We tried the new NACON jewel
Let's face it, over the last two console generations the controllers to play with have literally multiplied; each player has discovered that he has certain needs during his gaming sessions and for this reason companies have tried to create peripherals that are increasingly suited to the demands of the various segments of users. Among these companies we find NACON, which in the PS4 / One generation delighted us with different types of controllers: asymmetric, PRO and unlimited.
Today we are here to review a pad from the French company, for Xbox Series X / S, One and PC: we are talking about the new NACON Pro Compact, tested on PC.
We assume that the controller has been tested on a wide range of games: we started with one of the most popular multiplayer games of the last period, Apex Legends, Via F1 2020 until you get on Dark Souls, Resident Evil 3 Remake and finally Tekken 7. We can say without problems that in every game, in every situation, the peripheral performed optimally. Let's analyze the technical specifications: the new pad of NACON it is 154 mm high, with a width of 97 mm and a depth of 48 mm. It features a 3,5mm headphone jack input, a standard these days, and a button on the back to switch between classic and advanced (customizable) mode, which we'll talk about shortly.
A very welcome surprise was the presence of a small tag inside the box for unloading Dolby ACCESS; the aforementioned software allows us to choose between some predefined audio profiles. Let's find the profile Ranges, obviously with the Performance option for competitive play, the profile Movie dedicated to the use of multimedia content such as videos and films, Music to listen to our music with better quality and finally Students' Testimonials, meant for our calls. In addition to these four standard profiles, we also find three more fully customizable ones, which we can manage as we see fit.
So let's analyze one of the strengths of the controller, namely the customization possibilities. The controller is in fact plug and play, thus allowing the player to play without wasting too much time; yet the controller gives its best with the dedicated software, downloadable from the Microsoft Store, called Pro Compact. Within the app we can customize and re-map the keys, changing the relative configuration to our liking. But one of the features that in our opinion is more important is that of being able to use pre-set profiles for the analog sticks, for different types of games, such as:
- Racing o sports
- FPS, for assault or close-range weapons
- FPS-PRO, for various types of sniper
- Arcade o Fighting
- Infiltration
Each profile has a well-defined response curve, to allow the player to give their best in every game, in every title. As if that weren't enough, we can also change the dead zone of the levers, set to 2 by default, but customizable as we see fit. After the section of the analog sticks we find the triggers, which can also be customized, always with the aforementioned profiles, with different percentages depending on the game we are going to play. Finally we find the Settings section, where we can activate or deactivate the vibration, reverse the analogs or change the setup of the directional cross from 8 directions to 4. Inside the software NACON we also find the possibility of updating the controller or re-setting the controller to factory conditions.
Let's start with Arcade or Fighting games; we tested the potential of the Pro Compact on Tekken 7, and performed superbly. The home accessory NACON, in fact, it responds to inputs with a practically zero delay, allowing us to perform our combos very comfortably: moreover this is precisely the point that won us over the aforementioned joypad. An immediate response to commands, a feature also found on games like Apex Legends o Fortnite, which allows the player to dominate the game. In fact, let's move on to the FPS sector; in several tested games, especially competitive ones, the controller allows us to aim and shoot very well, also thanks to the settings of the aforementioned levers. One of the interesting features we found was the vibration that can be felt practically on the entire pad during the most excited phases of our online games, a plus that we appreciate.
We conclude with the Racing games, specifically with F1 2020; the tested product is also quite handy in this field, even if with the aforementioned category of games we have had a harder time getting familiar with the control.
As for the physical part of the Pro Compact, even here we can only promote it; the joypad is in fact equipped with a texture that guarantees us a better and long-lasting grip, a braided cable of 3 meters (very resistant), and larger keys than those we are used to. For example, the rear triggers are much larger, and we appreciate a construction of the keys of this type, since in practically all recent games they are used, allowing the player to reach them very easily, and consequently to perform frantic actions without too much difficulty.
We find that Pro Compact di NACON it is an exceptional product, and we believe it is one of the best pads of recent years, most likely; exceptional ergonomics, comfort (the longest gaming session with which we tested it was 3 hours, in which we did not feel the slightest effort in the grip) and a decidedly smart design. In fact, we find, on the front, the various keys to open the app Xbox Companion and to upload our screenshots online, in addition to the aforementioned software for customizing the keys.
We absolutely recommend Pro Compact, which you can buy for a few days, both on the NACON website and at specialized dealers, at a price of € 49.90; definitely a good price for such a peripheral.
