After many weeks of waiting and a customs delay on Gamestop’s end, my big beefy reimagined remake of the original Xbox’s gamepad is here. I snapped a picture next to my own Xbone controller for scale, and all in all, it’s not half bad.
However, before jumping to retailers you should take in some key elements of the product here. First off it’s more of a collectors piece than the replacement for your aging gamepad, as it’s not nearly as comfortable as Microsoft’s current iteration. Notably due to the bumpers being shoehorned in some pretty awkward spots but it’s perfectly usable nonetheless. After some testing to see how it holds up after 12 years of ditching mine for the much more streamlined Xbox S controller (which I still have), I will say that older titles definitely feel better when compared to some newer ones, most likely due to no reliance on easy access to bumpers and buttons on the fly.
The Verdict: At $70 for a wired controller it’s still pretty sick, and if you’re a fan of the OG Black Beast of the 6th generation like I am or just have mammoth-sized hands, then it’s definitely worth a buy. However, from a more casual perspective the controller most likely won’t resonate as well with others. Nonetheless, props to Hyperkin on creating a solid nostalgia piece that’s compatible with modern hardware.
The Batarang! I still remember the original, I couldn't switch to the S controller fast enough.
I might pick one up to add to the collection (I really do "collect" them) if I see one, but I'm OK if it's absent from my lineup. Still, it's cool to see the nostalgic tip of the hat for the original Duke.