Nacon Revolution Pro X GBAtemp review
With instant triggers, hall effect technology and 1000 Hz PC mode, the Revolution Pro X offers wireless connectivity and on-the-fly adjustable stick tension.
Product Information:
Nacon is back with another offering for the Xbox and PC gaming communities, this time by way of the Revolution Pro X Hell is Us special edition controller, that ties into Nacon's self-published action-adventure game of the same name.
Sleek, smooth & Feature-Packed
Featuring a gorgeous rhythmic patina across its surface, the Revolution Pro X (not to be confused with the Revolution X Pro) feels as smooth as silk running your thumbs across its soft-touch facade, only catching your digits on the main four face buttons and D-pad that are notably glossy by comparison and incredibly tactile.
The controller has a nice weight to it at around 250 grams, but unlike the Nacon Revolution 5 Unlimited, or the Nacon Revolution X unlimited, it has no additional weights or compartments to make it any heavier. The main weight of the device stems from the 4 built-in vibration motors that really rock your wrists as well as the built-in battery.
Included in the box is a snap-together stand that houses the convex sticks, the 8-way faceted D-pad and the USB dongle. Once assembled it holds your controller upright, seating it nicely, ready for play, but here-in lies the dilemma: it offers neither charging nor pass-through dongle support, so as a desk tidy and display stand, it's nice to have, but as far as functionality, it's super weak. I also found that you cannot disassemble the stand once built, meaning you cannot pack it away neatly back into its own box without removing the entirety of the inner cardboard packaging.
The first thing you notice about this controller, after the tribal-esque topographic-looking series of contour lines that never intersect, is the adjustable tension stick rings and additional paddles on the rear. With a total of 24 buttons and three switches emblazoning the peripheral, there is no shortage of features and customisation to make this controller truly yours, even mid-game. The unique selling point here is that the controller features modifiable tautness across both joysticks, with a range of 40gf to 120gf (gram-force) allowing you to make them as stiff or loose as you wish per the scenario you find yourself in. If you're in a racing game, you might want to stiffen them up, but if you're elbow-deep in a shooting title, you might wish to loosen them off.
Sure, it takes a little getting used to, but once you have experienced the full range of traction you can customise, you will realise that you don't need to stick to just one setting; you can alter them mid-game, tweaking them to your preference between bouts and finding your sweet spot. Personally, I loved the default sticks that came with the controller, and I have to admit that I'm not a huge fan of convex sticks. I can imagine that some gamers prefer this style, so I'm glad they come as an optional extra to suit all folks' preferences out of the box.
The 8-way D-pad is another nice touch too. I far prefer this style over the original 4-way design; I think it looks edgier and allows me to play fighting games and platformers more easily. All of the buttons, including the D-pad, on the RPX are micro switches, which feel intensely clicky and wonderful to use. Once you lock your triggers down to short pull, they too use micro switches and feel like super speedy mouse clicks.
As well as the remappable paddles, the RPX has four profile modes when in Xbox mode and 4 more additional profiles in PC mode to store your favourite setups. Additionally, it has in-game volume adjustment by holding mute and tapping either up or down on the D-pad, and chat volume balance can be turned up or down by holding the mute button and either left or right on the D-pad too.
More Elite than the Elite V2
Bringing wireless via the 2.4 GHz dongle, Bluetooth built-in and high-speed wired connectivity via the USB-C/USB-A cable, this controller is compatible with every device I own, including my smart TV, laptop, mini-PC and even my iPhone. With a target price of £109 in Europe, the RPX is far better value than Microsoft's own Elite controllers. For example, the full standard edition Elite controller V2 would set you back £169.99, whereas the RPX sits at £109, which is a significant £60 cheaper and all you're really missing out on is a second set of rear programmable paddles.
The RPX packs in hall effect triggers and sticks, micro switches on each button, adjustable stick tension, and 1000 Hz polling for PC versus the Elite V2's 125 Hz. Interestingly, the Xbox itself limits polling to 250Hz, but the Elite controllers never meet that. As an alternative, you could go for a Razer Wolverine V3 8K, but is 8000 Hz polling really necessary on PC? I would speculate not for non-professional esports tournament types; 1000 Hz is plenty for the average gamer, and I definitely did not notice the 1ms latency at all while testing it on my PC.
