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The MLG Pro Circuit Controller From Mad Catz: Expensive, But You're Worth It
11:12, 30th May 2012
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To suggest that it's possible to truly fall in love with an inanimate object would be ridiculous. Well, unless you're that man who married a tree or the type of person who buys those scarily lifelike life-sized dolls off the Internet, I guess, but then they're clearly 'special' cases. For the rest of us, the fact stands. So why, when I play a game on my Xbox 360 these days, do I find myself cradling the controller gently as though it was a precious thing? Why do I carefully put it away at night, making sure it'll be undisturbed until morning? Why do I get rather protective of it when my kids – fingers covered in jam, paint or whatever else it is that kids get their hands into these days – come within ten feet of it? You could say it's love. Kind of, anyway.
To be fair, it's not true love; that wouldn't just be silly, but my missus also wouldn't be too chuffed if I'd fallen for a bunch of wires encased in plastic. But while I'm not IN love with it, I can't deny that I do love my new Xbox controller to bits. Yep, that's right – a controller. One of those things that everyone gets free with their Xbox on purchase, the very thing you need to use it (unless you're weird and make do just with Kinect games and voice functionality) and something you can pick up on the high street for as little as £20 if you're going down the overly-plastic third-party route. Still, this isn't a regular controller and, more importantly, isn't one for regular people. In fact, you'd have to be somewhat insane to suggest that everyone needs what I have…
The main reason for that is simple: the MLG Pro Circuit Controller costs £90. Yes, NINETY POUNDS. The same price as two brand new games or several more older ones. More than the cost of two regular (but official) wireless controllers. Hell, it's only £40 less than an entry-level 4GB Xbox 360. In short, it's a lot of money and probably far more than an average gamer should be spending on something that's used just to play games. But like I said, this one's not intended for average people – it's designed for pro gamers and, more importantly, by pro gamers.
If peripheral wiz Mad Catz is to be believed (and in this case, there's no reason to see why it shouldn't be), the Pro Circuit Controller was created not just with the professional players from Major League Gaming in mind, but also with their input. Constant testing and ideas from both MLG gamers and MLG staff combined with Mad Catz's knowledge to create the finished product and while it sounds like a horribly PR-ish idea, to be sure, what you get for your money is easily one of the best gaming pads around.
So, what makes it so special? It's a combination of things, some obvious and some completely out of left field. Take the materials the pad is made from, for instance. On the back, you've got a rubberised section that allows for extra grip but doesn't heat up or flake as most rubber grips can and do; in fact, it's beautifully smooth and comfortable to hold. Meanwhile on the front, the pad initially comes in glossy plastic and if I'm honest, that's not to my taste at all. Check the box, however, and you'll find matt finish replacements for both the main front and side handle panels – since these panels are attached magnetically, you can easily pop them off and switch to the more tasteful pieces instead (although they're not so easily removed that they fall off during heavy use).
Next, there's the wire; a thin but durable braided three-meter cable that actually screws into the top of the controller to prevent disconnection. Granted, I know what you're thinking: 'Wires are rubbish, it's all about wireless connectivity!' and in a way, you're right that wireless cables allows for better freedom of movement and a tidier floor space. What you're forgetting, however, is that the Pro Circuit Controller is made for pro gamers and when it comes to professional play, wireless control breed latency – a millisecond delay that can slow down reactions and lead to failure. As such, a wire (with its reliable, not to mention super-fast connection) is pretty much essential. But since it's so long, it shouldn't prove problematic for anyone… unless you're planning to be more than three meters from your TV, anyway.
The big deal, however, are the bits you actually use – buttons, analogue sticks and the D-pad. That they're made from what Mad Catz refers to as 'premium components', whatever that means, isn't the issue here. No, what matters is how they allow you to create the pad that YOU want, rather than having to adapt to what's provided. For example, let's be honest: the default Xbox D-pad sucks. The one on the PlayStation 3 pad, however, doesn't. Why should that matter? Because the Pro Circuit Controller comes with a PS3 D-pad component in the box as standard, that's why. Just pop the front faceplate off, twist the Xbox D-pad anti-clockwise and take it out (literally, lift the tube-like component clean out the pad), then pull the PS3 replacement part from the box and slot it in its place. The same goes for the analogue sticks too, as the controller comes pre-loaded with indented Xbox ones but also carries rounded PS3 sticks in the box.
Still, that's not the best bit: as well as swapping parts out, you can also move them round. Again, it's about controller preference – if you prefer the PS3 controller's side-by-side analogue stick layout compared to the offset Xbox one, you can simply swap the D-pad and left stick components around for a matching layout. And amazingly, it makes a massive difference when playing things like FPS titles or something that uses dual-stick control like Katamari Damacy; far more than you'd expect, actually.
There are other minor things too, like the weighted pack that can be removed to create a lighter pad or put back to add an extra 35 or 70g of heft to the controller, or the included carry case that lets you keep your pad safe when you take it to a friend's house (or, as is likely intended, an MLG tournament). And not surprisingly, it all comes in a fold-out box that just screams 'premium product' – hardly unexpected, given the significant price tag.
Of course, there's no getting away from the price: £90 is a huge amount of money for a controller and far more than most people would want to spend. But then, there's also no getting away from the fact that the Pro Circuit Controller is as premium as regular controllers get (if you can even call it 'regular', but you know what I mean) and is of such high quality that it's hard not to justify the cost. It depends how much you game and how seriously you take it, I suppose. But having used it constantly for a full month, I have to admit that I can't honestly see me going back to a standard controller ever again. It'd feel too plastic, too light, too… well, standard.
