Michal Ždanský After the announcement of game controllers for iOS 7 in June of last year, mobile gamers have been waiting for long months for the first swallows promised by manufacturers Logitech, MOGA and others. Logitech is one of the renowned manufacturers of gaming accessories and was one of the first to come to the market with a controller for iPhone and iPod touch.
The Swiss company chose a standard interface and packaging concept that turns the iPhone into a Playstation Vita with iOS, and uses a Lightning connector to connect the device to the controller. So no pairing via Bluetooth, just plugging the iPhone or iPod into the adjacent space. Game controllers hold a lot of potential for serious gamers looking for a gaming experience on mobile devices as well. But did the first generation of controllers for iOS 7, specifically Logitech PowerShell, live up to expectations? Let's find out.
Design and processing
The body of the controller is made of a combination of matte and glossy plastic, with the glossy finish only found on the sides. The matte part looks quite elegant and far from evoking "cheap China" like the competing controller from MOGA. The back part has a slightly rubberized surface to prevent slipping from the hand and is slightly shaped on the side. The function should be purely ergonomic, so that the middle fingers with which you hug the device sit exactly under the raised part. They don't really add much to the ergonomics, the straight-backed Sony PSP feels slightly more comfortable to hold than Logitech's PowerShell, plus the textured surface in the area where you hold the controller scratches rather than anti-slip.
On the left side there is a power button that activates the power supply, below it we find a microUSB port for recharging the battery and a handle for attaching the strap. The front is home to most of the controls - a directional pad, four main buttons, a pause button, and finally a small slide button that mechanically pushes the iPhone's power button, but it takes more force to push the mechanism down, and it doesn't work with the iPod touch. At the top there are two side buttons similar to the PSP. As this is only a standard interface, it lacks another pair of side buttons and two analog sticks on the front.
The entire game controller functions as a case into which you slide your iPhone. This needs to be done diagonally from a smaller angle so that the Lightning port sits on the connector, then just press on the top of the iPhone or iPod touch so that the device fits into the cutout. For removal, there is a cutout at the bottom around the camera lens, which, due to its size, allows for removal by pressing your finger on the upper part without touching the lens or the diode.
One of the advantages of PowerShell is the presence of a battery with a capacity of 1500 mAh, which is easily enough to charge the entire battery of an iPhone and thus doubles the battery life. Therefore, you don't have to worry about draining your phone with intense gaming and running out of energy after a few hours. The battery also better justifies the high purchase price.
In addition to the controller itself, you will also find a charging cable, a rubber pad for the iPod touch so that it does not rattle in the case, and finally a special extension cable for the headphone output, because PowerShell surrounds the entire iPhone and there would be no way to connect headphones. Therefore, in the direction of the headphone output, there is a hole in the controller into which an extension cable with a 3,5 mm jack at the end can be inserted, and then you can connect any headphones to the female. Thanks to the "L" bend, the cable does not get in the way of the hands. If you don't want to use the headphones, the case also has a special slot that directs the sound from the speaker out the front. When it comes to audio, Logitech's solution is really flawless.
In terms of dimensions, the PowerShell is unnecessarily wide, with its more than 20 cm, it exceeds the length of the PSP by three centimeters and thus matches the height of the iPad mini. At least it won't put too much weight on your hands. Despite the built-in battery, it maintains a pleasant weight of 123 grams.
Buttons and directional pad - the controller's biggest weakness
What game controllers stand and fall on are the buttons themselves, this is doubly true for iOS 7 controllers, as they are supposed to represent a better alternative for touch controls. Unfortunately, the controls are PowerShell's biggest weakness. The four main buttons have a relatively pleasant press, although perhaps with more travel than would be ideal, they are unnecessarily small and you will often accidentally press several buttons at once. The buttons should definitely be bigger and further apart, similar to the PSP. They have at least the fact that they are not too loud when squeezed.
A bit worse are the side buttons, which feel a bit cheap, and the press is also not ideal, often you are not sure if you have actually pressed the button, although luckily the sensor is properly sensitive and I had no problem with having to keep pressing the button.
The biggest problem is with the directional controller. Since this is not an enhanced version of the controller interface, the analog sticks are missing and the directional pad is the only way for movement commands. Therefore, it represents the most important element in all of PowerShell, and it should be damn good. But the opposite is true. The D-pad is incredibly stiff, and its edges are also quite sharp, making every press an unpleasant experience, with a distinct crunching sound during circular motion.
