If you’re serious about esports, the Hexgaming Wireless Ultra X Controller is a powerful piece of kit.
That’s not to say Joe Gamer shouldn’t take the Hexgaming Ultra X for a spin, but at $159.99 on Amazon it’s designed to compete with Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2. And in one particular respect, it could be a better buy.
We’re talking about customisation, which is where it beats the Xbox Elite Controller 2 hands down. Yes, you can customise the Elite 2 through the Xbox Design Lab. But if you make your own at Hexgaming (for $30 extra) you can go absolutely wild.
Not only can you change the colour of the buttons and other components, you can choose a design for the front of the controller. There are 24 designs to choose from, with names like “Scary Party”, “Acidic Crow” and “Tiger Skull”. You can plump for rubber grips, adjustable triggers and more.
So, with so much choice on offer, we naturally went for the exact same design as the Hexgaming Ultimate PS5 Controller we reviewed. Well, with Resident Evil 4 arriving this month and Dead Island 2 dropping the next, it just had to be zombies. Though you can opt for a plain black controller if you desire.
None of that would matter, though, if the guts of the controller were sub par. You know the sort, the off-brand joypads you see in the window of mobile phone shops. You don’t have to worry about this here. Hexgaming have built its Ultra X controller around the guts of official Xbox Wireless Controllers.
The controller feels solidly built, though you do have the option to have the vibration motors removed if you want to make it a little lighter. Just to outdo Microsoft, Hexgaming has included twice the number of swappable controller sticks (eight). Like the Xbox Wireless Elite Controller 2 it’s got four remappable buttons on the rear, as well as switchable hair triggers.
We put it through its paces with a variety of titles, from Day Z through to Atomic Heart and came away impressed. We typically used the rear buttons for weapon switching though it’s ultimately up to you. They’re positioned perfectly, just where you rest your fingers, without sticking out too much.
And, since the Ultra X is the same size and shape as an official Xbox controller, it’s every bit as comfortable to use. We never once regretted picking the zombie design, though we would have liked it to be a bit shinier. But whatever method Hexgaming uses to create the printed front covers doesn’t seem to accommodate glossiness.
You can use this on the Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC and other Bluetooth compatible devices. The snag is that it registers as an Xbox Controller not an Xbox Elite 2 Controller. So you can’t, for example, use the Xbox app to meddle with the controller’s sensitivity curves.
But that’s probably the worst thing we can say about the Hexgaming Wireless Ultra X Controller. It’s an excellent controller and extremely comfortable to use. And between the trigger toggles, swappable joysticks and so on, it’s as flexible as you need it to be. It’s pricier than your average controller, that’s true. But if you’re looking for pro-level performance you won’t be disappointed.
Thanks to Hexgaming for providing a controller for the purposes of this review.
