HyperX Clutch Gladiate RGB Review

Verdict

Transparency means its addressable RGB isn’t subtle in any delicate method, and the circuit board beneath is a glance that may nonetheless come throughout as cheesy. However with some correct professional options by means of two programmable again buttons, the HyperX Gladiate Clutch RGB justifies its buzzwords. You may simply get the identical stable efficiency at a slightly cheaper value from the non-RGB variant.

Introduction

Tacking on RGB lighting and swapping its typical black shell out for a colourless clear one to deliver the bulbs entrance and heart, the HyperX Clutch Gladiate RGB can’t be the funds choose for the gamer in want of one other pad. So how can it justify the value soar over its sleeker, non-illuminated predecessor?

Coming in at simply shy of £20 greater than its spectacular non-RBG providing, the wired-only HyperX Clutch Gladiate RGB controller for Xbox One, Sequence X/S, and PC runs near the value of a wi-fi first-party controller. You may suppose that it’s a discount comparability with fancy lighting besides, however you’d be forgetting that it’s wired solely. You’ll save on disposable batteries and by no means threat a power-based disconnect, however the doable inconveniences are value taking into consideration.

It’s by no means going to be for everybody. The gaudy, bare look is all the time firmly on the backside of my precedence listing. However some of these designs live on as a result of there’s a marketplace for them. And for that, the model identify carries it ahead. It’s not the most affordable glowy clear pad you’re more likely to discover on retailer cabinets, however there’s an excellent probability it’s among the many finest you will get for the cash, with the easy-to-use rear programmable buttons setting it aside from a custom-made first-party pad.

Design

• Extremely easy
• Six individually-addressable RGB LEDs
• Totally clear chassis

The HyperX Clutch Gladiate RGB controller wears its “full-body” lighting badge boldly. The brilliant field struggles to convey the way it appears to be like within the dimly-lit dwellings it’s more likely to wind up in, nonetheless, as an alternative it turns to concentrate on how the six LEDs are symmetrically positioned round its face.

Regardless of the field picture and the one beneath, they’ll’t be individually managed to show completely different static colors: they’ll solely cycle by them like a rainbow. Static photographs sadly confuse issues.

Within the hand, that is one critically easy pad. There’s a pure grip to it, if that’s even a phrase, and a peculiarly morish roundness to the handles, regardless of having an apparent and fully obligatory ergonomic drop to facilitate a correct grasp.

Exterior of the apparent variations, the HyperX Clutch Gladiate RGB is simply one other clear Xbox controller. The whole lot is in the proper place, completely positioned as all Xbox layouts are typically. On the again, nonetheless, you’ll be aware that you just’re ring fingers naturally curl round to relaxation on the only again paddle button on all sides of the grip.

These are small and flat, so extra intently resemble the model of these discovered on the Steam Deck to the correct paddles of dearer choices just like the PowerA Fusion Professional 3, Scuf Intuition Professional, or official Xbox Elite choices. Like the remainder of the buttons, they’re fairly loud when pressed.

There’s little dampening to speak about there, and little or no of that good mechanic click on you may get in additional luxurious choices apart from the hairline triggers that may be accentuated by limiting their actuation distance by way of their respective toggle switches on on the rear. For personal and social gathering use, there’s a 3.5mm headphone jack on the backside as anticipated.

For the rightfully environmentally-conscious avid gamers on the market, relaxation assured that, apart from some shrinkwrap alongside the highest of the controller, the HyperX Clutch Gladiate RGB is available in utterly recyclable paper packaging.

Efficiency

• Intuitive button task
• Quick joysticks
• Adjustable clicky triggers

When plugged in, the six front-facing LEDs spring to life with none enter, remaining on a static inexperienced to point life – which is a job devoted to the smaller mild just under the massive Xbox key.

Rapidly double-pressing the tiny profile button on the again of the controller causes this single bulb to breathe, with a press on both facet of the d-pad then biking the bigger LEDs between three preset behaviours and the face buttons to regulate the color. The remaining two instructions dictate brightness. You may flip them off, however the centre mild will stay lively every time the controller is plugged in and operational.

In use, each joysticks are notably easy. There’s no trace of the scratchiness you will get across the outer ring. If you happen to’re used to stiffer sticks, you’ll lack of resistance might be obvious, which could stand out extra in video games that want very exact and gradual actions like racing sims or video games with stealth parts.

For the preventing followers on the market, the Dpad is a little bit on the mushy facet, with an Up press on my evaluate unit feeling a little bit shorter than the opposite instructions. The entire thing is about right into a circle, so whereas it’s not bodily omnidirectional like the present inventory Xbox controller, it does try to information you into these diagonal actions: one thing the aforementioned PowerA Fusion 3 omits in favour of 1 largely uniform shell.

Whereas the overwhelming majority of the controller’s buttons fall on the delicate and squishy facet, the triggers use an unidentified technique to supply a tactic click on. You’ll get this whether or not you employ the toggles to set the journey distance to its default full squeeze or quick hairline-style actuation level.

It’s not excessively loud, however it’s sufficient to doubtless irritate these with a sure disdain towards the purposefully clicky mechanical switches on keyboards and mice. If you happen to like that type of factor, you’ll be tapping away on them to no finish. Possibly mute your foyer mic for those who’re listening to music between matches. The twin rumble motors aren’t something to shout house about, however suggestions feels good, balanced, and never too loud or punchy.

Conveniently, simply because it does the lighting, the HyperX Clutch Gladiate RGB helps you to program its two paddle buttons with out the necessity for software program. Which means you possibly can assign them on-device and instantly carry them out of your PC, to your Xbox, and to a laptop computer or a good friend or institution’s machine, too.

The multi-second button maintain essential to set off it makes it troublesome to drag off within the warmth of the second, however for those who take your time with it, it’s sensible to set a face button to both one. You’re not going to be tying any sophisticated enter sequences right here, however you possibly can maintain the necessity to carry your thumb off the proper joystick to a minimal by giving your center fingers the flexibility to reload a weapon, open the map, toggle between grenade sorts: that type of factor.

Software program

• There isn’t any – and that’s (largely) nice
• Three onboard profiles
• Simply switchable presets

In a uncommon twist in at this time’s gaming panorama, the HyperX Clutch Gladiate RGB can hit its peak with none annoying installs, sign-ups, or sharing of non-public information. It’s a breath of recent air in a world consistently demanding your particulars for trivial positive aspects. Producers will declare it retains prices low, however HyperX manages to do the identical while going towards the grain.

What this implies is that any setting you’re in a position to tweak will be carried out on-device, no matter platform, and carried effortlessly to the subsequent. The directions poorly clarify it, however the lighting profiles work for button assignments, too, letting you feasibly maintain customized instructions in your three most-played video games accessible on the press of some buttons.

Simply bear in mind {that a} lack of software program assist means there’s no solution to inform which of the three profiles you’re toggling by if all of them mirror the identical LED color and impact. So for those who arrange profiles for 3 completely different video games however use your favorite color, impact, and brightness for every (or flip the lighting off utterly) you might need to repeatedly cycle by every and check them earlier than you hop right into a critical session.

Newest offers