Rumble Force Gamepad

The game controller in your hand can make all the difference, sometimes between liking a game, and loving it, or just for getting the game to do what you intend. Is the controller designed well? Does it slip in your hands? Is it built well? Does it allow customizing of its buttons? Some controllers offer features others don't. Scheduled to be released in September 2007, just in time for the holidays, the Thrustmaster Dual Trigger 3 in 1 Controllers represent their latest with six axis of movement. Today I'm reviewing the 'Rumble Force' version. It offers vibration feedback in addition to full PS2/PS3 and PC compatibility, button/mini-stick/d-pad reprogramming, new-generation mini-sticks, and all in a controller that is comfortable to hold and use.

Introducing the Thrustmaster Dual Trigger 3-in-1 Rumble Force Gamepad for PC, PS2 and PS3. Thrustmaster is the Guillemot Corporation's PC and console gaming accessories brand name.

The controller comes with a mini driver CD and an instruction manual that covers seven languages.

Noted Features

1) Vibration feedback on PS2 and PC.

2) Two progressive triggers with long range travel bumps it up to a 6 axis controller

3) "Home" button has specific feature for each platform supported: for PS3 allow access to menus and to power off the console; PS2 it allows you to switch between analog and digital modes; on PC the home button allows you to switch from standard 4 axis to 6 axis mode

4) Fully programmable: All buttons, mini-sticks and the D-Pad can be switched between themselves and also programmed onto the triggers

5) "Preset" button allows you to instantly switch from default programming to your custom preset controls while in game

6) Internal memory: saves all of your programming, even when the gamepad is switched off (one reprogrammed mode per platform: PC/PS2/PS3)

7) Optimized handling: ribbed grip and rubber mini-sticks

Reviewer notes: With regards to the internal memory, I could get it to turn on & off Preset Mode but not store more than one custom preset for a single gaming platform. So it seems that you can have one custom preset configured for your PS2 and another set for your PC and another for your PS3, but you can't have more than one custom preset for your PS2 for example. Each preset configuration can have many or all buttons, mini-sticks, d-pad reconfigured.

Additional features noted by reviewer

The controller has ten buttons for gaming, a d-pad, two mini-sticks, and two triggers. It also has three more custom buttons for configuring and changing the controller's function. The game buttons are pressure sensitive (except for 'start' and 'select') for games that use that feature. This is also called 'progressive buttons.' The d-pad has a center rocker (more on this later). The rumble force version (the one I tested) has vibration feedback from two internal motors for PS2 and PC games. Thrustmaster stresses that the controller's new-generation mini-sticks offer optimum resistance and allow enhanced game play. The cord is 82 inches or 208 centimeters long or about a foot shorter than my PS2 controller's.

Design and appearance

My first impression from the photos I'd seen online was that the top rectangular portion of the controller was a bit too large and would inhibit good holding of it. However after holding it in my hands, that concern is now gone.

Plainly visible is the USB and PS2 connector. It's darker than it appears in these photos (It's black).

The ribbed handle grips are rubberized. Only the top semi-rectangular area and the top narrow part of the handles are a harder plastic. The rest of the controller including the underside and the front buttons/triggers area are rubberized the same as the handles. Also the two mini-sticks are rubber. The red buttons and the eight way directional d-pad are a cherry red plastic. Other colors are available.

The top center half in the above photo is the harder plastic and again the lower half is the rubberized. The right and left sides are rubber also.

The rear of the Thrustmaster Dual Trigger 3-in-1 Rumble Force Gamepad controller shows the PC-PS3 switch.

Clearly visible above is the dividing line between the soft rubber below and the harder plastic on top.

All of the sides are rubber for good gripping. There is a strip of plastic (visible) on the top as it goes down the handle that is hard plastic. This is where the palms of my thumbs rest.

When plugged in, the Mode button lights. When pressed, it toggles between bright red and a dimmer green (more on this later). All of the in-game buttons are not only labeled as PS2 controllers are, but also with numbers with the last two as Select being 9 and Start as 10.

