Sports fans, be prepared to play as your favourite NFL team with PDP’s new Xbox One Faceoff controller.
The first thing users will notice about the Faceoff controller is the skin, as it is customizable with every NFL team. Out of the package however, it comes with a football skin, which features a bumpy texture and a rubbery feel (exactly like a football), which adds extra grip for sweaty thumbs. Rubbery white stitching runs down the middle with thin black stitching all around, and the NFL logo is stamped into the right-hand side. I was genuinely impressed with how far PDP went with the skin considering it would have been much easier to make a cheap plastic one. They’ve even thrown in a code for another free skin to be purchased online. However, the football skin does appear to be the best looking one.
Aside from the exterior, how does the Faceoff controller faceoff against a regular Xbox One controller? *rimshot* by doing a side-by-side comparison, it’s pretty clear there are some major differences in the two controllers. The Faceoff model is a little lighter, so anyone who likes controllers with more weight may be a bit put off. Under the skin, the plastic is shiny, thinner, and cheap looking (almost like a bootleg) compared to regular Xbox One controllers, which are made with thicker, matte-like plastic.
The gripping on the analog sticks doesn’t exist on the Faceoff controller and has been replaced with a smaller rim inside, which makes it marginally easier for your thumb to slip. The A, B, X and Y buttons are painted on rather than encased in more plastic, so the oils on your fingers or your nails will eventually chip the paint away. This makes me question why the home button is encased in plastic. The trigger buttons bend outwards rather than in, but I feel like this is a smart idea as this design will make the buttons less likely to stick.
The most interesting feature of the Faceoff is the ability to control the headphone/microphone options via the D-Pad. The up and down buttons adjust the audio of the game while the right and left buttons adjust game/chat balance. There’s even another button added under the right analog stick that mutes and unmutes your microphone.
Lastly (and this is unfortunate) the Faceoff controller is wired. This means you’ll have to sit closer to your TV or computer and be very careful, just like back in the day. Thankfully, the wire is over six-feet long so you won’t have to burn out your retinas by being so close to the screen. Xbox One owners will even save about $20 by buying the Faceoff over a regular controller.
Aesthetically speaking, the Faceoff is a cheaper and tackier controller when compared to the standard version. However, the new functions are cool and it plays perfectly. I’m not a sports fan, but if you love the NFL and need an extra controller it will be the perfect fit.
