Sonicon Wireless PS4 Elite Controller
The controller provides advanced design features for PS4 gamers, but it might be hard for people with smaller hands to work with it because of its larger size.
- Design
- Ease of use
- Price
Despite advanced features, controller doesn’t live up to expectations.
My son, like most teenage boys, loves to play video games. His favorite gaming system is the PlayStation and he plays all types of games on it. I’m not a gamer per se so I asked his opinion of the Sonicon Wireless PS4 Elite Controller that came across my desk for review.
DETAILS
The Sonicon Wireless PS4 Elite Controller is a third-party gaming controller that is compatible with the PlayStation 4. It’s modded and includes removable back paddles. It does work out of the box (default configuration is mapped to the four face buttons) but is remappable. The controller is designed to be ergonomically correct with an enlarged grip and non-slip textures.
According to the product description, the controller is supposed to outperform the stock PS4 controllers. the battery that is built-in is 1000 mAh and can last up to 8 hours. It’s rechargeable with a USB-C cable (included). The firmware of the controller is upgradeable via the USB-C port.
Compatible with:
- PS4/PS4 Slim/PS4 Pro
- Windows 7/8/10
- Switch (Bluetooth adapter required)
- Mac OS
- iOS
- Raspberry Pi Emulators/Retropie/Lakka/EmulationStation/Batocera/RecalBox/RetroArch/EmuELEC
What’s included:
- 1 x Sonicon Wireless PS4 Elite Controller
- 1 x USB-Type C Charging & Pairing Cable
- 1 x User Manual
USER EXPERIENCE
The controller comes in a simple retail box. There is an image of the controller on the front of the box and the product name was stamped on the side. There were no other details on the box. This product does appear to only be sold online through Amazon so the plain box isn’t a deal-breaker.
As far as gameplay goes, my son felt the controller was unresponsive at times and that the buttons got in the way. He said that the replaced PlayStation button (the lightning bolt) did not work until fully pressed down and by that time, the PlayStation menu was displayed. That made it much more difficult to switch between games.
The paddles on the back felt quite wobbly and they were also hard to press. My son noted that at first, you hear/feel a click when a paddle was pressed but there was no action as a result. And, even though the controller is supposed to be a little larger than standard PS4 controllers and ergonomically comfortable, my son reported that the buttons were hurting his fingers due to his lengthy fingers. He also mentioned that since the controller is larger that people with smaller hands might have issues with it.
My son also noted that one of the games listed for use with this controller is Dark Souls, but that game has a lock-on button, which would make the right thumbstick irrelevant.
CONCLUSION
Despite the difficulties he had using the controller, he did like the way the controller felt overall and felt that he had a better grip while playing. Unfortunately, that is the only thing he liked about the controller. He really wasn’t a fan of the back paddles and thought it would be better and easier to use without them.
Even though part of the allure of this controller is the addition of the back paddles, my son didn’t feel that it was worth the additional money (approximately $40) on top of the price of the PS4 controller to get those back paddles.
