There's numerous different websites specializing in designing custom made Xbox One controllers, and while many of them might not be the best in terms of quality & options, there are some that offer incredible value for your money. Most of them are very expensive, to the point of literally being able to buy a new console for the money, so is it worth it? I received a review sample from Aimcontrollers of a controller that I designed on my own via their website, and to my surprise, it was exactly like I wanted it to be. Scroll down to see what I thought of it.
Platform: Xbox One. How it works The process of designing a controller via Aimcontrollers is very simple; while on the website, pressing "Controllers", and "Build Your Own Xbox ONE", will begin your journey on creating the dream controller you've always wanted. There's a lot of options, and the page setup is perfect; you'll see a preview of the controller on the right hand side, while the left hand side is where all the options are located at (though different on a mobile device).
The awesome part with Aimcontrollers is that they can install paddles like on the Elite controller from Microsoft, onto the controller, which is perfect for competitive gaming, but it's not the only feature that really stands out, as I was also able to alter the RT and LT buttons to become what they call "Smart Triggers V2", a feature that makes the triggers become more efficient, in the likes of having shortened pressure points, resulting in significantly shorter delay between pressing the trigger, to firing a gun in-game, for example. As you can Imagine, it means that the triggers never go down as they normally would, they stay in place even when pressed, instead.
Other features are: putting a grip with color on the backside of the device, changing the shell, changing the buttons color, D-pad color, share/options color, changing the sticks' base color, top color of the sticks, option to remove vibration feature, and putting a text or logo on the controller. It's all greatly diverse and vast, offering options for every kind of gamer, with every kind of demand. It's definitely one of the best custom controller services I've seen in terms of options, and how the website works. Quality When I received the controller, I had high expectations, and rightly so cause of the time it took for it to arrive, and I can safely say that I'm not disappointed at all with the quality and design. It arrived in a well put together package, and there was never any damage done to the content inside. Every order comes in a stylish box with a Aimcontrollers design, with the inside sporting places designed to hold the controller, batteries or other accessories, and bumpers, made out of foam. I was able to easily take the controller out of its place, and begin using it.
Right away, I was met with a feeling of professionalism due to just how well made the design was, and in general towards the quality of the buttons, bumpers, D-pad & everything else with the controller. The device is solid, with so far there being no faults with it at all. The only negative thing I noticed with it so far is that there seem to be at least two tiny anomalies/design errors in two different places, as if something got stuck underneath the coat of painting during its design process (first one), and as if there was some tiny slight damage made to the side of the device during its design.
Any way, it's really not that big of a deal, and you have to keep in mind that errors can occur, it's not like they're Microsoft. The smart triggers work really well, but definitely takes some getting used to since they're very different. They gave me a bit of advantage during gaming due to the shorter pressure points (for instance, once I react to fire my gun in a game, I will be doing that slightly faster than everyone else since the trigger will instantly be doing what it is supposed to be doing once pressed, with no delays compared to a regular controller), which is awesome!
A controller like this is obviously made for competitive games like PUBG, Fortnite, Call of Duty and Battlefield, but that's not to say that it won't work well for casual gaming, cause it really does. I've been using the controller for nearly 2 weeks now, both for casual gaming and competitive, with there being no issues at all. It feels great when holding it, and since it's a Microsoft product at its core (V3 version), it has all the lovely features like 3.5 audio jack, Bluetooth support, increased range, and more, so it's not only packed with looks, it also has a lot to offer under its hood.
The design looks exactly like I thought it would look like, so it's kind of surreal actually having something you designed over the internet in front of you, looking exactly like it did in the preview. In general, the quality is superb, with no signs of there being any issues with the controller for a very long time. To be tonest, I wasn't sure what to expect from them, but they sure did exceed my expectations. It's almost like I received a controller I designed via Xbox's Design Lab service, it's of a very professional job. Features As mentioned earlier, the controller is a Microsoft product at its core, so it has all the V3 features you can expect it to have, but that's not all, especially when ordering a controller with paddles and smart triggers. I'm still not fully used to using the smart triggers, but they're growing on me, and they help me when gaming, so I can't really complain. I have to say that I did expect them to work differently, though, so you can imagine my surprise when first trying them out. One of the biggest surprises, however, is the fact that every controller comes with removable bumpers, giving the consumer a bit more freedom as to whether or not it wants to use those specific bumpers, or if it wants to switch to newer, or older ones. Now, this all sounds amasing, right? Well, amazing things can have a tendency of taking a very long time to create, which is the case with Aimcontrollers.
