Datel Wireless Controller and Headset review

Datel TurboFire Wireless Controller 

Before the Datel TurboFire Wireless Controller arrived at my house, I didn’t even know turbo controllers still existed. The last controller with a “turbo” input I can remember using was the TurboPad that came with my Turbo Grafx 16. After a quick search online, I found that controllers with turbo settings have become popular among the FPS crowd. Datel’s new Bluetooth controller will increase your speed, but in the end, I’d still bet on the tortoise.

The TurboFire features three settings, which can be applied to any of the face buttons or any of the buttons on the top of the controller. Assigning the turbo function to a button is easy, and changing the speed is done by tapping the turbo button. Blue lights on the handles of the controller flash at speeds that vary depending on your current turbo setting. The TurboFire’s Bluetooth connectivity works with your PS3 without any extra dongles or cables. The controller also features SIXAXIS motion control.

I tested the controller with several games spanning various genres. The turbo function is useful for two things: shooting faster and skipping boring RPG dialogue at lightning speed. On shooters, I found that while the turbo did increase my rate of fire, it sometimes hurt my accuracy in games in which recoil plays a big factor. In Borderlands, for example, the turbo fire would turn my burst rifles into constantly firing machine guns, but the longer I held the button down the harder it became to aim at the Burning Psycho charging towards me. I tested the SIXAXIS motion control on Warhawk and was pleased to find the controller responds similarly to the DualShock 3 I usually use. The TurboFire is also larger than a standard PS3 controller. It’s almost identical to an Xbox 360 controller in size and shape, and is more comfortable to hold during long gaming sessions than a regular DualShock 3.

The extra speed is nice, but it doesn’t help much when the buttons you are trying to push don’t respond. The D-pad feels cheap and doesn’t react well. I found menu and virtual keyboard navigation was nearly impossible with the TurboFire’s D-pad without having to mash the directions down with my thumb. The face buttons were not much better. Several times during Uncharted 2 and Trine I tried (and failed) to attack and jump. The controller is powered by 2 AA batteries instead of being rechargeable, which is wasteful and leaves you controller-less and alone if you run out of spare cells.

While the turbo functionality and the SIXAXIS controls work well on the TurboFire, the near useless D-pad and the unresponsive face buttons hurt the controller. The turbo can help your firing speed, but it won’t improve your gaming if only half of your gamepad is working.

Datel Wireless Gaming Headset

Datel has also released a Bluetooth, over-the-head headset for the PS3. It features a rechargeable battery and volume/mute buttons. The unit was a breeze to setup with my PlayStation 3, and was very comfortable. For longer sessions it’s much more comfortable than Sony’s official, in-ear headset. While trying it out, I found the speaker to be loud and clear, but the microphone is too sensitive; my opponents could hear my fiancé talking on the phone in the other room. Also, the volume buttons are difficult to use and very unresponsive. I found myself taking the headset off every time I wanted to adjust the volume, because pressing the buttons while it was on my head didn’t seem to yield any results.