Astro C40 TR: a professional PS4 controller to compete with the Xbox One Elite

The perfect "professional" controller of the PlayStation 4 is a bit of a white whale for the consumer electronics industry. Once Sony has apparently resigned to sticking to its proven DualShock design, leaving third-party companies to offer better options, a number of leading brands have tried to break through with the same success as Microsoft knows with its superb Xbox An elite. But none has succeeded. In their wake is a graveyard of defective devices or just badly made with three-digit price tags and lukewarm to negative reviews.

Astro's C40 TR is different. The company, which is now a Logitech brand that quickly built its reputation by manufacturing high quality gaming headsets, decided to create a device that would not only meet the demands of competing console players, but would also place it in a set. designed to last. and not be exposed to the litany of problems that have plagued other PS4 premium controllers. In addition, it also acts as a PC gaming keyboard, making it a powerful competitor of the Xbox One Elite for Windows players.

I can confidently say that the C40 resolves almost all the complaints I have with competing devices from Scuf, Razer and others who have tried the high end joystick market. which is pretty much the Kleenex of the market, manufactures solid professional standard controllers under its Impact and Pro ranges, but its attempt at a C40-style device, called Scuf Vantage, was plagued by early durability and connection problems wireless. since its launch last fall.

In contrast, the C40 largely succeeds, with some warnings and concessions that undeniably make its price difficult to swallow.

The idea behind a pro gamepad is quite simple. The stock controllers that come with your home console are typically designed for mainstream consumers, which means they're good enough and last long enough to satisfy most players. If you have to replace them, they cost between $ 40 and $ 60, and the average life is one to two years, or more if you do not care about losing the rubber of your thumb. (More intensive players could burn a DualShock 4 in six months or less.)

But simply holding the Astro C40 TR clearly explains why these expensive alternatives exist at the base. On the one hand, the quality of construction is incredible. The controller has a serious weight that, while making it a little more tedious to hold for long sessions, gives it a premium feel similar to that of the Xbox One Elite. The ergonomics have been well thought out, and the contours of the handles and the matte black finish on the top make the game a much better experience than the standard DualShock.

The real benefits of this device are in the pallets and the modular arrangement of the joysticks. Pallets are not floating pieces of plastic, like on Scuf controllers. Instead, they are four-sided buttons that extend from the back of the controller to the bottom of the left and right handles. This means that they can be pressed in any portion with your middle finger to activate the remapped commands you have programmed. Since these are buttons connected to the controller itself, they will not come off if they are pressed too hard, as did my most used Scuf Vantage paddle three times in less than six months.

The modular layout of the joysticks is the remarkable functionality of the C40. Knowing that most controllers were starting to deteriorate mainly in the pole department, due to rubber spalling and more serious problems with drift and dead zones, Astro decided to create custom modules that can be easily exchanged and replaced if necessary.

To change the layout, there are four screw locks at the front of the device that you need to loosen with the help of an included tool. (The screws are fixed in place, so there is no chance of losing them). After that, you can swap everything, including transforming the C40 model from a DualShock 4 presentation into an unbalanced Xbox One presentation by placing the controller to the left of the D-pad's default position. Astro says it will sell replacement modules for $ 20 apiece.

In terms of remapping, the C40 has an intuitive and responsive remapping system, unique in the world, comparable to Scuf Vantage. In the C40, you simply hold a button on the back of the controller, select the back side button that you want to program, and then the button you want to map. It takes less than 10 seconds. The C40 also has the added benefit of allowing you to remap all other controller buttons, not just the additional ones on the back of the device. There is also a robust desktop software for Mac and PC that allows you to remap instantly and create additional profiles that you can switch between the two built-in profile slots of the controller. The software also allows you to customize settings such as thumb and trigger stop sensitivity with a high level of granularity.

Another great benefit of this controller is that it comes with a dedicated wireless USB transmitter. Previous high-end PS4 game models, such as Razer's Vantage and Raiju, rely on standard, no-dongle Bluetooth connections to the PS4, making the connection vulnerable to interference and other issues that make wireless play almost impossible. for shooters and other games requiring a low entry delay. For example, my Vantage device was virtually unusable in wireless mode. The C40 solves the problem by using a USB key while staying connected to the PS4. This is not an innovation at all, but it is a welcome addition, to which most headsets and wireless mouse manufacturers have managed to avoid delays. According to Astro, the device consumes 12 hours with a single charge and I found that this claim holds up.

The C40 is not without problems, however. I used the Scuf Vantage for a long time last year, and although I do not personally think about most shooting or competitive styles require to have four rear pagers to play at a high level (with the possible exception of FortniteI can certainly sympathize with people who have gotten used to playing with so many extra inputs. Many of the leading professional PS4 controller manufacturers now offer this option, including Scuf and lesser known brands such as AimControllers, Battle Beaver Customs and Evil Controllers.

What I miss in the Scuf Vantage are the sax buttons, these two extra inputs resting on the upper sides of the controller that you can activate by simply pressing the fingers of your pointer. So, although I may not have used the Vantage's four rear pallets, I appreciated the possibility of having four more entrances and that's what the Astro C40 TR lacks. If you're a player who has spent months or years using a Scuf Impact controller or another four-pallet controller, you'll have a hard time adjusting to it and it's going to be a game changer.

There are some other problems, especially boring, that should be mentioned. The C40 is based on Micro USB technology, while Astro could very well have used a USB-C connector. There may be a reason to get an official PlayStation license that requires the controller to be compatible with existing cables and DualShock 4 accessories, but no matter, that means you're stuck with Micro USB for charging and wired connections.

On top of that, Astro has created a special cable that plugs into a single port located at the top of the device that you will not find on any other PS4 controller. This allowed you to charge the controller while avoiding damage to the port, which, according to Astro, is particularly susceptible to damage. This is a good idea, but that means that existing micro-USB cables do not fit in the port and you will have to buy a replacement cable from Astro if you lose the one supplied with the C40.

Another particular obstacle to this device is that even though it is an official PlayStation-licensed device, the C40 TR can not turn on the console. Astro is not alone here; This is the case for all other PS4 Pro controllers on the market, with the exception of those rebuilt using disassembled DualShock 4 devices, such as the Impact Scuf and similar models.

Apparently, Sony does not want to provide the necessary components for its official third-party controllers to work directly with the PS4. You are therefore obliged to turn on the console with the button located at the front of the console or with your old DualShock. 4. From there, you can easily synchronize the C40 at the touch of a button. It is a problem, of course, but it is not a problem that Sony does not seem to want to help solve its partners.

These problems aside, the Astro C40 TR is the first pro PS4 controller in this price range that I feel comfortable to recommend. It's the most durable and powerful gamepad I've used outside the Xbox One Elite, and Astro's modular system leaves me confident that I can replace its most vulnerable parts if they fail.

If the price of $ 200 is too high for you – $ 100 more gives you a full PS4 Slim console – that's an understandable position, especially since the next generation of PlayStation should come out in two years. But if you're even considering the C40 remotely, be aware that it's the best PS4 controller you can get right now.