Saitek P990 Dual Analog Game Pad
Saitek - Saitek
Windows XP
Release date: 1970-01-01
Electronics
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Saitek P990 Dual Analog Game Pad
Date undefinedAn excellent gamepad all around--my weapon of choice for nearly every game (despite the fact I own several Logitech Dual-Actions).
I find that the controller size is perfect: a bit bigger than the Logitechs, they tend to sit better when I pick up the controller. Both analog sticks are right where your thumbs end up, making it very easy to accurately move them, even when you need to nudge them slight distances with great accuracy. The shoulder triggers are large and well placed-whether you use your pointer and middle fingers or whether you just use the pointer fingers, you'll find that you won't hesitate for a millisecond to find any trigger button. The fact that there are six face buttons is a dream for those arcade-style games that need them (Marvel vs. Capcom, etc).
There are two downsides that every single person will face with this controller, though they shouldn't be nearly enough to discourage you.
The first is the FPS feature activation button--it sits on the top of the controller near the face buttons and did tend to get in the way in the beginning--I never use the feature and hitting it by accident has unwelcome effects on gameplay (sometimes, your buttons won't work until you press the button again). I for one virtually never hit it anymore, but if it were still a problem for me, I wouldn't hesitate to pop out the button with a screwdriver--it's not like you would actually use the button, not ever.
The second is the Directional D-Pad (if you won't really be playing classic/emulated games, this shouldn't be an issue to you). Although it's comfortably shaped, it makes for somewhat buttery gameplay. It's tough to pull off complicated combo moves in fighting games, because your timing will be inevitably thrown off a tiny bit because the D-Pad moves too softly and gel-like. It shouldn't be a problem in more forgiving games like Mortal Kombat (and of course games like Mario will work just fine), but it took me weeks and weeks to get my super moves working every time in Marvel vs. Capcom. I persevered solely because of the six face buttons and I must say it's entirely worth it. As for the "durability" of the D-Pad: I have used this controller for years (with a fair amount of abuse) and the D-Pad is as steady as the day it arrived in the mail.
It's a shame that discussing cons takes so much longer than listing the pros, even though the pros outweigh the cons by many orders of magnitude. If you're looking for a great gamepad, BUY THIS CONTROLLER! You won't be sorry. As a note, the Saitek P2600 Rumble Pad PC Game Controller will do everything this gamepad does and will also rumble with games that support it--I wholeheartedly recommend that controller as well, especially since the two controllers are the EXACT same size and are very, very close in weight.
P.S. Don't forget to install the Saitek driver. Even though Windows will automatically detect the gamepad, you still need to download and install the official Saitek driver or else some games won't recognize the controller properly.
Saitek P990 Dual Analog Game Pad
Date undefinedI do most gaming on my PC but if you want to do any racing games you really need a decent gamepad.
This has a plethora of buttons, always gets detected properly, and is very responsive. This was my second purchase of one of these btw. My son needed the first one I bought...
Saitek P990 Dual Analog Game Pad
Date undefinedThis controller has an excellent control layout. However, the analog controls have fairly large deadzones, and the cord is particularly short. The dpad does feel really cheap, but works fine. Unfortunately, there isn't really any other controllers out there right now with a layout like this. It works great for numerous games, from shooters like Goldeneye to platformers. However, one thing this controller is NOT good for is fighting games.
