Logitech Cordless Rumblepad 2 with Vibration Feedback (Black) by Logitech
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Our Price: $39.99 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: CE See more digital camera details and other models |
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Digital camera reviews of Logitech Cordless Rumblepad 2 with Vibration Feedback (Black)
Digital camera Review: Can't believe it doesn't have a cord
Summary: 5 Stars
Although this is a new purchase, and I've only used it for just over a month, it is the single best game controller I've had for my PC. I have several other Logitech devices in use on the 2 PC's in my home, and both have been performing flawlessly for over 2 years. This game controller was a stretch for me, I've never had much faith in cordless hardware. This unit may as well have a cord attached to it, it responds better than the Gravis controllers I've had (5), and the action on the joysticks is profoundly accurate. Durability is still in question, since I've only put 30 hours on this unit. My PC is a Dell Dimension 8200, running XP Home edition with service pack 2 already installed (CD version, minimal install). The games I play are Mechwarrior 4 and expansions, NASCAR games. The driving games have been hard to get used to, the controller responds so quickly that I'm not used to that amount of precision. For the price you pay, you can't go wrong. Especially if you're familiar with the Sony Playstation controller.
Digital camera Review: Closest thing to a Console Controller for PC
Summary: 4 Stars
Probably the best gamepad for PCS from logitech...it rumbles just like console controllers...cordless...and has the basic same feel as other console controllers...more closer to the playstaion one though...keep in mind the rumble funcion doesnt work with all games...and from my experience the controller works best overall with EA games..I play Need for speed most wanted and NBA live 2006....abosolutely no problems...great acuracy and compatibily.Digital camera Review: Comfortable and responsive; by far the best controller I've used
Summary: 5 Stars
Aside from the convenience of cordless (I'm now trying to kick the habit of constantly moving the now non-existent cord out of the way), there are other reasons to like this controller. Some complain about the weight, but it doesn't seem too heavy to me. With the batteries installed, it has just the right amount of heft, making it feel solid and well-built. The controls are smooth, accurate, and well-placed for my thumbs (I have somewhat large hands). There is no cheap plastic feel, and the slightly textured plastic case is pleasing to the touch. The rubbery tops of the thumbsticks provide a secure grip for your thumbs.
With wireless, I was worried about lag, but there is none perceivable. Action games play fine where timing is critical. A nice touch is the ability to quickly swap the D-pad and left analog stick via a toggle button right between them (with corresponding indicator light). That makes it easy to go exactly straight forward when you need to. Because although there are slight centering guides to keep the thumbsticks centered horizontally and vertically, it is still very easy to move off to the side. That's not a complaint, as I think analog controls should allow you to move in any direction easily.
Only two complaints:
1. When releasing the thumbstick quickly, its self-centering action will often overshoot to the opposite direction for a split second before settling in the center. It is enough to turn the game character around. I've had to get used to releasing the stick more gently to avoid this.
2. Macintosh software is not included nor available from Logitech's web site for customizing buttons. The included software is Windows-only. I was disappointed when the D-pad was not automatically recognized in certain games. I figured I could just configure the game's controls to perform the appropriate actions, but the D-pad is not treated as buttons and not recognized at all. However, I was able to solve this by using the shareware "GamePad Companion" to assign keystrokes to the D-pad.
Pros:
Solid feel
Smooth action
Wireless
Analog <-> D-pad toggle
Thumbsticks act as two more buttons
Excellent battery life (seems to be true to the advertising claim of 100 hours with vibration off)
Cons:
Thumbstick overshoot
No Mac software
Digital camera Review: Completely impressed in every possible way
Summary: 5 Stars
Well, I must admit I almost never right reviews but after configuring this Logitech Gamepad, I couldn't be happier. Most of the other positive reviews cover the overall basics: good build, easy to clean, durable (although I have found the 1 key to stick at time), 10 ft range, ps2 controller feel, plenty of button positions to program (28 if you count both the analog directional pad and 4 positions per joystick).
I had a bit of a problem with the fact that I initially found this gamepad surprisingly difficult to use with a few fairly recent FPS games (Far Cry, Battlefield series; GTA vice city worked straight away and even had a default configuration), not by the fault of Logitech but rather because these games lack joypad support (this is because these games generally require the use of the keyboard keys for movement while using the mouse to control view and aiming). However, after snooping around the internet I found a great program called ControlMK. It basically allows you to program every single key on the gamepad with any key or movement normally performed with a keyboard or mouse. This means I was able to program one joystick with movement via keyboard keys (W,S,A,D) and the other joystick with mouse axis controls (pos/neg x/y) allowing it to function with the view ability (while obviously using a mouse/keyboard for most games is more accurate, it's easy to get good with this setup and a few tweeks of threshold and gain settings)! Not only was this a great solution to playing ANY game regardless of joypad support, it also allows me to use my joypad for regular operating system controls (mouse movement and clicks, media controls, directional keys, etc)! Coupled with the exceptionally long range provided by the wireless, I lay back in bed with my Dell XPS laptop running Windows Vista Business connected to a 50 inch plasma tv and play video games while sometimes breaking to check email or stock quote updates without moving a muscle! Also means I don't have to worry about taking my wireless mouse/keyboard combo with me on a trip if I want to play or just watch movies on the widescreen display at a distance while having control of volume, start/stop, track skipping and mouse functions at my finger tips.
All in all, if you want to have a great value solution for mobile gaming, I've never used one more versatile than this. Coupled with ControlMK, it should work with just about any game and you can also use this as a programmable remote control for your pc. The wireless range is exceptional and the feel is exactly what you'd expect. I've had other great Logitech products and I'm glad to see a veteran hardware company like this contiue to release new innovative products. A++!
Edit:
Forgot to mention that Windows Vista actually comes with an onscreen keyboard in the accessories section. With this you can even "type" by using the controller to mouse over any onscreen keyboard letters and clicking.
Digital camera Review: Completely stopped working after a year or so
Summary: 3 Stars
This gamepad was great, when it worked. It was quite responsive, controls were great, and force feedback was awesome (for the games that worked with it...namely, Jade Empire and......that's it). However, a few weeks ago I was playing it, and all of a sudden it completely stopped working. Just be warned; the life on these things is only about a year.