Hands On

It's clear that the PS2 controller was a design baseline, and that's a good thing. The d-pad, mini-sticks and four primary buttons all align with my PS2 controller if I put their faces against each other. So the placement and sizes of the controller d-pad, buttons and sticks will be the same as you are used to for the PS2. I've seen some small PS2 controllers in stores but this one isn't one of them. What makes it larger than the stock PS2 controller and others is the handles and rubber gripping area on the sides, as well as the two analog triggers underneath. Also the area below the mini-sticks is not rounded around each mini-stick like some controllers have but instead it is squared off some distance below the mini-sticks as the photos show.

I find that the grip of the controller is very good. I have male adult-sized hands. It feels solid and balanced and isn't too light or too heavy for my taste. I find that my middle fingers are best placed on the two lower front analog triggers. My index fingers rest well on the front L2/L2 and R1/R2 buttons and my thumbs comfortably sit on the d-pad and top (1/2/3/4) primary buttons. If I want to, I can use my index fingers for the triggers with no difficulty and in that position my middle fingers rest underneath, back on the handles. For both grip stances, my ring and pinky fingers stay comfortably back on the handle for gripping.

The triggers underneath take up space and so give less room for your middle fingers to rest under the controller than the stock PS2 controller, so you'll need to either use them for the triggers (works well) or use them for holding the rear grips.

The four primary buttons are rounded and far enough apart that I'm not accidentally pressing two at the same time, but not too far away. The bright circular silver backing helps me to see the buttons and d-pad in a dimly lit room. If you press the edge of a button, the whole button goes down well and it still registers as a press. They stand about twice as high as Sony's PS2 controller's do, which might make sliding from one button to another in a quick move more difficult because you might bump against the side of the button in such a move. The d-pad is the opposite though. The button-like d-pad of the PS2 controller sometimes doesn't allow a smooth roll-around move while I find that the Thrustmaster Dual Trigger 3 in 1 does.

The d-pad doesn't allow an ambiguous press. It will nicely rock into one of the eight directions on a slightly higher center point. If you want to do a half-circle move (Virtua Fighter series uses these), lets say from right to left, going around the top, then it's easy to do. I've used other d-pads where they wanted to signal other directions to the console in such a move because there was no center rocker. I give this feature a thumbs up! Err, I mean 'thumbs pressed!' :)

The two mini-sticks are the exact same distance apart as are the ones on the stock PS2 controller. The actual rubber tops hat on the mini-sticks are a little smaller than my first generation U.S. PS2 controller. Also the mini-sticks' hats are indented. I prefer the PS2's mini-stick's slightly larger size and non-indented (mushroom shaped) rubber tops but it's not a big difference.

The four front buttons (R1/R2/L1/L2) are well shaped for both holding the controller and press nicely, giving good response when pressed. For smaller hands that can only reach the outside of the front buttons, it still registers a press there too.

There is one quirk with the specific controller I got. The R2 button doesn't depress as firmly as the other front buttons. It lands with a squish, and not a more solid feeling as the others and it's also slightly lower in height. The button still works fine though. I think my unit has a slight defect. I don't think most people would have noticed it.

Application and Programming

I tried the controller in Gran Turismo 4 (PS2), Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution (PS2) and Overlord (PC). The controller I find just as, or more comfortable and functional than Sony's PS2 controller for all of each game. It does feel significantly bigger. I find that this controller type is not the best for VF4 or Gran Turismo 4. I prefer fighting sticks for VF4E and a real wheel & peddles for Gran Turismo. This kind of controller shape is the default for PS2, PS3, XBOX and XBOX 360 so I don't mean to fault Thrustmaster for games that work best with custom controllers. It's just important to know that one controller can not be best for all games. In Gran Turismo, the vibration feedback is very nice. For example, the gravel road on the dirt courses feels just right! On the oval shaped race track, it felt like my tires were warping under the stress of taking a long gradual turn too fast. The dual triggers work for GT4 and operate the gas pedal and brake pedal and are a nice improvement to using the thumb buttons. There is much more control as to how much gas or brake you want to apply and the triggers work well without distracting from the game. In VF4E I found that the top thumb buttons are too close for best game play but this is just due to the size of the standard button pad. I'm used to arcade sticks for Virtua Fighter. I think many people would be able to play fighting games with the controller, especially since you can remap buttons to the larger front shoulder buttons that are easier to do simultaneous presses either in-game or on directly on the controller.

