Controller Accessory: ASUSPORACE Wireless Controller AS-G1 (Revised)
Developer: ASUSPORACE
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ASUSPORACE is a company where you would go to for a variety of different vacuum cleaners for cleaning around your house but they would be the last place you'd go to if you wanted a new PlayStation 4 controller. Well, ASUSPORACE created their own wireless controller for the PlayStation 4 and I took a look at that controller last year. A month or so later after using that controller the R2 trigger button broke and I wanted to get a new one. What I ended up getting would seem to be reworked version of the original controller because it had some changes made to it. The ASUSPORACE Wireless Controller wasn't bad in terms of functionality and what it could do. It was Xbox Style that could utilize the Touch Pad Functionality, Customizable Back Buttons and one of the more missing features in this day and age of gaming Auto-Fire Turbo Button Functionality. It did have problems though while it supported headphones the sound quality feedback was terrible, the trigger buttons were spongy, the D-Pad was awful for 2-D games and fighting games and it was such a pain to get the controller to be in Play & Charge mode without it turning off every 5 minutes. ASUSPORACE must have taken some of the complaints to heart because the company released a revised version of the ASUSPORACE Wireless Controller which aims to try and address the issues the first model had.
Just so you know the revised controller is still called the ASUSPORACE Wireless Controller AS-G1 so the model's name is the same, they just didn't bother to give it a different number or name when they reworked it. When you unbox the controller from the package which is also the same it still comes with the controller itself and also the Type-C USB Cable to be able to plug the controller into the PS4 console.
For the most part, as you can see in the photos the revised ASUSPORACE Wireless Controller is the same as the previous model but there are some differences. For starters the Home Button has a house symbol on it instead of the ASUSPORACE logo and I think this was done to show that it takes the user back to the PS4's Home Screen. Another difference is that the Turbo Button has a small image which is just a set of bullets which looks nice, Turbo Functionality is the same where you can set what button on the controller to enable Turbo Mode as well as Auto-Fire where you can set a button while it is in Turbo Mode where it goes into Auto-Fire and you don't need to press the button again and again. This is handy for J-RPGs with unskippable scenes of dialogue or to bypass sequences where rapid button mashing is required, just don't even think about using the controller in Auto-Fire in the the torture sequence in Metal Gear Solid or Ocelot will know.
Setting up the Back Buttons is the same as the original model, you hold the Profile Button for a couple of seconds and then while it is in customize mode you hold down any button on the controller from the Face Buttons, Bumper or Trigger Buttons then press the Profile Button to confirm it. While it works the same way as the original model but I did have a problem where everytime I turn off the PS4 console and then came back sometime after to turn it on the Back Buttons would revert back to the default setup but eventually, I finally got the controller to save my Back Button Settings I wanted. It may take a couple of attempts to get the Back Buttons to be assigned to what buttons you want on them.
The biggest improvement with the revised ASUSPORACE Wireless controller is that you can connect the controller to the PS4 through USB and connect it in Play & Charge Mode without the controller turning off every 5 minutes or having to unplug or plug in the controller a couple just to get to be in Play & Charge Mode. This is good for those who want to connect to the device to the console and play for a very long stretch of game time and don't want to play wirelessly. The battery life of the controller is the same, also lasting about 8 hours, whereas it takes about 3 hours to fully charge the controller back up.
Another improvement to the ASUSPORACE Wireless Controller is with using headphones, in the original model headphone microphone quality was poor and wouldn't function properly so that other players wouldn't be able to hear you. In the new model it seems that the headphone functionality has improved as I have tried different headphones and the system recognizes my voice and also players online can hear my voice clearly.
The ASUSPORACE is also compatible with the PlayStation 3 for anyone who wants to use the controller on the old PS3 console. It works fine with the majority of games available but the controller lacks any Six-Axis support so it is not worth trying it on games that rely on Six-Axis controls. It also works on PC and also iOS Tablet devices that can connect through Bluetooth.
The controller functionality and button response time are the same as the original model and it works well as a competitive controller for whenever you are playing shooters like Call of Duty, Apex Legends, Splitgate, or Fortnite, racers like Gran Tourismo 7 or Wipeout Omega Collection, and lastly sports games like FIFA or Madden. The Back Buttons combined with the Turbo Functionality allows the player to have the competitive edge in gameplay, especially against other players online.
The revised ASUSPORACE Wireless Controller for PS4 is not a full rework of the original model like the Trigger Buttons still feel spongy, the D-Pad is still awful for 2D games and Fighting Games which can still cause imprecise movements you swear you didn't want and there are rare times that the controller has a fit and doesn't respond properly.
If you were an Xbox player and ever wanted to get your hands on an Xbox Style Controller to play on your PlayStation 4 then this is now one of the better options seeing that ASUSPORACE has taken on board what they did with their Wireless Controller. It does cost roughly nearly the same price as a regular Dual Shock 4 and has mostly all of the features you want from a PS4 controller from the Touch Pad, Headphone Jack with the added bonus of having Back Buttons for quick reactions and also Turbo Functionality, just that the controller still lacks Light Bar Functionality so you can't use it for any Light Bar PS4 titles. If you haven't picked up the ASUSPORACE Wireless Controller for PS4 before and still want to find a pro controller that is Xbox Style that doesn't sell for over £150 then this revised version of the ASUSPORACE Wireless Controller is one to recommend.
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Console Score: 8.5/10
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The Goods
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Customizable Back Buttons to get a competitive advantage
Turbo Functionality for Rapid Fire Button Mashing
Can actually connect in Play & Charge Mode without turning off every 5 minutes
Improved headphone feedback quality
Looks almost like an Xbox One Controller
The Bads
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Trigger Buttons still feel spongy
Awful D-Pad for 2D Games and Fighting Games
No Light Bar Functionality
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