Switching from console to PC mode is done by simply attaching the braided 3-meter USB cable and tapping the multi-function button on the top of the controller. This might seem a little counterintuitive given the switch on the rear that you already need to have clicked across to USB mode as well, but the button on the top swaps between Xbox and PC modes to attain the higher polling rates when wired to a computer. This most likely is required also to facilitate the onboard profile storage per device (Xbox/PC).
The only feature the upcoming Elite V3 (Edessa) might come with that would be impactful is the use of TMR versus Hall effect technology. Lower energy consumption on TMR would increase battery life from the RPX's current ~15 hours, which is already decent, but with TMR tech it could definitely achieve higher yield per charge, though at a slightly higher cost in the bill of materials.
Pro Controller, Pro by Nature
Overall, the Nacon Revolution Pro X Hell is Us special edition controller is fantastically comfortable to hold, not too heavy but not too light, and is well-rounded with features that are adjustable to the nth degree. I particularly enjoyed the mechanical customisation on-the-fly, which allows you to refine your actions in real time, and the wireless freedom paired with the option to use it wired from 3m away from your TV.
This is essentially a mid-range wireless variant of the £59.99 Revo X Max, sharing almost identical features and ergonomics, grip style and feel, and as such, the "pro" moniker and £109 pricing make somewhat more sense, what with its additional battery, stand, interchangeable sticks & D-pad as well as three connectivity options.
If you're looking for a replacement Xbox/PC/Smart TV controller that steps up your game and saves you £60 over the official Elite offerings, then you could do a lot worse than this. Some people may complain that this controller feels too "plasticky", but personally I adore the smooth-feeling shell juxtaposed with the grippier-by-comparison buttons and super tactile triggers that are clearly built to last.
Sleek, smooth & Feature-Packed
Featuring a gorgeous rhythmic patina across its surface, the Revolution Pro X (not to be confused with the Revolution X Pro) feels as smooth as silk running your thumbs across its soft-touch facade, only catching your digits on the main four face buttons and D-pad that are notably glossy by comparison and incredibly tactile.
The controller has a nice weight to it at around 250 grams, but unlike the Nacon Revolution 5 Unlimited, or the Nacon Revolution X unlimited, it has no additional weights or compartments to make it any heavier. The main weight of the device stems from the 4 built-in vibration motors that really rock your wrists as well as the built-in battery.
Included in the box is a snap-together stand that houses the convex sticks, the 8-way faceted D-pad and the USB dongle. Once assembled it holds your controller upright, seating it nicely, ready for play, but here-in lies the dilemma: it offers neither charging nor pass-through dongle support, so as a desk tidy and display stand, it's nice to have, but as far as functionality, it's super weak. I also found that you cannot disassemble the stand once built, meaning you cannot pack it away neatly back into its own box without removing the entirety of the inner cardboard packaging.
The first thing you notice about this controller, after the tribal-esque topographic-looking series of contour lines that never intersect, is the adjustable tension stick rings and additional paddles on the rear. With a total of 24 buttons and three switches emblazoning the peripheral, there is no shortage of features and customisation to make this controller truly yours, even mid-game. The unique selling point here is that the controller features modifiable tautness across both joysticks, with a range of 40gf to 120gf (gram-force) allowing you to make them as stiff or loose as you wish per the scenario you find yourself in. If you're in a racing game, you might want to stiffen them up, but if you're elbow-deep in a shooting title, you might wish to loosen them off.
Sure, it takes a little getting used to, but once you have experienced the full range of traction you can customise, you will realise that you don't need to stick to just one setting; you can alter them mid-game, tweaking them to your preference between bouts and finding your sweet spot. Personally, I loved the default sticks that came with the controller, and I have to admit that I'm not a huge fan of convex sticks. I can imagine that some gamers prefer this style, so I'm glad they come as an optional extra to suit all folks' preferences out of the box.
