Xbox 360 Wireless Controller

Xbox 360 Wireless Controller

Xbox 360 Wireless Controllers help you get into the game like never before. Together with up to three friends, you can take complete control of the fun and play anywhere in the room (up to 30 foot range). When the game is on, don't let the wires trip you up.

Unlike High-performance wireless gaming now comes in black! Using optimized technology, the black Xbox 360 Wireless Controller lets you enjoy a 30-foot range and up to 40 hours of life on the two included AA batteries - and when they run low, you're given ample warning so you can connect a Play & Charge Kit for uninterrupted play. Plug the Xbox 360 Headset into the controller for full two-way voice communication: a wireless first. The same award winning Wireless Controller is back in black! 

Product Features

Color: Black | Edition: Wireless
  • 2.4GHz wireless technology with 30-foot range
  • Use up to four controllers simultaneously on one console,Requires 2 AA Batteries
  • Adjustable vibration feedback for longer battery life
  • Integrated headset port for Xbox LIVE play
  • New left and right shoulder buttons are designed for ease of use
 
Exactly the same as the white controller
I bought this black wireless controller so I could have another wireless controller. Be advised when reading reviews on this product that it appears some people are reviewing the Xbox 360 Silver Controller and Play & Charge Kit, which is a special controller that is different (and more expensive as of this writing) than the black controller I am reviewing. This controller does NOT have any chrome items on it (other than the usual Xbox Guide button), nor does it have any upgrades to the D-pad.

As far as the controller itself, I didn't notice any structural difference between this controller and my old white controller that came with my Pro 20GB Xbox 360 several years ago. I did notice, however, that this controller properly charges my Play & Charge Kit where my old one did not. Prior to buying this controller, my Play & Charge kit would always show the red light while recharging. Since the recharging appeared to work anyway, I didn't think much of it (especially after calling Microsoft and being informed that the warranty on accessories is only 90 days, though that was in 2008). Since I assumed that the battery was at fault the whole time, I was surprised to find out that this controller charged the battery and (correctly) showed a green light when charging was complete.

Though it did not appear to be a structural change to the controller, I had somewhat forgotten (or not realized?) how much wear my controller has taken over the four years (give or take) since I got my console. The new controller gives me a bit more precision in games, especially with the right stick and the pushing of the sticks (for activities like sprinting). The tactility of the sticks (with little raised lines for grip) were a nice reminder of what my controller seemed to have at one time.

This was a satisfying purchase for functionality and the nice sleek look of black. I should also note that while the description of the item is "Glossy Black," this controller isn't really what I would call glossy like you would call the bezel of an LCD monitor or clear coat on a car. It gives off very little gloss in my opinion, which is fine by me.

Best Xbox 360 Console Review

Best Xbox 360 Console Review

Product Features

Edition: 4GB
  • Sleek New Design, Xbox LIVE
  • 4GB internal memory, Kinect Ready
  • Built-in Wi-Fi, Xbox 360 wireless controller (black)
  • Whisper Quiet, More Ports
 
New features at a great price! 
The xbox 360 slim with 4 GB. is what the original arcade version should have been, and is worth its $200 price tag.
10 new features of this model are:
1. New Valhalla chip - hopefully improved design to prevent RRoD issue, but tech. reviews noted that the Jasper chip in the older Elite model runs cooler
2. WiFi N - this is the newest wifi standard that is 12X faster (up to 600 Mbits/ sec) than wifi G; you'll need a Wifi N router to get the max. speed
3. digital optical audio port (if your sound system is separate from your TV, then you'll need this to get full 5.1 surround sound)
4. 4 GB of flash memory (although 1.1 GB is used by the game system, but 0.3 GB can be reclaimed by deleting 4 game demos)
5. 5 USB ports (2 in front & 3 in back)
6. slimmer design with side vents (to prevent overheating)
7. dedicated Kinect port (just a convenience feature)
8. only 1 year of warranty (the only negative; older Elite models had 3 yrs.)
9. USB flash drive support (this was a xbox software update released in April 2010)
10. ESPN video streaming (will be included if you are a Gold member, $50/ yr)

Slim 4 GB memory vs. 250 GB hard drive:
I bought the 4 GB system over the model with 250 GB hard drive because the xbox now supports game saves/ installs/ downloads and pic/ audio/ video downloads to USB flash drives. It supports 1-2 USB flash drives with 1-16 GB memory (using a 16 GB drive, 1.6 GB is used for formatting). 2 advantages of USB drives: loading games and media is 3x faster with USB drives than disc reading and more reliable (flash memory rarely fails, while discs can get scratched). 2 disadvantages of USB drives: you can not install old xbox 1 games on USB drives and certain games, like Halo Reach and Halo ODST, will not support online coop without a hard drive (having a USB drive will not help). 
 
