Razer Onza

The original Xbox 360 wireless controller is indeed the best designed first party controller on the market. Ergonomically shaped, with the offset left stick design, and smooth operating triggers, it absolutely blows the blocky, tiny, PS3 DualShock 3 away. That said, there certainly is room for improvement. The rechargeable battery pack dies ridiculously quickly and totally fails after only a few short cycles. The D pad is atrociously imprecise and loose. And the sticks are rather loose, the death kneel for the precision needed in First Person Shooters (FPSs).

For these reasons, I've been waiting over a year for the "Onza" Tournament Edition premium Xbox 360 controller from the peripheral magicians at Razer. This is Razer's, a company known for premium PC gaming gear, first entry into the under-explored premium console peripheral market. So after several hours of controller test driving, how did Razer fair? Pretty freaking well, but more room for improvement remains. I shall explain...

The feel of the Onza body is very similar to the original. It is slightly bigger and rubberized, making it very ergonomic and comfortable to hold. The sticks start with a "same as always" feel, until you turn the clicky wheel just beneath the knobs. Turning the wheel increases stick resistance. I found myself increasing the left stick resistance a little bit and cranking the resistance all the way on the right stick, used for among in FPSs. This nicely compensates for the tendency to overshoot during frantic firefights. And have no worries, the resistance wheel is very firm and will not accidentally turn during play.

The face buttons are the most noticeable improvement from the M$ default. The button throw distance is significantly reduced and a satisfying click accompanies every press. The D pad has been replaced with four separate buttons, greatly simplifying the accuracy in weapon changing, the typical D pad function. This would, however, make the D pad totally useless for fighting controls.

The trigger section feels almost identical, with the exception of a second set of bumper buttons. The top row is easily programmable to mimic any other button. In my case, I set them to the "clic the stick" function. This function, often used for melee or scope zoom, is much better served with a dedicated button, versus an often "aim killing" stick click. That said, when playing a new game and not used to the controls, I still tend to follow the screen prompts and click the stick when told to.

So what needs improving? First, the controller is wired. Although, this is because Microsoft will not license third party wireless controllers and the Onza does come with a durable 15 foot braided cord, the kids just love their wireless and parents love a cord free living room. This really isn't an issue for me, as I prefer no changing batteries and don't mind the cord, especially with ample length to span my game room, but it is certainly worth mentioning.

Second, I find myself needing to relearn how to press a bumper button. In the past, when bumper was needed, rather than take my finger off the trigger, I just rolled my knuckle off and, well, bumped the bumper. Now it requires a definite dedicated press, as roll will engage the reprogrammable bumper instead.

Lastly, a couple minor quips: 1. The face buttons are backlit which is great, but in a dark room, the gap between the button and the body occasionally allows bright light from the LED to sneak by. 2. The Xbox symbol button is ass ugly. It looks like they photocopied the symbol and pasted it on the button.

So what is the final verdict? For the hardcore gamer, a definite buy. It's not perfect, but for $50, it is a superior controller when compared to the default M$ sticks. For casual gamers or parents, not a bad purchase, especially to avoid battery replacement, but probably best if you are in the need for an extra controller, not to replace a perfectly good one. For pro gamers, nope, if for no other reason the MLG has banned the Onza for having reprogrammable buttons and likely because MLG is sponsored by MadKatz, Razer's peripheral rival company.

Now back to Crysis 2, but check back next week for my take on the third party Xbox 360 to PS3 controller adaptor. Will I kiss the shitacular DualShock 3 good bye? Stay tuned.



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