| Pro
Digital Force Manufactured By: Inland
Retail Price:
$39.95
Review Date:
11-04-00
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The name given to this gamepad
implies it has rumble type effects. If you buy one under this
pretence you will be disappointed. When you read through the feature
list there is no mention of this type of feature. Still, the name is
misleading and would have better named something else.
The feature list of this
gamepad is pretty impressive. But who is Inland? Inland is
BenCole International and has been in the game for over 15 years.
They make a full range of keyboards, mice, media storage, computer accessories
(cables, adapters, etc.) and a few game controllers. The Pro Digital
Force (PDF) is one of their higher end controllers only eclipsed by a
motion sensing version of the same controller.
I have yet to see Inland
products prominent in any US retail store but they can be found offered
online.
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Features
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- 6 buttons
- 2 trigger buttons
- 8 way D-Pad
- Throttle wheel
- Shift button
- Start, Select and Turbo
buttons
- Gameport or USB mode
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Appropriate
For-
- 3rd person shooters
(Tomb Raider, Star Wars: Rouge Squadron, etc.)
- Arcade games (Centipede,
Rayman, etc.)
- Sports games (NHL,
FIFA, Baseball, etc.)
- Racing games (Need for
Speed series, Star Wars: Racer, Midtown Madness series, Motocross
Madness series, etc.)
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System
Requirements -
Windows 95/98/ME, 15 pin gameport or USB
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Price
-
The price is the only disappointment of the PDF. Nearly $40 (US) for
a gamepad is steep.
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Warranty-
3 year limited.
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Performance -
The PFD is one of the most comfortable gamepads I
have laid my hands on. Its as if it was molded out of clay for my
hands. The two extension grips have dimension to them offering a
very comfortable grip. The buttons, d-pad and throttle are very well
placed. Again, as if it was made for me.
The performance of the PDF
is equally impressive. The pad responds well used either as a
gameport or USB device. I recommend using it as a USB device since
it is easier to connect and use with plug-and-play operation. The
keyboard assignment software was not necessary with anything I played but
was tested anyway. The utility runs resident on your system and does
not appear to slow down the action while in use. I feel its easier
to use in-game programming of the buttons wherever possible.
The PDF withstood heated
use in FIFA and NHL games where I am very hard on the controllers.
The throttle and shift buttons didn't come into play for these types of
games. The 6 buttons and 2 triggers did! Response of the d-pad
was great and felt natural.
I also used the pad to play
through a few levels of Indiana Jones and The Infernal Machine. All
of the buttons (including the start and select) were put to work still
leaving the shift and throttle wheel unused. I used the d-pad for
movement, the triggers for strafe control, and the buttons for the many
actions and menu controls of the game.
Finally I used the pad for
a number of racing games. Finally I used the throttle wheel.
The throttle is located so that either thumb can control the wheel.
Again, the selection of buttons allowed me to keep my hands on the
controller and off the keyboard.
I never implemented the
shift buttons use. I tested it in function and it works great.
If you need more button options it can easily be invoked. I did a
bit of flying with the pad but can't recommend it for flight games or
sims. I'm sort of a purest and think you should use a stick or
yoke. I guess with the right attention to setup it would function
well for flight control but would lack any sense of realism.
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Setup -
Setup is a pretty worry free task. When
used as a USB device you do not need to setup the included software.
Simply plug it in and Windows will set it up as a HID device with 3 Axis
and 12 buttons. As a gameport device you will need to install the
software driver to recognize the PDF. The software installation
puts both the driver and profiler activator software on your system.
In any case,
once the software is installed (or the HID setup done) enter the
controllers properties to test and calibrate the gamepad if necessary.
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Software -
The Pro Digital Force ships with the current version of the device drivers
and the GwActive Profile Profiler utility. After installation a
GwActive group will be added to your Start menu. To access the
program click on it. From the utility you can assign keyboard
actions to the different buttons of the gamepad. Profiles for
different games can be created and you can also create multiple
configurations for the same game.
With most new games such a
utility is not needed. Actions can simply be assigned in the game
setup itself. Still its nice to include the utility for those still
playing older games that do not support DirectInput.
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Documentation -
What a shocker (not really) to find nothing but a
small card in the box labeled "Gamepad User's Manual".
Turn it over and there are basic installation and use instructions.
No frills, but not exactly what I would consider a manual. The
profiler utility thankfully has a help file that provides a bit more
direction on using the utility.
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Overall Rating -
I really like this gamepad! It is one of the
most comfortable gamepads I have ever held. Every button and other
function is easily accessed and controlled. The only gripes I can
present are the misleading name and the high suggested retail price.
If there was such a thing
as a professional gamepad- the Pro Digital Force would be it. That's
the strongest statement I have ever said about a gamepad but it is
meant. Of course, The Control Center highly recommends the Pro
Digital Force despite its steep price.
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Pros-
- Very comfortable and
well laid out
- Throttle and shift
functions
- Decent profiler utility
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Cons-
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1
Stick - Not Recommended
2 Sticks - Functional
3 Sticks - Recommended with some issues
4 Sticks - Recommended
5 Sticks - Highly Recommended!
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