On the website, it says that it can take around a month for a controller to be fully made & shipped, and that's not weird as Xbox's Design Lab does the same thing, but my controller took over 2 months to get here from the point of making my order. I'm not complaining, though, I'm just stating facts. I adore the controller and can easily say that even if it does take over 2 months for every controller to get to it's buyer (which I highly doubt), it's so worth the time. Moving over to paddles; they work really well, and can tremendously when it comes to advantages in first person shooters, but I don't like the fact that they're only programmed once, as in once I decided on what buttons to be used for them, I'd never be able to change them again.
Still, they're great and I see myself using them all the time. I love them! I'm not sure, but I think the people that orders a device that exceeds a specific price gets sent a controller travel case, free of charge. I did at least, and while it is super cool, it's not made in mind for an Xbox One controller (I'm sure you can guess what it was made in mind for), so it didn't really fit to a 100%, but it did work. When overlooking the actual platform focus of the case, I got to say that I'm in love with it! It's simply perfect, and nearly reminds me of the case that an Elite controller has. It has places for bumpers and other small stuff, which is really useful!
I still can't believe how professional Aimcontrollers are, they even have their own handle with their logo on for the case, and it looks so cool. Part of the reason to why I really like their service is cause of how unique they are, they really do make stellar creations, with a ton of options to go with it. The grip on the backside doesn't work as well as the grip that Xbox put on the Design Lab controllers, but it's more customized, with different colors to choose from, and at the same time, it looks great. The front shell of the device almost feels/looks like rubber of some kind, for some reason, but I don't think it is.
I wasn't sure that the text they'd put on would fit, or even look good, but I was impressed at how well it actually looks in real life, I'm really digging it. It's in all white, placed on the right lower part of the left side of the controller, beneath and next to the D-pad. Is all this worth £175, though? I'd say it is; Design Lab doesn't offer personalized customization at this level (yet), and while the Elite controller does offer paddles, you'd never be able to get them for a default Xbox One controller through them.
They also do not offer bonuses like smart triggers, so I'd say that the extra money is worth it for what you're getting in return when Design Lab can't offer it at the moment, IF you're looking for paddles and smart triggers. At the same time, I'd literally be able to buy another Xbox One console for that kind of money, so is it a lot of money for a controller? Absolutely. It shouldn't stop you from ordering one, though, as they really are extraordinary. All in all Sure, we all love our awesome little default Xbox One controllers, but sometimes we want something that brings more for our buck, which is where Aimcontrollers come in. Not only do they create incredibly detailed designs, they also offer a ton of different options, even those who help in competitive gaming. The website is simple and straight to the point, and the shipping time might be very long, but the moment that controller is in your household, it'll be worth it. The product quality is something truly extraordinary, the controller really feels great in the hand, and the design doesn't feel cheap in any way. It really feels like they sure took their time to create a a one of a kind device. On top of it all, every order comes with a nice stylish box to place the controller in, as well as a useful travel case, which is just insane (at least I received one)! The only thing I don't like with Aimcontrollers is that they're not focused on Xbox, they could offer a lot more for the platform. I really do recommend them, though, if you ever want to buy a custom Xbox One controller. They're definitely the best independent company specializing in creating custom devices that I've seen.
You can design and buy your own via Aimcontrollers website, with a base price of $94,82, all the way up to nearly $200. With my code, AIM10, you'll get 10% off, too! Do you want to design your own device? That can be done here: Customize Aimcontroller.
A review sample was provided by Aimcontrollers for review purposes. This review is written by Jesper Ingemansson, and is based on his honest opinion about the controller.