By most accounts, Microsoft has at the very least established a firm presence in the console video game world with the release of Xbox late last year. Indeed, everything related to Xbox was on a grand scale - the machine itself is heavier and thicker than most VCRs or DVD players out there, and the controller is similarly...big. Citing a truckload of complaints, Microsoft set out to fix the controller, and have pulled through in spades with the Controller S.

While some Xbox fans are happy with the standard controller, the reactions of the XenGamers staff range from apathetic acceptance to downright annoyance. It's technically a decent product, but the controller feels like something one can barely get a handle on, as if you're trying to palm some black plastic sphere. The Controller S, however, is the perfect solution. It's smaller and lighter with a better tactile feel than the standard beast. The Controller S is essentially the controller Microsoft shipped overseas for Japanese gamers, except with a longer cord, slightly revised pad surfaces, and updated buttons that look more like those on the standard unit.