The 8-way D-pad is another nice touch too. I far prefer this style over the original 4-way design; I think it looks edgier and allows me to play fighting games and platformers more easily. All of the buttons, including the D-pad, on the RPX are micro switches, which feel intensely clicky and wonderful to use. Once you lock your triggers down to short pull, they too use micro switches and feel like super speedy mouse clicks.
As well as the remappable paddles, the RPX has four profile modes when in Xbox mode and 4 more additional profiles in PC mode to store your favourite setups. Additionally, it has in-game volume adjustment by holding mute and tapping either up or down on the D-pad, and chat volume balance can be turned up or down by holding the mute button and either left or right on the D-pad too.
Bringing wireless via the 2.4 GHz dongle, Bluetooth built-in and high-speed wired connectivity via the USB-C/USB-A cable, this controller is compatible with every device I own, including my smart TV, laptop, mini-PC and even my iPhone. With a target price of £109 in Europe, the RPX is far better value than Microsoft's own Elite controllers. For example, the full standard edition Elite controller V2 would set you back £169.99, whereas the RPX sits at £109, which is a significant £60 cheaper and all you're really missing out on is a second set of rear programmable paddles.
The RPX packs in hall effect triggers and sticks, micro switches on each button, adjustable stick tension, and 1000 Hz polling for PC versus the Elite V2's 125 Hz. Interestingly, the Xbox itself limits polling to 250Hz, but the Elite controllers never meet that. As an alternative, you could go for a Razer Wolverine V3 8K, but is 8000 Hz polling really necessary on PC? I would speculate not for non-professional esports tournament types; 1000 Hz is plenty for the average gamer, and I definitely did not notice the 1ms latency at all while testing it on my PC.
Switching from console to PC mode is done by simply attaching the braided 3-meter USB cable and tapping the multi-function button on the top of the controller. This might seem a little counterintuitive given the switch on the rear that you already need to have clicked across to USB mode as well, but the button on the top swaps between Xbox and PC modes to attain the higher polling rates when wired to a computer. This most likely is required also to facilitate the onboard profile storage per device (Xbox/PC).
The only feature the upcoming Elite V3 (Edessa) might come with that would be impactful is the use of TMR versus Hall effect technology. Lower energy consumption on TMR would increase battery life from the RPX's current ~15 hours, which is already decent, but with TMR tech it could definitely achieve higher yield per charge, though at a slightly higher cost in the bill of materials.
Overall, the Nacon Revolution Pro X Hell is Us special edition controller is fantastically comfortable to hold, not too heavy but not too light, and is well-rounded with features that are adjustable to the nth degree. I particularly enjoyed the mechanical customisation on-the-fly, which allows you to refine your actions in real time, and the wireless freedom paired with the option to use it wired from 3m away from your TV.
This is essentially a mid-range wireless variant of the £59.99 Revo X Max, sharing almost identical features and ergonomics, grip style and feel, and as such, the "pro" moniker and £109 pricing make somewhat more sense, what with its additional battery, stand, interchangeable sticks & D-pad as well as three connectivity options.
If you're looking for a replacement Xbox/PC/Smart TV controller that steps up your game and saves you £60 over the official Elite offerings, then you could do a lot worse than this. Some people may complain that this controller feels too "plasticky", but personally I adore the smooth-feeling shell juxtaposed with the grippier-by-comparison buttons and super tactile triggers that are clearly built to last.
Verdict
What We Liked ...
- On-the-fly adjustable stick tension (40gf-120gf).
- Hall effect sticks, lockout triggers and micro switch buttons.
- Includes desk tidy stand and 3M USB-A/USB-C cable.
- Swappable 8-way D-pad and convex topped sticks.
- 2.4 GHz USB-A dongle included, Bluetooth built-in.
- 1000 Hz polling when wired on a PC.
- Rock-solid build quality throughout.
What We Didn't Like ...
- Included stand is not a charging or dongle pass-through dock.
- Some might not like the fully plastic feel.
8.8
out of 10
