NACON Revolution 5 Pro – Hardware Review
Looking for that ideal controller to scratch your gaming itch is always a challenge. Most of the time, the official controllers for your platform of choice will be perfect for the job at hand, but if you’re a multiplatform gamer, you might want a device that you can use on a multitude of platforms. NACON recently released their Revolution 5 Pro controller which works for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC. The controller is a premium device with a lot of different options, and we were curious to see how well it performed.
Design
The Revolution 5 Pro is an asymmetrical controller without too many flashy bells and whistles. When looking at the front, things look fairly neat, with a white shell and black finishing touches. The rubber pads on the sides look decent, the touchpad has a matte black coating, and all the face buttons are black as well. The buttons have clear symbols on them, and except for the asymmetrical stick placement, everything is in the same place as it is for a DualSense controller.
On the backside, you’ll see many different switches and buttons. These allow you to switch profiles, lock your trigger buttons, choose the platform you’ll be using the controller on, and so on. All in all, even with the overabundance of switches and buttons, everything still looks very neat. It’s easy to say that the controller looks quite good.
Comfort
Truth be told, while the controller has a lot of functions, we are going to classify most of them under the comfort section, as they all have to do with adjusting the controller to your personal preference or button placements. In this case, you can customize many components of what the base controller offers. You can swap out the different sticks, opting for convex or concave sticks. There is also an additional set of convex sticks in the box which have a higher rise. There are also two different D-pads to choose from.
In the box, you’ll also find small weights that can be inserted into the controller’s handles. This may add a bit of weight to the controller if you prefer a bulkier experience. This is, of course, a matter of personal preference, but it’s still a nice feature. Removing the exterior of the handles is easy to do. One thing was noticeable, however, the rubber-like material for these handles smells horrible. The cheap plastic-like smell will easily transfer to your hands, and the smell will only go away after washing your hands. As we only were able to use the controller for a week, we are unsure if this is just the smell of new plastic or if this is something that will linger for longer periods.
That being said, the controller itself is very comfortable. We preferred playing with the device without the added weights, and we simply customized the sticks and the D-pad. All in all, the asymmetrical layout is quite pleasant, and the button feedback is great. The device was enjoyable to work with for longer gaming sessions. In terms of comfort, NACON nailed the overall experience. The only minor remark we’d make here is that the back buttons have a somewhat unfortunate placement, and these buttons are also too sensitive. During our initial gaming sessions with the controller, we’d accidentally press the back buttons quite a few times, triggering some unwanted commands in several games.
NACON’s Revolution 5 Pro also comes with customizable triggers. With a switch for each of the triggers, you can adjust how far you’re able to press down said triggers. You can opt for the full range, but you can also lock the triggers so that they can only be pressed down halfway to their normal range. This is a fun feature, which allows you to change your setup for different types of games.
Overview
Getting started with the Revolution 5 Pro is fairly easy. On the back of the controller, you’ll have a switch to select the device of your choice. In this case that would be PS4, PS5, or PC. You can also opt for the wireless Bluetooth connection via the dongle or the wired connection. Once again, you’ll have to flip the correct switch on the top of the device to set everything up correctly. After this, it’s pretty much smooth sailing during your gaming sessions. With a single charge, you should be able to game for around ten hours.
The controller also comes with its own software (or app) if you want to adjust some of its base settings. You can create different profiles, load presets, assign commands to the back buttons, etc. The software is easy to work with, and it does give the Revolution 5 Pro a big edge over standard controllers. The device also makes use of the Hall Effect technology for its joysticks, meaning there should be no noticeable stick drift. We found the sticks to be very responsive and smooth, which allowed us to enjoy all types of games. Of course, some argue that Hall Effect joysticks are less precise in their ‘middle zone’, but we didn’t notice anything in that regard. The software also allows you to fine-tune stick settings, so you should always be able to tweak the joystick to your liking.
To also address the elephant in the room for NACON’s premium controller: it doesn’t come with any rumble features for PlayStation 5 whatsoever. While we know Sony doesn’t want third-party developers to use their DualSense technology, having no rumble or haptic feedback at all is quite disappointing for a controller that comes with such a hefty price tag. Don’t get us wrong, this controller is great for PC and PS4, even though Sony’s previous generation console is somewhat losing its relevancy in our current gaming landscape. Sadly, this makes the Revolution 5 Pro a somewhat disappointing PS5 controller compared to the overall experience a licensed DualSense controller offers. Even so, the comfort features make up for a lot. Another small annoyance comes from the fact that even if this would be your main PS5 controller, you won’t be able to turn on the console with the Revolution 5 Pro.
Conclusion
NACON’s Revolution 5 Pro is a great premium controller, if you mainly game via PC. While the device is certainly still decent for PS5 games, the lack of actual functions on Sony’s console is very disappointing. That being said, however, the Revolution 5 Pro is an absolute delight to work with thanks to its many comfort features and other functionalities. The supporting software unlocks the true potential of this device, and if you’re a heavy PC gamer looking for a premium controller, this one might be interesting.
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