There are hundreds if not thousands of different types of video game controllers on the market. For years you needed to purchase controllers designed for just one type of platform. I don’t want to count the number of controllers that we have had in my home over the years. However, since Bluetooth has become an industry standard for wireless connectivity, it is now possible to use the same controller for multiple devices. I recently had the opportunity to test out such a controller designed not only for function, but for style: the new Crush Bluetooth Wireless Gaming Controller by PB Tails.
What Are the Crush Bluetooth Wireless Gaming Controllers?
The Crush Bluetooth Wireless Gaming Controllers are a new release by PB Tails, a company which was started in 2020 with a belief that aesthetics and functionality in the gaming industry can be refined with a dash of imagination. They Crush controllers have been designed with sleek lines and curves inspired by the Porsche 550 Spyder. The customizable light bar is inspired by the taillights from the Porsche 911 and the controller features a MagCase which can be swapped out with other cases (available separately). Some of these cases are shiny, colored, and transparent, imitating the look of a sports car. Even the ABXY buttons mirror the font of a tachometer on a sports car.
The Crush controller comes in four different models. The china white has a solid white MagCase with a PC layout on the ABXY buttons and sells for $54.99. The ruby and azurite controllers have transparent MagCases with a Nintendo Switch layout of the buttons and sell for $59.99. Finally, the Metal Series Ghost model features a silver-colored Zinc alloy metal MagCase, metal joystick caps, and a pro carry case. It has a PC layout and sells for $99.99. All are available from the PB Tails website.
What’s in the Box?
The Crush Bluetooth Wireless Gaming Controllers include the following:
- Crush controller
- USB-A to USB-C charging/connection cable
- User manual
How to Use the Crush Bluetooth Wireless Gaming Controllers
The Crush Bluetooth Wireless Gaming Controller is extremely easy to use. In order to charge the controller, just used the included cable to plug it into a USB-A power source. It takes 1-2 hours to fully charge depending on the charger you use and has 10 hours of play time before it needs to be recharged. The controller is compatible with Nintendo Switch, Steam, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and Raspberry Pi. For Nintendo Switch, set the mode switch to ‘S’. For other other devices, set the switch to ‘X’. Then hold down the pairing button for 3 seconds to enter pairing mode. The lights on the controller will flash (green in ‘X’ mode and red in ‘S’ mode) while in this mode until the controller connects. Once connected to a device, the controller will remember and automatically pair with the device. The Metal Series Ghost model also can connect via a 2.4 GHz wireless receiver. All controllers can also use the cable for wired connections.
The color of the lightbar can be customized with 256 RGB colors as well as the background color of the logo and ABXY buttons. the brightness of the lighting can also be adjusted. The MagCase is easily removeable. Since it is connected to the controller by magnets, you just use your fingers to pull it off. Then just position it in place and it reattaches. No screws and no tools needed. Finally, the controllers have a turbo mode function which can be set for any of the control buttons.
Why You Should Get the Crush Bluetooth Wireless Gaming Controllers
As I mentioned earlier, I have used a lot of different controllers. Almost every time I bought a controller not made by the manufacturer of the device, I was disappointed. The quality was not as good and it seems like they either had connection issues or problems with the buttons and sticks. Therefore, when I needed a controller, I bought the official controllers which are often more expensive. However, after using the Crush Bluetooth Wireless Gaming Controller, I was pleasantly surprised. I personally like the XBox controller. It fits comfortably in my hand and I like the way the buttons are arranged. The Crush controller has the exact same feel. The buttons are all in the same places with the exception of the screenshot button. I used the azurite model that has the button arrangement for the Nintendo Switch. However, the only difference between it and the PC layout controllers is that the lettering on the X and Y buttons are switched as are the A and B buttons. However when placed in ‘X’ mode, the ABXY buttons all light up in green, red, blue, and yellow to match the XBox controller button color scheme. So in this mode, the letter B button acts as the A button and so forth. The controller also features Hall linear triggers, Hall-Effect joysticks, a cutting-edge 6-axis sensor, and a dual-structure D-pad. I like that the triggers and joysticks don’t have a dead zone. As soon as you move them just a bit, the effects are seen right in the game.
In addition to the feel and use of the Crush controller, I found it very easy to use and connect. The directions in the user manual are easy to follow and for pairing, most of it has to do with the device to which you are pairing. The main reason I wanted to test out the Crush controller was for our Nintendo Switch. I do not care for the Switch controllers, though my kids are fine with them. Therefore, having a larger controller with an XBox feel was just what I was looking for my personal use. It worked great on the Switch and I had no problems with it. I also easily connected it to my PC and used it for several games on Steam. Finally, I paired it with both an iPad as well as an iPhone and used it seamlessly to play games on XBox cloud gaming. In all these situations, the Crush controller worked great.
If you are looking for a wireless controller that can work with the Nintendo Switch, Windows, Steam, iOS, macOS, Android, and even Raspberry Pi, then I recommend the Crush Bluetooth Wireless Gaming Controller. I am very impressed with it and it is now the controller I use with all of my gaming devices with the exception of the XBox.
