Customizable controller that works with every system is a dream
Going back and forth between controllers that match their respective consoles can be a bit annoying. The ALL Controller fixes that.
A company called Digital Depth Inc. is developing the ALL Controller, a universal controller that works with all current (and a couple past) game consoles, Windows and Mac computers, and smartphones. The ALL Controller is already fully funded on Kickstarter with more than 20 days left in its campaign. I was able to test a beta version of the controller on a handful of systems for a couple days and, let me tell you, this thing is legit.
The ALL Controller looks similar to an Xbox controller, but with a few extras. The back of the hand grips have two paddle buttons that can be mapped to whatever input you want, and the face sports an LED screen. That LED screen and the controller's software let you load up different drivers on the controller to work with specific systems, and even allows for custom button mapping.
Switching between drivers takes less than a minute, remapping buttons is incredibly easy, and connecting to systems by USB and Bluetooth is fast. Although my beta controller wasn't able to connect to PlayStation or Xbox consoles just yet, it worked seamlessly with my Nintendo Switch, PC, Mac, and iPhone.
With such versatility and ease of use, the ALL Controller solves the biggest problem with game controllers: they're all so different.
With such versatility and ease of use, the ALL Controller solves the biggest problem with game controllers: they're all so different.
People grow attached to their chosen system's controllers. Picking up a differently-styled controller for another console feels foreign and can take some time to get used to, even if you've used them before.
The ALL Controller takes care of this problem, allowing people to get comfortable with one controller across all platforms. No longer do you need to readjust and reprocess your memory of where that A button is for a Nintendo system (it's on the right) versus where to find it on an Xbox console (on the bottom). You don't have to tweak your movements in getting used to the feel and sensitivity of different triggers when you never need to change controllers.
If you like that Nintendo puts the A button on the right side, you can map the ALL Controller to do just that, and all of a sudden every time you hit the right button, no matter what console you're playing on, you're hitting A (or X) instead of B (or circle).
If changes happen on consoles or computers, the controller can be updated with new drivers to make sure everything runs smoothly, and can even be updated to run on future consoles.
Not bad for something that costs $55 (for the wired version) on Kickstarter -- that's less than the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller and right around the price of normal Xbox One and PlayStation 4 controllers. The wireless version is $80, but that's not bad considering you get one controller for more than one console.
Topics Gaming
