m particularly persnickety about, though I’m picky about my pads, too. After all, that’s why I do these reviews. Regular readers of my reviews will no doubt be well aware that I’m real picky about my input devices.