For Overlord, I find the controller works better than the mouse/keyboard combo because I can use one mini-stick to move the minions and the other to control the hero. So if you like Overlord on the PC, then this controller will offer a big improvement. Yes, some PC games that support a gamepad controller will play better on a gamepad than using the keyboard/mouse combo. This is especially true in more recent years because console ports are coming more to the PC than the other way around. Some of these console ports are worth playing, too!

Reprogramming

If you have games that don't allow button/stick/d-pad assigning as you'd like, this gamepad gives you a great alternative that others don't. All sticks and buttons can be re-mapped to other sticks or buttons so you can assign the d-pad to function as the stick or many other possibilities are there too. The two triggers can be mapped as buttons or mini-sticks (a single direction) but not the other way around. It's easy to reassign a stick to the four primary buttons, for example. Since the buttons are 'progressive', how hard you push the button is reflected in how much the stick is moved, in this example. Even the d-pad is pressure sensitive and so can function as a mini-stick, which is very nice. I didn't have any problems reprogramming it once I understood the four step process. It works well.

Software

The Thrustmaster Control Panel is installed with the drivers if you use the controller on a PC. You can get the drivers either from the included mini-CD or from the Thrustmaster web site. I had some confusion installing the drivers because after plugging in the controller, Windows XP would initially start detecting a "USB Human Interface Device" and then a "HID-Compliant game controller."

The instructions in the booklet and Thrustmaster's web site said nothing about this phase. So I initially canceled these prompts thinking that the detection wasn't working. Instead I was expecting to initially see something like "Thrustmaster Dual Trigger 3-in-1 Controller detected." However after a few reboots and question marks floating out of my skull, I decided to go ahead and let windows automatically do the install those on both prompts. This let the controller software detect the controller and suddenly the controller appeared in the Windows Game Controllers panel.

Open the Thrustmaster Control panel by opening up 'Game Controllers' in the Windows Control Panel (WinXP). Select the controller then click 'Properties'. There seems to be no other way to launch it. After installing the software, the Thrustmaster entry in the start menu says "Control Panel" but instead launches the Windows 'Game Controllers' panel.

The control panel has two tabs. A 'Test Input' feedback test and a 'Test Forces' tab. The Test Input panel is gives you one thing to change: You can switch between '4 axis mode' which doesn't activate the underside analog triggers and '6 axis mode' which immediately activates the triggers. This can also be done on the controller itself using the Mode button. Otherwise, the the Test Input panel is a great testing feedback tool to be sure the controller is working as you want or reprogrammed as you intend.

Using this page, I find that the center return function of both mini-sticks is very fast and consistently accurate. They have a nice smooth circular motion. There are no corners or stop zones in the whole circumference of movement. The center return area is felt by an absence of resistance. There is no sloppy movement in the center position. If you move either stick just a little bit, it shows as movement to your PC or PS2/PS3. If there's one thing I don't like in a joystick or mini-stick, it's sloppy movement in the center area and this controller has none.

Both of the underside analog triggers have a small dead zone at the beginning and end of the movement axis so as perhaps to avoid accidental pressing just by resting a finger on the trigger. I'm using the phrase 'dead zone' in a good sense here, not a bad one. So the little extra movement at the fully depressed state assures that you can get a full depress signal to your PC or Playstation 2/3. Both triggers are identical in this sense. Also the triggers move freely, quietly, smoothly and don't rub on the frame of the controller.

