CronusMAX Plus (Hardware) Review

I can’t tell you how many times people have said to me “a PlayStation 4 console must use a PlayStation 4 controller, Cody; you can’t use that sweet new Xbox Elite controller with your Sony console.” Stupid rules like that make life less fun. But once in a generation someone comes along and says, “Screw you society, I’ll do what I want.” That’s what CronusMAX did with the CronusMAX Plus. Not only does it have the most metal name imaginable, it lets you turn the world upside down and use other controllers for your designated console. Unfortunately, while the concept is great on paper, in execution, it doesn’t work.

The setup process isn’t too difficult; you’ll need to download an application on your computer and connect your controller to a USB device that allows you to authenticate on the console and you’re ready to go. The device pretty much tricks your system into thinking you’re using a normal controller, and it allows for some cool features. You can download game packs from the website to install on the Plus, and there are different things for different games, but there are also cool cheats or mods like rapid fire, auto run, or even quick scope. It seems to be a good device for someone looking for the extra edge over the competition—when it works.

That’s the biggest problem though, if you’re in a win-or-lose situation, I wouldn’t trust this device. We encountered some weird glitches pretty frequently. The most common issue would cause my character to continuously run, while making the rest of the buttons on my controller useless. I couldn’t change the camera, jump, or even exit out to the home screen. This was fixed by unplugging the CronusMAX from the console, but it was kind of annoying. Aside from that, it’s wired. It’s completely necessary for everything to work, but it’s something to keep in mind depending on the layout of your gaming room. We also encountered issues when we’d sync up the native controller at the same time, and it pretty much made the wired outsider useless.

And that’s what really hinders the product. The concept is cool, but it just doesn’t work consistently. But aside from wanting some cool mods, there really isn’t a use for something like this. I’ve seen similar setups before for classic consoles, and that makes sense seeing as some earlier controllers are absolutely abysmal, whereas today’s paddles are a matter of preference, usually based off the choice you made when you bought your console. Regardless, it was interesting to use, and the game packs make it a fun little device to mess around with, but if you only have one console at home you won’t really need this.