Nyko didn`t beat Sony to a rumble controller release in Japan but they sure came out with one before the US release. The Zero Wireless controller for the PlayStation 3 has been talked about for a long time now by Nyko and I`ve seen it a few conventions but it`s finally released here in the States. It comes in three flavors and it does rumble in your hands so let`s take a closer look and see if it`s a good third party controller to pick up for your PlayStation 3.



Let`s start off with what it comes with. The Zero Wireless controller for the PlayStation 3 comes equipped with a rechargeable battery, a USB dongle, a very long USB to mini USB cable, and a AA battery pack. One nice thing about the Zero Wireless controller is that you can use either the rechargeable battery pack or any AA battery available. Unlike the Sony controller, you don`t have to plug it in if your battery dies as you can continue on with 2 AA batteries at hand. If your rechargeable battery does die out, you can still plug it in with the included USB cable so that you can charge and play at the same time. When I mean a long USB cable I mean a LOOONG USB cable. Compared to the Microsoft Xbox 360 Play and Charge Kit cable, the Zero Wireless USB cable is about six inches longer allowing me to sit pretty far back from the TV and still be connected. I`m glad Nyko decided to include a long USB cable instead of the way too short one that is packed in with the console. The option to use either the rechargeable battery or a regular set of AA is a great feature of the Zero Wireless controller.

As for the controller, it`s a boomerang shape with large palm grips. The top of the grips are covered with a metallic plate that is suppose to keep the controller cooler than a plastic coating. It does keep the controller a little bit cooler when held a long time and cools off faster than the rest of the plastic shell. The four primary buttons extrude pretty far from the top offering a nice solid feel when pressed. Each button is back-lit so you can see the shapes clearly when the controller is active. They are spaced apart about the same as the Sony controller.

The left and right bumpers are pretty good sized so you`ll be able to press them pretty easily. Conversely, the left and right triggers are a little smaller than what I would`ve liked though. They are curved to accommodate your index finger well and the tension on the spring is pretty good. The springs` strength allowed me to easily adjust how much I press down on the triggers. Compared to the Sony controller, I like the size of the bumpers on the Zero Wireless but I like the triggers on the Sony controller better.

Something that I found curious was the amount of play the D-pad has. By that I mean you can grab the top and bottom with your thumb and forefinger and rotate the entire D-Pad piece left and right a few degrees pretty easily. Compared to an Xbox 360 controller which has the same D-Pad design, the Zero Wireless controller`s implementation doesn`t seem to be as well done. I think the D-Pad is the weakest part of the Zero Wireless though as pressing down and moving around on it, I felt the feel and give of the D-Pad doesn`t seem up to the standards of the rest of the controller. It just doesn`t feel solid.

What Nyko got right though were the two analog sticks. They are concave on top and feature a rubberized top offering a solid non-slip feel to them. Rotating the sticks around, the springs that hold them in place are strong and feel very solid. They snap back into the neutral position quickly and rotate smoothly. Pressing down on the two sticks, you are treated with a nice strong click. Since most of the PlayStation 3 games use the sticks as the primary controls, I`m glad that Nyko did a good job on them.

The Zero W...