The Thrustmaster Control Panel's 'Test Forces' screen lets you test the vibration, or 'rumble', effects of the controller and set your force feedback power level. There are eight effects to test such as Engine Start, Backfire, Earth Quake, Bump and Rattle, etc. Each is distinctive. There is a 'master' power level to set between 0% and 150%. It seems that the settings greater than 100% are to amplify weaker rumble effects but for the strong effects there seems to be no difference between 100% and 150% as long as the 'Aggressivity' bar is set to 100%. Also you can set aggresivity to between 0% to 200%. With aggressivity set to 0% the pad still rumbles but less 'aggressively'.

Final Thoughts

All versions of the Dual Trigger 3 in 1 controller feature a two years manufacturer's warranty by Thrustmaster. There is web support at https://ts.thrustmaster.com , e-mail support, and toll-free phone tech support (UK phone support is not toll free).

Conclusion

The Thrustmaster Dual Trigger 3 in 1 Rumble Force gamepad offers more and costs less! It's built well, has lots of rubberized holding area, lets you reprogram it very flexibly, works on PS2/PS3 and PC, has good software, is cheaper than the 'official' gamepads, and has two progressive triggers. It's larger than many gamepads, but only for the rubberized handle areas. The dimensions of the actual buttons/mini-sticks, and d-pads are the same as the Sony gamepads. I can't find any major flaw with it and can't help but recommend it. Prices may vary from country to country so I can't be sure of costs so check your retailers.

Pros:

* Price
* Holding areas are rubberized and the handles are ribbed
* Holds in hands well
* Flexibly re programmable buttons, mini-sticks, d-pad
* Vibration feedback is strong
* Mini-sticks work nicely and return quickly and to dead-center with no center area sloppiness
* All eight game buttons and the d-pad are progressive
* Progressive dual triggers are just as advertised with nice amount of movement
* Compatible with PS2 / PS3 and PC
* No batteries
* Silver backing of thumb buttons and d-pad helps dim light use
* PC Drivers just work and offer nice tests
* Attention has been paid to small but important details
* Follows the classic yet popular PS2 gamepad base design

Cons:

* PC driver software installation was not clear as to initial steps
* No XBOX or XBOX 360 support
* Area behind and under mini-sticks isn't rounded to allow a little more room for fingers on handles
* Unsure about motion sensing support for PS3, presumed to be absent

Ratings:

• Presentation: 8.4
• Appearance: 8.5
• Construction: 8.7
• Functionality: 9.2
• Value: 8.6

Final Score: 8.68 out of 10.

Notes:
** Sony's PS3 Sixaxis features finer analog sensitivity than their PS2 DualShock 2, increased to 10-bit precision from the 8-bit precision of the DualShock 2. I'm not sure what this Thrustmaster 3 in 1 six axis controller supports as far as 10-bits or 8-bits or both for the triggers or the mini-sticks.
** Thrustmaster is also releasing the Run'N' Drive 3 in 1 Rumble Force - The First 7-axis gamepad with optical control and 7 axis control, Optical Wheel with Self Centering System, and more and also supports PC, PS2 and PS3. I didn't get a unit to review.

Questions? Comments? Benchmark Reviews really wants your feedback. We invite you to leave your remarks in our Discussion Forum.

Related Articles:

• Lian-Li PC-Q08B Aluminum Mini Tower PC Case
• Guide: How to shop for your first HDTV
• ASUS Eee PC 1000H 160GB Netbook
• Lancool First Knight PC-K63 Computer Case
• Logitech G930 Wireless Gaming Headset
• Antec ISK300-65 Mini-ITX HTPC Computer Case
• A-Data Vitesta DDR3-1600X CL7 PC3-12800 RAM
• Thrustmaster RGT Force Feedback Pro Clutch Edition
• CM Storm Stryker Computer Case Review
• Thrustmaster Run-N-Drive PC/PS3 Wireless Gamepad