Controllers(again)....

Over the last week or so I've picked up some more extra pc hardware. Two of which, a steering wheel and a mini controller.

The controller(and a long story)....

I've had a liking for the Rock Candy controllers made by PDP. It started when I needed a controller; One that wasn't a full price Xbox One controller.... Not in a being cheap kind of way; Just looking to get something that's good quality and value for money and they do fit the bill well.

Besides, the lime green controller made me all nostalgic(more on that below). It's tackiness is fun to me. The controllers are well made and proved themselves over time. So for a cheaper well made product they've been great. I'd rather have 2 cheaper well made and well used controllers than trying to be careful with one Xbox elite controller..... That's a me thing and a whole other story.

I've since gotten those thumb caps, which is a massive improvement over the 'built in' thumb stick molding. I did need to snip off the bumps on those grips as they were uncomfortable(for me). A lot of give and take with getting things right. 

During the last summer I came across a site that sold Rock Candy lime green versions of a keyboard and mouse! I never knew they existed and although out of production I'd love to have them. Maybe more for a display on a top shelf than to use but dámn, tacky goodness!

Like I said I've a soft spot for the lime green. It reminds me so much of Construx parts; Which I played with as a kid(today's iteration is even more green and with magnets!). So an unrelated nostalgia is sparked when I see the PDP lime green tech.

I'm really doing an injustice to the quality of the products by saying they are tacky. It's just my take on the looks; I've nothing but good things to say about the products I've held in my hands. The thumsticks did need the addition of the extra thumb grips but like the controllers overall it's all personal preference.

On another side note my previous 'more costly' thumb caps started to crack and no longer gripped the thumbsticks. The cheaper more plentiful versions were much better, more robust. 

Which all leads me onto the actual controller I did get. The 'mini' version of the Rock Candy controller in 'blue'.

It's a good little controller. While the thumb sticks top molding is a lot more comfortable than the 'larger' versions, I still put the rubberized grips on for my comfort. A very sturdy controller; Not a surprise given it's compactness. Comparing it's buttons to the 'full' size controller, particularly the triggers feel softer and are a lot more quiet when pressed. They are soft but not in a mushy way. The controller is smaller but not my much; Yet still not so small as to get button access in the way of each other. The main part they pared back on is with the palm grips, specifically the part that your ring and little finger would wrap around. The mini has also cut the 'special' button that allows extra functionality for audio etc.

I picked this up as a cheap(€17) novelty, for no real reason other than it being 'cute' and it caught my interest. It'll live with my Chromebook(Linux Beta) as a smaller controller option away from home. Being wired(deal-breaker for some)makes no difference to me.(updated 25/12 - Chromebook in Linux mode was a no go as it wasn't supported.... So it's with a 'normal' Windows laptop now).

The steering wheel.....

The X Rocker XR Steering Wheel for Xbox One, PS4, Switch(and yes it works with PC as well).

Cheaper and with the features of a steering wheel twice it's price. It was €70 but with winter 'sales' I've seen it for as little as €45. What a steal!!! 

I highly recommend it if your interested in a steering wheel for casual gamers. The bang for buck is great. Especially for a gamer looking to test the waters before fully going down that Sim rig path.

For me I'm super casual but I've always wanted something less costly to use with Euro Truck Sim 2. Some consideration into the bang for buck made this wheel really stand out from the crowd. No wonder it goes 'sold out' so fast!

USB plug and play connection to pc (Windows 10) is simple and works just like any Xbox controller so no faffing about with drivers.  USB connection from pedals to the wheel and another from the wheel to PC. Configuring it for ETS 2 was likewise just as easy. The game had no problem 'seeing' it; Or setting the buttons for each key press/function you want in game.

As another consideration I selected it as it's got a clamp system for desks(and sim rig frams) rather than suction cup feet(for the wheel). A small thing that's gamer specific but an important option to me. It made it a lot handier to setup and it feels sturdy on the desk. 

It ticks all the boxes and delivers on each. Not much more to say about it. I've been using it with ETS 2 and done a lot of trips for the Winter event in game, no complaints at all!