Think of it as an investment then, rather than a purchase. It might not make you a better gamer by default, but you can't say it doesn't give you the tools to at least try and improve…
To be fair, it's not true love; that wouldn't just be silly, but my missus also wouldn't be too chuffed if I'd fallen for a bunch of wires encased in plastic. But while I'm not IN love with it, I can't deny that I do love my new Xbox controller to bits. Yep, that's right – a controller. One of those things that everyone gets free with their Xbox on purchase, the very thing you need to use it (unless you're weird and make do just with Kinect games and voice functionality) and something you can pick up on the high street for as little as £20 if you're going down the overly-plastic third-party route. Still, this isn't a regular controller and, more importantly, isn't one for regular people. In fact, you'd have to be somewhat insane to suggest that everyone needs what I have…
The main reason for that is simple: the MLG Pro Circuit Controller costs £90. Yes, NINETY POUNDS. The same price as two brand new games or several more older ones. More than the cost of two regular (but official) wireless controllers. Hell, it's only £40 less than an entry-level 4GB Xbox 360. In short, it's a lot of money and probably far more than an average gamer should be spending on something that's used just to play games. But like I said, this one's not intended for average people – it's designed for pro gamers and, more importantly, by pro gamers.
If peripheral wiz Mad Catz is to be believed (and in this case, there's no reason to see why it shouldn't be), the Pro Circuit Controller was created not just with the professional players from Major League Gaming in mind, but also with their input. Constant testing and ideas from both MLG gamers and MLG staff combined with Mad Catz's knowledge to create the finished product and while it sounds like a horribly PR-ish idea, to be sure, what you get for your money is easily one of the best gaming pads around.
So, what makes it so special? It's a combination of things, some obvious and some completely out of left field. Take the materials the pad is made from, for instance. On the back, you've got a rubberised section that allows for extra grip but doesn't heat up or flake as most rubber grips can and do; in fact, it's beautifully smooth and comfortable to hold. Meanwhile on the front, the pad initially comes in glossy plastic and if I'm honest, that's not to my taste at all. Check the box, however, and you'll find matt finish replacements for both the main front and side handle panels – since these panels are attached magnetically, you can easily pop them off and switch to the more tasteful pieces instead (although they're not so easily removed that they fall off during heavy use).
Next, there's the wire; a thin but durable braided three-meter cable that actually screws into the top of the controller to prevent disconnection. Granted, I know what you're thinking: 'Wires are rubbish, it's all about wireless connectivity!' and in a way, you're right that wireless cables allows for better freedom of movement and a tidier floor space. What you're forgetting, however, is that the Pro Circuit Controller is made for pro gamers and when it comes to professional play, wireless control breed latency – a millisecond delay that can slow down reactions and lead to failure. As such, a wire (with its reliable, not to mention super-fast connection) is pretty much essential. But since it's so long, it shouldn't prove problematic for anyone… unless you're planning to be more than three meters from your TV, anyway.
The big deal, however, are the bits you actually use – buttons, analogue sticks and the D-pad. That they're made from what Mad Catz refers to as 'premium components', whatever that means, isn't the issue here. No, what matters is how they allow you to create the pad that YOU want, rather than having to adapt to what's provided. For example, let's be honest: the default Xbox D-pad sucks. The one on the PlayStation 3 pad, however, doesn't. Why should that matter? Because the Pro Circuit Controller comes with a PS3 D-pad component in the box as standard, that's why. Just pop the front faceplate off, twist the Xbox D-pad anti-clockwise and take it out (literally, lift the tube-like component clean out the pad), then pull the PS3 replacement part from the box and slot it in its place. The same goes for the analogue sticks too, as the controller comes pre-loaded with indented Xbox ones but also carries rounded PS3 sticks in the box.
Still, that's not the best bit: as well as swapping parts out, you can also move them round. Again, it's about controller preference – if you prefer the PS3 controller's side-by-side analogue stick layout compared to the offset Xbox one, you can simply swap the D-pad and left stick components around for a matching layout. And amazingly, it makes a massive difference when playing things like FPS titles or something that uses dual-stick control like Katamari Damacy; far more than you'd expect, actually.
There are other minor things too, like the weighted pack that can be removed to create a lighter pad or put back to add an extra 35 or 70g of heft to the controller, or the included carry case that lets you keep your pad safe when you take it to a friend's house (or, as is likely intended, an MLG tournament). And not surprisingly, it all comes in a fold-out box that just screams 'premium product' – hardly unexpected, given the significant price tag.
Of course, there's no getting away from the price: £90 is a huge amount of money for a controller and far more than most people would want to spend. But then, there's also no getting away from the fact that the Pro Circuit Controller is as premium as regular controllers get (if you can even call it 'regular', but you know what I mean) and is of such high quality that it's hard not to justify the cost. It depends how much you game and how seriously you take it, I suppose. But having used it constantly for a full month, I have to admit that I can't honestly see me going back to a standard controller ever again. It'd feel too plastic, too light, too… well, standard.
Think of it as an investment then, rather than a purchase. It might not make you a better gamer by default, but you can't say it doesn't give you the tools to at least try and improve…
