Gamepads

Gamepads for console emulation

Gamepads for PCs usually resemble the controllers of systems like the Sony Playstation 3 and Microsoft Xbox 360 and are great for games originally designed for consoles and for gamers used to playing on them. If you already have an Xbox 360, then you can simply use its highly regarded gamepad on your PC. If you need an additional gamepad, you can also purchase a nearly identical Xbox 360 Controller for Windows (*Est. $35) or the Xbox 360 Wireless Controller for Windows (*Est. $55). Reviewers loved this gamepad when it first came out, appreciating its vast improvement over Microsoft's controller for the original Xbox. IGN.com gives it an exemplary nine out of 10 stars, calling it "easily one of, if not the, most ergonomically comfortable" gamepads.

The Saitek Cyborg Rumble Pad (*Est. $35), which is very similar to the Xbox 360 Controller for Windows, adds a few convenient features for a slightly lower price. With four buttons on the right half of the gamepad and an additional four buttons on the shoulders, the Saitek Cyborg Rumble Pad's control layout is almost exactly the same as that of the Xbox's gamepad, but you can switch the orientation of the analog stick and the D-pad so that it mirrors that of a Playstation 3 controller instead. Another unique feature is the Precision Control function, with which you can desensitize some controls to allow for more accuracy. Replacing the Xbox controller's X button in the center of the gamepad is a special first-person shooter (FPS) button that automatically configures the gamepad to the layout of modern FPS games. The Saitek Cyborg Rumble Pad also allows you to set up different layout profiles, a feature that requires an additional software purchase on the Xbox 360 Controller for Windows.

According to a detailed review from OverClockersClub.com, these features make the Saitek Cyborg Rumble Pad a worthy improvement over the Xbox 360 Controller for Windows. The review walks through every step of setting up the gamepad, including unpacking, installation and creating profiles, and then, using two test games, tests and scores it higher than the Xbox 360 Controller for Windows for sensitivity, adjustability and layout, but not necessarily comfort. A reviewer at DriverHeaven.net, who tests the Saitek Cyborg Rumble Pad using two other games, complains about its responsiveness, but it is hard to dismiss the value that comes from the Saitek Cyborg Rumble Pad's additional features.

BrightHub.com ranks the Saitek Cyborg Rumble Pad third on its list of the best gamepads, but their top pick, the Logitech Chillstream (*Est. $20), does not stand up to other reviewers' testing. TechGage.com argues the controller's signature fans are not well designed, as your hands cover the vents. In addition, it does not feature force feedback, which both the Xbox 360 Controller and Saitek Cyborg include.