PDP Afterglow Wave Controller Review – Lights, Controller, Action!

There are lots of controller choices accessible for Home windows and Xbox customers, providing a number of options that aren’t a part of the usual Xbox Collection X/S controllers. The PDP Afterglow Wave controller is a finances merchandise with spectacular visuals and lots of customization choices to tailor your expertise must you want one thing to assist information your palms via Baldur’s Gate 3 or Starfield. 

The PDP Afterglow Wave wired controller is an formally licensed Xbox product, which suggests it has the overall structure and button scheme of the Xbox Collection X/S controllers. It comes with two again buttons, a headphone jack, and a Operate button that mixes with the D-pad to carry out totally different duties, comparable to decreasing the quantity. 

Key Particulars

• Developer – PDP
• Accent – Controller
• Bluetooth – No
• Audio: 3.5mm Stereo Headset Jack
• Worth: $44.99

Compatibility

The PDP Afterglow Wave controller works with Xbox One and Xbox Collection X/S, in addition to Home windows 10 and Home windows 11 PCs. Because it’s an formally licensed Xbox product, it doesn’t work with another consoles.

The Good – Superb Visuals & Customization Choices

The PDP Afterglow Wave controller has RGB lights throughout its floor, with a show just like those utilized in many keyboards. As soon as plugged in, you’ll be handled to a rainbow of colours flowing throughout the controller’s floor. Should you press the Operate and shoulder buttons, you possibly can change between totally different colour schemes and actions. By way of visuals, the PDP Afterglow Wave is among the most spectacular I’ve seen, and it’s best in the event you play video games in a darkish room.

However, the visuals are meaningless if the controls themselves don’t work. Fortunately, the PDP Afterglow Wave is a high-quality controller with a really comfy set of super-responsive sticks. The Operate button can be helpful, as it may possibly increase and decrease the audio through the D-Pad or modify the sport chat and audio stability. It can be used to program the again buttons in your wants simply. 

If you wish to customise the controller additional, you possibly can obtain the free PDP Management Hub app, accessible on each Home windows PCs and Xbox programs. This app permits you to simply reconfigure the button structure and the RGB combination of the lighting. The PDP Management Hub can be used to check for any points with the sticks, in case you might want to recalibrate them as precisely as attainable. 

The Unhealthy – All Wires & Burning Colours

As is usually the case with finances controllers, the PDP Afterglow Wave solely is available in wired type. The controller works with any USB-C wire, and the field options an 8ft lengthy cable, however whether or not this works for you’ll rely in your setup. The extra space you might have, the extra seemingly the wire shall be a problem. 

The again buttons on the controller are located the place they need to be, however they’re ever so barely too mild to the contact. Normally, you need again buttons to be just a little tougher to press than the face buttons in an effort to forestall you from unintentionally pushing them when shifting your palms as a part of the sport. With the PDP Afterglow, I discovered myself unintentionally hitting the again buttons greater than I’ve with comparable controllers up to now.

Whereas the sunshine present is spectacular, it can be distracting in the event you recreation for lengthy hours and the lighting scenario modifications. It is a minor gripe, however having the multicolor mode switched on can change into distracting, and also you may not discover it till you’re mid-game, and also you gained’t need to take your palms off the principle buttons to modify lighting with the Operate technique.  

The Verdict

The PDP Afterglow Wave is a improbable controller, and whereas I had some minor points, it served me properly whereas taking part in varied preventing video games, shooters, and RPGs, with no management issues, and it seemed improbable your entire time. It is a nice alternative for a brand new major controller, particularly if you need one thing to indicate off when taking part in sofa co-op.