[do action=”citation”]With constant pressure on the directional pad, your hand will start to hurt within fifteen minutes and you will be forced to stop playing.[/do]
Worse, even if you learn to apply enough force with your thumb to press the direction, the iPhone often doesn't register the command and you have to press the controller even harder. In practice, this means you'll have to push your thumb hard to get your character to move at all, and in games where directional control is key, such as Bastion, you'll be cursing the crappy D-pad all the time.
With constant pressure on the directional pad, your hand will definitely start to hurt within fifteen minutes and you will be forced to put the game on hold, or even better just put off PowerShell and continue using the touch screen. For a device that was supposed to make gaming easier and take our fingers from glass to physical buttons, that's about the worst form of indignity there can be.
Gaming experience
At the moment, more than 7 games support game controllers for iOS 100, among them there are titles such as GTA San Andreas, Limbo, Asphalt 8, Bastion or Star Wars: KOTOR. While for some the absence of analog sticks is not a problem, for titles like San Andreas or Dead Trigger 2 you will feel their absence as soon as you are forced to aim again on the touchscreen.
The experience really varies from game to game, and the inconsistent implementation kind of ruins the entire gaming experience that the controllers were meant to enhance. For example Bastion correctly mapped the controls, the virtual buttons on the display remained and the unnecessary HUD takes up a significant part of the screen via the connected controller.
In contrast Limbo controlled without problems, however, the game uses only a minimum of buttons and thanks to the lousy directional controller, the control was rather rough. Probably the best experience was provided by the game Death worm, where luckily you don't have to keep pressing the directional buttons, plus the title uses only two directions instead of eight. The situation is similar Trials Extreme 3.
Any extended gaming session of more than 10-15 minutes inevitably ended the same way, with a pause due to pain in my left wrist due to a bad directional pad. It wasn't just the thumb that was unpleasant to play with, but also the middle fingers serving as a support from the opposite side. The texture on the back really starts to rub off after a long time, especially if you have sensitive skin. In contrast, I could spend several hours on the PSP without any noticeable damage to my hands.
always difficult and being among the first has its disadvantages - you cannot learn from others' mistakes and there is no time for extensive testing. Logitech PowerShell fell victim to the rush to market. The controller shows a job well done in terms of processing, although some decisions, such as the textured back surface, are rather a detriment. Many things are thought out here, for example the connection of headphones, elsewhere you can see shortcomings in the field of design, which apparently there was no time to think more deeply.
All the minor flaws could be forgiven if it weren't for the lousy directional control that PowerShell has, which even the mammoth library of supported games with a flawless implementation couldn't buy, which is a far cry from reality. Logitech failed miserably in its most important task of developing a game controller, and thus cannot be recommended even to the biggest game enthusiasts who were anxiously awaiting the first controllers for iOS 7.
PowerShell is thus an investment that is not even worth considering, especially at the recommended price of over 2 700 $, when the controller hits our market during the winter. And that's not even considering the built-in battery. If you're looking for a good mobile gaming experience, stick with well-optimized games for touch, buy a dedicated handheld, or wait for the next generation, which is likely to be cheaper and better.
Game controllers will certainly find their place among iOS users, especially if Apple actually introduces an Apple TV with game support, but currently, controllers for iOS devices are an echo of the past, which will not be heard for some time due to poor workmanship and high prices.
[one_half last="no"]
advantages:
[Checklist]
- Integrated battery
- Decent processing
- A headphone solution
[/checklist][/one_half]
[one_half last="yes"]
Disadvantages:
[bad list]
- Lousy directional controller
- Too wide
- Exaggerated price
[/badlist][/one_half]
They will definitely lend you something again. :-D But yeah, great. Keep going, how come you sometimes look at a less lenient review. :-)
Hello,
PowerShell driver and I mostly agree.
The design was really successful, I especially love when the "G" LOGO from the back lights up blue when charging the controller :).
Regarding the extension cable for the headphone output - I'm waiting for when I'll lose it :D, but there was probably no other way to solve this problem with the headphones, the main thing is that the cable doesn't bind in the hand.
I also agree that your hand will start to hurt, but you will get used to it in time.
I only play GTA SA with the controller and it works perfectly for me.
I can see from that one photo how it is held in a convulsive manner, no comfort. That would make my old nintendo injury pop up fast… and I'm not talking about carpal tunnel :-D. A little more ergonomics for the guys won't hurt - and I don't really see ergonomics here.