Last week I showed the unboxing and assembly of the Evil Controllers D-Pad Facelift Kit, if you missed it here is the video below:
As you can see from the video this is a simple do it yourself kit, replacing your D-Pad and giving you dome thumbsticks (like the PS3) for your 360 controller. This Kit can be the answer to quite a few things, first off if you’re not a fan of the regular 360 D-pad, the Evil D-Pad might be your answer. Another thing is many gamers wished they had the ‘Dome’ thumbsticks from the PS3 on there 360 controller, this kit come with a pair. The new color to your controller might a plus for you as well, along with the proper tool to open your controller and the chance to clean up the inside of your controller for better button response.
These are all simple small upgrades or benefits that could be worth your time and money. But do they hold up?
Assembly was simple and easy, the faceplate was flush and fitted perfectly. Now does the D-Pad work? I tested it out on some games and found it to be very responsive from fighting games to games that use it to switch weapons or select something from an onscreen menu. And it felt, well, right. Seems like this is how the D-Pad should have been done, as buttons. Not some disc that doesn’t fully register your intended direction. I found myself trying to play without this controller but if the game would benefit from the D-Pad I just couldn’t. Even regular menu selection seemed more responsive. Now, this might largely be a mental thing as you are physically pressing a button, but it feels better and seems to always give the correct button response.
These kits range in different prices, colors, and themes. For the basic one like mine, it was only $24.99. Now think about it, the thumb sticks are sold for $9.99, which is around the average, you would also need the tool(Torx 8 Tool), which they sell for $4.99, your up to $15 dollars technically. So for $10 dollars you get a new color/faceplate for your controller that has a better responsive D-Pad.
Final Thoughts
This Kit is worth it, for a lot of reasons, if your thumbsticks are bare with no grips be a great time to replace them. And if your thumbsticks are worn your faceplate may show signs of wear and tear as well. You also get a tool that you could use in the future, so if you want to swap out your thumbsticks for another color you just have to purchase the sticks and not have to worry about a Torx 8 Tool. With the wide range of kits, there should be something for everyone. This should be in consideration for a controller upgrade, plus if your controller works fine just worn out this is an easy fix and won’t cost you a full controller.
For more information and to see other colors of the kit I got click here.
