With the popularity of console gaming it some find it hard to switch between using the mouse and keyboard or using a gamepad. I myself am one of those people, I have been using the mouse/keyboard combination for so long it's like second nature to me, and when I pick up a gamepad I'm just all confused and it takes quite a while for me to get accustomed to the controls. I'm sure for some, you have the opposite problem I do, those that play console games can't quite master the keyboard/mouse combination and it feels awkward to them.

Saitek has introduced a new addition to their Cyborg line of products, this one is a gamepad that attempts to solve some of these problems, at least for those moving from console to PC gaming. It's aptly named the Cyborg Rumble Pad, obviously it's a rumble pad from the name, but it has a few other features as well.

With the Cyborg Rumble Pad, Saitek has attempted to make a gamepad that it truly compatible with every FPS game out there by the use of a button on the pad labeled FPS, when pressed it automatically programs the pad with the most common FPS game functions.

The pad is like other Saitek pads essentially, but the 'Cyborg' naming comes in with a part of the controller they call the 'Cyborg Module', the left side of the pad features a section that pops out, it includes the analogue stick and the d-pad, the whole thing can be rotated 180 degrees so the user can decide where the stick should be. The Cyborg Rumble Rumble pad has quite a few other features as well, so read on to learn more about them, this is truly a very cool gamepad...

Review: Saitek Cyborg Rumble Pad P3600

Reviewed by: Kristofer Brozio

Sponsor: Saitek

Tech Specs,Features or the Basic Info:

Saitek Cyborg Rumble Pad P3600

The PC gamepad has evolved – take your gaming to new heights with the most adjustable gamepad in the world!

For a long time, there has been a discussion amongst gamers about which position is best for the left analogue stick on a gamepad. Some prefer the left stick to be level with the right stick, whereas others prefer it offset to the top left corner of the pad.

With the Cyborg Rumble Pad, you now have the choice of either position with the revolutionary Cyborg module (Pat. Pending). At the press of a button, you can remove the Cyborg module from the pad and turn it through 180º, instantly changing the configuration of the left stick and d-pad.

The features don’t stop there though; you can also program any button on the pad to become a Precision button. Once programmed, pressing this button can affect the sensitivity of either of the analog sticks. Having trouble hitting targets through your sniper rifle when using the analog stick to aim? Hold the Precision button down and the response speed of the stick is reduced, making it much easier to draw a bead on your target.

The Cyborg Rumble Pad also features Saitek’s unique FPS button. We realise that many gamers (especially those used to playing on consoles) like to use their gamepads to control first person shooter games, but the majority of these games on PC do not support gamepads. To make the gamepad work in the game you need to program it using the supplied programming software. Whilst this option is still available to you, you can take all the effort out of this by pressing the FPS button on the pad. This instantly programs the pad with the keyboard and mouse commands typically used in these games, meaning you can start playing your games even quicker.

This isn’t limited just to FPS games. Instead of being forced to use your keyboard and mouse for certain games, you can use the Saitek Smart Technology software to program any part of the pad with any keyboard or mouse command. This allows you to use the pad in any game, even those that don’t support game controllers!

Finally, the Cyborg Rumble Pad also features a driver option called X-Mode. Increasingly, PC games are shipping with support for Microsoft’s Xbox 360 gamepad and switching the Cyborg Rumble Pad into X-Mode configures it to work in the same way.

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Features:

-Reversible d-pad and left analog stick

-FPS button

-Precision mode function

-2 quick-fire shoulder buttons

-2 analog triggers

-8-way d-pad

-6 responsive buttons

-2 analog joysticks

-Fully programmable

High quality, varied rumble forces so the gamer feels closer to the action - Using Immersion patented rumble technology for maximum compatibility with supported games.

System Requirement: 

Connectivity: USB 2.0

Windows XP, XP64 and Windows Vista (all versions)

Price: $34.95