I’ve had the great pleasure of reviewing a couple of different Nacon controllers over the past couple of years. Both for PlayStation and for Xbox, and I’ve used them excessively for PC gaming, too. So when the opportunity to take a look at one of the pro controllers came up, I was very keen to give the Revolution X a go.
I’ve put the Nacon Revolution X through its paces. Approximately 20 hours of game time, set up for different types of games. Shooters, adventure, American Football, and a few other bits here and there.
The trick with the Revolution X is of course that it’s adjustable to match your personal preference, and also to help you gain the edge when playing games. Customisation comes in two flavours. Physical adjustments to the controller, and then software adjustments and programming of the buttons, triggers, and sticks.
Nacon has built a truly customisable controller in the Revolution X, and it’s given me a level of comfort I’d forgotten about with controller-based gaming.
Looks great
I think an Xbox controller looks like an Xbox controller, right? They can have different colours and finishes, but a controller is a controller. Until it’s more than that……
Out of the box, you’re presented with a hardshell case that holds your controller, the additional weights, sticks, and thumb grips. Not forgetting the netting at the top to hold the lovely long braided USB to USB-C cable. The Revolution X is a premium experience the moment you open the box.
Black, punctuated with silver areas, the Revolution X looks great and feels solid. Combined with the braided cable, you know you have a sturdy unit for those extended hours of gaming. Better still, with the case, you can take it with you wherever you need it and keep it safe.
Having your customised controller with you on the move is great. No more “here’s the player 2 controller my brother plays with”. Take yours and retain that edge you’ve got when you’re at home.
Custom is the name of the game
As I said, the Revolution X is customisable on two levels. There are physical hardware changes to make, and then, software-level changes.
Do these make a difference? Hell yes!
I’ll be honest, I find a lot of modern controllers a little too light. It’s the same with mice, and why I’ve added weights to my Logitech G502. I need the feeling of something hefty, something reassuringly weighted. I suppose it’s just a personal preference, but when something feels solid, I feel more confident in it.
I’ve added the heaviest 16g weights on each side, and the Revolution X feels perfect. The outer finish feels solid anyway, and having that weighty feel added to it, really puts my confidence in it, through the roof.
With changeable stick height, too, you can make sure your thumbsticks are optimal for your personal preference. I like them as they are, however, messing with different setups for different styles of games is fun and quite interesting. Add to the stick the different thumb grips and you’ve got yourself a truly personalised controller.
It is a little disappointing that there’s no 8-way d-pad option, as I feel that would really take the controller to the next level. Fighting games often rely on the d-pad, and whilst that’s not my bag, I know having that option would likely be a big factor for a lot of gamers. Whilst it is changeable in the software, a physical pad change would have been preferred.
The Revolution X also has a software package to download. This lets you choose from pre-determined game-type profiles and lets you customise your own to look at stick dead zones, trigger attenuation, and even set things like stick inversions as a default (inverted Y axis for the win, by the way….)
You’re really hit with a massive amount of potential configurations to hit a sweet spot. It’s taken me some time to tweak and work with the Revolution X software to get to the point where I can feel an actual difference, and honestly, it’s incredible to know that I have so much say over how my peripheral actually works.
If you want more control over your control, the Nacon Revolution X is definitely worth looking at.
The price is right
My worry about “pro” controllers has always been the cost vs the value/benefits. Especially when seeing that new PS5 controls are coming out at £200+, it’s crazy money for a peripheral. But, I kinda get it. The cusomisation, that feeling of the device is truly yours. Honed to be a tool suitable specifically to yourself, there’s something in that.
Luckily Nacon understands that and has somehow developed the Revolution X to cost less than £100 online. So, if you weigh up the cost against other standard official controllers, you’re much better off getting a controller with all the additional benefits of customisation.
Revolution X Pro controller overall thoughts
Nacon has produced a gem with the Revolution X Pro Controller. It’s well-priced, well-built, and feels special once you’ve customised it to suit your needs.
I’d love the option for a touch more weight in it, and higher sticks aren’t a requirement of mine. However, for what’s in the package, this is a great deal and a controller you’ll want to keep by your side, no matter the gaming venue.
If the d-pad could be looked at as a customisable option in the next iteration, I think Nacon would be onto a 10/10 product. As it stands, it’s a minor gripe for me and my experience, so I’m comfortable with a very solid 9/10
Awesome work from Nacon, yet again.
For more details about the Revolution X Pro Controller from Nacon, check out the official website. And don’t forget to click HERE to check out more tech reviews.
