Over the years, Kingston has developed its offering of gaming accessories through its subsidiary HyperX. Even if we are more accustomed to seeing headsets or accessories for PCs, the brand also offers a controller dedicated to cloud gaming. With its little wired sister, the Clutch Gladiate, it is the console public that is targeted since it proudly displays the “Designed for Xbox” label.
Unboxing and first impressions
The packaging includes all the features offered as well as visuals of the controller. The consumer therefore has all the useful information at a glance. Without forgetting of course to remember that this accessory was developed under an official Xbox license.
At the opening we discover a notice in several languages which is simple but complete. Well sheltered in their cardboard protection, we find a 2.85 meter USB cable and the controller.
When first taken in hand, we are surprised by the lightness of the product. Despite this featherweight, the controller gives off a feeling of quality, particularly because of the plastics used. It retains the proportions of a standard Microsoft controller and the placement of our hands is natural.
Although we find the 3.5 mm connection to connect your headphones, we note the absence of the expansion port. Even if it is ultimately very little used, it is however important to note this lack which could handicap certain players.
The first impressions of the product are quite good. We appreciate the choice of an independent USB cable rather than a crimped cable, as well as the quality of the materials. It remains to be seen whether this feeling is confirmed on the test bench.
Features
The Clutch Gladiate controller offers two unusual features on a product advertised at €39.98. First of all, two locks make it possible to reduce the stroke of the triggers. This option reveals all its interest in FPS or TPS, by saving us time between two shots.
The second proposal can be used in most games since it is two programmable shortcut keys located at the back of the controller. Using a dedicated button, we can assign them one of the actions normally assigned to the usual buttons. However, it is not possible to program a more advanced function as with the Elite controller.
However, this functionality becomes very effective for example for titles offering a selection of objects via the directional cross. On Resident Evil 4 Remake, we appreciated being able to change weapons quickly thanks to these shortcuts, without taking our left thumb off the stick linked to Leon’s movements. A little extra, the programming remains in memory even if the controller is disconnected between two uses. Add to this that the controller can be used on PC by offering the same functionalities.
Regarding the buttons, we do not see any problems with responsiveness or parasitic noise. The joysticks are of identical quality to those of the standard Xbox controller.
And the flaws in all of this?
After many hours spent on any type of game, the only major defect found comes from vibrations. These are too shy and lack depth to transcribe the same sensations as an original controller. During our test on Forza Horizon 5, we found neither the micro vibrations of shifting nor the variations in intensity which transmit the state of the coating. This leads to a less immersive experience on this type of game.
We could also quibble a bit regretting the lack of grip on the triggers or the choice of a soft touch USB cable rather than braided nylon, but that is really very personal.
Despite an aggressive price placement, we were very pleasantly surprised by the quality of the proposal made by HyperX with the Clutch Gladiate controller. If you are not resistant to wired mode, we can only advise you to discover this product.
Tested on Xbox Series X and PC.