If you have such a huge appetite for video downloads and game demos that 32 GB can not accommodate, then you can always upgrade later with a 360 GB hard drive. The original model's hard drive is not compatible with the slim model without modification - you would need to remove the original hard drive and insert it into a slim hard-drive case (non-Microsoft, sold separately). You can find a non-Microsoft 120 GB drive for 1/2 the price of the Microsoft drive, but you would need to manually install the "partition 2" xbox emulator (search google) to play old xbox 1 games.

XBOX vs. PS3:
I am originally a PS3 and Wii gamer, but finally bought the xbox when the slim 4 GB model was released. To be competitive with the PS3, the xbox had to have the built-in wifi, optical audio port, and USB flash drive support. I was deciding whether to buy another PS3 for $300 since many games require 2 consoles for coop and multiplayer gaming, regardless of what system you choose. With this xbox priced at $200, I decided to choose the xbox since it has better coop games, more online gaming, and their video library blows away the PS3 online videos. 
 
However, Netflix on xbox requires gold membership and starting a movie is a lot slower than the PS3 eventhough the xbox has faster wifi. Xbox music and music videos library needs to expand to the size of their TV and movies selection to be comparable with iTunes. The PS3 has better graphics though not significantly better (expected since PS3 has a better processor), but the XBOX has better coop and multiplayer games. The PS3 controller is better designed, better constructed, and has a rechargeable battery; the D-pad on the included xbox controller creaked without even playing a single game. 
 
Also, the PS3 has a Blu-Ray player, but is $100 more than the xbox slim 4 GB model. The button to open the disc tray on the xbox is too sensitive and not recessed, so slightly brushing it with your clothes will activate it. The xbox Kinect has more features and better specs. than the PS3 Move. With my Wii collecting dust, I decided to wait to see if games for the Kinect are a flop, similar to how many games for the Wii flopped. Anyways by June 2011, Kinect games should be 1/2 price with better selection.

Speed Comparison Update:
The Witcher 2 game, which is highly recommended, inspired me to write this update. The Slim model should be updated with at least 12 GB memory since a game DVD holds up to 8.5 GB of data, 1 GB is needed for system files, and 2.5 GB should be reserved for game saves and updates. For the Slim 4 GB model, most game discs can not be installed to the internal memory due to insufficient space. 
 
The internal memory is 3x faster than hard drives, which is 3x faster than USB drives, which is 3x faster than disc reading. The approximate speeds are: 270 MB/s internal memory > 90 MB/s hard drive > 30 MB/s USB drives > 10 MB/s disc reading. NOTE: USB drives vary a lot in speed; check the speed and cost before buying - you get what you pay for. So loading a game installed on a USB drive is faster than loading it from the disc, but can be potentially 9x faster if installed to internal memory. With flash memory so cheap these days, Microsoft has no excuse not to increase the internal memory to at least 12 GB.

Professional Headphone with Mic for XBOX 360 (Lifetime Warranty)

Professional Headphone with Mic for XBOX 360 (Lifetime Warranty)

Gator crunch - Quality you know and trust is the ideal match between price and performance. 1x Headset (Headphone w/ microphone) for xbox 360 

Product Features

  • Chat with friends while playing your favorite games
  • Allows for team strategizing
  • XBOX 360 is a registered trademark of Microsoft
  • Plugs directly into controller for ease of use
 
Really decent headset
This headset really changed the quality of my Xbox communications. Pretty straight forward this headset makes what I'm saying very clear to others. I can hear everyone very well. Its heavier than the normal headsets that come with the Xboxes so it takes some getting use to if you happen to have some pretty lengthy sessions like my friends and I.

I've only had this headset a week so I can't speak for how long it will last and I tend to go through a lot of headsets but honestly I've used it over 10 hours so far and at the price I think its worth it. If something were to happen to it I would get the same headset instead of going with the other ones.

I can see some people wanting wireless which this one doesn't have but the volume wheel and mute/non-mute buttons are in nice places and the connection to the controller is pretty nice.

I'd give this headset a 4 out of 5 because it does do great for my communicating needs, it is heavy but its to be expected but all in all it does great and I would recommend it to anyone who needs a communication solution for their Xbox.