Nacon Revolution 5 Pro review: Here comes a new challenger

Nacon’s newest controller, the Revolution 5 Professional, gives up yet one more dear PS5 pad, however with stiff competitors from Sony and Victrix, does it handle to face out?

Getting the very best PS5 controller is extra advanced than you may think, every controller, together with Sony’s personal DualSense Edge has its personal optimistic and destructive factors. Nevertheless, Nacon’s newest PS5 controller has me giddy with pleasure thanks to 1 essential level.

The Nacon Revolution 5 Professional is the primary wi-fi PS5 controller to make use of hall-effect joysticks and triggers. Which means that it will likely be much less susceptible to degradation than conventional resistive joysticks, discovered on each different PlayStation 5 pad.

Having used the controller for a short while now, I’m assured in saying that this is likely one of the most achieved PS5 pads I’ve ever used. However, it does include a number of caveats.

Key specs

• Connectivity: USB-C, 2.4 GHz Wi-fi
• Compatibility: PS5, PS4, PC
• Battery: 10 hours
• Enter latency: 6ms (wi-fi), 4ms (wired)
• Worth: €229.99
• Options: Two-stage set off cease, wi-fi Bluetooth 5.2, onboard audio mixing, swappable stick caps, further weights, hall-effect sticks & triggers, included carrying case.

Included within the field: Nacon Revolution 5 Professional, Carrying Case, set of weights, alternate stick caps, alternate D-pad, Wi-fi dongle, USB-C to USB-A cable, Bluetooth transmitter.

Design

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The Nacon Revolution 5 Professional isn’t the best controller on the eyes, there’s a good quantity of visible noise on the controller which supplies it a considerably mechanical, industrial feeling. That is accentuated via using a mixture of sentimental plastic and textured rubber all through the physique, which does an ideal job of preserving the controller good and grippy whereas in use.

On the entrance of the controller, you’ll find an asymmetrical stick structure, which isn’t interchangeable just like the Victrix Professional BFG. Nevertheless, I do respect how stable all of it feels within the hand.

All the regular suspects might be discovered right here, corresponding to a share and menu button, along with a PS5 touchpad. The face buttons are just a little bigger than common, with a membrane tactility that feels nice. It by no means feels too gentle or laborious. Whereas some may desire tactile mechanical buttons, as seen on the Razer Wolverine V2 Professional, it feels nice right here and is tough to argue with.

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The Revolution 5 Professional additionally sports activities a disc-shaped D-pad out of the field, which was developed in tandem with Road Fighter Professional Mister Crimson, and it feels good, although it additionally feels just like the instructions lack sufficient throw for assured motions, as I’ll discuss within the gaming efficiency phase of the overview.

The primary producer to get PS5 sticks proper

The Nacon Revolution 5 Professional is the primary PlayStation 5 controller to utilize hall-sensing analog sticks. That is an extremely welcome addition, and one thing that I really feel is sorely missing in Sony’s personal “professional” pad. The actuation feels easy, however when connecting it to PC and seeing how the sticks report, it seems that the sticks register as they’re gated as a sq., as a substitute of a circle. This could simply be fastened in a firmware replace and didn’t influence our general utilization of the controller.

The sticks are additionally totally customizable with further caps that come within the field, along with stick widths, and all of it works completely seamlessly.

Options

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Turning the controller round, you’ll find a large number of buttons. Firstly, there’s a pair of two-stage set off locks, which work nicely, although the shorter throw has a harsh bottom-out, that I’d have preferred to have seen softened considerably. Under this, you additionally get two rear buttons which can be actuated by way of a microswitch. These can really feel as if they’re just a little bit straightforward to actuate and are notably delicate, however my smaller fingers discovered that they by no means actually received in the way in which, and had been solely actuated by my fingertips.

