Controllers have come a long way since I was a youngster, and that’s fantastic for a whole host of reasons. Obviously a lot of the more deluxe controllers focus on appealing to competitive gamers, who need their every input to count in a tense situation. Plenty of regular gamers want their controllers to be the very best too though, and are happy to pay for all the bells and whistles. With a disabled husband who loves to play video games though it’s often not the fancy features I look for when controller shopping. I didn’t expect the Nacon Revo X Max controller to provide so many features that ticked all the boxes for us, but it’s now something we both couldn’t live without.
The Revo X Max isn’t a controller that immediately jumps out at you with a multitude of deluxe features, in fact quite the opposite. This is a mid range controller that costs a similar amount to an official XBOX controller, but has some key features that make it worth considering. The most important of these are the Hall Effect analogue sticks, which pretty much entirely mitigate the risk of stick drift ruining your gaming. There’s very little more frustrating than having dodgy tech spoil a big session of shooting, and the Revo X Max is happy to ensure that doesn’t happen.
The sticks are hiding another nifty feature too, adjustable tension. By turning a dial at the base of the stick you can change the tension of each stick on the fly, allowing you to customise the friction you want to push against. For my husband especially this is huge, because until now he’s had to use customised low tension controllers provided by the charity Special Effect to game without pain. The main issue with this is that these modified controllers tend to only last a few months before drift ruins them, because they’ve had their sticks weakened. Thanks to the Revo X Max and its Hall Effect sticks this issue is a thing of the past, and the instant adjustable tension means I can use the same controller without struggling with loose sticks. This controller is frankly life changing for us, and would also be helpful for many other gamers with limitations.
Alongside the fantastic analogue sticks, the Revo X Max has loads of other quality of life features. The buttons and D-Pad use tactile micro-switches, which make them feel significantly more precise and satisfying to click. You can also adjust your triggers to use the same micro-switches instead of the classic deeper pull, making them feel almost like the buttons on a mouse. I wasn’t expecting to appreciate this as much as I do, and it’s actually hard to go back to regular triggers now – especially for more competitive games.
Like any good controller aimed at improving your gaming, the Revo X Max also features programmable buttons. These are located at the back of the controller on the grips, and can be assigned to anything you’d struggle to press without changing your position in the heat of battle. While some controllers offer a lot of these there are just two on the Revo X Max, but honestly I can’t really imagine playing a game where I’d want more. They’re easy to program with a bit of practice too, so I find myself using them a lot.
The Nacon Revo X Max controller is a fantastic bit of kit at a wonderful price, and really I don’t have many complaints about it at all. Having to use a wired controller again has taken some getting used to, but I do appreciate not having to charge batteries constantly. The controller does feel a bit bulky upon first use too, but after a few sessions it felt pretty comfortable. The biggest issue I have is probably just the colour, because it only comes in a sleek black option. Most will probably appreciate this, but I’d always prefer something a bit more vibrant.
Especially at its ridiculously reasonable price point, there are very few controllers that could hope to compete with the Revo X Max. It’s a controller that feels fantastic to use, and has a whole host of wonderful features that ensure it’s an upgrade over anything more standard. Whether you want to use its extra buttons, micro-switch triggers or tension adjustable sticks, the Revo X Max has plenty of premium features that’ll make your gaming better.
