Pocket Sized Hori PlayStation Controller - Rerez
A little while ago we made a video on what I personally consider my favorite controller for the Nintendo 64, the Horipad Mini 64. Which takes everything that's really cool about the GameCube controller and turns it into a controller for the Nintendo 64. Now Hori made that controller and they've made tons of other controllers and in fact still make controllers to this very day but I was wondering if they did anything cool with the PlayStation. Well it turns out Hori did make a really cool variation of the controller that was really all their own. This is the Pocket Analog Controller for the PlayStation and PlayStation 2 and well it's really tiny. The first thing you'll notice while looking at this controller is that it doesn't have those traditional handle things from the sides of an original PlayStation controller making it feel a lot more compact. And the actual feeling of the controller believe it or not is more like a Super Nintendo controller. Which is weird when you consider the history of where the PlayStation came from originally being an add-on for the Super Nintendo. Instead of feeling just exactly like that controller though it's a lot thicker because inside this thing they've managed to stick everything you would have found in an original DualShock controller for the PlayStation. But one thing I really liked about this is that it just kind of feels a lot smaller but it doesn't feel uncomfortable. Its rounded edges are comfortable to hold. But it is different and that difference is in a lot of the things they did on the buttons themselves.
One of the differences on this controller is the way they do the shoulder buttons. Now on the original PlayStation controller the shoulder buttons are just in front and behind of each other but on this one they're offset and slightly not in the same row. It's really weird but it works. See when you're holding the controller you're not supposed to hold it directly over one or the other of the shoulder buttons you're supposed to kind of line your finger over both and then move your finger kind of awkwardly in and then tap on the tip to hit either one or the other. But I've never seen that layout on any other controller I've ever used and through all the games I played using the shoulder buttons I found it incredibly difficult at points. The next thing you'll notice on this controller is that the directional pad is one solid piece rather than the four individual kind of inserted button things you'll find on the PlayStation controller. Now while I'm okay with the directional pad on the PlayStation controller and I've grown to like that as much as anyone else I kind of prefer Hori’s take on it. This whole solid insert there just works a lot better and feels a lot easier to roll left and right when you're playing any of the games you play on the PlayStation. It's an odd little feature but if I had to choose between the original PlayStation controller or this Hori one for its D-pad alone I see picking the Horipad. The majority of the buttons and the D-pad have this soft sort of transparent plastic that they used and when I first saw the controller I just assumed that the controller lit up or maybe the buttons glowed in the dark or something but it didn't do anything like that. But I think if you were a modder out there and you want to throw some like LED lights inside they look like they're transparent enough that you could actually make this thing light up.
Another thing this Hori controller does that's different compared to an original PlayStation DualShock controller is that while that controller would have used little joysticks at the bottom this one uses nubs. Which I have to admit is weird looking but with this small form-factor these kind of joysticks work a lot better. In fact the best way I can kind of compare for people that have never used this is think of this as two little C sticks from a GameCube controller. You can play any PlayStation 1 or PlayStation 2 game with this controller because essentially it is just a DualShock controller. You even have the analog switch input right in the dead center just like an original DualShock so you can switch the controls out to how you feel is best. But there is something that is just kind of awkward and unfortunate about this controller. The vibration motors are simply not as strong as an original PlayStation controller. I don't know why. I have to assume it's because it's a lot smaller and they couldn't get the largest motor in there but it's just weak. I ran some vibration test with the controller just to see how hard the controller could actually vibrate and at its highest setting it was the lowest setting of the original PlayStation’s controller. So that kind of sucked but if you really don't care too much about that force feedback technology that you're going to get with this controller you're probably going to be in the clear. But if you're looking for something that has a really good jolt you're not going to get that with this thing.
You might be thinking this is the only version of this controller that exists but believe it or not there's actually a second variation and that one doesn't have the analog joysticks at the bottom. Leading me to believe that it actually came out before this model did. I might be wrong on that front but regardless that one's just a little bit smaller and looks even more like a Super Nintendo controller. So if you're really wanting to play something on the PlayStation and think to yourself that it's a Super Nintendo game maybe that's the controller you might want to pick up instead. So would I recommend this controller to you? Well that depends if you really don't like the D-pad on the original PlayStation controller this might be a step in the right direction. It really is that much better compared to the original PlayStation and if you're looking for something that's more like a Super Nintendo controller with analog joysticks at the bottom this is a great way to go in that regard too. In fact if you ever wondered what it'd be like to have a Super Nintendo controller that also had some vibration functions in it well that's what this controller really is. It's an awkward looking little thing but it's small, it’s compact and it feels great because Hori made it. And they put a lot of time and effort into making solid controllers. If you're ever out in the wild and you happen to see one of these things on the shelf pick it up. I promise you you'll be able to play some games in a pretty fun and cool way especially if those games use the D-pad.
To listen to the audio version of this article click on the play image.
Brought to you by @tts. If you find it useful please consider upvote this reply.
This controller look interesting, though I might still prefer the original Playstation controller over this. I remember watching your review of 8bit Nes Pro (or something) that's what I'd like to get next~