In my review of the PowerA Fusion Wired FightPads (which you can read right here) I said that they were killing it with their brand of controllers for not just the Switch, but also the PS4 and Xbox One. I don’t think I mentioned this in that review, but the Fusion line of PowerA’s controllers are designed for players who not only want to take their game to the next level but also are looking for a premium controller at a pretty a fordable price. For fighting games its the Fusion Wired FightPads. For games like Call of Duty, Fortnite, PUBG, OverWatch and many more, this is the Fusion Pro Wired Controller for the Xbox One.
PowerA Fusion Pro Wired Controller for Xbox One/ Windows 10
Manufacture: PowerA
Make/model: FUSION
Specs: weight- 360g, W- 155.85mm, H- 105.86mm, D- 66.155mm, cord length- 3m, 3.5mm audio input
Contents: Fusion Pro Controller, braided USB-micro cable, Pro Pack with removable paddles, Custom protective case, Extra set of friction rings, Two extra analog sticks, user manual
Warranty- 2 years limited
Price- $79.99 at powera.com
Right now there is a trend out that there are “Pro”, “Elite” or “Enhanced” versions of controllers for different systems. These controllers offer more features than regular controllers that can give an edge in competitive play. The most well known of these types of controllers are the Xbox One’s Elite and Elite V2. These controllers you can switch out the analog sticks, the D-pad, adjust sensitivity to the L2 and R2 triggers and trigger paddles, and reprogram/remap buttons. As I mentioned, these features can give players an edge in their game. Down below is an image of the Fusion Pro Wired Controller sitting right beside the Xbox One S controller:
Now I know what you are thinking: “If you’re comparing the Elite Controller to the Fusion Pro Wired Controller, why are you showing the Xbox One S Controller instead?”. Simple really, the Xbox One’s Elite/Elite V2 are $179.99! While the controller feels great in the hands and performs really well, it’s way too much for the average gamer. The Fusion Pro Wired Controller has almost the same features as the Elite/Elite V2 and is $100 cheaper.
With the Fusion Pro Wired Controller you get: two extra thumb sticks, two extra anti-friction rings, a 9ft braided USB cable, the trigger paddle and a very nice and durable case to house everything in. This has to be one of the nicest controllers that I’ve ever own.
One of my favorite features of the Fusion Wired Pro Controller is that is similar to the Elites’ is the 3-way trigger lock. Right behind the controller are two switches for the L2 and R2 triggers. What these switches do is lock the triggers into one of three positions. Each position allows for a faster trigger response/action ie it shortens the time and distance between the pulling of the trigger and the action on screen. This is great for games that require fast reflexes like COD, Fortnite, etc. I’m not really good at shooters so I don’t use the paddles for them, however I do like racing games and I do use the paddles to shift gears. For years I’ve been using automatic shifting in most racing games because I’m never like using manual shifting. With the paddles however, shifting gears is much easier and I’m slowly switching over.
There only really two, possibly three, downsides to the Fusion Pro Wired Controller. One is that the D-pad can’t be swapped out just like the Elites. While its not a deal breaker, it would have been nice for PowerA to one up Microsoft and offer an assortment of option D-pads to use. The second is that while you can map button presses to the trigger paddles with the Fusion Pro Wired Controller, you can’t fine turn it like you are able to with the Elites and the built in software. Again it would have been nice to have this but its not a deal breaker. The third downside (depending how you look at it) to the Fusion Pro Wired Controller is price. While Fusion Pro Wired Controller is $100 cheaper than the $179.99 Xbox Elite Controllers, $79.99 is pretty pricey for the average gamer. However it is the better option thanks to the similarities to the Elites if you want a premium controller at a semi-affordable price.
PowerA is really killing it with its controllers, especially with its Fusion line. The Fusion Pro Wired Controller is no dinky spare controller you buy so that your siblings or friends won’t ruin your main controller. It’s a controller you buy when you want to get a slight edge up when playing competitively. It can do almost everything that the Elite and Elite V2 can do, with just some features such as the swap-able D-pad and software to fine tune the controller. Even without these feature the Fusion Pro Wired Controller is a great controller, it feels good in the hands. While $79.99 is still a bit pricey, if you’re looking for a quality controller at a lower price than the Elite, then the Fusion Pro Wired Controller is a great alternative.
