Thrustmaster GP XID PRO – Hardware Review
It has been more than two years since we literally had our hands on the GP XID controller, which proved to be the cheaper equivalent of the GPX controllers, which had some extra whistles and bells. Nonetheless, the XID proved to be a great PC plug and play controller for a very democratic price, without any quality loss compared to original Xbox 360/Xbox One controllers. This time Thrustmaster decided to develop the XID’s bigger brother, the PRO version, which received a few updates in terms of design and quality. We were curious to see how PRO this controller really is.
Design
The controller follows the basic design of Microsoft’s controller, albeit with somewhat sleeker handles, and a few different colored portions. The XID PRO has orange sticks, triggers and LED lights, which look quite spiffy in combination with the otherwise completely black controller. The thick braided cable, also with orange influences, looks great and original, as most controllers still have a simple plastic cable.
Just like the XID, the PRO version has small lines running along the handles, and has a somewhat dented shape, which makes the controller stand out, and makes it so that some extra design options were added by the creators. Nonetheless, the design itself is still based on the original XID controller. Thrustmaster is known to stick to the designs of their successful products, and we can’t blame them.
Comfort
Truth be told, even though this controller might be considered as a cheaper third-party device, there is no loss when it comes to overall comfort. The sleeker handles allow for better grip, the triggers have some resistance to them and are curved, heightening the experience. The D-Pad is created in such a fashion that it resembles old school controllers, which is certainly a plus, as most controllers nowadays have crappy D-Pads. Other than that, the button mapping is the same as a normal Xbox controller, which is certainly a plus for those who already work with a Microsoft controller.
Specs
- Cross-shaped D-Pad
- Improved accuracy
- Curved triggers
- Plug & Play
Overview
Like Thrustmaster states in the description of the XID PRO’s specs, the controller is indeed a simple plug & play device, which means you will not need any additional software before this device works. You’ll be up and running in a matter of seconds, and games will immediately recognize the device. Of course, keep in mind, when a game is already running, you might have to shut down the game, plug in the controller, and reboot it before it’s recognized. The latter is something that happens with all controllers, official ones or third party alike.
The triggers have a nice resistance to them, making it easier to properly control them and apply a more controlled pressure to them. The latter is rather important for racing games, as it allows you to control your vehicle pressure, by properly dosing the throttle. The action buttons themselves are mapped like a normal controller, thus making the controller feel like something familiar. The buttons themselves are very much alike the normal controller. The sticks are claimed to be more precise, and they also have a nice resistance to them, and you’ll notice that everything responds as it should and that all buttons react very precisely. Nonetheless, it’s hard to properly measure if they are more precise, but you’ll notice that this controller, which only costs less than half of an official controller, works as good as the original one.
This edition of the GP XID PRO has a braided cable, which is certainly a nice plus, and while you won’t notice it when you’re playing games, it’s always fun to have a more durable product, especially when it comes at a rather low price.
Conclusion
Thrustmaster’s GP XID PRO might not be an extreme difference with the original XID controller, safe for some touching up design and performance wise, it’s still a very good buy for a very low price. If you’re looking for a decent controller to play PC games with, but don’t want to spend more than double of the XID PRO’s price on an official controller, this one will surely do the trick, with better triggers and equal performance.
Thrustmaster GP XID PRO – Hardware Review,
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