I was recently offered a Nacon Colorlight gamepad to try out, and so I did. It is a somewhat high-end wired controller for use with an Xbox or PC. It’s most noticeable feature is its clear shell containing six programmable LED lights. As a wired controller, it is also catering to the hard-core gamer in order to minimize lag found in wireless controllers. I found the controller comfortable, easy to set up and more than enough for my casual gaming needs.

The Colorlight Wire Gamepad is usable by Xbox or PCs, although I get the feeling it is more targeted to console gamers. There is a combination headphone/microphone jack right on the controller so that a gamer can simply plug their headset (and mic) directly into the controller – skipping any long cables feeding back to the console.

I was only able to test it out on a PC, but the gamepad worked right out of the box after plugging it into the PC. The eye-catching LEDs can be set to any one of several colors using a button on the bottom of the controller. However, if the control software is installed on a computer, it can be used to assign colors to each individual LED using up to 26 different colors. There is a switch on the back that flips between the custom setting and the default all-one-color setting, adjustable with the other bottom button.

All these colors are great, what about feel? I’m not a particularly picky gamer when it comes to my controllers but I like the size of this one. It’s all clear smooth plastic and I do like a bit of rubber or other grip on the underside to make it feel more secure in my hands. The XYAB buttons feel a bit heavy to press, some might like that better and it didn’t significantly affect my gameplay.

For those who take their gaming seriously, the software program allows one to freely reprogram all the buttons. For those who take their gaming VERY seriously, there is even a way to change up the response curve for using the analog thumb-sticks. It is somewhat beyond my needs, but there are settings for first-person shooters, racing, and arcade games. Basically, a racing game would respond with more signal as you push the stick further while a fighting game would register the max signal with only a small amount of stick movement.

All this customization may seem a bit much, but this is a wired controller not a wireless one. While price is a small factor, most gamers use a wired controller when they want to reduce any control latency as much as possible. I’m at a place where a wireless would probably serve me better – less cables to use and all, but the cable provided is plenty long and is a nice sturdy one, so it should survive quite a bit of use.

Verdict:
Between the wired cable, mic/headset plug-in, customizable buttons and joysticks, this controller caters to the more intense gamer. The price point is not crazy expensive, but it punches above its weight in terms of options and customization. Of course, many people (like me) will see the glowy lights and think that this controller is just great. I don’t need all that customizable thumbsticks and might prefer wireless just for ease of use but I can’t say no to all the fun colors. At around $40, the price is right and should be a great fit for casual and budget-conscious more intense gamers alike.

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