PowerA FUSION Pro 2 Controller Review: "Floats Like A Butterfly, Stings Like A Bee"
For a serious gamer, a good controller is a necessity. While you may have the raw ability to be the next esports phenomenon, a carpenter is only as good as his tools. It may be overlooked, due to the daunting nature of not knowing what makes a solid pad and what is a gimmicky design with useless bells and whistles, but a gamer really is only as good as the controller they use. Even if you have no idea, at least the PowerA FUSION Pro 2 Controller has all of the gear.
The PowerA FUSION Pro 2 Controller is their most expensive Xbox product on offer, coming in at $85/£80, and whereas products such as their Spectra Infinity may literally glow your room up, the Fusion Pro is much more stripped-back to basics and focuses purely on performance.
Sculpted For Success
Click to enlargeThe PowerA FUSION Pro 2 controller is built to float like a butterfly and sting like a bee. With a core design that mimics the exact action of your hand, topped off with anti-friction rubber grips, it truly fits like a glove, and that's before we've even turned the console on.
From feeling alone, the lightweight build simply becomes another part of your hand, and if you do fancy a little bit more pizzazz, it also comes with an interchangeable white faceplate which comes with plenty of room to get arty if you fancy sprucing up your pad a little.
Peaking Your Performance
The PowerA FUSION Pro 2 Controller does come with quite a price tag though, almost double the price of a standard PowerA Xbox controller. So, what do you actually get for your money other than a substantially nicer feel?
Click to enlargeOne of the more unique selling points lies in the places your fingers occupy the most. The analogue sticks are designed with small rubberised grips, much like the controller's handles, and can be taken off. You'll have a range of sticks to choose from, including your usual concave stick in two heights, and a smoother convex-capped stick that can come in handy for your more dynamic movement changes in-game. Typically, the gripped small sticks that are given will be most preferable, although there's much to experiment with.
The four interchangeable paddles mean you can have all of your control within a single grip. On a standard controller, you have to remove your hand from the right stick in order to press A, B, X, and Y. Instead, your fingers that are normally wasted behind the pad can come to good use, and this makes for a quicker, more accomplished playing experience.
When compared to similar controllers from other manufacturers, the erected paddle found here is a step above and it makes for such an easy switch. A standard three-way trigger stop also bumps up the expertise over a normal pad, although there's nothing too special that sets this apart from other pro controllers. Still, an essential piece of kit for a high-paced game where reaction times are paramount.
Worth The Cash?
It's undeniable that the PowerA FUSION Pro 2 Controller is a beauty to hold, and is a perfect bridge between Microsoft's own controller and a triple-figure Scuf. For the price tag, you will struggle to find a more well-rounded pro controller that has all of the necessary adaptations needed to elevate your game, without the over-the-top sparkles.
Admittedly, it can be quite steep, especially with the nature of console games like Call of Duty: Warzone where high-end movement mechanics put quite a strain on a controller and reduce its lifetime significantly. However, in its middle-ground market, the PowerA FUSION Pro 2 Controller is probably worth the investment thanks to the lightweight build quality and impressive paddles.
So, if you have the need to get sweaty in-game and push your ability to the limits, the PowerA FUSION Pro 2 Controller Review is a solid choice that won't break the bank.
8/10
Product received free of charge.
