Our Verdict
With its completely charming Minecraft design, the PDP Realmz Minecraft Diamond Print controller is a perfect reward or buy for severe Minecraft followers. It would not rival actually high-end controllers for really feel, options, and accuracy nevertheless it’s a strong performer and it is solely a contact costlier than extra generic choices.
- Joyous clear Minecraft design
- Strong construct high quality
- First rate efficiency
- Affordable worth
- Clear plastic is a bit slippery
- Will not be as robust as generic controllers
Novelty PC and Xbox controllers are nothing new, with all method of untamed, great, and wacky designs having adorned them through the years. Nonetheless, this new Minecraft controller from Turtle Seashore/PDP must be among the many most enjoyable we’ve ever seen, even when it does have the ridiculously lengthy official title of Turtle Seashore PDP Realmz Wi-fi Controller: Minecraft Diamond Print.
With Turtle Seashore no stranger to crafting among the greatest PC controller designs round, this new Minecraft model has a robust pedigree, and due to a eager eye for design, the corporate has crafted maybe the proper reward for the most important Minecraft followers in your life.
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Specs
| Turtle Seashore PDP Realmz specs | |
| Connections | 2.4GHz wi-fi, wired |
| Energy | Rechargeable battery |
| Platforms | PC and Xbox |
| Format | Xbox |
| Dimensions | 175 x 175 x 82mm / 6.8 x 6.8 x 3.2 inches |
| Weight | 210g / 0.46lbs |
| Extras | Steve figurine constructed into case, inexperienced LED lighting |
Options
Outdoors of its elaborate design, the Minecraft Diamond Print is a comparatively normal Xbox-style controller, nevertheless it does have a number of extras of notice. On the entrance, becoming a member of the usual array of Xbox-layout twin thumbsticks, D-pad, ABXY buttons, Xbox button, and three essential face buttons is a operate button. Double faucet this and it’ll mute the microphone of any headset connected to the controller’s audio jack, plus it may be utilized in mixture with different buttons to carry out additional actions.
One such set of actions is that if you happen to press the operate button with the D-pad instructions, you possibly can modify the controller’s audio. Faucet up and down to regulate the headphone quantity, or left and proper to change the combination of your recreation and chat. It’s a very neat system and it’s handy that the audio options don’t seem in Home windows till you plug in a headset, so that you don’t have the annoyance of the controller interrupting your audio the second you plug it in.
On the rear of the controller are two paddles/buttons for offering a few additional fast entry capabilities. As with the opposite buttons, these might be remapped utilizing PDP’s Management Hub software program.
One other key improve over a normal Xbox wi-fi controller is that the battery right here is an in-built rechargeable unit, which the producer claims can last as long as 40 hours, although it doesn’t give the mAh score for the battery, and doesn’t specify the impression of the vibration motors and LED lighting on battery life.
Outdoors of this, although, the Minecraft Diamond Print doesn’t boast any of the opposite extras of some premium controllers. So, you don’t get triggers that may swap to a short-throw mode, there aren’t any swappable elements, and the thumbsticks and buttons are normal. There’s not one of the Corridor Impact thumbsticks or microswitch buttons of some choices. It’s simply a normal Xbox controller design with a few little extras.
Design
As with its options, the core form and really feel of the Minecraft Diamond Print could be very a lot that of a normal Xbox controller, however with ever so barely wider entrance palm grips. As an alternative, it’s the look of this controller that makes it actually stand out from the gang.
The complete unit is constructed from clear plastic, letting you see the interior workings of the controller and naturally gaze upon the statue of Steve. The little figurine is held from the again, so he seems to be floating within the middle of the right-hand grip, with the LED lighting that shines from additional contained in the controller illuminating his proper facet.
Different enjoyable design touches embrace the creeper painted onto the floor of the left grip, the putting mild inexperienced coloring, and the funky patterns that adorn the highest of the PCB contained in the controller. It’s a mix that’s simply so pleasant.
I had thought, and maybe hoped, that the Steve determine can be suspended inside so that might transfer round, and even that it is likely to be detachable, however sadly that’s not the case. From a product longevity standpoint, although, it’s a good choice to have him in a hard and fast place.
