Razer Onza Update
As promised, I am doing an update on the Razer Onza. First, my likes and dislikes.
Likes: The tension control is wonderful. The ability to tighten up tension has been a real boost in both shooters and driving games. In fact, I was able to revisit Forza 3 and play on increased difficulty with no problems. The controller is very nice and responsive. Turning is made easier with the tension controls. I can tighten up the tension a bit and really control the amount I am turning. It is no longer an all or nothing proposition. The same is true with the triggers. I would like a setting to control the triggers even more, but I am able to get some degree of flexibility here, rather than having the trigger react at 100% or nothing.
Dislikes: The stick has a rubberized top, which you would think would provide better grip. I am having difficulty though. The top becomes slick, and my thumbs begin to slide off. This has been especially true in racing games, where I have lost a corner or two. I plan on seeing if one of the commercial grip tops will work, but for now I have added a piece of felt to the top to make a better grip. How hard would it have been to add a couple of raised dots to the stick to add grip?
Other: I was worried about slow turn. Reports from the MLG forums report that many of their controllers have developed slow turn after a couple of days, even with the higher sensitivity turned on. I was also worried about drift setting in, as it is probably the second worst problem that occurs in MS controllers. Since the last report this controller has been used 4-8 hours per day, by both myself and my seven year ols son. That is quite a bit of abuse! I also run with the enhanced sensitivity, and some tension in the sticks (not a lot, but enough to tighten up the sticks). Using Controller Doctor and slow turn checker I kept an eye on the controller's performance. There has been no noticeable changes in the controller. The lack of a dead zone is still there. There is not any real amount of free play when the stick is at rest, and it always pops back to center, even at slow movement speeds. Slow checker always returns all 100's and the controller doctor reports all is fine, with no drift evident. My suspicion is that the people with these problems may have turned up the tension too much on these controllers, and I caution you not to do so. First off, if you tighten them up to their extremes, you will stop getting 100's on the slow turn checker without forcing the stick. You may also damage the stick, giving you slow turn problems. So enjoy the tension control, but do not overdo it. At a point there are diminishing returns. My advice is to get Slow Turn Checker from Indie games, and turn up your tension. If you stop getting 100's with your normal pressure, dial it down a step or two until you do. Then leave it there, or dial down until comfortable for you. Then adjust your game sensitivity accordingly. I have had to turn the sensitivity on most shooters upward to compensate for the stiffer stick, and this is a good thing!
If you have noticed anything with yours, or have heard info about the controller let me know! I will investigate and incorporate it into my next report! Until then this controller remains highly recommended! You may want to buy some felt for the tips though! I simply used some leftover felt that we used to keep the hardwood floors from getting scratched by our furniture. Just cut to size, peel off paper from the sticky side, and apply! I will be getting some retail grips, but do not know if they will fit, due to the tension controls.