Is The Astro C40 TR PS4 Controller The Best PS4 Controller?
It’s safe to say at this point – whether you like it or not – that Sony has won this generation of the console war. As if the PlayStation 4 wasn’t already a massive success, quite possibly the feather in their cap has got to be the Astro C40 TR controller. While Xbox has had their Elite controller for a while now, the Astro C40 TR takes everything Microsoft’s counterpart offers and goes one step further in every respect. It’s hard not to be excited for this level of customization in a controller, and for the hardcore gamer this might just be exactly what you need to game in perfect style and comfort.
Right out of the gate, the big feature I noticed is its adaptable modular capability. The faceplate to the controller is easily removed and the D-Pad and joysticks can be repositioned in seconds, swapping between the classic PS4 layout and the Xbox One format. There are certain games I prefer playing on my Xbox simply because of the controller, but now the PS4 can play in either style at a moments notice.
A Shooter’s Delight
Are you a big fan of first person shooters? Not only does the Astro C40 TR come with interchangeable caps for the joysticks, offering both a rounded or concave grip option, but multiple height levels as well. Love being a sniper and need precision aiming? Make that right stick taller to let you hit that perfect angle! This is a controller designed to adapt to your exact specifications. For an even greater edge, both the L2 and R2 triggers come with individual “Trigger Lock” options, which significantly reduced the pull distance of my trigger, which meant I now had a hairline trigger on demand!
So we’ve covered the more obvious customization features, but what more could they pack into this controller? Nestled into the handgrips on the back of the controller are two additional programmable buttons, the UL and RL. These new features mean you can continue to drive, run, shoot, or pan the camera while completing other actions without letting go of the joysticks. They are surprisingly comfortable but its easy to forget you have buttons back there if you aren’t used to it.
Customizable
This leads us into one of the coolest new features for the Astro C40 TR. Every button on the controller is remappable when plugged into your PC, yet even better is the option to create two custom remapped loadouts and have them both saved directly to the controller with the option to swap between the two of them on the fly with the flick of a switch. Play a lot of shooting and racing games? You can have your own unique and specific controls mapped and ready to go as you switch between tearing up the road and emptying clips into your enemy. Whatsmore, you’ll even be able to individually adjust the sensitivity of each joystick and trigger to your preferred specifications. Want the right trigger more sensitive? Maybe the left stick needs to be a bit tighter? The Astro C40 TR makes sure you are playing exactly how you want to play; it even offers unique equalizer settings for the built-in speaker.
This controller has over twelve hours of battery life on a full charge, customizable rumble and LED settings, and comes with its own hardshell carrying case designed to house the multitude of extra components and tools needed to help you make your gaming experience absolutely perfect for your exact specifications. The level of detail that this controller offers in giving you everything you could want is matched by its sleek design, textured and durable grips, and it’s innovative yet simple modular options. This is a fantastic accent to the stellar performance of the PlayStation 4, and a must for the discerning pro-gamer who wants a beautiful design with crisp, fine-tuned responses to truly make any game your game.