There’s a flurry of audio options, and it’s right here that the Nacon Revolution 5 Professional homes a neat trick: You possibly can join Bluetooth headphones on to the controller, there’s additionally an included Bluetooth transmission jack right here, which makes it really feel a contact bulkier, nevertheless it’s a welcome addition nonetheless. It’s also possible to configure the chatmix mid-game which is a godsend.

On the rear, it’s also possible to change up assigned profiles, which you’ll customise utilizing Nacon’s easy software program for Home windows and Mac. It’s nice that one producer has considered Mac customers right here, as so many different opponents merely miss out on the platform.

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Lastly, it’s also possible to discover a detachable compartment for weights that may be added to the controller for a little bit of added heft, however truthfully, I really feel as if it is a contact redundant because the controller is weighty sufficient out of the field.

Gaming efficiency

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The Nacon Revolution 5 Professional is considered one of, if not the highest-quality controller I’ve ever examined. Even when in comparison with flagships just like the DualSense Edge, 8BitDo Final, and extra, there’s one thing about this pad that simply feels unbelievable to make use of. Rolling via the streets of Evening Metropolis in Cyberpunk: Phantom Liberty allowed me to deploy the extra buttons to make use of quickhacks whereas transferring in fast-paced fight, and the headphone performance is beneficial to attach no matter you may have mendacity round. We’d say that is geared towards single-player titles, because the Bluetooth performance doesn’t work accurately when you may have an connected microphone. Wired customers may have no such issues, nonetheless. I like to recommend that you simply choose up a separate PS5 headset, as a substitute.

In Road Fighter 6, I discovered that the D-Pad’s disc was the way in which to go, and it really works particularly nicely for grappler characters, along with cost characters. However, movement characters like Ken may wrestle to get these heavy dragonlash kicks, because the throw on the disc makes it really feel quite doubtful in case you have hit the enter in any respect. Secondly, the 6ms latency is okay on PlayStation 5, and also you gained’t discover any dropped inputs, both. However, in a aggressive surroundings, at all times change to wired.

I nonetheless consider that the Razer Wolverine V2 Professional has the very best PS5 d-pad, and Nacon ought to take some notes on how that was developed, and make use of it in a future revision. Mister Crimson might need no hassle along with his Dhalsim, however dragon punch motions actually endure with this design, and will doubtlessly result in missed inputs. Microswitches would have been very welcome.

Third-party caveats

All that glitters isn’t gold, because the Nacon Revolution 5 Professional is a third-party PlayStation 5 pad, you’ll miss out on sure options, corresponding to wi-fi connectivity and not using a dongle, rumble, and the flexibility to change profiles on the OS as you are able to do with the DualSense Edge.

Sony is barely capturing itself and its personal shoppers within the foot. The Nacon Revolution 5 Professional is by all means a stronger, better-built, and extra feature-packed controller than the DualSense Edge, which is missing in lots of areas. It will have been good to see a few of these third-party restrictions lifted, however till then, simply remember that you simply could be lacking out on some elements.

Do you have to purchase it?

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The Nacon Revolution 5 Professional has virtually the whole lot you would need out of an achieved PS5 controller. It feels unbelievable in your hand and oozes a premium construct high quality. Because of the whole lot you get within the field, together with a carrying case and cleansing material, there’s ample area to retailer away your whole extras, too.

I discovered that after I turned the LEDs off, I truly exceeded Nacon’s 10-hour score for battery life, which is at all times a welcome signal. It won’t be excellent, nevertheless it’s essentially the most cohesive third-party PS5 controller on the market proper now.

The decision: 4/5

The heated battle for the very best PS5 controller develops a brand new wrinkle, and for my cash, the Nacon Revolution 5 is the present champion. Lengthy-lasting corridor sensor sticks and an avalanche of options make it among the best controllers I’ve ever used. If solely Sony would elevate third-party haptic and software program OS management, restrictions. However, it additionally makes the Revolution 5 Professional wonderful to be used on PC.

It’s not fairly excellent, however if you’re in search of a brand new premium PS5 pad, the Revolution 5 Professional needs to be on the high of your listing.

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