The Steel-Series Stratus is the one and only
Apple-sanctioned, fully wireless gaming controller for iPhone, iPod and iPad
touch devices running iOS 7. It comes in a super-portable size that is great
for travel while still managing to pack in a full complement of buttons, but
its diminutive form sacrifices some levels of comfort, while its high $100
price tag may be hard to justify. With Stratus, gamers have easy and direct
access to a growing roster of great games on iPad that were intended for an
immersive, controller-enabled experience. The company is incredibly excited to
be the first gaming peripherals company to develop a standalone controller for
iOS devices and is thrilled to see an abundance of high quality game titles
rolling out from publishers every day.
A Game Changer
Designed for portability rather than absolute
fun, the Steel Series Stratus gamepad is small, about half and two-thirds the
size of a standard console controller. It is light, it comes in either white or
black shades (to match your iPad), and is wires-free. This is a Bluetooth
controller that hooks up to your iPhone or iPad just like any other Bluetooth
accessory. There is a Bluetooth sync button on the bottom, where it can be
quickly ignored once you are setup. SteelSeries claims that the Stratus offers
around 10 hours of battery life, making it nearly as long-lasting as an iPad.
It charges with an included USB connection cable.
Complete Control
The Stratus Controller features a familiar
console-style layout with the a pressure-sensitive directional pad (D-pad), 4
pressure-sensitive action buttons and 4 pressure-sensitive shoulder buttons,
with dual analog sticks, a dedicated pairing button to connect with iOS devices
via Bluetooth and a convenient on/off switch to save on power.
Apart from its buttons, the Stratus also
features a Micro USB port on the bottom of the controller, while its right side
has a switch that can enable or disable Bluetooth. The back has a button that
can be used to re-sync with a new device, and can be found pairing it with your
own iPhone 5s and iPad Air, as well as the Retina iPad mini.
Compatibility and Problems
The small size of the controller does cause
some expected drawbacks with regards to comfort. The controller feels a little
cramped, especially with the layout of the shoulder buttons.
The L1 and R1 buttons up top are thin and
elongated, placed closer to the face of the controller and distinguished with
raised bumps that allow a user to easily feel them on their fingertips. These
buttons are easier to locate and press than the thicker R2 and L2 buttons
below, which are at center and do not run the entire length of the top of the
controller.
As a separate controller, it works best with
an iPad, but you will need somewhere to rest your iPad in a TV-like position
for it to be enjoyable. It is just a case of choosing the right case, but it is
not something the Stratus itself gets involved in. And there is still a big
premium to pay here.
You pay twice the price of an Xbox One or PS4
controller for something that's less technologically advanced – and we imagine
many people will find that hard to swallow.
About SteelSeries
SteelSeries is a leading manufacturer of top
quality gaming peripherals from headsets, keyboards, mice to controllers,
surfaces and software. It’s more than a decade that SteelSeries has been on the
forefront of designing and creating gear for gamers. The company’s continued
innovation and hard work also comes in collaboration with the world’s leading
professional gaming teams and partners. SteelSeries is a global brand which
continues to support the evolution of competitive gaming tournaments and
electronic sports leagues through professional team partnerships, sponsorships
and other community support.
Conclusion
SteelSeries has done a good job of
differentiating its controller, which makes it not only the first wireless
option, but also gives it a compact design that is easily pocketable and ideal
for mobile games. It is an impressive, tiny and portable design that we believe
will appeal to a certain subset of gamers who may not mind the price tag.
Author : Iman Majeed Source : Appleinsider
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