The Final Say! Design 8.5 Usability 9.0 Installation 10.0 Value 8.8 Logitech cordless controller - reviewed by Andrew B Review Date: 26 October 2002 Review Score: 8.9/10 Distributed By: Logitech

"Gaming as it was meant to be... cordless!" The Logitech cordless controller is the latest cordless controller on the market for the PSOne and PlayStation 2 that is sure to turn a few heads in the gaming world. Say goodbye to tangled cords or even those annoyingly long extension cords and enter a new world of gaming freedom. Logitech Cordless Controller Features 2.4GHz cordless Dual Analog Sticks PlayStation 2 Vibration Feedback 6 metre range Pressure sensitive D-Pad Eight pressure sensitive buttons PSOne and PlayStation 2 compatible 50 hours of battery life Auto power 1 year warranty

The installation of the Logitech cordless controller was extremely easy and the RF signal receiver simply just plugged into a spare controller port on the PlayStation 2. Once the receiver was connected, the controller was ready to be used like any other PlayStation controller. The controller was tested under a variety of games that included Tekken 4, Burnout 2, Haven and Medal of Honor Frontline and performed remarkably well. 

The first thing you will notice about the controller is its unusually large size and weight. The reason for this is that Logitech have two motors dedicated to vibration capabilities inside the unit itself and it also takes four AA batteries. Installing new batteries into the unit was a little strange and took quite a bit of force to remove the battery shutter on the controller. Although the controller does feel a little bulky, it does become quite comfortable after you get use to it. The controller itself features a similar layout to Sony's Dual Shock controller layout with all the buttons in the right places. The only downside to the controller was that some of the buttons need to be pushed a little harder than on a Dual Shock controller and that the two analog sticks felt a little loose. The shoulder buttons, from R1 to L2 feel a little big and too far apart but I suppose after using a Dual Shock controller for several years, a third party controller is sure to feel alien to you. 

I've often wondered why there wasn't more cordless controllers on the market for the PlayStation because this is probably one of the most ingenious gaming accessories available for the console. There's no more need for wires lying on the floor or for you to unravel cords or connect extension cords into the machine because the controller works quite accurately at up to 3 meters away. Any further and you must point the device at the RF signal receiver itself but who wants to sit miles away from your television?

The vibration on the controller is set to off as default so it won't drain the batteries and if you use the vibration function, the controller will last a minimum of 50 hours. We've been told that if the vibration is never used, the controller can last for up to 100 hours of gaming. The beauty of the Logitech cordless controller is that if you don't touch the controller for 5 minutes, it automatically turns off and can be enabled again by the touch of a button.

Burnout 2 performed exceptionally well with the controller and it was extremely accurate when it came to steering. Unlike other cordless controllers, the Logitech cordless controller doesn't suffer from any latency (lag), so when you push right a little in Burnout 2, you are guaranteed that you will get an automatic response. Medal of Honor was another game that performed exceptionally and the analog stick was extremely accurate for using the sniper rifle.

The recommend retail price of the Logitech cordless controller by Logitech is around $119 and would make a great gaming accessory for your PSone and PlayStation 2. Although the controller does take a little getting use to as it is much larger than the Dual Shock controller, it will easily become your most favoured controller of play. Highly Recommended!

- Andrew B