Nothing is more important to a video game player than the pair of input and output.  The output can look like pure graphical nirvana, but if the input is awkward or inaccurate, the entire experience feels stilted and lacks that immersive touch.  One could level that criticism at many Playstation 3 games, thanks to a convex pair of triggers and the small-hand ergonomics of the Dualshock 3 and Sixaxis controllers.

On the other hand, players have heaped acclaim on the Xbox 360 pad, for its concave triggers and thick, palm-accommodating wings.  Modders even tried to fit the Sixaxis innards in a 360 controller case.  So, I'm quite sure I wasn't the only one looking for an adapter for my Xbox 360 controller to work as a PS3 controller.

Today, XCM has delivered just that in a compact plug-and-play solution.  Once you shed the packaging from the XCM Cross Battle Adapter, it's a quick plug into any of the USB ports on the front of your Playstation 3 and a WIRED Xbox 360 controller into the CBA's port.  There.  Done.  No soldering, screwdrivers, or shoehorns required.

The CBA just works.  How else can I say it.  I'm convinced it would even pass a double-blind test, were it not for help tips showing up in games.  I ran the device through the following gauntlet of games to test its responsiveness:


* xcba_3Crash Commando:  Firing a weapon on the Right Bumper is a little out of the ordinary, but it was originally mapped to the R1 button, so no gripes here.  It was even easy to get use to the change.

* Bioshock (Demo):  As far as FPS goes, I was a bit worried since so many PS3 shooters put primary fire on R1, but Bioshock was an exception, letting you juggle weapons on R1,L1/RB,LB.  It felt like I was playing on the Xbox, except that I had to remember A is X and X is Square.

* Everyday Shooter:  You could say the modern twin-stick shooter was born on the Xbox 360 controller, so Everyday Shooter knew how to behave, even in the absence of a Sony-branded controller.

* Metal Gear Solid 4:  Yes, I have played MGS4 on an Xbox 360... controller.  Thumbing my nose at Kojima's stalwart loyalty to the 'station, I gave his magnum opus a spin and came away pretty pleased, but my fears were realized when I pushed RB to attack.  It wouldn't be a game-breaker, but it would certainly take some getting used to.

* Motorstorm:  Let me say that Motorstorm was a great game that not only looked great, but it was also an excellent showcase for the PS3's early capabilities.  But those darn triggers put me off something awful.  Now, I can go back and enjoy Motorstorm without concentrating on keeping the trigger from slipping.

* Mirror's Edge (Demo):  With side by side comparisons with the Xbox 360, they felt identical.  I thought I detected a slight delay in the sticks, but I think it has more to do with the game's coding than the CBA, since I never experienced any slowdown anywhere else in my tests.

* Burnout Paradise:  Slick as could be.  I even felt comfortable jumping on a bike in first person and peeling down the highway.  Couldn't be any better.

* WipEout HD:  Wipeout plays a little differently from other racers.  The triggers function as bank control while the X/A button is gas.  Despite this major difference, the CBA and 360 controller gave me exceptional control.


xcba_4Additionally, the CBA features rapid-fire settings for the four face buttons and the four shoulder controls.  Also, the Xbox Guide button now functions as the PS button, giving you quick access to the XMB in-game.



I really can't give anything but a glowing recommendation for the CBA, but there are a few drawbacks I should address:


* Rumble:  The CBA does not transmit rumble, or at least any rumble I was aware of, but if I have gone this long without a vibrating PS3 controller, I think I can survive a still 360 controller, too.

* Tilt Control:  It goes without saying that you lose tilt control when you use the CBA.  So, games like Lair and Warhark will either be handicapped or unplayable.  But that's really a case by case issue.  At least the CBA knows what to do in the absence of a tilt sensor and doesn't act erratically.

* The Ring of Light:  The 360 ring on the controller does not show player position and continuously flashes.

* At the Mercy of Design:  Developers make the decision how to map buttons and rarely offer freely-remappable schemes.  If PS3 dev says "Fire with R1 because it's better than the trigger", you can't do anything but push RB.  However, this is no fault of XCM.  Their device does exactly what it should.  Blame Sony for making the Sixaxis the way they did and forcing developers to make these decisions.  So, it follows naturally that games that use gas and primary fire on the triggers will benefit the most from this device.


So, in the final analysis... damn.  XCM found a great niche in the market and nailed it, producing a stand-up accessory.  The XCM Cross Battle Adapter works like a charm.  If you have been waiting to swap your Six' for a Threesixty, search no longer.  This is the answer.

Two thumbs way up.  And a pair of index fingers that will thank you.

The Cross Battle Adapter is available for order at www.Extreme-Mods.com.