Total construct high quality feels superb – even when the sticky plastic used to present the ultimate wrap of the controller appears amusingly token – with agency, responsive controls and a solidity to the entire unit. Nonetheless, the plastic used could be very shiny, so any dents or scratches will present up fairly prominently. The texture of the plastic additionally makes me suspect it might be barely extra crack-prone than some. As such, whereas this may little doubt deliver a lot pleasure to the youthful Minecraft gamers in your life, it could not put on the trials and tribulations of a gaming life fairly so nicely as a controller with a textured end or rubberized sections.
Efficiency
That very same shiny end additionally barely impacts the efficiency of this controller when it comes to its really feel. By and enormous, I didn’t discover its slick end brought about points, but when your palms are significantly dry or begin to get sweaty, the graceful floor received’t present as reassuring a grip as textured controllers.
In any other case, the efficiency of this controller is essentially on par with a normal Xbox Wi-fi Controller. The buttons and sticks really feel decently responsive with loads of management achievable with the latter, although a normal Xbox Wi-fi Controller is only a contact smoother. I’d say this controller feels barely extra on par with $50 choices when it comes to general thumbstick/button really feel.
Likewise, you don’t get any ultra-high polling fee choices right here, however I didn’t discover any lag when utilizing the controller wirelessly or related on to the PC by way of its USB-C port. Stick drift will finally grow to be a problem with this controller, simply because it does with a normal Xbox controller, because it makes use of normal thumbsticks, nevertheless it’s rock strong out of the field.
In the case of battery life, this controller simply lasted for per week of informal use with out a top-up, with its 40-hour whole battery life amounting to over 5 hours of gaming daily. For many avid gamers, a top-up each week or two will suffice.
Software program
A fast phrase on PDP’s software program for this controller… It’s okay. Infuriatingly, it requires you to join a PDP account to entry it, plus it’s unusually sluggish to load, and you must reload the software program to get it to acknowledge your controller, if you happen to overlook to plug it in earlier than opening the app.
As soon as loaded, although, it’s a slick-looking app with capabilities pretty clearly laid out. I significantly appreciated the truth that the icon for this controller precisely matches the Minecraft model, not a generic model.
Features embrace with the ability to modify the useless zone dimension, swapping the thumbsticks, inverting their axes, adjusting audio ranges, tuning set off useless zones, altering the vibration depth, and re-mapping buttons. One essential operate you possibly can’t change, although, is the LED lighting.
Nonetheless, whereas the lights can’t be modified, they aren’t simply on on a regular basis. They’ll glow inexperienced when the controller is powering on and searching for a wi-fi connection,n however then stay off whereas gaming till you faucet a button (shifting the thumbstick doesn’t rely) at which level they flash a uninteresting white. Faucet one other button and the sunshine flashes barely brighter, after which if you happen to hit a lot of buttons the lighting will flip brilliant inexperienced.
Which will sound slightly distracting however, in apply, it’s not too dangerous, and is in truth hardly noticeable in a well-lit room. In a darkish room it’s positively extra noticeable nevertheless it by no means outright bothered me.
Value
The Turtle Seashore PDP Realmz Wi-fi Controller: Minecraft Diamond worth is $79.99, making it $5-$10 costlier than a normal Xbox Wi-fi Controller. As such, given its barely decrease high quality in some areas, you’re positively paying a premium for the enjoyable Minecraft design, however that is nonetheless an affordable worth choice contemplating the trouble put into its design.
Options
Xbox Wi-fi Controller
At this worth, the clear essential different to this Minecraft controller is to only get a vanilla Xbox Wi-fi Controller. They’re nicely constructed, work reliably (stick drift put on however), and are first rate worth.
Learn our full Xbox Wi-fi Controller evaluate.
Verdict
The Turtle Seashore PDP Realmz Wi-fi Controller: Minecraft Diamond Print clearly isn’t going to grow to be a brand new go-to choice for these searching for a top-tier recreation controller, or one that gives the best possible worth for the efficiency you get. Nonetheless, for avid gamers into Minecraft, although, the design right here is completely charming, and the options and efficiency of the controller are strong sufficient to go together with it.
You positively pay a premium for the design right here, with the texture of the controls being extra in keeping with controllers which can be round $20 cheaper. Nonetheless, you do get an in-built rechargeable battery and a wi-fi connection, which nearly all of cheaper choices don’t embrace. Plus, the efficiency right here continues to be greater than first rate sufficient, most crucially for taking part in Minecraft.
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