Evil Controller's Xbox and PS4 gamepads could be a new eSports favorite

Evil Controller, the modding company whose gamepads have previously added extra buttons and even software macros to, has announced a pair of new controllers for the Xbox One and PS4 controller called the Evil Shift. 

But the big change for its newest controllers is that although they support the extra buttons that the company is known for, they will not feature the software macros that were present on its previous products. 

This means that you won’t be able to program one button to enable a series of commands such as automatically pressing the sprint button whenever someone runs. But you'll be able to remap the controllers and their additional buttons as you see fit, so long as they serve a single function.

Tournament legal

Evil Controller says that this omission is to allow the controller to be aimed more at eSports players, which sounds like meaningless marketing speak until you realise that software macros would occasionally prevent the company’s previous controllers from being used in tournament play. 

Instead, the new controllers are focussing on improving the hardware side of the Xbox One and PS4 pads, featuring 4 large programmable buttons on the rear of the controllers for your middle and ring-fingers to press, face buttons that have more of a click to them, and three different sizes of thumbstick. 

Evil Controller is not the first company to offer an gamepads with extra buttons. Razer’s Wildcat and Raiju controllers offer similar functionality, although they're limited to wired use, and Microsoft’s own Xbox One Elite controller also comes equipped with rear buttons. 

Unfortunately this functionality isn't expected to come cheap. Speaking to Polygon, the company's founder said he expects the controllers to be priced similarly to the rest of the range, which retail for between $165 and $250. That's more expensive than Microsoft's similarly-specced Xbox One Elite controller.

However, with numerous other tweaks made to the controller, Evil Controller might just be able to justify its price premium. 

• Check out our review of the Razer Raiju, Razer's eSports controller for the PS4

June 08, 2017 at 04:16PM
Jon Porter