PDP isn’t just gunning to offer the best unofficial elite Xbox pad–with its newest, semi-pro offering, it appears to have designs on becoming the one true king of Microsoft’s controller market, even at the expense of the company that gives it a creative license in the first place.
Following the superb Victrix Pro BFG–which isn’t just better than the Xbox Elite controller, but could be the best premium package on the market–PDP targets a lower price point with the Gambit Prime. This wired joypad loses many of the bells, whistles, and amateur engineering requirements of its $180 bigger brother, but not at the cost of quality or performance–a real feat, considering it’s just $80.
What’s in the box?
The Gambit Prime’s cheaper price point becomes immediately clear when you open the box, but not in a bad way. If anything, you might expect it to be less impressive for its cost.
Victrix’s Gambit Prime box includes:
- A Victrix Gambit Prime pre-fitted with a four-way D-pad, two standard concave analog sticks, two circular analog stick collars, and a four-button rear trigger plate;
- Two pop-on analog sticks (long concave, standard convex);
- One interchangeable diamond D-pad;
- Two eight-way analog stick collars;
- One two-button rear trigger plate;
- A three-meter braided USB-C cable; and
- A small plastic carrying case for the spare pieces.
Unlike the Pro BFG, and as the most obvious cost-cutting measure, the Gambit Prime doesn’t have a case. However, its additional customization pieces still come in a handy, space-saving box, while the three-meter braided cable sits behind the molded insert.
Straight away, the Gambit Prime feels well-built and nicely ergonomic. Its shape and size are near-identical to the Pro BFG–and, by extension, standard Xbox controllers–albeit slightly lighter and thinner due to the lack of internal battery. Still, it doesn’t feel premium–the Gambit Prime goes for a harder plastic front, which isn’t as comfortable as the BFG, but that also means it isn’t as much of a dust magnet or sweat trap, and lacks that pungent “cereal box toy” smell.
Solid performance
The Gambit Prime shares the same ABXY buttons as the Pro BFG pad. They’re great, but not mechanical–a potential turn-off for fighting game players who would much prefer the BFG’s superb Fightpad module.
However, the Gambit Prime’s LB and RB buttons feel more satisfying to press than their premium counterparts, but at the expense of being much louder; they sound cheap. These cost-cutting measures extend to dampening elsewhere–the ABXY buttons are also noisier.
Still, there are no complaints about the rear buttons. These offer a surprising amount of resistance–not so little that you accidentally trigger them, but not too stiff that you miss your moment. While I prefer a two-button rear layout, the simple slits that separate the four-button plate are intelligently designed, so you never feel like you’re pressing the wrong thing.
Crucially, the Gambit Prime runs perfectly with the Victrix Control Hub, which offers many customization options for these buttons, and so much more. Out of the box, it also has much better default trigger sensitivity settings than the Pro BFG, which questionably shipped with hairline responsiveness as standard; the Gambit Prime’s more in line with your standard Xbox controller. The five-level trigger stop controls are as intuitive as those found on the Pro BFG, and a huge bonus at this price point.
The Gambit Prime also opts for a near-identical View, Share, and Menu button shape and layout, and it still doesn’t feel right. Their increased size just about makes up for their odd placement; View, in particular, is uncomfortable to reach over the left stick–far from ideal when playing games that bind important menus to it.
Multicolored swap shop
The Gambit Prime can be customized by removing the entire front fascia. PDP newcomers might be surprised there isn’t a tool to pop it off, but that’s because you don’t need one–the cover is held in place by small magnets, like the modules from Thrustmaster’s eSwap X2 Pro Controller, so it lifts off with ease.
It’s a brilliant design, and it’s genuinely astounding that so many other companies don’t consider this approach to customization. Similarly, on the Gambit Prime’s rear side, you can easily switch out the four-trigger back plate for its two-button alternative; a simple slide button pops it out. The D-pad, too, is easy to replace.
The same can’t be said for the analog sticks. It’s important to keep these things snug to avoid slipping or rattling, but you’ll worry you’ll break the controller when you remove them. Conversely, when you push them back in, you must do it forcefully, even as the stick mechanism moves while you try. If you don’t push them back in fully, you might think the fascia is broken, as it doesn’t sit flush. Still, these are minor quibbles, given you’ll probably have an ideal setup and rarely swap your sticks.
The best Xbox standard controller?
There’s a reason the Pro BFG keeps being mentioned: it’s probably the most complete Xbox controller package on the market. While the Gambit Prime shares many of its strengths, it’s no elite option–instead, it’s the controller you should consider if you’re an aspirational player who’s competitive at certain titles, with an appetite to get even better and potentially upgrade in the future, but still desiring the flexibility of a solid option for casual gaming.
As a result, the Gambit Prime is a real competitor for the standard, $60 Xbox pad. It absolutely justifies the extra $20 investment for its customization, build quality, programmable options and performance–even if you’re always plugged in.
