Snakebyte Premium Bluetooth Controller

What's In The Box?
- Snakebyte Premium Bluetooth Controller
- 2 Instruction Manuals (both with different language support)
- One 10 ft. USB cable
- Two “trigger” attachments for the original Sony Sixaxis/DualShock 3 controller

Snakebyte did not “cheap-out” on providing the best even when it comes to packaging. Already, you can tell that the 40 Euros paid went far since it includes a ten foot usb cable as well as the trigger attachments for the Sony DualShock 3 [DS3] controller. There is no doubt that they've provided a better packaging value since the DS3 does not come with attachments (for who knows what) or, most importantly, a USB Cable.

Design & Construction
Snakebyte’s attempt at recreating the DS3 controller has been met with success. Snakebyte’s product maintains the same facial layout as the DS3 to keep everything familiar. They've also retained the DS3's indicator lights as well and vibration response. The primary change of pace here is with the shoulder buttons which are arranged in a style akin to the 360's gamepad. There are also additional face buttons for operating the Turbo function.

To compare the controllers size against the original DS3, Snakebyte’s is larger and feels more ergonomic in the hand. The handles span a much wider more natural angle than the DS3.

When you pick up the controller, you know it won't break. The controller does not “creak” when squeezed too tightly which the cheaper third-party imitations are infamous for. The face buttons on the controller are very sturdy and have enough resistance to provide a satisfying press.

The L2 and R2 buttons are the highlight of this controller -- even more impressive than the fact that the controller has turbo functions. Those two buttons alone just beg to be pressed to the point where you just press the buttons with the system not being on. A problem with the DS3 is that the L2 and R2 create this annoying “flicking sound” -- created when someone presses the bottom edge of the L2 and R2 and slides their finger off. When pressed, they do not create any “flicking sounds” and like the face buttons, have a superb tactile feel when pressed.

The Analog stick, including L3 and R3, have the same rubberized feel as the Dualshock and grips the finger very well.

The remaining gamit of default buttons have a feel similar to the DS3's with the exception being the Home button. It's a bit of a downgrade here since it's rubberized while the DS3's is plastic. Nonetheless, it works as intended and is a relatively minor flaw.

The Turbo and Clear buttons are another story. It’s understandable that they are small since there are not that many games that require the use of Turbo functionality, but when compared to the construction of the Start, Select, and Home buttons, they do require a deeper press to be able to use. They also exude this feeling that they can just be pulled off.

The Design and construction overall is impressive. The button construction, with emphasis on the L2 and R2 triggers, make the controller an equal or better option than the DS3.

  (Two triggers that are for the Dualshock 3 controller)

It's interesting that the wide-angle design is reminiscent to the original boomerang controller that was initially set to launch alongside the PS3.

Usage In Game
The controller is perfect when playing games that do not use the Turbo Function. Two examples are Killzone 2 and Super Stardust HD. Due to the more ergonomic design, hand fatigue was less of an issue. You could play for hours.

Activating the Turbo Function is easy. All one has to do is to hold the Turbo Button and then press the assigned button. The LED indicator in the middle of the controller flashes on and off in rapid succession to reflect a successful paring of the Turbo button assignment. To clear the Turbo function, one just holds Clear, and then presses the assigned button; the result is that when the button is pressed, the LED indicator does not flash, thus reflecting a normal configuration.

To test out the Turbo Function, I used Fat Princess. Without the Turbo Function, the game requires rapid presses of the attack button. With the Turbo on, you just hold the button that the Turbo was assigned to and it does the rapid fire for you. The downside is, at least in the case of Fat Princess, was that you CANNOT do a charged attack -- the game recognizes the turbo as an individual press and by holding down the assigned button it's just like pressing it a million times. At least in Fat Princess, the Turbo made camping in the game much easier.

In regards to the battery life, I was able to accomplish a day’s about 20 hours of play. With the Turbo on, we assume that the battery life will be less by about 2-4 hours. I do not plan to test this theory as it means I have to play Fat Princess for about 15-20 hours.

Value
The US Dualshock's price tag is $54.99, which is a little more than the Snakebyte alternative. Note that when compared to the DS3, the Snakebyte is the better value. Snakebyte includes not only the USB cable (which sells at retails chains for US $9.99) but the L2 and R2 attachments for the DS3 at the more managable cost of $39.99.

Snakebyte does have competition most notably from Nyko with their Raven Wireless Controller [$34.99] and from Logitech and their Cordless Precision Controller [$39.99]. Though they may appear to have a better value, the Nyko does not offer the Turbo Function and attachments. It is unknown at this time if it will even include a USB cable. The Logitech controller on the other hand has a D-Pad with an extremely cheap plasticky feel; runs on 2 AA batteries; requires a dedicated receiver, and does not include the Turbo Function.

Last Impression
While Snakebyte’s Premium Bluetooth Controller is not out in the US yet, the controller has already proven to be of better value than all of the third party controllers and even Sony's own first party. Even without the Turbo Function, it establishes the standard on what a PS3 controller should be. The controller will launch in the US in August.