Logitech Cordless Precision Controller
Written by Charles Husemann on 7/10/2004 for
Xbox
One of the things I don’t like about my Xbox is that I’ve got to sit within six feet of the TV to play on the it. This means sitting in a hardback chair or on the floor instead of the nice comfy recliner. Sure, I could move the recliner closer or get an extension cable but that’s not really an elegant solution. The solution of course is to get a wireless controller which enables people to relax in the big recliner (or comfy sofa) and game without running cables across the living room.
This review is going to focus on the Logitech Cordless Precision Controller for the X-box. John’s review of the PS2 version of this controller, which you can find here. The package comes with the controller, a receiver which plugs into the Xbox, and a pair of AA batteries (down from the four in previous versions of the controller).
Installation is easy. You simply insert the batteries into the controller, plug the receiver in and you’re ready to game. The controller itself feels a little smaller than the X-box S controller but it doesn’t appear to be physically smaller. The controller is also fairly lightweight and should cause any major cramps during long gaming marathons.
The controller is a little more M shaped than the standard “S” controller due to the lack of expansion slots at the top of the controller. The two analog sticks have a nice transparent, green tinted plastic piece below them that allows you to see the internals of the controller. Just above and to the right of the left thumbstick is a button that allows you to toggle the vibration on and off. The buttons are laid out in typical X-box fashion but the white and black buttons are a little closer to the rest of the buttons. It’s a nice feature which makes the buttons a little more useful. The left and right triggers are decent but could be a bit stiffer but it’s a minor gripe. The controller is well put together and with one exception it lives up to the Logitech image of quality components.
The one exception is the controller’s D-pad. It doesn’t feel as nice as the ones on the S Controller and it’s very loose. It cheapens what is an otherwise solid controller. I would have also liked small cup like indentations on the thumbsticks like those on the S controller has but it is something I can live without.From a gaming perspective the Cordless Precision Controller is rock solid. I didn’t experience any perceptible lag while playing the controller over a wide variety of games. I tried everything from Psi-Ops to Spider-man 2 to ESPN NHL 2K4 and it was all good. Making long crisp passes out of the defensive zone, slamming enemies around with telekinesis, and swinging through the urban jungle of New York was the same as with a corded controller.
Like most wireless devices, the Cordless Precision Controller works on the 2.4 gHz frequency. With a ton of wireless devices (wireless G router and cordless phones) in the house I never experienced any interference from any of them while gaming. Your mileage may vary (especially if you have a microwave in the vicinity).
You can find the controller for around $50 at your local gaming store or electronic giant (John just loves Best Buy) and it’s a fair price for what you get. This is a decent controller but the D-pad thing just nagged and nagged at me. It’s like cheap rims on a nice car, it just kind of nags at you.
This review is going to focus on the Logitech Cordless Precision Controller for the X-box. John’s review of the PS2 version of this controller, which you can find here. The package comes with the controller, a receiver which plugs into the Xbox, and a pair of AA batteries (down from the four in previous versions of the controller).
Installation is easy. You simply insert the batteries into the controller, plug the receiver in and you’re ready to game. The controller itself feels a little smaller than the X-box S controller but it doesn’t appear to be physically smaller. The controller is also fairly lightweight and should cause any major cramps during long gaming marathons.
The controller is a little more M shaped than the standard “S” controller due to the lack of expansion slots at the top of the controller. The two analog sticks have a nice transparent, green tinted plastic piece below them that allows you to see the internals of the controller. Just above and to the right of the left thumbstick is a button that allows you to toggle the vibration on and off. The buttons are laid out in typical X-box fashion but the white and black buttons are a little closer to the rest of the buttons. It’s a nice feature which makes the buttons a little more useful. The left and right triggers are decent but could be a bit stiffer but it’s a minor gripe. The controller is well put together and with one exception it lives up to the Logitech image of quality components.
The one exception is the controller’s D-pad. It doesn’t feel as nice as the ones on the S Controller and it’s very loose. It cheapens what is an otherwise solid controller. I would have also liked small cup like indentations on the thumbsticks like those on the S controller has but it is something I can live without.From a gaming perspective the Cordless Precision Controller is rock solid. I didn’t experience any perceptible lag while playing the controller over a wide variety of games. I tried everything from Psi-Ops to Spider-man 2 to ESPN NHL 2K4 and it was all good. Making long crisp passes out of the defensive zone, slamming enemies around with telekinesis, and swinging through the urban jungle of New York was the same as with a corded controller.
Like most wireless devices, the Cordless Precision Controller works on the 2.4 gHz frequency. With a ton of wireless devices (wireless G router and cordless phones) in the house I never experienced any interference from any of them while gaming. Your mileage may vary (especially if you have a microwave in the vicinity).
You can find the controller for around $50 at your local gaming store or electronic giant (John just loves Best Buy) and it’s a fair price for what you get. This is a decent controller but the D-pad thing just nagged and nagged at me. It’s like cheap rims on a nice car, it just kind of nags at you.
It’s a solid wireless controller but the cheap D-pad kind of spoiled an otherwise great device.
Rating: 8.4 Good
* The product in this article was sent to us by the developer/company.
About Author
Hi, my name is Charles Husemann and I've been gaming for longer than I care to admit. For me it's always been about competing and a burning off stress. It started off simply enough with Choplifter and Lode Runner on the Apple //e, then it was the curse of Tank and Yars Revenge on the 2600. The addiction subsided somewhat until I went to college where dramatic decreases in my GPA could be traced to the release of X:Com and Doom. I was a Microsoft Xbox MVP from 2009 to 2014. I currently own stock in Microsoft, AMD, and nVidia.
