Up on the review block today I’ve got a
beautiful looking game pad controller from Thrustmaster. I normally
wouldn’t associate the word beautiful with the controller but this
one deserves it. It’s a Limited Edition Ferrari 430 Scuderia themed
controller that is so limited that it’s actually numbered. The
controller is wireless and it works with both PS3 and PC games. It
resembles most other controller out there but Thustmaster added an
optical wheel to the pad specifically for driving or racing style
games so you can get an edge over your competition. So read on to
check it out…
Product
Name: Thrustmaster
Ferrari Wireless Gamepad 430 Scuderia Limited Edition
Author: Kristofer Brozio
Sponsor: Thrustmaster
Tech
Specs,Features or the Basic Info:
Ferrari
Wireless Gamepad 430 Scuderia Limited Edition
The exclusive wireless
controller featuring OPTICAL CONTROL
*
The ultimate 2.4 GHz wireless controller: EXCLUSIVE & NUMBERED
–
Metallised design inspired by the Ferrari 430 Scuderia “musetto”
(nose)
–
Lower grip featuring a full peach skin texture, for unrivalled
comfort
*
DUAL PROGRESSIVE TRIGGERS
–
2 progressive and programmable triggers
–
Unrivalled control: independent and measurable braking and
acceleration
*
OPTICAL WHEEL with auto-centering
–
For ultra-precise control over your progressive actions, featuring an
auto-centering feature
–
90° rotation angle (whereas mini-sticks offer only 40°)
*
2-in-1: for PlayStation®3 & PC
–
One controller for your two systems
–
Home button for PlayStation3
*
Fully programmable (simple, no CD required) (exclusive on all
platforms!)
–
The buttons, mini-sticks, directional buttons, optical wheel and
triggers can be swapped
*
MAPPING, PRESET & Internal Memory functions (exclusive on all
platforms!)
–
Enables users to switch from one configuration to another in just 1
second!
–
The controller stores all programmed button configurations, even when
disconnected!
Soft touch grip
Price:
$40 (From Amazon at time of review)
{mospagebreak title=Unboxing Video and Pictures}
Unboxing
Video and Pictures:
So we’ll go with the unboxing
video and then a bunch of still citruses of the product from various
angles.
The box is attractive looking:
Inside you’ll find documentation,
gamepad and the wireless USB dongle.
The dongle itself resembles a
large USB drive, there’s a switch on the side to change from PS3 to
PC gaming modes or compatibility.
Here’s the game pad from several
angles and close up views as needed.
{mospagebreak title=Installation and Testing}
Installation
and Testing:
I do like the design of the
controller, it’s comfortable to use for long periods. When I first
got it I wasn’t quite sure I’d like it, but after using it for an
hour or so it was fine.
I
had no issues with installation, I used it with Win7 64bit and it
installed automatically in a matter of seconds.
The controller itself seems well
made and durable, the bottom has a soft-touch non-slip grip. The
button positioning is fine it’s comparable to other controllers so
you can just pick it up and start playing. There are buttons on the
bottom as well that you wouldn’t find on an Xbox360 controller for
example, and of course there’s that sliding button on the left side
where the D-Pad is.
The D-Pad can be used like a
steering wheel for games, it’s optical so it’s nice and sensitive.
The controller has very good
battery life and the wireless range is very good as well, so no
issues there.
Using it with games though was a
bit hard as I couldn’t find many games that it worked with. No FPS
type game I have worked with the controller, but most racing games
and even HAWX worked with it.
It seems perfectly fine with the
games it does work with though, there’s no lag at all and it’s
programmable so you can customize the controls when the game allows
it.
I don’t own a PS3 so I couldn’t
test that functionality, but I read some other reviews and they
really had no complaints about using it with the PS3 except for
button placement, specifically the ones on the bottom.
Summary
and Comments:
Overall I do like this controller
a lot.
Aesthetically it’s beautiful, and
using it is a great experience, but I just wish it worked with more
games than it does.
If you’re a racing game fan then I
think you’ll surely want this controller as the addition of the
optical wheel really does help
DragonSteelMods gives the Ferrari Wireless Gamepad 430 Scuderia Limited Edition a 4 out of
5 score.
Pros:
+Excellent and attractive design
+Comfortable to use
+Good battery life
+Good wireless range
+Easy to use and setup
Cons:
-Does not work is a lot of games
review# 660
Disclosure: This product was given to DragonSteelMods for review by the company
for review purposes only, and is not considered by us as payment for
the review, we do not, never have, and never will, accept payment
from companies to review their products.
To
learn more about our review policy, testing methods and ratings
please see this page.