PowerA’s Moga XP-Ultra is the primary licensed wi-fi Xbox controller to hit the market, and after spending a while attending to grips with its distinctive modular design, we have jotted down our ideas on the brand new pad.
On paper, the Moga XP-Ultra from PowerA is a little bit of a beast, providing a modular design that can be utilized as a full-sized controller, mini-pad, or both utilizing the included Moga Gaming Clip to your cellphone. Its versatility makes it the proper peripheral for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers who need an all-in-one controller that helps Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Android, and Windows PC — and in addition occurs to be the primary formally licensed third-party wi-fi Xbox controller. All of these options will set you again $130, although, which could possibly be a tricky tablet to swallow for some gamers.
Moga XP-Ultra hands-on impression
Visually, the Moga XP-Ultra is not probably the most elegant of controllers as a result of its modular design, however I suppose that is the value you pay for versatility. The construct high quality, nevertheless, feels so a lot better than any earlier PowerA controllers I’ve examined. Due to its {hardware} being contained within the mini-pad portion of the XP-Ultra’s physique, which clips right into a base grip for full-size use, it appears like a very powerful a part of the XP-Ultra has a bit of additional safety. The mini-pad is designed to supply a sufficiently small type issue so that you can slip it right into a bag so you need to use Xbox Cloud Gaming in your cellphone once you’re out and about through the included mount. The mount clips into a chosen slot on the rear of the XP-Ultra, and as soon as clipped in place, it feels stable with little or no motion. Not as soon as did I really feel like my cellphone wasn’t safe once I used it — I gave it an excellent shake round and it refused to budge from the rubber grips. Once you have completed enjoying a recreation, the clip can both be eliminated or folded down over the entrance of the controller.
Cloud gaming is a focus for PowerA with the XP-Ultra, and I like the concept behind the mini-pad, however for my palms, it is a bit too small to comfortably play quicker video games like Forza Horizon 5 or shooters like Redfall. While the unit has grooves within the again to make it a bit extra comfy to carry, I nonetheless do not have sufficient area to get to every button or set off. Slower video games might be excellent for this setup. If you will have bigger palms, you may simply preserve it slotted into the bottom grip to make use of as a full-sized controller, although that will then be irrelevant.
The mini-pad portion homes all the identical buttons as an everyday controller, together with a share button and twin rumble motors, however as soon as you fit it into the bottom, you are additionally in a position to make use of two re-mappable rear buttons and a further pair of rumble motors. These are a regular function for PowerA controllers now, they usually’re improbable, primarily due to the quick-map possibility. All you should do is maintain the remap button on the again of the controller, hit the button you wish to change, after which faucet the rear button you wish to set it to. You can remap a button inside ten seconds whereas in-game, which is improbable for somebody like me who makes use of it occasionally. The rumble motors are a bit feisty when utilizing the mini-pad, emitting a ton of noise which feels like a swarm of bees are buzzing round inside it. I’m personally not a fan of the overenthusiastic really feel of it, however when you’re utilizing the full-size unit, that disappears, and also you’re left with a a lot gentler expertise that is silent. So far, I’ve had no issues with any of the buttons, toggles, triggers, and the like, whether or not I’m enjoying on a console or Cloud Gaming in both type issue, however connectivity has been a difficulty.
The Moga XP-Ultra makes use of Bluetooth to hook up with your cellphone or PC, and that is labored with none bother in any respect, however to hook up with the Xbox, it makes use of Microsoft’s ‘Xbox Wireless’ expertise, which could be temperamental. Connecting to my Xbox Series X|S was as fast and painless because the official Xbox controllers, and the XP-Ultra even helps profile switching between platforms by double tapping the pair button, however maintaining a secure connection has been problematic. 90% of the time, the controller works like a attraction, however in each session, the controller has randomly disconnected a number of instances, even once I was mid-game. Sometimes it is for a few seconds, which was ended by simply urgent A on the pop-up message, however others have required me to restart the controller. For single-player video games, it is principally an inconvenience however for multiplayer it is unacceptable. I do not know whether or not that is a difficulty distinctive to my unit, however it’s a difficulty, nonetheless.
For probably the most half, the Moga XP-Ultra is a beautiful controller to make use of, and its modular design provides it a singular promoting level. While I’ve had some issues with connectivity, my common expertise with it has been actually satisfying. Cloud gaming with the mini-pad and cellphone clip is ideal for lengthy journeys — when enjoying slower video games — and it simply provides the 25-30 hours of battery life PowerA is promoting. I can not assist however really feel just like the $130 asking worth is a bit too steep for what you are getting, although, particularly when the official Xbox Elite Series 2 Core is obtainable for a similar worth, and you may decide up a Moga Gaming Clip for a further $10 or so. However, in case you’re on the lookout for an all-in-one resolution, the Moga XP-Ultra is value contemplating.
What do you consider the Moga XP-Ultra? Drop a remark under and tell us!
