A short time again, I regarded on the Hautepad X, Cosmox Gaming’s premium arcade controller that boasts modular parts for a extremely customisable expertise – with an equally excessive worth as well.
For individuals who won’t be on board with such an bold product however nonetheless need to see why Cosmox has been garnering reward within the combating recreation neighborhood, the C16 and C16-S is likely to be extra up your alley.
Coming in at just below $90 (roughly £67) every, these new wired fashions are roughly the identical worth because the 8BitDo Arcade Controller, but neither skimps on high quality or options. Suitable with Change and Change 2 after you observe the directions and set the proper profile (PS5 and Xbox homeowners might want to spend extra on a converter just like the Brook Wingman), the C16 and C16-S weigh in at 789g. Slim but sturdy.
You’ve bought hot-swappable key caps with Kailh Wind Engine switches, which really feel tactile with out making an excessive amount of noise. Similar to the Hautepad X, nevertheless, you may swap out the switches for one thing extra to your liking with the included swap puller. There is a perform bar on the prime, and that is the place you’ll discover a small OLED display to show real-time button inputs, lights and match toggles, and buttons like ‘begin’, ‘choose’, ‘seize’, and ‘turbo’. These all include their very own light-up labels, too, supplied you have got match mode turned off.
What’s the distinction between the C16 and C16-S? Functionally, the 2 are an identical; they appear related, the perform bar stays the identical, and the USB slots are in the identical positions.
They each have 16 switches on the highest, however the important thing distinction is the structure. The C16 is what I’d deem a extra ‘conventional’ structure; it’s the identical as what you’d see on the Hautepad X, 8BitDo’s Arcade Controller, and plenty of different fashions making the rounds. The C16-S, in the meantime, boasts a ‘break up’ structure that shifts a number of of the switches round for one thing extra distinctive.
So basically, for those who lay your arms on prime of the C16-S, all 10 fingers will relaxation comfortably on the switches, along with your pinkies sitting on the pill-shaped buttons on the far sides, and your thumbs on the identical buttons positioned towards the decrease center.
In the event you’re accustomed to a extra conventional structure, this will take a little bit of getting used to; with Avenue Fighter 6, for instance, the macro for Drive Impression can be on the far proper, so that you’d whack your pinky all the way down to activate it. On the C16-S, the identical macro has moved over to the center, requiring you to shift your proper thumb over to hit it.
Naturally, you may remap the buttons nevertheless you want through the net configuration device, so if you wish to merely transfer the Drive Impression macro again over to the proper, you may. It’s price retaining in thoughts, nevertheless, that for those who’re eager to only plug in and play, you’ll must spend a little bit of time getting used to the structure. One key draw back is that the OLED display would not match the structure on the C16-S, so you may’t actually use this as an correct information.
In the end, neither possibility is ‘higher’ than the opposite right here; it actually comes down to non-public desire. In the event you’re an entire newbie to the world of leverless arcade sticks, then think about the C16; its tried-and-tested structure is used extensively throughout all arcade stick producers, so shifting from one to a different is comparatively painless. In the event you’re after one thing totally different, then the C16-S is a reasonably cool little setup – one that you simply received’t simply discover elsewhere.
Whichever mannequin you go for, the switches themselves really feel nice. The spacing is acceptable, so until you have got actually tiny arms, you’ll discover that the entire buttons are inside straightforward attain, and combos on the likes of Responsible Gear -Attempt- and Dragon Ball FighterZ will really feel effortlessly pure. Down on the underside, the floor curves downward barely, which makes for a beautiful area on which to relaxation your wrists whereas boasting a reasonably candy pixelated design that shimmers within the mild.
On the again, you’ll discover two primary non-slip strips on both facet to forestall the controller from sliding about on easy surfaces, whereas a button labelled ‘push’ is on the proper. Urgent this in produces a pin on the opposite facet which pushes the magnetic acrylic cowl away from the principle physique for straightforward customisation – type of like how the magnetic Pleasure-Con 2 work.
As commonplace, Cosmox consists of 4 design templates for every mannequin, with an extra two clean sheets in case you need to create your individual little masterpiece. Aluminium covers have additionally been launched which add a pleasant bit of additional weight to the controller, however these are bought individually. As for the acrylic cowl, the frosted matte design feels pretty and repels nasty fingerprints, nevertheless it does barely blur the paintings beneath.
Lastly, each controllers characteristic some actually pretty RGB lighting. All primary buttons include their very own light-up rims across the exterior which change color by default. Urgent the buttons ends in a white mild to point the enter, however you too can disable this utterly through the perform bar.
Across the exterior of the controller, you may additionally discover an RGB strip, and this appears superior when laid on a flat floor in a darkish room. It actually helps the controller stand out within the crowd, and this mixed with some customized paintings permits for some self-expression. In fact, you may take this a step additional by customising the lights to your liking through the configuration device. You may make it so the buttons and RGB strip current particular colors, or you may merely forestall them from altering on their very own.
Conclusion
The C16 and C16-S are each nice choices for those who’re after an inexpensive arcade controller that punches properly above its weight. Which one you go for finally comes down to non-public desire: the C16 provides a extra conventional structure, whereas the C16-S goes for one thing extra distinctive that skilled gamers may need to check out.
In any other case, minor quibbles apart, these are feature-rich controllers with remapping accessible through the net configuration device, and the flexibility to simply swap out customized paintings makes for a tempting prospect for many who wish to showcase their personalities through their {hardware}.
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Due to Cosmox Gaming for offering the samples used for this evaluate.