Written by :

edgeofblade

 

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Allen750

XCM Cross Battle Adapter Review: 360 Controller on PS3 Jan 05 2009 02:01:11 So if you connect a 360 through one of these can you use a 360 headset?

#7871

lovemetal626

XCM Cross Battle Adapter Review: 360 Controller on PS3 Jan 05 2009 02:25:13 NO RUMBLE!!??!?!?!? why, WHY!!! i was going to get this too. they just lost my business. i was so excited too. such a huge let down.

#7872

edgeofblade

Re:XCM Cross Battle Adapter Review: 360 Controller on PS3 Jan 05 2009 15:09:36 Allen750 wrote: So if you connect a 360 through one of these can you use a 360 headset? I did test that out. Unfortunately, the PS3 did not recognize the new headset in the XMB. Some things like rumble and headsets could be more difficult to do than they are worth, but the device really does its core functions remarkably well. Anything extra, like the turbo function, is just icing on the cake.

#7880

lovemetal626

XCM Cross Battle Adapter Review: 360 Controller on PS3 Jan 05 2009 19:38:42 until they make rumble support. im not buying. i dont really care about headset stuff. if they made it compatible with the PC wireless adapter that would be even better. but thats probably not going to happen.

#7887

edgeofblade

Re:XCM Cross Battle Adapter Review: 360 Controller on PS3 Jan 05 2009 19:58:22 lovemetal626 wrote: until they make rumble support. im not buying. i dont really care about headset stuff. if they made it compatible with the PC wireless adapter that would be even better. but thats probably not going to happen. Funny you should mention the PC wireless adapter, because I tested that as well. It doesn't work as you guessed, but I totally understand WHY it wouldn't work with a PC peripheral with proprietary drivers. Honestly, if this release is successful, I would expect to see future versions of this device with more bells and whistles, like rumble, but for the time being, this will satisfy most of the market looking for such an adapter.

#7888

Wake

XCM Cross Battle Adapter Review: 360 Controller on PS3 Jan 06 2009 13:13:56 Here is a decent way to test the adapter for lag: forums.shoryuken.com/showthread.php?t=132493 (scroll to the ***Test Your Adapter!*** part) Testing the XCM adapter using this method would be useful and more reliable than going by "feel" only. If you could do this, it would be nice.

#7900

U2NUMB

XCM Cross Battle Adapter Review: 360 Controller on PS3 Jan 06 2009 13:36:00 Good stuff... might check it out.

#7902

edgeofblade

Re:XCM Cross Battle Adapter Review: 360 Controller on PS3 Jan 06 2009 14:06:41 Wake wrote: Here is a decent way to test the adapter for lag: forums.shoryuken.com/showthread.php?t=132493 (scroll to the ***Test Your Adapter!*** part) Testing the XCM adapter using this method would be useful and more reliable than going by "feel" only. If you could do this, it would be nice. I checked the link. From what it says there, the method requires the adapter to work on a PC. I'll check tonight, but in my test, the adapter didn't connect to the PC properly (see paragraph starting "Not all USB items" ).

#7903

Allen750

XCM Cross Battle Adapter Review: 360 Controller on PS3 Jan 06 2009 23:14:15 Did they fix the Fedora Five hack? It was a special OS for the PS3 to adapt 360 controllers... Might have been free.

#7905

lovemetal626

XCM Cross Battle Adapter Review: 360 Controller on PS3 Jan 07 2009 03:39:30 the Fedora Five hack is useless. it only allows you to use the controller for emulators while running the linux F5 OS. you cant boot a ps3 game properly with the OS.

#7906

Wake

XCM Cross Battle Adapter Review: 360 Controller on PS3 Jan 07 2009 11:09:15 @egeofblade: The 360 controller plugged into the adapter (plugged into a PC USB port) should be recognized because the PS3 controller uses standard HID protocols. Thus the 360 controller + XCM adapter combo should be HID based itself, considering that it simulates PS3 controllers.

#7907

edgeofblade

Re:XCM Cross Battle Adapter Review: 360 Controller on PS3 Jan 08 2009 00:26:57 Wake wrote: @egeofblade: The 360 controller plugged into the adapter (plugged into a PC USB port) should be recognized because the PS3 controller uses standard HID protocols. Thus the 360 controller + XCM adapter combo should be HID based itself, considering that it simulates PS3 controllers. I followed up on your request again. Windows Vista will not accept it as an HID. Specifically, "This device cannot start. (Code 10)"

#7920

Wake

XCM Cross Battle Adapter Review: 360 Controller on PS3 Jan 08 2009 10:17:15 Ah well, thanx for the efforts, anyway.

#7921