This Awesome Xbox Controller is Missing One Key Feature

It isn't too often that I think back on a game controller fondly. I think the only exception is the Nintendo WaveBird, arguably the first great wireless controller, which was frickin' life-changing. Nowadays, most folks probably stick to the bundled controller that comes with whatever console they buy.

That's why I was surprised when I picked up Razer's Wolverine Ultimate to play for the first time. This is a really, really nice controller. It's customizable (two alternate analog sticks and one d-pad are included), ruggedly-built, has Razer's signature Chroma lighting, and includes a carrying case. It has a pleasant grippy texture on the back of the hand holds that didn't slip no matter how sweaty my mitts got. The triggers have adjustable amounts of throw so you can make them super sensitive if you play a lot of shooters. Plus, there are extra buttons beneath the controller and between the regular bumpers you get to program yourself—for a total of six additional keys.

What I might have loved the most about this controller is its clicky, short-throw face buttons. X, Y, B, and A don't have the squishy movement a stock Microsoft controller has. Don’t get me wrong—the Microsoft controller is good, it's just that I prefer how precise and fast these buttons felt to use. The included magnetically-attached swappable sticks seem like they'd be useful to some, but I ended up only changing the D-pad out for the more traditional one-piece D-pad. Razer's default directional pad has separate arrow buttons, which I didn't like using.

Razer's multi-color Chroma lights look cool on a controller, but I found that the animations were rather distracting. Using the Razer Synapse app on my Xbox One, I dialed in a hot pink color and kept it simple by turning off any crazy motion or color-changing business and dimmed the brightness a bit. Thankfully, the strip of LEDs is short, and doesn't mess with this controller's clean lines or buttons. Speaking of buttons, as a longtime Xbox user, I was strangely disturbed by the lack of a light-up Xbox button on the top of the Wolverine Ultimate. The big, easy-to-press X isn't broken—Razer just opted to put all its lights into the Chroma strip instead. Otherwise, it works just like on any other Xbox One controller.