I will do an unorthodox thing and give you the TLDR version right at the start and say this controller is better than the stock XBOX 360 controller in every possible way (except one). Want me to be specific? Read on!
The first question many of you will have is, do the adjustable sticks work? The simple answer? They work 100 % as advertised. You turn them clockwise to tighten and counter clockwise to loosen. Pretty simple concept eh? The sticks range from about as loose as a Dual Shock 3, to about as tight as your favorite jeans after a night at the buffet. The height is about the same height as the Dual Shock 3, but still alittle lower than the FPSFreeks. They are concave, and smooth. Overall they feel good. There is one major question for me, however, and that is the durability of the tension control. Each game you use the controller in, you will likely want to use different tension. For instance, Halo? Probably loose. Racing? Tight. Sports? Somewhere in between. Even in FPS games I found myself changing tension to get a more comfortable feeling and my knowledge of how other similar tension adjustment things work, I am worried that if used as an everyday controller with many changes to the tension, I am worried it will break, or become less effective.
The face buttons on the controller are also completely as advertised. They are very good. They sit much lower than stock and are much easier to repeatedly press. The backlighting on them is neat, but is only a cosmetic thing and unless you have someone else in the room to distract with the fancy lights, they seem kinda useless. I'm not sure about you, but I don't find myself looking down at the controller to see what button I am pressing, so thus, I do not need them lit up. That aside, I am completely satisfied with them. They'd even be sufficient for a fighting game if it wasn't for...
The D-PAD is much improved over the stock one, but lets be honest here, the stock 360 DPAD is pretty much the worst DPAD ever created, it wouldn't take much to improve it. The DPAD on the Onza is an independent 4 way DPAD. Meaning if you push left, you are only pushing left. The issue is, it takes alittle too much effort to press and thus games where extended use is required will likely leave your finger feeling pretty bad after only a short while. The DPAD also seems to stick a bit. It is not precise enough to use in fighting games, but it is useful for FPS games where killstreaks and equipment changes are mapped to the DPAD, allowing for a more precise change. Given the controller was designed mostly for FPS games, I suppose this is acceptable.
The controller also sports a 2nd shoulder button on the top of each side of the controller that can be mapped to any other button press on the controller, including clicking the sticks. The problem with it is, the button is in the front, instead of the LB and RB button and thus if you wish to throw a grenade, you may instead swing your knife. It feels very out of place where it is. I'd have much rather they'd have put it on the back, where I could reach it with my pinkie finger. As is, you need to go too far from the triggers to hit them, which lowers the efficiency of using them by alot.
The triggers are much improved over the stock controller. They are longer in length and thus make it alot harder to accidentally slip off. They also feel good when pressing down.
The Start/Back button placement is something they really should not have messed with. Its not a big deal, since neither are used much in actual gameplay, but they feel out of place at the button of the controller, instead of flanking the XBOX guide button.
The ergonomics on the Onza feel just right. I have medium sized, pudgy hands and the controller feels just right. Size wise it is almost exactly the same as the stock 360 controller, however what is plastic on MS brand is a rubber type substance on the Onza, which keeps it firmly in my hands.
Now I am to the part where I tell you what is worse about it than a stock 360 controller. Microsoft's policy regarding 3rd party peripherals requires companies to have permission to make accessories wireless. Thus, the Onza TE is wired. For some this is a deal breaker, for others, a gift from god. Many in the hardcore community believe wired allows for more precise gaming, with less input lag than wireless. There are upsides to being wired. For one, you do not need to worry about batteries, or charge running out during a long marathon session of Black Ops. In order to make the wired burden less of a hassle, they've included a 15 foot long braided cord with a quick disconnect on the system side. Those who have kids, pets, or other things walking between them and their 360 may not like this due to concerns about cords being tripped over, pulled, or chewed on, resulting in broken controllers, systems and asses from running in the damn house.
One big design flaw is the mic port. It is simply a 2.5mm port, without the 2 prongs on the side, meaning if you have an older style MS brand headset, or use something like the Steelsound 5XB, they are not compatible with the controller. This is a major annoyance and it seems more than alittle convenient that Razer is marketing its own brand of 360 headsets that work with the controller.
In conclusion, overall the controller completely outclasses the stock 360 controller if you aren't worried about the fact its wired. Given the price is the same as a stock XBOX 360 Wireless Controller ($50), there is little reason to pass on the Razer Onza Tournament Edition if you are in the market for a controller.
