Nacon sent me their Revolution X & Pro Compact Colorlight Gamepads a month or so ago. I’ve been using them as I review the never-ending barrage of games to review and have come away with mixed emotions.
Pro Compact Colorlight
First up is the Colorlight.
Features
- Customizable LED controller licensed for Xbox and compatible with PC.
- 6 LEDs with 25 color variations, 4 lighting effects, and 3 scrolling speeds allow for over a quintillion customization combinations.
- Map buttons set thumbstick sensitivity, and adjust trigger dead zones with the dedicated app available on the Microsoft Store.
- 3.5mm headphone jack for audio and chat functionality (headset not included).
- It is wired to reduce latency and give you split-second reaction speeds.
- Officially Licensed for Xbox – Features Xbox, View, Menu, and Share buttons.
- Durable and flexible 3-meter braided USB cable included.
Feel wise at $40 it’s about what you’d expect. Solid, clear plastic lets you see the components inside as they’re illuminated by vibrant LEDs. The Menu, View, and Share buttons are in odd positions. Menu is just to the right of the left analog stick. Menu is just to the left of the face buttons, and Share is underneath the Xbox Nexus button which itself is stuck square in the middle. It works but my muscle memory was off while using it
There are 6 LED zones with a decent variety of looks and effects. You can also “customize” the controller using Nacon’s app. I had a hard time getting it to read the controller at first but it worked eventually after an app update a few weeks ago.
It’s a bog standard pretty, basic wired controller. The cable is insanely long and one of the controller’s best features. It worked a-ok on console and PC and would be a decent pick-up as an extra battery free option. Nothing crazy, but sometimes an okay feeling durable controller is all you need for a given situation.
Revolution X Pro Camo
Clocking in at $100 retail this is a big beefy boy with options to spare and the controller I used the most lately.
Features
- Competition-grade wired controller for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One
- Pro Customization: Map buttons, set thumbstick sensitivity, set trigger dead zones and much more with the dedicated Revolution X app that allows pro customization options. Switch between concave and convex thumbsticks plus thumbstick shaft sizes allowing you to customize your play style.
- Low latency, greater accuracy: Wired to reduce latency, allowing for faster reaction times and greater accuracy. Four programmable rear panel triggers provide an extra level of control.
- Special Field Camo colorway: Cloaked in a Forest Camo design to complete your tactical gaming setup.
- Durable: Long 9.8FT/3M nylon braided cable that is highly durable and ultra-flexible.
- Game Chat: 3.5 mm headphone jack for game audio and chat functionality (headphones not included)
- Buttons overview: Xbox, View, Menu & Share
Another wired entrant “to reduce latency” the X Pro feels pretty darned good in the hands. Its party trick is in having multiple points of weight adjustment. You can places weights in the rear of each grip and add them to the sticks. For those who are looking to kill a Puma this may come in handy. The X Pro is thicc, and the included cable is high quality and nearly ten feet long.
It’s damned comfortable to use for long periods once you get the weight right. It did feel a little light with nothing added so I put some of the smaller weights in and enjoyed how substantial and deadly it felt. If any ninjas were lurking in the shadows I was ready to dome them straight to hell with this thing. Unlike the Colorlight the buttons are all in familiar positions on the front and you get a few on the back that you can customize using their PC app.
That app can set up to 4 profiles on the controller itself but my boring ass just left it on A, B, X, and Y like always. A neat bonus is the controller itself gives you a Dolby Atmos license on Xbox and PC. Hook up a headset to it while it’s connected to the PC and you’re good to go.
As for the colorway, I’m not much of a camo guy myself but found it tastefully done here. It’s not bright or in your face, though if you have a lot of black and grays where you place it down you may never be able to see it again. Priced at an MSRP of $99 it is hard to recommend over an Elite Series 2 which is often discounted near this price. The X Pro has been marked down a lot during the holidays and at $50 it’s a solid buy.
Wrapping Things Up
Nacon has a couple of decent options here. While I wouldn’t immediately recommend either at their MSRP they have been on sale enough during the holidays that the Colorlight is great for kids as a 2nd controller and the X Pro is a solid Elite alternative when on sale.
Links to each product:
Revolution X Pro Controller Camo Edition for Xbox – Nacon (nacongaming.com) & Pro Compact Colour Light for Xbox, fully customizable – Nacon (nacongaming.com)
page itself has a bunch of pictures of the X Pro Camo