Evil Vision Gives Extended Life To Your 360 Controller – Hardware

Evil Vision (Controller Mod)
Manufacturer: Evil Controllers
Price: $39.99(DIY kit)-$99.99+(pre installed, price dependent on additional mods and customization)
Platform: Xbox 360 / PC (with wireless dongle)
A Modified 360 Controller was supplied to us for impressions.

The Evil Vision back plate does wonders to save users money on AA batteries while being far superior to first party rechargeable alternatives.

Evil controllers is known for their hardware modifications, typically to give players a leg up over their competition. This time around they are giving you longer, uninterrupted play sessions through a custom lithium ion battery pack. Holding the modded controller in your hands only feels slightly different than the standard controller. The Evil Vision back is slightly thicker, which may result in your hands gripping the controller in a slightly different manner. While I noticed this while thinking about it, during regular game sessions I had forgotten I was using a special pad. One thing you won’t notice is any difference in weight. It’s amazing how light weight this controller is with such a robust battery packed inside.

The Vision Back can be recharged with a standard USB mini cable plugged into any active USB port. This is the same cord used to charge the PlayStation 3’s DualShock 3, which makes hunting for the right cable a huge convince. To the left of the charging port is an LED indicator so you can tell when things have finished charging. To the right of the port the Vision Back has a kill switch. The little red button turns off the controller with an easy press. This, while a necessity for a non removable battery, is a large improvement over the stock controller’s requirement to remove the battery pack to turn off the controller.

The rest of the controller mods from Evil Controller are optional with the Evil Vision back, so if you don’t want them you don’t have to get them.

I’m not a fan of the replaced analog sticks. They handle just like the stock ones, but they are convex instead of concave. They are pretty much DualShock 3 sticks in the 360 shell. If you prefer the feel of the PS3 controller these Evil Sticks might be just the thing you have been dreaming of.

The controller provided also came with a modified directional pad. Instead of the 8-way directional disc, the Evil D-pad is just 4 circular buttons at each of the primary directions. This is a step up from the launch d-pad because of the precision achievable, but I still prefer the transforming d-pad of recent official controllers for a better balance of feel and accuracy. Because of how the Evil D-pad is positioned pressing the back button becomes slightly more difficult. Not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but it is noticeable using it for the first time.

First party solutions are notorious for quickly losing their charge and ultimately only lasting a few hours, anchoring your wireless to a USB port. The Evil Vision DIY kit is easily worth the money if you are looking for a rechargeable solution for you current generation Xbox controller needs.  If you feel that using a screw driver is too much work for a battery pack or you are just looking for a controller that will really stand out Evil will let you use their web app to completely customize one to match your style. Just keep in mind the price will go up.