➤ The Nacon Revolution Pro Controller 2 review 🎮

Not even a year has passed since Nacon launched its head down into the lucrative PlayStation 4 peripheral market, proposing a joypad that somehow tried to emulate the success of the excellent Xbox One Elite pad, obviously taking advantage of the greater diffusion. of the Sony console. And apparently the bet was never more apt since in the time that separates us from that release, the controller managed to place more than 250.000 units on the market representing an absolutely unimaginable success and which demonstrates for the umpteenth time how the quality accessories market is far from being considered a simple niche. And so while Razer, after the first iteration of the Raiju, but above all Sony with the total absence of a pro version of its DualShock 4, seem to have remained practically on our hands, Nacon tries again by proposing this second version of its Revolution Pro Controller which, more than being a real successor, appears as a revision and which is sold for about 120 euros. But on the other hand, the winning team does not change.

Known paper

So let's start with the similarities. In terms of aesthetics, design and construction materials, this second Revolution Pro Controller is in all respects identical to the first iteration. This translates into excellent quality plastics, supplied directly by Sony, excellent wear resistance and a good level of reactivity for what concerns the stroke of the triggers, the two analog sticks, the digital cross as well as the four front buttons. . Just like its predecessor, the new Revolution still features an arrangement of controls, and more generally a shape, which is very reminiscent of the Xbox One pad, strongly distancing itself from the DualShock design. The two analogs are asymmetrical: the left has a concave housing for optimal positioning of the thumb, while the right one is convex to allow you to act with great precision on those millimeter movements typical of when taking aim in first-person shooters, even thanks to the presence of a knurling that delimits the external boundary of the stick so as to avoid the slipping of the finger and the loss of grip.

The Nacon Revolution Pro Controller 2 review

There is little to add on the four front keys which are very generous in size and are much more readable than those to which Sony has accustomed us. We also spend excellent words for what concerns the digital cross, which returns excellent tactile feedback and responds with greater precision to our requests thanks to the possibility of using it in eight-position mode instead of the usual four. The same goes for the rear triggers which, presenting a much better ergonomics than those mounted on the Dualshock 4, combined with a reduced stroke, allow a much more comfortable and less tiring "accommodation" of the index fingers in the event of prolonged gaming sessions. There is also no news regarding the four additional buttons located on the back of the Nacon Revolution. Their positioning is practically perfect for placing your middle fingers on them and, through the software, they can be configured to replicate any of the other buttons on the pad. Their use is essential for shooters because they allow for example to jump or lower without moving the thumb from the right analog and therefore without losing the management of the aim even for an instant.

The possibility of configuring four different combinations of these four additional buttons of the joypad also remains unchanged, which can then be swapped using the button on the back: the profile actually in use is indicated by the four red LEDs immediately below the Share and Options buttons of the controller. There is also no news on the front of the mini-jack connection for headphones and microphone and for the presence of micro-weights that can be installed inside the two "horns" of the pad. In fact, in the package we find two small weights of 10, two of 14 and two of 17 grams that the player can use at will to increase the gravity of the controller and meet, really in the maximum possible customization, the player's needs.

The newness

And let's finally move on to the unpublished elements of this second version of the Revolution Pro Controller: three different aspects that, in the manufacturer's opinion, justify the arrival on the market of this joypad revision. First of all we greet with joy the change of connector. While still presenting no possibility of being used wirelessly, the new Nacon now features a very normal USB Type-C connection, finally making the old proprietary connection a distant memory which, according to the manufacturer's words, had been the cause of numerous breakages of the pad because it was not very understandable in its use. The supplied cable is of excellent workmanship, braided, and very generous in its length as it reaches three meters. Therefore, if on the one hand we celebrate the decision that aims at maximum compatibility, on the other we must point out that the recess that hides the connector is very recessed to offer maximum resistance to accidental disconnections, however, making it extremely difficult to use other Type-C cables other than the one included in the package.

The other substantial novelty is PC compatibility. The previous Nacon, although it required a computer to be configured in its advanced features (and this requirement is also valid for this revision), could not actually be used as a joypad for personal computers. The Revolution 2 on the other hand, by fiddling with the switch on the back, can finally be used to play on PC. By enabling this feature, the colored ring surrounding the right analog is tinged with purple and in an instant it is recognized by Windows 10. Very interesting, among other things, is the possibility to configure every aspect of the joypad in different ways depending on the compatibility enabled. The official software allows you to set different setups for PS4 and PC mode. The last cut with the past is actually the one that leaves the most bitter taste in the mouth. In order to aspire to become a joypad used in official competitions, Nacon was forced to eliminate support for macros, one of the most publicized features of the first Revolution Pro Controller, as well as the one that allowed you to have enormous advantages during competitive clashes. We are convinced that several potential buyers will be banned from this decision but, on the other hand, it is a practically obligatory choice to forcefully enter a certain competitive scene.

A matter of software

Along with the arrival of the new hardware on the market, Nacon has also seen fit to simultaneously distribute a brand new version of the official software to configure the controller. This is a decisive cut with the past which, in addition to eliminating the section relating to macros, rethinks the navigation between the various sections from the ground up and above all substantially increases the configuration possibilities making the procedures more intuitive. As we have already written, now the digital cross can also be enabled for the detection of eight positions instead of the classic four so as to meet fighting game players who do not have the desire or the possibility to get their hands on an arcade stick but at the same time are looking for a higher degree of accuracy. Furthermore, the possibility of managing the dead zone and the sensitivity curve has also been extended to the left analog. Obviously, the dedicated software remains a peculiarity of the PC since, for safety reasons, the possibility of configuring the Nacon through PlayStation 4 is still absent today. So if you want to have access to the four additional rear buttons and all the control tuning options, you will necessarily have to switch between a computer or a Mac.

Comment

Price 129 €

The Nacon Revolution Pro Controller 2 is definitely a step up from the previous version. A step forward that you will have to pay, however, since this new product, exactly halfway between the concept of successor and that of re-release, arrives on the market with a surcharge of € 20 compared to the original controller. So if we still feel we can fully recommend this pad to those who only own the DualShock and want to get their hands on an exceptional controller from a constructive and particularly performing point of view, we cannot invite those in possession of the first Nacon seen to purchase. that the substantial changes are really too few to justify the monetary outlay.