Final Verdict
There’s a few features with the Crosshair that, in my opinion, really put it above the competition. Namely, the ease of setting it all up. Plug in the devices, plug the Crosshair into the console, and it works. You don’t have to power on devices in a certain order, you don’t have to plug in devices in one specific way, you don’t have to pat your tummy and rub your head while you power on the console either. Plug, play, enjoy. Also, being able to use hotkeys on the keyboard to flip through different controller configurations is a very nice feature, especially for people who would take the time to set up multiple configurations for the same game. One config for shooting from the hip, another one for say, sniping.
But with all pros there must come some cons and this device has a few of those too. First and foremost: the issue of my character sliding to the right. While it was easy to fix, it was an issue all the same and finding an answer for it took nearly an entire day.
The other issue I had with the CrossHair is a bit more significant. The device lacks the ability to configure controls on the fly. If you didn’t map the buttons properly, or forgot which key was bound to what button, you have to unplug the entire device, plug it into your PC (which presumably has no keyboard or mouse at this point!) , edit, import, and then plug back into the console. This process is extremely inconvenient. In contrast, one product by the competition has an app which you load on your phone, connect to the device via BlueTooth, and you can edit all your settings mid-game on the fly.
Overall, the device does exactly what it claims it does: it allows players to use whatever controller they want on whichever console they own. A PC gamer who is fluent in shooter games can use this device to obtain an incredible advantage over the opposition, turning an average PC shooter into a god-like master of destruction on Xbox Live or the PlayStation Network. Since all the commands for the game are still entering the console through the consoles controller, the chances of a player being caught using this and banned is next to none. Because let’s face it, this is cheating. For some gamers, this is what they want; a significant in-game advantage. For others, it’s an opportunity for PC gamers to play console games with your friends and be able to use the input devices that we’ve gamed with for years.
Either way, the CrossHair lives up to its claims and I for one enjoyed using the device.
Scott Bewer leads the Tournament staff for aybonline.com. His opinion is his own.
